Austin, Texas – Weird, Outdoorsy, and Fun
Austin tops most lists of cool US cities. Bested only by Tucson and Milwaukee (on my personal list of favorite cities), Austin is a place I’d love to spend more time. Below are my favorite destinations (that I’ve seen so far) in this weird and wonderful city.
Barton Springs and Hiking / Biking Trail
Barton Springs is a crystal clear swimming area that’s warm enough to swim in year-round, and is a hot-spot for swimming, day drinking, and baring your chest. Even if you’re not into swimming, the biking / hiking trail near it is massive – spanning the entire length of the river that runs through the city. There also is a huge off-leash dog park on the trail downtown, which is a great bonus. It’s a perfect place for a long ride, run, or swim.
There’s a paid pool area for lap swimming, and a free area where everyone – including dogs – can swim and play.
Hops & Grain Brewing
This is a really cool, sustainable microbrewery in East Austin. It has a warehouse vibe and outdoor seating. I highly recommend their New England double IPA, called Haze County.
East Austin
This is an awesome area, and where we spent most of our time on our second visit to Austin. It’s packed with breweries, unique restaurants, and great bars – plus everything is bike-able / scooter-able!
Scooters!
Austin now has scooters you can rent all over the city! They’re a super-fun way to get around if you don’t want to take your bike.
The Volstead
We happened upon this eclectic place by chance early in the night when it was empty. We loved the antique, trendy vibe so much that we stayed until – to our surprise – it began transforming into a hipster dance club. Then we proceeded to dance (and drink) our asses off to the unique DJ-spun tunes. It was really, really fun; I highly recommend checking it out on a weekend.
