The Ultimate Solo Traveler's Guide To Austin

Back in March when I decided to make a huge life change to quit my job as a wedding director to pursue From The Roots full time, I roughly mapped out possible places that I thought would be cool to put new roots down - Austin being top of the list! 

So five months later, here we are! And even though things have vastly changed since March, staying in Georgia will be the best thing for me in this season. But, if an opportunity presented itself to move to TX, then I would pack my bags in a heartbeat! 

Before we dive into this travel post, I will be outlining my four-day itinerary and will be providing recommendations based on what the locals have told me during my visit. Since this is another solo travel post, I will be providing tips and tricks to help fellow solo travelers as they navigate Austin. More solo travel posts here if you are interested! 

So let’s get weird!

Day 1 |

Thunderbird Real Food Bars HQ

Upon arrival, I went straight over to one of my favorite ambassador programs' HQ - Thunderbird Bar. The team at Thunderbird bar was so generous in giving me a tour of their facility, a peek inside their day to day operations, and just slathered me in Texan hospitality! For the remainder of the day, Sarah Haney - marketing manager of Thunderbird, gave me the ultimate Austin tour through an insider’s perspective and it was the best “welcome to Austin” I could ask for.

Elizabeth St. Cafe

A food highlight of the trip - Elizabeth Street Cafe. Vietnamese food meets French bakery, it’s truly the best of two worlds. Sarah and I ordered the pork & shrimp crepe with Moroccan green mint tea and Kirsten (director of operations) ordered the chicken thigh & cilantro chicken meatballs Pho. Here is their menu to salivate over.

Sweet Ritual

Ideally if you want Austin ice cream, you go to either Amy’s Ice Creams or Lick Honest Ice Creams. And even though Lick’s offer vegan options, Sarah wanted to take me to a true GOAT of a gluten and dairy free ice cream spot - Sweet Ritual. So many fun flavor combos like fig olive oil, unicorn poop, and snakebite medicine (pralined pecans and bourbon whiskey).

Mueller lake Park

Take your ice cream with you to Mueller Lake Park where you can take a stroll around the rim of the lake or find a shaded area underneath the gazebo if it’s not packed.

Fun fact - Sundays 10AM-2PM, you’ll find a farmer’s market onsite.

Hotel San José

Right on South Congress Avenue is the queen of Texas boutique hotels - Hotel San José. The perfect afternoon delight as we sipped on overpriced cocktails and dipped our toes in the pool.

Jo’s Coffee

Just down the street from Hotel San José is the famous, Jo’s Coffee. Word has it that the local musician, Amy Cook, took a can of red spray paint to write a beautiful and simply scripted love letter to her partner Liz Lambert, majority owner at Jo’s. If that doesn’t get you in your feels, Sarah got proposed to, at this spot to her now husband! And I’m just over here wondering, “I love you TACOS so much”. haha!

SoCo (South Congress)

South Congress Ave, also known as SoCo, was one of my favorite neighborhoods in Austin. Sarah took off, as I stayed in this area walking up and down the streets, looking at shops, and having dinner / live music at Guero’s Taco Bar.

To be honest, if you had 24 hours in Austin, definitely hang out in SoCo. And if you do, just go straight to this blog post to find all the best restaurants, local shops, live music, murals, and hotels.

Day 2 |

RV life

Starting the next day slow and lazy as I enjoy a cup of freshly pressed “dogspeed” coffee from Austin’s local coffee roaster - Flat Track Coffee Co. and preparing a Texas inspired breakfast using local ingredients from Austin’s supermarket, H.E.B in my super cute RV Airbnb. Haha, I sound so millennial.

Solo Travel Budget Tip:

• Get a place with a kitchen so that you can cook some meals vs eating out for every meal.

• In Austin - You will find either a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, H.E.B. or a farmer’s market within walking distance - I promise!

Hike Barton Creek Greenbelt

Just before heading out for the day, I packed hiking/outdoor essentials (i.e. lunch meal prep, water / electrolytes, snacks, sunscreen, hat) since I wouldn’t be back until later on that night. With that said, if you plan on traveling to Austin in August (the hottest part of the year!) then please pack smart!

The Barton Creek Greenbelt trail follows along Barton Creek for about 7.9 miles and encompasses an area of 809 acres. There are six entrances to the Greenbelt - Starting at Zilker Park, Spyglass, Gus Fruh, Loop 360, Twin Falls and Scottish Woods. I ended up hiking the entire green belt - hiking a total of 4 hours.

