Briseida & Daniel
Things To Do
Barton Springs Municipal Pool
With the summer heat being intense here in Texas, an icy cold pool is the best way to cool down and swim in south Austin! There is a small fee to get in and sometimes it does get pretty packed during the summer, but it is a cool pass time and a must to check out! The Springs also serves as home to the endangered Barton Springs Salamander, and is listed as a federally protected habitat.
Texas State Capitol
The Texas Capitol is widely recognized as one of the nation's most distinguished state capitols. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. They provide free tours with a guide throughout the day or you can look around yourself. The grounds around the capitol building are beautiful to walk around and the views of downtown Austin add to the experience. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area!
Zilker Botanical Garden
Zilker Botanical Garden is located on 28 acres nestled within Zilker Metropolitan Park (which is also a nice place to visit!) in the heart of downtown Austin. They have beautiful themed gardens and pathways with views to downtown Austin! It is a nice place to visit and one of my (Briseida) favorite places I've been to (and volunteered at)!
Mexic-Arte Museum
This is one of our favorite museums to go visit in Austin as they always have new exhibits from Mexican, Latino, and Latin American artists! They are also a part of organizing the yearly day of the dead celebrations and parade downtown! We really hope you check out this museum and enjoy it as much as we have! :)
Austin Bat Tours
Did you know that Austin has the biggest colony of Mexican Free-tailed bats in North America?? The congress bridge in downtown holds this colony and its a sight to behold! 1.5 million bats come out around sunset and a crowd of people are there to view the spectacle, whether on a kayak (which you can rent by the river!) or standing around the bridge or nearby. We have gone once to see this event (which happens every night from March - November) and really enjoyed it! :)
Museum of the Weird
I am sure you have all have been to or seen Ripley's Believe it or Not before and this museum is very much like that! This is a fun quirky museum where we have previously gone on a date. If you like learning about mysteries and the unexplained then this place is for you! The museum is located inside Lucky Lizard Curios and Gifts in downtown Austin, TX, right in the heart of the city's famous 6th street entertainment district (Also a place to be if you enjoy bar hopping, dancing and live music!)
Inner Space Cavern
Hidden for over 10,000 years, Inner Space Cavern is one of the best-preserved caves in Texas. It was discovered by a Texas Highway Department core drilling team in the spring of 1963 and was opened to the public in the summer of 1966. Since that time, hundreds of thousands of visitors have seen this beautiful cave including us! This area is home to a lot of hidden caves (most of them not seen by the public!) and this one is one is a blast to see in person! This cave has beautiful formations, large rooms, prehistoric animal bones, and a truly unique discovery story. It remains a constant 72 degrees (but feels like 80 degrees with the humidity) year round and it does NOT flood during rains.
Black's Barbecue Lockhart
Brisket is the king of Texas barbecue, and Lockhart is home to the best Texas (nay, the world) has to offer. Officially named the Barbecue Capital of Texas by the Texas Legislature in 1999, a road trip to Lockhart is an irrefutable barbecue right of passage. I am not a fan of Texas barbeque (Daniel is) but apparently Lockhart is the place for the best barbeque ever! If you also like barbeque, don't miss out on trying the many places that are here and see if it truly is "the best [in] Texas (nay, the world)".
Lockhart State Park
I am biased but visiting parks are the best things to do wherever I visit! The Lockhart State Park consists of 263.7 acres of land purchased by the State of Texas from Henry Masur on Dec. 14, 1934. Civilian Conservation Corps Company 3803 began work on the park in 1935, and in 1948 the park was opened to the public. The nine-hole golf course follows the slopes along and above Clear Fork Creek and offers club and cart rentals for golfers. The CCC also constructed the park’s recreational hall, which sits on a bluff above the golf course. During hot summer months, a swimming pool offers a cool escape, and visitors are welcome to cast a fishing line in the creek. Also available are campsites with water and electric or full hookups, group picnic area with tables and grills and short hiking trails.
