
Why Austin, Texas?
If you’re looking to get out of New York for the weekend, then you could pick a worse place to visit than Austin. The Texas capital is like New York in some ways – it’s a big city, after all – but also decidedly different. Indeed, this city is pretty different from just about everywhere; you only need to look at its slogan – “Keep Austin Weird” – to understand that this is your usual Texan or even American city. Below, we take a look at five ways to make the most out of your flying visit to the city. The reason that I even have Austin on my mind is from the amazing series done by fellow New York City bloggers, Mad Hatters NYC, you’d be smart to check them out for their in depth run down of Austin.
Pick When You’ll Fly
First thing’s first, when will you fly? For a weekend trip, you’ll have two main options: an evening flight on a Friday, or an early morning flight on Saturday. The journey will take around four hours, so it’s not so long. There’s something about leaving work and arriving in a different city a few hours later, but if energy is a concern, it might be a good time to get a full night’s rest on Friday and then be fresh and raring to go at full speed when on Saturday when you land.
Tight Schedule, Tight Planning
Because you’ll only have a matter of roughly 48 hours in which to explore the city, you’ll need to put a little bit extra effort into your planning. First, pick a hotel that is close to the airport and the city; the Holiday Inn Express Austin Airport will be a good option in this regard, as it’s only 10 minutes from downtown Austin, and 5 minutes from the airport. From there, it’ll be all about making a schedule so that you’re able to pack in everything you want to do during your trip. Talking of which….
The Essential Activities
No matter what your interests are, there are some things that every visitor to Austin must do. In the morning, swing by the State Capitol building – it’s one of the tallest such buildings in the states, and is something to behold. From there, head on over to the Bullock Texas State History Museum and learn all the fascinating history of the Lone Star State. If the weather is nice, spend the afternoon relaxing and people watching at Lady Bird Lake, one of Austin’s key outdoor areas. If you’re a Lyndon B. Johnson fan, check out his museum, which gives an insight into his presidency and the key issues of the time.
Food, Drink, and Entertainment
Ok, now to the real fun. Austin will be a mecca if you love your food and drink; indeed, there’s something of a culinary revolution going on in this city, with delicious food and drink found everywhere. If you’ve only got time to check out one area of the city, make it the famous Sixth Street. There you’ll find the best bars, cool restaurants, and the best the city has to offer by way of live music.
At the end of the trip, you’ll be flying back to New York with one eye on returning to Austin in the near future! Have you ever visited Austin or were you like me and totally clueless about the city? Do you have recommendations? What was your favorite thing about the city? I’d like to read all about it in the comments below.
Until our next rendezvous…
XOXO
Trudy
This post was a collaboration.
Thanks so much for the mention, Trudy!
Austin really ended up being such a robust destination and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Love your recommendations (we didn’t spend nearly as much time on Dirty Sixth, but it’s always nice to leave something to go back for!). And totally agree: we love leaving work and arriving somewhere new just hours later!
Oh please! You are very welcome and thank you for opening my eyes to other options on where to travel. It had not even crossed my mind until you wrote about it and did a very thorough job.
Also, see the bats on Congress Avenue Bridge if you are there in the early fall (through October)
Okay, get me to Austin. I’ve been to Texas many times, but have never been there. Sounds like so much fun. Great tips and you’re getting my wheels turning.
I’ve not been to Austin (nor New York ) but they both sound interesting cities to visit. Will be adding onto my “cities to visit bucket list” ! ?
I haven’t been to Austin for such a long time. Time to start planning~
Austin is one of those things on my bucket list.
I’ve got a classmate that lives in Austin and he swears it is the coolest place in the world. It’s kind of the “anti” Texas the way he has explained it to me.
Happy belated birthday. That’s what I hear. Mad Hatters NYC did a great series on it. That’s what made it an interesting topic.
Will have to check it out :), and thank you, did you send me a Empire State Building keychain?
If you want one, I will get it to you.
I’ve never been to Austin – sounds interesting!
As a Texan, I can’t stand dealing with Austin BUT…if you must visit, please also check out Book People Downtown. The Rare book section of the northside Half Price Books, and dedicate a day to exploring the shops and unique eats of So Co!
Is Austin that bad to you? I love unique foods!
I have family out there and we always spend more time in traffic than doing anything due to the short sighted infrastructure.
They never thought that they would be that popular. HAHAHA!
It’s like you’re the capitol for crying out loud. ?
BUT if you stay downtown and plan to just stay within walking distance it can be fun. Though if I’m in that neck of ghed woods is definitely prefer the River walk in San Antonio
My husband flew into Austin once on his way home from Mexico. Looks like a great place to visit!