How long to spend
We took two days to see Austin. Austin’s attractions are condensed within the city so no time is wasted going from one spot to the next. Multiple days come in handy mostly because there are too many good BBQ and taco places to try— you can only eat so much in a day. Aside from the food, there’s history at the Texas Capitol, your typical city parks, unique shopping (think cowboy boots!), and other unique experiences (think shooting ranges and… wait, bats?). Any outdoor activities will not take up much time in your itinerary because you will instantly shrivel up in the heat and decide it’s time to move on. By our second day in Austin, we found ourselves inside bowling, of all things.
San Antonio only really needs a day. The main appeal of San Antonio are the historic sites of the Alamo and the other Missions. Other than that, there is a riverwalk, a light show, and markets. Though seeing all this in a day makes for a packed itinerary, we would’ve found it tough to stretch these activities into another day.
Transportation
While all the attractions are not too far apart from each other in downtown Austin, I still think it’s worth it to rent a car. Most things are merely like a ten minute drive from each other, but it just allowed us the freedom to come and go as we pleased. We could also visit slightly farther attractions like go-karting without having to think twice. Parking downtown was admittedly tough to find but if you keep your eyes open, it is doable. If you’re staying in a hotel and don’t want to pay for its overnight parking, there are actually garages with $10 overnight parking, not bad at all. We did get screwed more than once though. A garage that had advertised $10 overnight parking somehow costed $35 when we went to pay. We also got a $35 parking ticket for parking in a no-parking zone. It looked like valid parking to us.
Also, these cities are overrun by electric scooters on almost every block. They’re a convenient way to explore downtown or in the parks.
Helpful tips
- Make restaurant reservations early. Especially for the BBQ places, where you can place an online order in advance. You’d eliminate literally hours of waiting on the day of. There is often a minimum amount of food when ordering online, but it’s so worth it to walk right past the line that’s spilling out the building and directly to a separate counter to pick up your order. You can still eat in the restaurant even if you ordered in advance.
the waiting in line experience the pre-order experience 🙂
- We were unable to visit the Hamilton Pool Preserve because it requires a reservation, which should be made several months in advance! The Hamilton Pool is a beautiful historic swimming hole, surrounded by limestone, and fed by a 50ft waterfall from the Hamilton Creek, or so the internet says. We wouldn’t know. We couldn’t visit 🙁 Make reservations here: https://secure.emybill.com/parks/reservation/base/TravisHamilton/publicSite/main.faces
Our Itinerary
Here’s how we saw Austin and San Antonio in 3 days!
Day 1 – Saturday
9:30am – Land at Austin airport
10:30am – Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ for lunch (30min wait)
It’s good to get here early. The line to order took us 30min to get through. The tacos they serve are super hefty, feels like real quality but I started to wonder if they were almost another category of food and no longer your typical taco. When we left, the line had doubled and gone on to wrap around the side of the building. Glad we escaped that extra wait. Read more at http://exploringduo.com/tx-food/.
11:30am – Drive to San Antonio
12:50pm – Pearl Farmers Market
This farmers market was different from the usual ones we see in that it wasn’t dominated by fruit and veggie stands; in fact, I don’t think there was any at all. Instead what we saw were stands for local goat meat, honey, soaps, beer, other cold drinks, lavender products, and beignets, off the top of my head. On one side, there is an indoor area with seating and different food options, kind of in the layout of a food court. On the perimeter of this market is also a handful of craft or clothing shops. Maybe we arrived towards the tail end of the farmers market or maybe because it was too hot or we were too full, but we took a quick loop around the market and needed no more than 15min here. We were able to find some ice cold water here to quench our thirst and that was all we needed before moving on.
https://atpearl.com/farmers-market
1:30pm – San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. Stop first at the visitor center at Mission San Jose
This park is a collection of ruins from four of the five missions established by Spain in order to spread Christianity to the local American Indians. The four missions are San Jose, Concepción, Espada, and San Juan. The fifth one, the Alamo, is its own separate thing and not part of this park. Entrance is free, which is great. But personally, I found the Missions slightly underwhelming, especially because I went into it with no knowledge of what they were or their significance— just crumbling ruins of something that once stood here. If you go into it uninformed like we were, stop by the national park visitor center at Mission San Jose first. They have a few panels to help you understand the history of these missions. But what’s more, they have a video! I’m a big fan of watching videos at national park visitor centers (yes, very specific I know), but they just make a visit so much more meaningful than say, looking at some piles of rubble. Anyway, the video is played every hour and on the half hour, so we watched the video at 2pm. It went over the way of life for the people that once lived here, who built these missions and why.
https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm
2:50pm – Mission Espada
These missions are something around a ten minute drive from each other. At Mission Espada, there wasn’t much to see here. It had a gift shop and a room for people to worship in, but no one in it.