I highly recommend exiting out of Zilker Park if you are hiking during the hottest months of the year. Why? Because Barton Springs Pool is just within walking distance. This is where I enjoyed my lunch, took a dip in the natural springs pool, and hydrated before heading to Lady Bird Lake.

SUP on Lady Bird Lake

Giving the hiking legs a break as we transition over to SUP (stand up paddle boarding) out on Lady Bird Lake. This is the best way to beat the heat, take in some beautiful downtown views and meet new people. Also, you just might paddle into a live concert while you are out on the lake!

*hiking on dry dirt trails + 95F weather = free self tanner!

I highly recommend renting SUPs at Rowing Dock.

Bats Fly out from the Congress Bridge

Just as you come out of Rowing Dock, you will be on Ann and Roy Butler Hike-And-Bike Trail, the path Lady Bird Boardwalk extends. Hike about 30 minutes south towards the Congress Bridge so that you can grab tacos, cashew queso, and fresh watermelon aqua Frescas at Veracruz All Natural just before sunset. Why? Because you want to get a good spot just before 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats fly out from the Congress Avenue Bridge! It’s a pretty incredible sight to watch!

DAY 3 |

Farmers’ Market

Saturday mornings in the summer = farmers’ market! SFC has two market locations: Sunset Valley & Downtown. I went to the Downtown location since it was central to most of the things I wanted to do on my list without having to Uber around. With that said, I highly recommend this location! Not only was it a central location to everything but they have more vendors and activities. I was able to get sprouted and fermented bagels from Casper Fermentables , ginger beer from SoCo Ginger Beer and produce from Billie and Jeans Farm.

Flower Child

For lunch, I wanted something refreshing and healthy so a few minutes away from the Farmer’s market on W 2nd St. is Flower Child. highly recommend the watermelon & heirloom tomato salad with salmon and draft kombucha.

Explore Downtown

In this area, I just walked around and chatted with locals for things to do, eat, see, and explore - so here is the midday recap:

• Get artsy fartsy at Blanton Museum of Art

• Tour the Texas State Capitol

• Take shortcuts through secret trails in the downtown area.

• Cool down with an ice cream sandwich at The Baked Bear

  • vegan, gluten free, dairy free friendly!

BBQ

You are probably wondering, FINALLY! This girl keeps talking about tacos, but what about the BBQ!? I know, and I am sorry! This was hard because most of the barbecue spots like Franklin Barbecue, had either long wait lines or you had to order at least four weeks in advance online and needed to be at least 3 lbs or more of meat. As a solo traveler, this was a no bueno. But luckily, Terry Black’s Barbecue made the cut and it did not disappoint!

If you would like a list of the best BBQ spots in Austin, check out this post I found helpful!

Post BBQ walk

After I ate my weight in barbecue, I walked around to explore the surrounding area. Some of the cool spots I found was Pavement - a vintage clothing store, a man on a horse, inspirational murals, and a newfound obsession, ranch water!

Day 4 |

Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden

Last day! :( Since I needed to checkout at 11AM, but didn’t need to be at the airport until 4:30PM, the best spot to hang out with carry-on and all was Cosmic Coffee + Beer Garden. From coffee to food trucks, this area is well recognized in their sustainability efforts and giving back to the environment. Definitely a unique place to check out while you are in Austin!

Food trucks lineup when I was there: LeRoy and Lewis, Tommy Want Wingy, and Pueblo Viejo Traila* tacos are to die for!

Solo traveling FAQ

1 | Did you feel safe traveling by yourself?

• 100%! Even with hiking on the trails alone for 4+ hours or walking the streets in the evening time, there wasn’t a time where I felt unsafe or in a dodgy situation. Even though the homeless population has increased, a lot of people have told me that Austin is one of the most safest cities out there so perfect for your first solo adventure!

2 | Do you have any travel budget advice?

• If you are traveling for more than two days, I highly recommend getting a place with a kitchen so that you can make some of your meals to save on cost. (i.e. Airbnb, hostels, RVs)

• Most of the food trucks will be cheaper vs dining at a restaurant so look for those $2 tacos! Also, I found that the farmers market produce was very reasonable.

