Essential Austin - Summer
This August will mark my 6 year anniversary of living in Austin. It’s not much, but at the same time, it’s a significant portion of my life. I’m also getting to the point of being an Austinite where I actually outrank many of the people I meet in the city, in terms of how long I’ve lived here. People flock to this city from all corners of the country, understandably so. It’s an amazing place to live and visit. I’d say that the first 2 years of college don’t count as much, since I was living on campus and pretty much a resident of the university. It wasn’t until I brought my car to the city and got my own apartment that I really started to get to know the city and making it my true home.
One of my favorite things about no longer being a student and being a young adult in the city is having friends and family visit Austin and being able to host them and show them around. While there are plenty of places I’ve yet to visit and things that I still need to cross of my own Austin bucket list, over these past few years I’ve grown to love and appreciate a lot of things about the city and have also developed a clear idea of what popular Austin things have actually turned out to be a bit overrated.
Every time I plan a trip, or even just while I browse through Pinterest daydreaming of my next vacation, I rely heavily on people’s “Utilmate City Guide” and “Perfect 3-day Itinerary for This Place”. I’ve also browsed through the Austin ones out of curiosity and every time I come across one, I always end up wanting to have a serious talk with the author regarding their choices and I make thorough corrections and endorsements in my head. I also have realized that the best guides come from people who are actual residents of the city and familiar with its spots and culture, obviously. So here it goes - a 6-year resident millenial on-a-budget dog friendly perfect Austin itinerary. AKA, Pam’s favorite spots to take her visiting family & friends.
Let’s start with the basics: sustenance.
Breakfast/Brunch
Kerbey Lane, duh.
This is an Austin staple that never disappoints. I still remember the first time I had breakfast here very early on my freshman year because it was a block from my dorm. That’s how memorable those pumpkin spice pancakes were. My favorites are whatever pancake special they’ve got that day, their breakfast meal with migas and french toast, and of course, their Kerbey Queso. Can’t go wrong.
Breakfast Tacos
There’s many an argument I’ve been a part of in regards to Austin tacos and the claims that people love making about their authenticity and deliciousness. I can’t help but be extremely critical towards tacos and Mexican food in general, and while I think Austin “Mexican” joints usually leave something to be desired, I do think there are a select few places worth your time. I’ve also found that separating TexMex into its own category with different criteria and expectations than true Mexican food helps me enjoy it more. With those disclaimers, my favorite places for breakfast tacos in Austin are: Taco Deli, Taco Joint, Papalote, and Juan in a Million is worth going to at least once for their famous Don Juan. If you want authentic non-breakfast taco recommendations...that could be a thorough future blog post on its own.
Lunch/Dinner
Okay, I’m gonna pause here and say that to be completely honest, there are soooo many restaurants in Austin that I haven’t tried. It’s all a bit overwhelming to me, and even though I’m a big girl with a salary now, I still navigate through life with a college-budget mindset. Almost every new restaurant I try always leaves me thinking…”damn, that was hella expensive”. Maybe Austin is just an expensive place to live & eat, or maybe that’s just life. So food isn’t my specialty, but here are my Austin (most of these have expanded to other cities too) favorites:
Black’s Barbeque
Plucker’s (wangz)
Trudy’s (Mexican Martinis are a must)
Hopdoddy (burgers and the bessst truffle fries)
Pinthouse Pizza (amazing craft beer selection, too)
Ramen Tatsuya
Classic, basic, but they never fail me. *shrug emoji*
Breweries
One of my favorite things about Austin is that, despite being a relatively big city, there are so many places to escape the busy-ness of life and everything just feels chill here. Austinites value enjoying the simple and great things in life, and one of the most popular of those is beer. Now, I’m slowly learning about different types of beer and experimenting with what I like, but what I do know is that a brewery’s atmosphere plays a big part in whether I’d want to visit it again or not. So, if you’re looking for a cool place to hang and enjoy some cold ones, here’s my pick:
South/East Austin
ABGB
Lazarus
Austin Eastciders
Central/North Austin
Brewtorium
Easy Tiger @ the Linc
Austin Beerworks
Celis Brewery
West Austin
If you’re willing to take a 30-45 minute trip outside the city, Jester King is a brewery that has a vineyard-like feel to it with tons of patio space, picnic tables, tailgate games, and even a farm with baby goats you can pet! A Saturday afternoon’s wish come true.
Summer Fun
Since summer is right around the corner, I figured I’d stick to a summer activity itinerary for this blog post. I’ve grown to appreciate all the seasons and the special things that each one brings, but as a Texan, I tend to thrive in the smoldering months. Although I miss having breaks from school, weekends in the summer still feel like a special little treat, and thankfully Austin has lots of great ways to beat the heat.
Barton Springs
This is one of those classic Austin things to do, that I always assumed was just an overrated touristy thing, but I went to the natural pool for the first time last summer, and I loooved it. It’s so refreshing on the hottest of days, and although it was crowded, there was a lot of space for a group of my friends and I to lay out on the grass and enjoy a beautiful day.
Greenbelt Hiking
If you ask me about hiking in Austin on months other than May-September, I’d recommend trails less populated than the Barton Creek Greenbelt, but in the hot summer months, it’s the trail that provides the best and most direct access to water to cool off in. There are several trailheads and entrances, depending on what your final destination is and how far you want to hike. The most popular spots are Sculpture Falls, Twin Falls, and eventually you can get to Barton Springs and Zilker Park through the greenbelt trail.
Lady Bird Lake
Every day on my commute to and from work I cross a bridge over Lady Bird Lake. Every day of the summer, on my way home from work, I see the water crowded with kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, boats, and I get insanely jealous. Then, when the weekend comes around, and I finally get to go out there myself, it’s the greatest feeling in the world. So much so, that I’ve been seriously considering buying my own stand-up paddle board so I can get out in the water as much as my heart desires. Until that happens though, my favorite place to rent a paddle board is Live Love Paddle, east of I-35, because I love walking around the boardwalk too. Rowing Dock is also a great place that gets you quick access to the water and an amazing view of downtown. I personally enjoy paddle boarding the best, because it’s more versatile and honestly easier than it looks, but there are kayaking and canoeing options too.
Another cool and typical Austin thing to do in the summer is to see the Congress Bridge bats emerge during sundown. A unique way to do this is via a boat tour, which leave the shore every evening and are surprisingly (to me, anyways) not as pricey as I imagined.
Give me any of these things on a summer day in Austin, and I’m a happy gal. I know that none of these things are new & revolutionary, but they’re classic and comforting. I tend to be very cynical towards popular things and usually avoid crowds and tourists, but I’ll endure those things for my favorite Austin spots.
End a day full of adventures with some Dolce Neve gelato or with some cheap sugary drinks on 6th Street, depending on your mood, and you’re basically an Austine now.
Cheers!