3:15pm – Mission Concepción
The last one we visited was Mission Concepción, since we decided we didn’t need to visit all four. The park ranger at San Jose said if there was one other mission we should visit, it should be this one, and I agree with her assessment. This one was on the prettier end, fairly intact, and had nice arches. There were some panels inside that I appreciated reading. One room had a few small sections with its colors restored, and a panel describing that, for example.
4:15pm – The Alamo
The Alamo, as I mentioned, is also another mission, but it is the most famous. It served not only as a mission, but also as a fortress in later years. Back then, Texas was a part of Mexico. In 1836 when Texas declared its independence, Mexican General Santa Anna gathered an army of almost 2000 troops. At the Battle of the Alamo, they killed all 200 Texan soldiers defending the fort. But that battle fueled Texan spirits. Two months later, Sam Houston led Texan troops at the Battle of San Jacinto, where they fought with a rallying cry of “Remember the Alamo!” Their victory secured the independence of Texas. By the way, does Sam Houston sound familiar? Yep, they named a city after him. Fun fact, Stephen F. Austin also got a city named after him too. Now known as “The Father of Texas”, he brought over many Americans to start the colony in Mexico’s province of Tejas.
After seeing all the other missions and being underwhelmed, my expectations by the time we got to the Alamo were low. But we were pleasantly surprised. The Alamo, too, is free. Though the line for entrance looks intimidating, it moved very quickly. One of the highlights here was a video about the Alamo, produced by the History Channel, with reenactments and all. It was super informative and sure, you could watch that anywhere, but it feels very different learning its history while sitting at the very site. We then wandered the exhibits and all the information was easily digestible; they helped add more depth and some physical memorabilia to what we had just heard in the video.
One downside of visiting is that the parking around this area is abysmal, a byproduct of being a historic site so easily accessible right in the center of the city. We thought we had found a spot, paid for it, only to come back and see a parking ticket on our dashboard, the saddest thing.
6:00pm – Historic Market Square
What a super lively area, and very centered on Mexican culture. This is a crowded section of street featuring many Mexican food stands, drinks, lots of bloody Mary’s (Micheladas) in hand for some reason, crafts, restaurants, souvenirs, and these pretty colored paper decorations hanging above us thanks to the buildings on the side of this street. We were holding out for dinner so didn’t purchase any food here, and the crafts didn’t appeal to us, but it was still a fun atmosphere to take a quick walk through. The only thing that did appeal to me were the agua frescas, which were $10, and I’m too cheap to be paying $10 for an agua fresca.
https://www.marketsquaresa.com/
6:45pm – Henry’s Puffy Tacos Express for dinner part 1
This was the first time i tried a puffy taco! It’s a taco where the shell is deep fried. I enjoyed the different texture but wouldn’t miss it if they don’t exist out in the wild. The casualness of this restaurant was nice too. Read more at http://exploringduo.com/tx-food/.
7:30pm – Ray’s Drive Inn for dinner part 2
We tried more puffy tacos here, just to sample a variety, along with some other items to round out the meal. Read more at http://exploringduo.com/tx-food/.
8:45pm – Check in and drop stuff off at the hotel
9:00pm – San Fernando Cathedral for a 24min light show
Great to experience, this work of art comes in the form of a light show, beautifully projected onto the canvas of a church. It never explicitly stated what the light show was about, but from the eyes of a visitor who just spent the past day learning about the history of the area, I thought it was a good ending summary for our day. I like that it balanced its more expressive abstract side with real references to certain people/places/events, all to tell a history of this area, and of Texas in general. That was my interpretation by the end of it, and it was done well enough that I wouldn’t second guess this meaning even when I went into it with no context. This show is on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with show times 9, 9:30 and 10pm.
https://www.mainplaza.org/san-antonio-the-saga/
9:30pm – San Antonio Riverwalk
This is a section of the river with a stone path constructed on both sides, with many restaurants and some craft stands lining the walkway. There were boat tours going up and down the river. There were arched bridges over the river; they added to the pretty atmosphere. I could see how it could be a nice walk, except that it’s extremely crowded. Felt more chaotic rather than relaxing due to the mass of people, but otherwise, it’s an area that was developed well.
https://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/
Day 2 – Sunday
11:00a – Drive back to Austin
12:40 – HOPE Outdoor Gallery
Described as a community art park, this outdoor gallery is a collection of walls that anyone can come and paint graffiti on. Unfortunately when we visited, it was fenced off… for good. We weren’t the only ones there checking out what once was. A woman said to us it’s a shame- they used to be able to walk around the panels to check out the art in all the nooks and crannies. Her two girls made the most of the situation by spray painting strings tied to the chain link fence. An officer drove by and talked to the mom. There’s a small wall down that way that the girls can still spray paint. It isn’t much. As we left, I overhear a group saying that this art park is moving to a location across the airport- and who’s going to go all the day down to this airport?
