48 hours in Austin, Texas itinerary

Weekend in Austin, Texas

Loved this old-school cinema Alamo Drafthouse. You can go in and watch modern movies 3-D. Or they have certain theme nights, where they have an interactive cinema experience. Love the part where I can grab a pen, jot down my order, and peg it up for the server to see. :) 

Love having my salted caramel milkshake while watching a really good chick flick.

Barley Swine has to be one of the most interesting restaurants that we went to. Each dish had different flavors from various countries, they had an interesting dish where they had jalapeno sorbet, which lent the food a very spicy and deep texture.

I liked the berkshire belly pork bao. Just because it looks cute. Personally, I still prefer the chinese version of the char siew pao more.

If you can't get a reservation, you may want to try Odd Duck, which is the name of the original food truck which they were based on, but they recently opened another restaurant called Odd Duck right down the street.

We also got the beer and wine pairing for +$45, love some of the beers that we were given.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early to queue up for some Texan BBQ. The number 1 is definitely Franklin's BBQ but everyone queues for around 5 hours, and that is some sports, which I'm not mentally or physically prepared for.

So we went to LA BBQ. Which I heard was a 1 hour wait. But in actual fact, it is actually a 3 HOURS WAIT.

Ok so not worth it. As you can see from the picture, people brought their chairs, blankets, card decks, barrels of ice and beer. They all came prepared to weather the 100 degrees weather and long meandering lines.

Felt that the burger was good, but I am definitely not queuing up for this again.

We then headed to the Texas Capitol. They have different type of free tours to choose from, such as history of the women in USA or history of the revolution. I thought the architecture was very grand, and they also explained how the Capitol operated when the senate was in session.

They also talked a lot about the history such as the Battle of Alamo.

Another must-see attraction would be the Bob Bullock State History Museum next to the University of Texas. It's one of the biggest and most interesting museums that I've been to. They shared about the treaties signed regarding Texas, the revolution, the leaders Houston and Austin, how oil changed Texas, and I really felt that it was very informative and interactive. 

They also have an IMAX theater which screens current movies 3-D such as Antman. If you have time, definitely watch a movie there!

Next up, would be Graffiti Park! It's really cool because unlike a lot of the walls you see, this wall is constantly changing. They are some rules regarding painting though, you can't paint over other people's murals, although it is evident that a lot of people do that.

Grab your paint and start!

We had a dinner reservation at Uchiko, which I recommend for modern Japanese food. While waiting for our reservation, we went to Houndstooth Coffee next door. WOW it was such good coffee, better than a lot of coffee I've had in New York / San Francisco / London. You are missing out if you don't try it. They also had a very relaxing background music, and it would be a place where I'm willing to spend a few hours with my laptop. :) Very friendly baristas and they had the decaf option, which is good if you're craving for a cuppa in the evening.

My favorite dish at Uchiko was the gyu tan (beef tongue) sushi! :)

But they also had fresh hokkaido uni and other fresh fish from Tsukiji market. Props to them!

The dessert (CORN 5 WAYS) was so up my alley! 10/10 would recommend!

At night, you can go to Congress Bridge for the Bat Bridge. There are bats that fly up from there and it's quite a sight. Unfortunately, the time we chose to go had very few bats, and it'd be quite dismal to post the picture, because you'd have to strain your eyes to see the bats. But... GO DURING BAT SEASON! :) and you can kayak and paddle your boat in the river nearby.

A good trip in Texas! :)

Also recommended accommodation would be:

JW Marriott Austin (very new, modern, good and prompt service, big and spacious rooms)

W Hotel Austin

Wishing you a Happy Monday!

Jolenda