• I chose Lyft/Uber vs rental car and saved $200! *find promos when using these apps. For ex: I fly Delta so they had a promo where I get a $20 credit using Lyft while receiving Delta flyer miles.

• Get outside! There were days when I spent 0$ just because I didn’t have to. Go for a hike, walk around the city, stumble upon a free concert, check out do512 and find free things to do when you get there.

• Plan ahead! If you decide to not opt for a rental vehicle then make sure you plan at least four hours worth (half day) in a central area. That way, you are not getting a 20 min Uber here and 30 minutes later, a 10 min Uber there. Rates were very reasonable and everything is typically 10-20 minutes within each other but those rides add up so plan responsibly! This travel guide is perfect for getting a better view of the different neighborhoods to plan 2-4 hours worth and just amazing resource to have in your back pocket.

Travel essentials to save green $$

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

3| Where did you start when planning your trip?

• Pinterest, baby - that is your friend! I searched for certain keywords to hone in on what I wanted to do: i.e. best food spots, outdoor activities, hiking, etc. and then saved those pins to refer back to. One that I found was super helpful was from, A Taste of Koko. This girl has posts on everything you could ever ask for, Austin related!

• Also, the locals! This was the first trip where I roughly mapped out what I wanted to do (my negotiables) so when I got there, I would ask Thunderbird and the locals what they thought were the best places to hit up before I left. I went this route more-so, because I was traveling during Covid so store hours/company policies/restrictions were inconsistent and ever changing.

• Put your “dad cap” on and check the weather before you leave! Planning your trip around the weather will just make the actual travel experience more comfortable and seamless. For example, Austin has a subtropical humid climate so summers are hot and temperatures frequently average 90°F. So if that is not your thing, then maybe plan for the fall instead!

This is just scratching the surface of things to do when traveling to Austin so if you have recommendations, let everyone know in the comments section below!

5 Ways To Use Chamoy Sauce

I had to make a separate blog post on this sauce because there are just too many ways to use this crack sauce “aka” chamoy sauce.

You can go straight to the mango melon sorbet with chamoy sauce post for the recipe, or you can grab it here:

CHAMOY SAUCE

• ½ cup fresh lime juice (5-7 limes)

• 1-3 dried ancho chilies 

• 1 - 10 oz jar organic apricot jam

• 1 tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

To make the chamoy sauce

1. Tear the stem off and deseed the ancho chilies. Submerse dried chilies in boiling water for a few minutes until the chilies are soft. 

2. In a high speed blender, place the soft ancho chilies along with the entire jar of apricot jam, lime juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and a ladle or two of the water that the ancho chilies were in. 

3. Blend on high speed until extremely smooth. Taste sauce and adjust flavors if need to (i.e. I typically add an additional ½ tsp cayenne pepper because I like it super spicy!) as well as sauce consistency. This should make about 2 cups worth. If you are unsure about the sauce consistency, look at the pictures above for reference. 

4. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. 

Now that you have the beloved sauce recipe, let’s get into 5 ways to use chamoy sauce!

To get a visual: check out IG reels below!

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A post shared by Candace Dorsey| From the Roots (@fromtherootsblog)

1| Mango Melon Sorbet

You can grab the recipe here

2| watermelon slices

3| Mangonada

• 1 cup mango chunks, fresh or frozen

• 1/2 cup coconut milk, coconut water, or water

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• Tajin or chili lime seasoning, for the rim

• chamoy sauce

• Tamarind stick, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Rim a glass with a lime wedge and tajin seasoning. Squeeze chamoy sauce inside the glass using a swirling motion.

2. In a blender, add mango, liquid, lime juice, and a handful of ice and blend until smooth and creamy.

3. Pour the mango smoothie into the prepared glass about halfway, then layer the smoothie with chamoy sauce, repeat with more smoothie picture and top with chamoy sauce, tajin seasoning, fresh mango, and tamarind stick if desired. Enjoy!

You can also use this chili lime smoothie recipe as well!

4| Mango Slices

5| Fresh watermelon juice / Watermelon margaritas

Here are some quick recipes:

Spicy Watermelon Margaritas

Strawberry Watermelon Mint Agua Frescas

Watermelon Lime Refresher

Watermelon Ice Cubes

Cinnamon Apple Streusel Muffins

Cinnamon Apple Streusel Muffins - Bursting with fall flavors, these moist gluten-free muffins are filled with apples and cinnamon and topped with a delicious crunchy streusel. You won’t believe they are naturally lower in sugar, dairy-free, and healthy for you! 

