Austin Travel Guide

May 14, 2021

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Hello hello! In today’s post, I will be sharing my kid-friendly Austin Travel Guide. During spring break this year, my family and I took a short trip to Austin, TX. I’ve been to Austin numerous times but had never really planned to explore the city. This time around, I was on a mission to change that. My trusty Instagram followers were so kind to share many recommendations on places to eat and visit. We had a list and were ready to hit the road. Here is what we did and ate. I’ll also share the list of places we ran out of time to visit at the end of the post. Happy and safe travels!

What We Ate

The Kebab Shop – This was our first stop after the drive to Austin. We ordered a few of their The Box, which comes with so much food. The grilled chicken, saffron rice, pickled onions, garlic yogurt, and all their sauces were amazing!

Newk’s Eatery – We were looking for a quick bite to eat and stopped here. I had the Italian sandwich, and Navid ordered the Grilled Steak sandwich. Both were amazing, but you guys, the Five Cheese Mac & Cheese the kids ordered was to die for!

Amy’s Ice Cream – You can’t visit Austin and not stop at Amy’s. The Mexican Sugar flavor is my fav. It’s no surprise that it’s their number one seller. Their Oreo flavor is delicious as well.

Homeslice – The lovely garlic aroma that permeates the air around Homeslice is enough to get you drooling. We went with a pepperoni mushroom pizza, and I highly recommend it.

The Yard – Located in the Domain, The Yard offers extremely decadent milkshakes. We ordered their Strawberries & Cream Cheesecake. The quart size was more than enough for the four of us. The mason jar they serve it in is also yours to keep.

Haru Sushi – The boys have really taken to sushi recently, so finding a place in Austin was a must. We took advantage of Haru’s happy hour special. Their rolls are so good! Some of the best sushi I’ve had. Must have rolls are the Lucky, Redwood, and Foxy Lady.

Mai Thai – We stumbled upon this traditional Thai restaurant after the place we originally wanted to go to was closed. We ordered our regular dishes, Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, and Thai Fried Rice, and it was all delicious.

Bananarchy – On Rainey street, you’ll find some food trucks, one of which is Bananarchy. They make the most scrumptiously sweet frozen banana treats. You can build your own or choose from their specialty menu. I ordered the S’mores. Fair warning, it’s a super sweet treat, and we weren’t able to finish our bananas so maybe order one or two to share.

What We Did

Zilker Park – Austins’s Metropolitan Park is a must-see. It took us some time to find their playground area, but we let the kids run around while we just sat and relaxed once we did. We later realized that the park has an entrance to Barton Springs and had to make a second trip since we didn’t bring our swimsuits but totally worth it. The kids loved it there and had to be dragged back to the car, basically.

Barton Springs – The kids loved swimming and playing in the spring. However, this may not be the most kid-friendly place. Soooooo I spotted two women that were sunbathing topless. Luckily the boys were oblivious, lol! A few google searches, and we found out that this is totally legal and normal. Way to keep Austin weird!

Mayfield Park & Nature Preserve – Looking for the infamous peacocks in Austin, this is where you will find them. The peacocks are just roaming around and so friendly as long as you keep a safe distance. It’s a breathtaking experience when they open up their feathers. They also have a beautiful koi pond and flowers. Lots of photo ops and a must-see!

Mount Bonnell – After visiting Mayfield Park, we made a short drive up the mountain and then hiked up to Mt. Bonnell. The views are stunning! I recommend heading out before the sun sets so you can watch the sky light up with all the beautiful colors of the sunset.

Shops on South Congress – Take a stroll up and down the avenue and enjoys all the unique shop, restaurants, coffee shops and so much more.

I love you so much, Mural – Located on the exterior sidewall of Jo’s Coffee on South Congress, you can’t visit Austin without taking a pic at this infamous mural.

Rainey Street – Ok, so the nightlife on this street is legit. So maybe not the best place to walk through with kids at night, but it was still fun—lots of great bars and restaurants.

Colorado River – After walking through Rainey Street, we took a short walk to the river and walked along the trail where you find beautiful trees, bridges, sculptures, and more.

The Domain – Located in north Austin, this outdoor shopping center is beautiful—lots of great restaurants and upscale retail stores.

Austin Railroad Graffiti Bridge – We stumbled upon this bridge, and I just realized the trail we were walking on when we saw it is the Lady Bird trail. The bridge we walked was stunning and had beautiful views of the lake.

Graffiti Park – The park was closed when we went, but we could snap some pics, and it was pretty cool to see even at a distance.

The Oasis – We stopped here on our way back home. The plan was to have lunch there, but the wait was too long, and even though it was an amazing trip, we were all eager to get back home. However, not before we took in the amazing views and snapped a few pics.

More Places to Eat and Visit

I hope you found this Austin Travel Guide helpful and possibly added a few places to your list. Have you been to Austin? What are your favorite places to eat and visit? Let us know in the comments below!

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Until next time be happy, be kind, be you!