Where we live! This is probably our favorite part of town for food and drinks: For cocktails: Whisler's, Lazarus Brewing, Central Machine Works, Kitty Cohen's, Butterfly Bar (if you go here you must get pasta from their food truck Patrizi's) For brunch: Paperboy, Easy Tiger, Cenote. For barbecue: la Barbecue, Micklethewait's, and of course the famous Franklin Barbecue (must get there at about 7-8am but it is life changing!!) More eats: Ramen Tatsu-ya and next-door Domo Alley-Gato, Kemuri-Tatsu-ya, Intero, Suerte, Oseyo, Rosewood, Launderette, Justine's, Veracruz All Natural
A historic neighborhood of craftsman houses converted to bars with backyard patios, excellent craft cocktails, food trucks, & live music. For a more low-key vibe, go for brunch or happy hour, for you hard-core partiers go after dark. While on Rainey, get some of the best Detroit style pizza in Austin from the Via 313 food truck behind the Alibi Bar. Reina, Drafting Room, Lucilles and The Tipsy Alchemist (in Vicki & Ross's building) are some of our favorite Rainey bars. For upscale dining on Rainey go to Emmer & Rye or Geraldines in Hotel Van Zandt.
The best shopping and plenty of amazing food and drink spots are all located on this quintessential Austin street. Be sure to check out the new section called Music Lane! Food/drink: Aba, Summer House, Joann's Fine Foods, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Jo's Coffee, Perla's, Cafe No Sé Shops: Stag Provisions for Men, Neighborhood Goods, Toms, Everlane, Tecovas, Noah Marion, Big Top Candy Shop, South Congress Books
More wonderful food and drink options are scattered throughout Downtown! Congress Avenue and the 2nd street district are the best areas to stroll around for dining and shopping. Walk to the Capitol Building, or check out the beautiful Austin Public Library! Dining: Swift's Attic, Hestia, Comedor, Le Politique, La Condesa, Wu Chow, Fareground food hall Drinks: Peché (where we had our first date!), Garage, Firehouse Lounge, Kalimotxo, The Roosevelt Room
Austin has more live music venues per capita than anywhere else in the nation and hosts some of the largest music events in the world, including South by Southwest and Austin City Limits. Some of the most iconic venues are: The Continental Club/C-Boys Heart & Soul - everything from funk to bluegrass 3TEN at ACL Live - the sister venue to the premier ACL Live, come here for smaller acts, softer sounds and cover bands. The Saxon Pub - intimate atmosphere, known for booking some of the greatest music legends Volstead Lounge - great bands and vinyl DJ sets Antone's Nightclub - classic Austin acts Elephant Room - nightly jazz Cedar Street Courtyard - original artists and cover bands Stubb's Bar-B-Q - everything, plus great bbq under one roof and a renowned Sunday gospel brunch! The White Horse - practice your two step with country and bluegrass tunes The Parish - hip-hop, rock, funk, reggae, Latin & more Mohawk - emphasis on local and touring rock artists
The most beloved swimming spot in Austin! Fed from a natural spring, the water is a constant 68-70 degrees. It might be a bit chilly to swim for some people but the scenery is gorgeous!
One of our favorite activities - rent a kayak, SUP, or canoe to take out on Lady Bird Lake! There are plenty of rental spots but this one is closest to downtown/the Marriott. Grab a mimosa or coffee at the cafe upstairs afterwards!
Austin is home to North America's largest urban bat colony! Head to Congress Avenue Bridge about 30 minutes before sundown to witness hundreds to thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats take flight from their home under the bridge. These creatures are beloved by the locals for controlling the mosquito population & providing a nightly show! For a unique experience, view the bats from the water! Take the Lone Star Riverboat Sunset Bat Watching Cruise, a cruise from Capital Cruises, or rent a kayak, canoe or water bike on Lady Bird Lake for an intimate experience.
A 350 acre park in the heart of South Austin with a beautiful view of the Austin skyline - this is also where Austin City Limits music festival is held! Bring a picnic and watch all of the pups play!
12 miles of beautiful hiking/biking trails, swimming holes, and limestone bluffs for rock climbing.