Like most of the recipes I develop, they are inspired by my morning dreams. Well, the dreams I have upon waking up and hitting the snooze button! Mainly because I am starving by the time I wake up but that’s another story! 

The story behind these bad boys was that I wanted to create a lazy version of apple pie. Afterall, apple pie should only be eaten if it’s homemade and preferably made from a grandmother. But if you are strapped for time and there’s not a grandma in sight, well, sometimes you just have to think outside the box. 

And that’s just what I did. These apple cinnamon streusel muffins are basically apple pies but a muffin version. Some of my taste testers actually preferred mini apple pie muffins as the name because they taste just like that! 

What I also didn’t tell them is that these muffins are naturally lower in sugar and oil, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo friendly, keto friendly, and use clean, real ingredients. After telling them what the ingredients were, they truly couldn’t believe it wasn’t an old fashioned muffin that you would get at a bakery! 

So if you are wanting to trick your family and friends into eating healthy things, then try this! Haha. Not only is it fun to make a traditional baked good healthy, but these muffins are actually fun to make in general. 

As illustrated in the picture, pour batter about halfway in the muffin liner followed by the “apple pie filling”, another layer of batter and top with the streusel mixture! If you are wanting to really elevate the dish and don’t mind the added sugar, then I created a maple cinnamon glaze to drizzle just before serving. These muffins are practically my new favorite! 

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Cinnamon Apple Streusel Muffins - Bursting with fall flavors, these moist gluten-free muffins are filled with apples and cinnamon and topped with a delicious crunchy streusel. You won’t believe they are naturally lower in sugar, dairy-free, and healthy for you!

Ingredients

• ¼ cup + 3 Tbsp cassava flour

• ¼ cup GF oat flour

• ¼ tsp baking powder

• Pinch salt

• ⅓ cup dairy free yogurt

• 3 large eggs

• 3 Tbsp avocado oil

• 2 Tbsp honey

• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Filling

• 1 honeycrisp apple (chopped)

• 1 Tbsp organic light brown sugar (optional)

• 2 tsp grass fed butter

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

Streusel

• ¼ cup GF all purpose flour or paleo/cassava flour

• 2 Tbsp gluten free oats

• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar or light brown sugar

• 1 Tbsp softened ghee or coconut oil/grass fed butter

• 1 Tbsp sliced almonds 

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

Drizzle

• ¼ cup organic powdered sugar

• 2 tsp pure maple syrup

• ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract

• 1-2 tsp unsweetened almond milk (optional)

• Dash of cinnamon

Yields 6 muffins

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with avocado oil spray. Set aside. 

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and honey until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Then add the oil, yogurt, vanilla and mix until combined. 

4. Add the liquid mixture into the flour mixture until combined. The batter should be pourable but not too runny. If it’s a little runny, add more cassava flour. Set aside.

5. In a small skillet, melt butter on medium heat. When the butter is starting to bubble, add chopped apples and sauté until apple pieces are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and dash of salt and mix until fully combined and the sugar has fully melted over the apple pieces. Turn off heat immediately and set aside. 

6. For the cinnamon streusel topping: mash together the softened ghee and sugar until combined. stir in the flour, oats, almonds, and cinnamon, then use your fingers to form thick crumbs. Set aside.

7. Use a cookie scooper or ¼ measuring cup to divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Pour batter about halfway, top with about 1 Tbsp of the apple cinnamon mixture, another scoop of the batter until ¾ to the top full and then finish with the streusel mix. 

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes until the muffin tops are golden and the toothpick inserted into the muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes in the muffin tin before transferring to a cooling rack. 

9. While the muffins are cooling, whisk together the powdered sugar, syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. If drizzle is too thick, slowly add 1 tsp of milk to the mixture.

10.  Drizzle glaze over the warm muffins and enjoy! 

Notes 

• If you are wanting to make this recipe lower in sugar, I put (optional) in the filling section. For example, if you are using a sweeter apple like a honeycrisp, then the brown sugar isn’t imperative. Also, you can completely omit the drizzle part and the muffins will still be deliciously sweet!

