August in Austin
We’ve taken a little break over the summer from our blog posts, but a recent trip has inspired us to share some photos and travel tips with you! As you may know, Sofie lives in Austin, Texas now, and I (Emma) just visited her there for the first time. We managed to cram a lot of sightseeing and activity into 10 very hot days, so we thought why not share some of our favorites with you?
Now, bear in mind that August isn’t necessarily the best time of year to visit Texas, as it gets so hot during the day that you can’t spend too much time outside. However, if it’s the most convenient time for you, then it is certainly possible to do as much as you can in the morning and spend the hotter hours relaxing indoors, then venturing out again in the evening as it cools down. That’s what we did and we actually managed to see a lot. Anyway, without further ado – here’s our list of where you should go if you’re ever in Austin!
Brunch at Dai Due
Let’s start with food, of course. It seems like people in Austin love brunch because it was difficult to find a place to book, even several days ahead of time. That being said, we ended up booking in at a place called Dai Due, a butcher shop and supper club. They are a farm-to-table restaurant and use only seasonal and local produce, making the menu unique and interesting! They had classic Southern dishes, like biscuits and gravy, but also offered interesting new dishes, like a sourdough pancake with plum syrup. I’m sure their dinner menu is impressive too, so it’s definitely worth a try.
Dinner at El Naranjo
If there’s one thing you have to eat while you’re in Texas, it’s Mexican food. You could go down the path of Tex-Mex – that’s delicious too – but we wanted to try some more “authentic to Mexico” Mexican food while in Austin. This led us to find a restaurant called El Naranjo. What this place is known for is its mole, which is a type of sauce in Mexican cuisine that is very deep and flavorful, often spiced and with made chocolate or fruit. We tried 2 kinds, the traditional dark mole paired with duck and a mango mole paired with chicken. They were both super tasty, and the appetizers and dessert we tried were excellent too.
Rodeo at the Moody Center
Attending a rodeo had never really crossed my mind until my parents bought me tickets for my birthday to go to a professional bull riding rodeo in Austin! I wasn’t sure what to expect, to be honest, but it ended up being a lot of fun. The atmosphere was loud and patriotic, so it for sure fulfilled some Texas cliches. In the end, it was a great introduction to an interesting sport!
Barton Springs
This is a must-visit when you’re in Austin, as I’ve heard from many people! It’s a large public pool supplied by a spring with an average temperature between 68 and 70 degrees F, which is ideal for swimming all year round. It costs money to enter, but if you go early in the morning or late at night, it’s free. We went very early so that admission was free, and it was a nice and refreshing dip in the heat of Texan summer. Plenty of people were swimming before work, hanging out with their friends, and even tanning on the lawn already at 8 in the morning. Definitely a nice respite from the hot weather!
Day Trip to Gruene
We also decided to take a day trip outside of Austin to a small German-Texan town called Gruene. It was very quaint, with plenty of nice shops and restaurants. A highlight for us was an olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting shop called “The Gruene Olive” – apparently, Texans pronounce Gruene as “green” – where we all got stomachaches from tasting too many of the samples 😂. We also enjoyed the beautiful old architecture, including Gruene Hall, which is Texas’ oldest dance hall. The Gruene general store was also a favorite – you can see photos of this included above. Finally, we had a nice lunch at the Gristmill River Restaurant overlooking the Guadalupe River. It was a lovely day trip all around and only about a 40-minute drive from South Austin.
Texas Capitol
Visiting the Texas Capitol was an amazing glimpse into the state’s political history and architecture. We got to see the beautiful grounds and a few monuments before it was a bit too hot outside and we headed inside to see the rotunda. There, all of the Texan governors were featured in paintings on each floor of the rotunda, so we enjoyed learning a bit more about them. The dome itself was so beautiful and impressive, and while we couldn’t actually see inside the House or Senate chambers, we still enjoyed our visit.
Zilker Botanical Garden
The last place we visited was the Zilker Botanical Garden, which is not for the faint of heart in the August heat. We had first been to Barton Springs for a swim, so we felt refreshed heading out into the morning heat and walking around the botanical garden for a bit. It was very beautiful, but I wish we had had more time there – we just couldn’t handle the heat for too long! We did get to see some beautiful plants, fish, butterflies, and even a hummingbird. It was so beautiful!
Thanks for reading!
Hopefully, this was an enjoyable read and you got to learn about a few spots to visit in Austin, Texas. Even if you never make it there, we hope you got to experience a bit of it through our post today! It’s a really nice city with lots to do and eat and see, so we would recommend adding it to your travel list. If you’ve ever been or if you live there, what’s one of your favorite spots? Leave us a comment below and we’ll make sure we check it out soon.