1:00 – la Barbecue for lunch
Such meat, what can I say. The beef rib was the standout- this huge hunk of meat falling off the bone. We ordered in advance to save ourselves a ton of time, though it meant meeting the minimum amount, which was a lot of food for two.
2:00 – Mount Bonnell
This is the highest point in Austin, or something like that, details get a bit technical. We set it as the destination in Google Maps and arrived in our car, finding enough parking along the sides of the roads. There is a flight of steps that lead to a view of the river below, along with rich looking houses lining that river, the types that come with pools. But there wasn’t much else to see from this view. The Austin skyscrapers are visible but at a distance, and the immediate surrounding area is blocked by shrubbery. The view was just not worth a visit; you’d only come here to check a box off. Alright we said, it was time to start hiking to wherever we were supposed to go… until we realized all trails went downhill. Had we just driven right up to the viewpoint and avoided all the hiking? Our conclusion was yes, and we did not mind at all. It was still so so hot.
2:45 – Zilker Park and Barton Springs Pool
Zilker Park is large, filled with green grassy areas and your typical park stuff, like volleyball courts and even people playing on them in this ridiculous heat. Barton Springs Pool is a spring-fed pool within this park, complete with with lifeguards and facilities. When we arrived, the area was swarming with people in swim shorts and beach towels but there was no one actually in the pool. A sign quickly revealed- pool closed due to imminent lightning. What a bummer. In all reality, we might not’ve made it in anyway given how incredibly long the line looked. It is a very popular attraction, no need to explain its appeal on hot Texas days. Parking at this park comes in the form of several parking lots, from normal parking to overflow sand lot parking.
http://www.austintexas.gov/department/barton-springs-pool
http://www.austintexas.gov/department/zilker-metropolitan-park
4:00 – Uncommon Objects Store
This store is aptly named. It’s filled with the most random, antique goods you can’t even imagine. For such a random selection of goods, the owners did a pretty great job of staying on theme, like somehow all those goods made sense together there. If you bought something and took It home though, it would just be so out of place. Some examples of objects include old written on postcards- handwriting barely legible, a signed guitar- signed by who?, a dull knife set, a locker cabinet, just anything you can possibly think of, but used and deteriorating, like a garage sale. The most interesting item to us was a trophy to Olga, for being the best wife, the best cook, the best mother, etc. dated back to the 1950s. Maybe you enjoy treasure hunting, or even if not, you’ll be among plenty who do enjoy it because the store was pretty packed when we visited.
http://www.uncommonobjects.com/
4:30 – Cow Tipping Creamery
Quick ice cream stop! It wasn’t great, but the milkshake was better.
5:30 – Allen Boots
Even if you have no intention of returning home to your city with a very out of place pair of cowboy boots, it’s pretty fun to make a stop at this store. Upon walking in, the air is filled with the lovely smell of leather and racks of cowboy boots stand from one end to the other. Enjoy finding the flashiest pair to try on for giggles but also pick out a pair that could potentially not look too bad, you know, “just to see”. There’s a section of cowboy hats too so it’s easy to complete the look. The adjacent room features a selection of their premium boots for those who’d like to indulge in something real fancy.
7:00 – Arrive at Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
8:00 – Watch the bats fly out in masses to feed
Not something you’d expect to see when visiting a city, but what a unique experience. Due to a renovation in 1980, the bridge has transformed into a bat nesting area. Around dusk, about 1.5 million bats fly in streams from under the bridge to find insects for dinner. Each night tens of thousands of pounds of insects are consumed. Go bats. We chose to stand in one of the sections below and on the side of the bridge, figuring it’d give us a nicer view of both the bridge and the bats. Others chose to stand on the bridge itself to view the bats. Stand and look facing east (or just be where the big crowds of people are) because that’s the direction the bats will be flying. Another option is to rent a kayak and see it from on the river. It might be the preferred way, just know that you run the risk of getting pooped on.
8:30 – Loro for Dinner (30min wait)
Loro was something like barbecue with an Asian twist on it. This was our favorite restaurant on the trip. It has an upscale feeling, even a cozy beer garden outside while you wait, but was still affordable. Read more at http://exploringduo.com/tx-food/.
