Hey loves!

I’m super super super stoked to share my first Travel Diary! I thought I’d start off with a simple place not too far away; Austin!

For spring break this year, my family decided to keep it simple and fun. So we drove down to Austin for a weekend of fun…and rain. Unfortunately, it rained all weekend, but we did make the most of it! If you’ve been to Austin, you know it’s an outdoor based city, but exploring downtown was so fun! I ended up going a couple of months later with my friends while the weather was clear and cool! In my opinion, Austin is great for a weekend trip and if time allows, a day trip. I had loads of fun with my family and the same amount with my friends as well! Here are a few of the places we spent our days:

Texas State Capitol

Visiting the state capitol is obviously a must if you’re in Austin. It seems like it would be boring, but getting to see where all the actions happens and learning all the history is actually entertaining. My favorite was looking at all the state mascots, which are basically all the representatives grandkids who pose for a cute photo, and seeing all the governors and mayors photos wrapped around the dome building. The tour is a great idea if you stop by within tour hours because it’s completely free and they point out small facts you wouldn’t even notice! If you want, you can drift off and tour by yourself, which is fun if you love to explore! Each time I’ve gone, I’ve seen a girl taking her quinceañera photos with the green landscape or the marble indoors. Take in mind, this is a staple tourist destination, so you’ll see loads of people taking photos and posing with the historic building!

Graffiti Walls

One place I didn’t get to touch on until my second trip, was the graffiti wall. I was so excited to go with my friends! We went to a craft shop nearby and grabbed our choices of spray paint to contribute to the local artistry. With our spray cans in hand, we drove up to the location..to see the immense amount of cars struggling to park nearby. Somehow we found a spot nearby but it is pretty tight to get through. The main thing is..dress appropriate. Wear comfortable closed toed shoes, it’s all rocks and gravel. Wear clothes you won’t mind getting dirty, theres spray paint EVERYWHERE, even on the floor. If you don’t like walking up slopes, be cautious, it is a steep path in places. I myself am kind of cautious is areas like that, so it wasn’t my favorite to walk through. But walking through and seeing the plethora of artwork, personalities, and cultures was well worth it. Getting to add our own touch was interesting to see. There is a pretty nice view to take photos with at the top, which is where we took our traditional friends photo. Theres also random graffiti all over the city which are extremely cute to take photos with!

Lake Travis

Lake Travis is a wonderful place to stop by if you’re in Austin, and you love the outdoors. The drive is so scenic and hilly, which was a shock for a Houstonian like me. In reality, it’s a gorgeous lake with beautiful lake houses, boats, and incredibly nice people all around! But since it was drizzling, sigh, we had to keep it to the views from inside the car. We did stop by an incredible restaurant on the Lake for incredible food and a stunning scenic view.

SXSW

If you happen to stop in Austin while SXSW is happening…GO. The weeks are full of incredibly fun events. While we stopped in Austin, SXSW built a Los Pollos Hermanos and invited Gus and Saul to come out and meet everyone. If you don’t watch Breaking Bad, that sentence was irrelevant, however, if you do, your jaw is on the floor. Yes, they built an actual Los Pollos Hermanos with real chicken for people to see. It was so cool to see actors from the show come out and greet the fans while they visited the infamous restaurant run by a drug lord. Just the usual.

The New Movement

Finding something to do indoors was a little tricky, but we found something guys. Comedy. Finding a last-minute comedy club was really hard but we stumbled upon a place called The New Movement. We bought our tickets online not knowing what to expect but we showed up and we loved it. The New Movement was a small local comedy club located in Downtown. It just so happened the night we came, they were doing their sketch comedy show, The Neighborhood. We were a little wary because it was pretty small and we had no idea what we were walking into. By the end of it, we were so happy we found it. The sketches were hilarious and the actors seemed so down to earth and hilarious. It was the perfect kind of humor for everyone to enjoy and they did a great job! Definitely a must to see!

Sixth Street

I mean, this doesn’t even need an explanation. New York : Times Square, San Antonio : River Walk, Austin : Sixth Street..

Sixth Street is amazing to just walk on, day or night, visit local shops and restaurants, and take in the city at its finest.

and obviously, all the great food…

Shake Shack

Although I’ve had Shake Shack in many different states, we still tend to stop by when we’re in Austin because it’s a staple. I love Shake Shack and my family and friends do as well so we always stop either to get a sweet treat or eat a meal in a fun and welcoming atmosphere!

In N Out 

Now, for some people, this isn’t a big deal. But for someone who lives where In N Out doesn’t exist: I was excited. And if you didn’t know, the news is out, In N Out is coming to Houston. However for my first time at In N Out, I was with my family. We tried to classic burgers, jungle fries, and vanilla shakes. In my opinion, In N Out is a great place I feel everyone should try! I ended up going to the same location with my friends as well, and the people were consistently sweet and welcoming each time! In my experience, it’s been pretty busy  each time so definitely take that in consideration.

Voodoo Donuts

My first time at Voodoo Donuts was with my friends in May. My friends had raved all about the unique and sweet treats! One note: they only accept cash so keep that in mind when heading over! There donuts are definitely unique and delicious. I grabbed an Oreo donut which was incredible! My friends had a variety of donuts and no one’s disappointed! They’re great to take to-go or eat in store! It’s a great staple to visit on Sixth Street!

Oasis

If you’re in the Lake Travis area, stop at Oasis! The restaurant is up on a hill with the most incredible, serene, stunning view I have seen in Texas. When we went, it was freezing, so our attempt to sit outside failed. Although, they do have heaters out there if you wanna take a leap and try to enjoy the cold weather! The menu includes a variety of food options, which didn’t seem to disappoint. The entire point of the restaurant is the incredible atmosphere and the serene lake front view, neither which failed to take my breath away.

I really hope you enjoyed me ranting about my thoughts and opinions! In the end, I’d rate Austin about an 8.5/10 for a vacation! It’s super inexpensive, fun, and cultural to see all the things that ‘Keep Austin Weird’. Stay tuned for more travel diaries to come in the near future! Since I started with somewhere pretty local, I think I’ll take it international next. Leave me comments with what destination you’d like to hear more about, Paris or Australia?

Lots of love,

Rija