Austin is about so much more than tacos and live music. There’s a place for everyone. Here are my picks for the 5 best things to do in Austin, Texas.
Our first night we found a stunning sunset over Lady Bird Lake. We soon found another pleasant surprise awaiting us.
I always wanted to explore Austin, Texas as I’ve heard it is a lot like Richmond, Virginia but better! We were about four hours away and we needed a cool place to celebrate our 10 year anniversary!
We stayed at an Airbnb which was conveniently located in Travis Heights and close bike trails. Austin has a wonderful biking infrastructure.
#1 - See the Bats at Sunset on Congress Avenue Bridge
We luckily stumbled across this on our way back from Whole Foods to our Airbnb. We found thousands of people waiting to see millions of bats coming out from under Congress Avenue Bridge to fill their stomachs with food. It is a unique experience. You can see it from the top of the bridge, under the bridge, and from Lady Bird Lake.
Witnessing this is a unique experience. It reminds you that nature is all around us and there are millions of things that we can be a part of if we just take the time.
There is a nice dirt path that goes along Lake Bird Lake. I took a video of the bats coming out of the Congress Avenue Bridge which won’t upload to my website unless it comes from YouTube. Make sure to check out my link.
#2 - Bike to your Heart’s ❤️ Content
We’re so glad to have our Specialized Diverge Gravel Bikes that can handle the street as well as some rough terrain.
Once we parked our truck, we biked to our heart’s content all over Austin for the full 5 days we were there. Biking gives you a sense of your own power to propel yourself wherever you want to go. Not only do you get a workout that feels great, but you can access so much more by bike. It was awesome to propel ourselves wherever we wanted to go. Austin has great bike lanes on the main roads and then some dirt paths as well.
One day we biked just to get to some cool murals we wanted to take our 10-year anniversary pictures next to. At one point, I used our bikes as a tripod to get the shot until someone showed up to take their pictures by the mural, too. I wanted specific murals to reflect our deep and everlasting love. We still feel like we’re on our honeymoon.
Bonus Bike Tip: Check out Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop - it’s Lance Armstrong’s creation.
It was fun to discover these beautiful murals by biking around Austin!
#3 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
One day we once again used our own muscle power to bike from our Airbnb to another great place. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center was well worth the ride out there and back. Nature is all about relationships and it was neat to discover those dynamics. It reminds you that we are all interdependent whether you realize it or not, from the smallest plant or insect to the largest animals on earth.
It was wonderful to walk their discovery paths, but watch out for the rattlesnakes. Yikes!
It was nice to get off our bikes and walk around nature. It was beautiful there and I wanted to capture a field of Blue Bonnets pictured bottom center.
#4 Eat Healthy!
Yes, Austin is more than Tacos! Did you know Whole Foods headquarters is in Austin? We biked there, too, and were able to find even more fast food healthy options than at a regular Whole Foods. It was awesome. It is more than a few football fields BIG! We also discovered Sweetgreen and ate there for a hearty lunch. I’m vegan. gluten-free, and nut-free (deathly allergic). I found it easy to eat in Austin and used my Happy Cow app to find delicious options.
Eating delicious healthy food was the perfect way to support all our biking everywhere.
Living wall at Whole Foods and then a visit to Sweet Greens on Congress Avenue.
#5 Explore the Capitol Grounds
We biked through the Capitol Grounds to discover different monuments. One was for the Civil War honoring the Confederate soldiers. I was wondering if that monument would stay up or eventually come down. I’m for them to come down or to be added other monuments that represent the other side to give a more balanced view.
I’m so glad we were able go to Austin for our Tenth Anniversary! It was so nice to explore this amazing city. I definitely want to come back and explore some more. We came during COVID so we didn’t get to enjoy the music scene. Austin was mask compliant which was a different experience from most of Texas.
Austin is home to lots of beautiful music! Hoping next time we can hear live music when COVID moves on.