This guide is written with international friends in mind - many of whom have only traveled on the coasts. I am trying to answer the question “what distinguishes Austin from the costs and what would they not learn from typical travel guides?”
Austin
Austin’s motto is “Keep Austin Weird”. A couple of classic weird places.
Spider House - Austin quirky bar and music venue. Right next to U Texas.
Butterfly Bar / The Vortex - performing arts - hippie co-op bar.
Planet K - Austin area chain. Weird stuff store.
LBJ Library - Presidential Library of LBJ. Well done 1960s / Vietnam museum with awful brutalist architecture. On UT campus.
University of TX football. College Football tailgates are quintessential American culture.
Texas Capitol Building / Governor’s Mansion - The Texas Capitol is, of course, taller than the US Capitol
Mayfield Park - Hiking trail with free-range peacocks.
Mount Bonnell - picturesque. Can look down on Elon Musk’s house. Was featured in this famous scene in Slacker by Richard Linklater.
Barton Springs - Public pool from natural spring. There’s a paid area and a free area downstream.
Zilker Park - Central Park of Austin sometimes with music festivals
Hyde Park - a leafy, walkable, historic Austin neighborhood just north of UT.
The Driskill Bar at the Driskill Hotel. President LBJ and Linda Bird’s first date location. TX vibes. Located on 6th street, a famous but trashy touristy music area.
Umlauf Sculpture Garden - Sculpture garden in an upscale neighborhood.
French Legation Museum - Old French diplomat’s house and now a French in TX history museum.
South Congress - Shopping street, “Little Los Angeles” -me.
City Library - modern building with a scenic view of Lake Austin / downtown.
The Domain - A “second downtown” high density shopping / bars.
Food in Austin
Mexican Food
Licha’s Cantina.
Breakfast tacos anywhere. Taco Deli, Granny’s, Taco Joint, etc.
BBQ
Franklin BBQ - Iconic, line up at 10am for 12pm open. Drink morning beers while you wait.
Mozarts Cafe on Lake Austin - famously festive decorations during the holidays.
Westward
Hill Country -
Pretty scenery south and west of Austin.
Salt Lick BBQ - 40 min drive. Very good BBQ and less hassle than the places in Austin.
Jester King - Short drive from ^. Brewery / pizza on a goat farm. Goat yoga. TX vibes.
The Oasis- bad tex-mex food but really pretty view of Lake Travis. It is a part of a mall complex so you don’t need to eat at the restaurant to enjoy the view.
Steiner Ranch Steakhouse - the view not as good as The Oasis but food way better.
Cooper’s BBQ - George W’s Favorite (supposedly).
Hamilton Pool - Instagram spot.
LBJ Ranch - LBJ’s alt White House in TX. Near Fredericksburg. Free range longhorn cattle.
Fredericksburg
A German diaspora town a couple of hours west of Austin. Supposedly some of the residents still speak some weird German patois.
National Museum of Pacific War (Chester Nimitz Hometown).
Fredericksburg Trade Days - big flea market. Only held intermittently. Check schedule.
Texas “Wine Country”.
Settler’s Crossing - Ranch / Farm style place to stay.
En Route to San Antonio
Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch - Exotic animal ranch near San Antonio. Giraffes, cheetahs, etc.
Tubing on Comal River in New Braunfels.
Buc-ee’s - Iconic Truck stop chain / superstore. Located throughout TX and increasingly throughout the US.
San Antonio
River Walk - Walkable canal.
Market Square - Historic Mexican market.
