For Spring Break I could have easily stayed home and been a total lazy ass. Instead I felt the urge to get out of town and do something. We tried to go to plenty of places on the west coast we hadn't been before, but plane tickets were outrageous, so we decided to drive to Texas. I have pretty much been everywhere in Texas except for Austin, so now was the time to check it out.
After making the long, and boring 11 hour drive down I-10 we ended up stopping in New Braunfels for the night. First stop had to be Cooper's BBQ. It's my absolute favorite. I love the jalapeno cheddar sausage dipped in the vinegar based sauce. Mouth watering. If only AZ had some BBQ like that. The following morning, since we were in the area, we drove down the road to Gruene, TX. It may be a bit touristy but I love how quaint and rustic this little place is. We enjoyed some delish coffee and walking around the market they had going on that day.
One of the big goals of this trip was for me to just chill and go with the flow instead of be super duper organized and stressed out...the usual. I had a few things I wanted to see and do, but really, no plans were set in stone. We were literally booking AirBNB's the day before. I have recently became obsessed with AirBNB's. It is so cool to stay at a unique place with personal touches versus a standard hotel. The first night we stayed in Austin, was down in the SOCO district. So many quirky and cool places. Our AirBNB host even had goats in the backyard. We tried Torchy's Tacos...maybe I'm biased but, I think the tacos are better in Arizona. We also casually shopped up and down Congress during the day. When they say Keep Austin Weird, they weren't kidding. So many different scenes in this city. Later in the evening we decided to venture down to 6th street for some live music. Everyone must have been burnt out from SXSW because it wasn't hopping like I thought it would have been. I actually was unimpressed with 6th. It was dirty and smelly. I did finally get to try Voodoo Doughnut and it was damn good!
The second day in Austin we started out meandering around the neighborhood we were staying in. Getting coffee from cool coffee shops makes me so happy. We were actually super close to the Austin Postcard Mural. It was surprisingly smaller than I thought, but still pretty cool to see.
Nearly 24 hrs in Austin, and I had already seen enough. We decided to get out for awhile and head to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. So many cacti, grasses, and beautiful flowers. I was stoked because its the time of year where the bluebonnets are everywhere. I wish we could grow them here.
The only must have I had while in Austin was to go to the Consuela flagship store. I could totally live without designer handbags, Consuela is a different story. The colors, designs, and textures...they speak to me! I could have walked out of there with nearly everything. Their newest designs have Cacti all over them...I HAD to get something. On our last night in Austin we discovered Craft Pride in the Rainey St district. Now this place was more my speed. Chill with some delicious beer. I wish we had discovered it earlier.
When it was time to leave Austin, we decided to drive up to Waco to check out the Magnolia Silos. If it wasn't so cold and windy that day I'm sure we would have hung around longer. It rustic and very cool place to see. I loved the lavendar and cupcakes the most.
Once we left Waco, we headed back west to Fredericksburg. Luckenbach is so close, we also made a pitstop there. A tourist trap off the beaten path, perhaps, but we got to relax, enjoy live music, and a few Shiner Bocks.
Fredericksburg was our last stop on the road trip. The AirBNB we stayed in was #goals. It makes me want to have a little bungalow in my backyard for an art studio. Maybe someday.
On this road trip we did so much, but at our leisure. It was so nice not having an agenda and being able to relax. I forgot what stress and anxiety was for a few days. Even though the trip was enjoyable, it was nice to get home and see our pups. I can't wait for more adventures soon.