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 $$
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!