Butternut Squash, Kale, and White Bean Lasagna Soup

Butternut Squash, Kale, and White Bean Lasagna Soup - Made with less than 10 ingredients - sure to be a dinner staple during the wintertime. 

Ever since I made Pioneer Woman's lasagna soup ten years ago, I never got back to the normal way of making lasagna. When you find an easier, more efficient way of making something, why turn back? Amiright!? 

So to switch up the classic take on lasagna soup, I made it winter-inspired using butternut squash, kale, and white beans. For this recipe, I used spicy sausage but if you are plant-based, you can simply switch out for vegan sausage or an extra can of white beans. 

This lasagna soup is made with less than 10 ingredients, using one pot, and finished in under 30 minutes! So for my busy mom’s out there, this one's for you! 

Most of you know, I am a huge fan of Banza pasta! So to make this lasagna soup gluten-free, I used their brand spanking new line of lasagna noodles! With nearly two times the protein, three times the fiber, and nearly 30% fewer net carbs - it’s crazy how you can’t even tell the difference from traditional lasagna noodles!

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Butternut Squash, Kale, and White Bean Lasagna Soup - Made with less than 10 ingredients - sure to be a dinner staple during the wintertime. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 container lasagna noodles (uncooked)

• 1 can 28oz crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

• 1 container (4 cups low-sodium chicken stock) or veggie stock

• 1 can white beans (rinsed and drained)

• 1 container (16oz) spicy sausage or vegan sausage/extra can of beans

• 2 cups fresh kale (destemmed)

• 1 white onion (diced)

• 4 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1 butternut squash (about 1 ½ cups) cubed

• Dash or 3 of red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

Directions: 

1. Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown (about 5-8 minutes). Place sausage on a paper towel covered plate to absorb excess grease. 

2. While the pot has oil and grease from the sausage, add the butternut squash, and cook, turning occasionally, until just beginning to caramelize and soften (about 5 minutes). Add the onion and garlic to the pot, and cook until soft and translucent. 

3. Add the sausage back to the pot and add tomatoes, chicken stock, seasonings, and lasagna noodles (may have to break noodles into thirds to fit into the pot. If you think you need more liquid, add about 1-2 cups of stock or water. 

4. Cover, and bring the stock just to a boil, then turn the heat down to low-medium. Let simmer uncovered for about 15-20 minutes. Season with additional salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. 

5. Add white beans and torn kale leaves, and continue to simmer until warmed through, about 5-7 minutes. Serve warm with crusty bread and enjoy! Great to garnish with fresh basil and additional red pepper flakes too.  Makes about 4 servings. 

Roots Juice

Roots Juice - From the Roots signature root juice - sweet and fun, you can’t tell it’s healthy!

I think it’s only fitting to create a signature root veggie juice in honor of our name, don’t ya think!? With that said, this juice couldn’t be more perfect for that title! Roots juice started out as a refreshing drink for my catered events because people wanted something fun yet sweet while staying true to its healthy roots.

All this time, I assumed this recipe was on the blog! Luckily for you, the community reached out and said, no, haha so here we are! Made with my favorite root veggies (carrots, beets, and ginger) and naturally sweetened fruits, this juice has only 8 ingredients!

Roots juice is great for a brunch cocktail/mocktail, hot summer day, or just to drink with your morning breakfast. You can also skip the juicing part if you are not into juicing/want more plant based fiber into your diet.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo to #fromtherootsblog on Instagram. We love seeing what you come up with! 

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Roots Juice - From the Roots signature root juice - sweet and fun, you can’t tell it’s healthy!

Ingredients 

• 2 red apples

• 1 small knob of ginger

• 1 grapefruit (or blood orange)

• 1 & ½ cup strawberries

• 1 small beet

• 2 carrots

• ½ lemon

• 1 cup coconut water

Directions 

1. Prep all fruits/vegetables with inedible rinds removed. Be sure to thoroughly wash all fruits/vegetables as best as possible. 

2. If using a juicer: add all ingredients to a juicer and let it do its work! 

3. If using a high-speed blender like Vitamix, add all ingredients to the blender and blend on high for 2-3 minutes. Strain using a nut milk bag. Squeeze all the juice you can and discard leftover pulp or reuse in something else! 

4. Store in an airtight glass container for up to 48 hour maximum. Fresh and drinking immediately is best!

5. Makes about 4 cups