10:30 – Dirty 6th St
If you’re looking to party, this is the place to be. This street is lined from end to end with bars, many of them bordering on becoming a club. All doors were wide open and music blasted so loud at times we had to shout, though we were merely passing by on the sidewalk. But not all places were alike. Some featured live music instead, but none all too special. And some places were almost empty, with employees standing outside advertising their $2 beers. A few blocks are in the center of all this action but walking towards the ends of this hot section, it gradually mellows out into more casual bars better for sitting with friends over a few drinks. Shuffleboard or arcade bar? This street has all that too. But does it have something for my totally overwhelmed and domesticated boyfriend? Nope, we went home, took a shower, and went to sleep.
Day 3 – Monday
10:30 – Veracruz Tacos
A taco truck with a nicely set up open seating area. Good breakfast tacos, and huge agua frescas. Read more at http://exploringduo.com/tx-food/.
11:15 – Texas State Capitol
Standing on S Congress Ave and looking up the avenue, curious visitors and proud residents alike see a large stately building situated at the end. Miles into the distance and all the way across the river, the avenue leads to the historic Texas State Capitol. A building so clearly significant to Texas is surely worth a visit. And a convenient and fun way to do it is by taking their 30min free guided tour. Just show up, no advance sign up required. A decent amount of info is already covered at the Alamo, but the overview of the State Senate and its House of Representatives had new and interesting info. In this building, traditions of their past are carried and adapted into the future. The coolest perk was the guide herself, granddaughter of a man whose portrait hangs in the building. She’s proud of her granddad and her history, happy to share their story. The Capitol runs tours 360 days of the year. For reference, our group was pretty large, maybe 30 people, but personally it didn’t bother me much.
https://tspb.texas.gov/plan/tours/tours.html
1:00 – Parked at Town Lake Metropolitan Park
We parked in a small lot next to the park but decided to pivot our plan. Ended up walking/taking a scooter to our lunch spot first.
1:30 – Terry Black’s Barbecue
Out of all the BBQ places we went, this place had the best briskets. Visitors can go out back to the smokehouse and ask for a tour! Super neat. It’s not a long tour, only like 5min but the friendly cook opened up the grills and gave us a quick rundown of how they cooked their BBQ, along with crazy facts about the pounds of meat they go through and the number of customers they serve in a day. Read more at http://exploringduo.com/tx-food/.
2:30pm – Town Lake Metropolitan Park
We grabbed a pair of scooters outside the lunch spot and scootered back and around the lake area. I actually enjoyed riding the electric scooters here, safe from all the cars, on relatively flat and open sidewalks. It allowed us to cover a decent area of the park with minimum effort. There are some pretty good views of the modern skyline and the river from this area. Other visitors include those going for a run or a bike ride in this extreme heat.
3:30 – COTA Karting at Circuit of the Americas
Go-karting! Karts here can hit speeds of up to 55mph, not a speed that can be experienced everywhere. To our major disappointment, it was booked up for an event. Driving into the location, instead of seeing a go-kart track, we instead saw a real deal racetrack, complete with towering grandstands. We must’ve driven to the wrong location… But continue onwards and in the back, there really is a section for go-karting. In the weeks following this trip, we’ve been playing Forza and what a surprise to see this track featured in the racing game. So you see, they must’ve had a serious go-karting experience here.
http://www.circuitoftheamericas.com/karting
4:15 – The Range at Austin
Come shoot some guns. It’s a very Texas thing to do. Since go-karting wasn’t an option, we spent an hour here instead and it cost $100 for an AR, a box of ammo, and a lane. There was no wait and they’ve good service here, someone to help us pick a gun, explain how it works, and someone on the inside to help us again if we’ve any questions. Which we did, constantly. We definitely felt pretty out of place and had no idea what we were doing. Even with ear muffs, it’s amazing how loud the guns were. We had both been to a shooting range before yet were still surprised. The recoil was also enough to jolt me nervous. I fired a few rounds and decided that was it for me. Then out of nowhere we heard an assault rifle fire a few lanes down. Each time the burst of fire would just stop us in our tracks. That’s some alarming stuff.
https://www.therangeaustin.com/
5:30 – Bowling at Westgate Lanes
We still had more time to spare before heading to the airport, so we went bowling. This was your very standard bowling alley, nothing special to report back. But because I am a timid person, I enjoyed this a lot more than the gun range, and it washed away my tension from our last activity. We each bowled two games and it cost little more than ten bucks a person.
7:40 – Flight back home