Things To Do
San Marcos Premium Outlets
If you enjoy shopping at the outlets like we do then San Marcos will be the closest.
Pinballz Kingdom
Pinballz has 3 arcade locations in the area. Kingdom is closest to the hotel although our favorite is Lake Creek.
McKinney Falls State Park
We took Levy here for a hike and it was great!
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
A great spot to visit in the Spring! The wildflower center is the perfect family friendly outing and full of wonderful photo ops.
South Congress
Take a trip down SoCo for shopping and photo ops at multiple murals including one at Jo's Coffee and one at Prima Dora. Prima Dora also hosts a Makers Market on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 10am.
End of An Ear
Another shopping spot that we like in Austin is on Fort View Rd. While there you can stop in Far Out Home Fittings, Uncommon Objects, Austin Aqua-Dome, and End of An Ear. This spot has a bit of everything so you can flip through records, go antiquing, and look at tropical fish. As a bonus you can also go to Dan's Hamburgers to grab a bite to eat.
Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail
This is a nice casual trail to check out if you're looking to walk in Austin.
Barton Creek Square
The better of the 2 malls that we regularly visit. Barton Creek Square has a LEGO store and a Pokemaniacs.
BookPeople
BookPeople, Texas’ largest independent bookstore, has been a staple in Austin’s Community of Books since 1970. A great place to walk around, kid friendly, and has a cafe. Other nearby stores include: REI, Anthropologie, and Waterloo Records.
Pavement - Modern & Recycled Clothing
Enjoy some thrifting and vintage shopping in Austin. On Guadeloupe St. you'll find some of our favorite places to shop including Pavement, Leopard Lounge, and Buffalo Exchange. Plus on Sundays check out the vintage market from 12-6pm, but make sure to leave yourself enough time to get back to the venue for the ceremony.
Rock Library
Take a rock, leave a rock! This address is just a residence in Austin that has placed a small shelf outside of their home as the rock library.
Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve
A small park if you don't have too much time and as a bonus it has peacocks.
Plaza 5000
Plaza 5000 has some fun toy and game shops as well as a comic book store.
Breakaway Records
Check out this shopping spot on North Loop Blvd with Breakaway Records, Blue Velvet Vintage, and Epoch Coffee. Plus just up the road there's even more vintage shopping at Ermine Vintage, Room Service Vintage, and others.
Blue Genie Art Bazaar
Blue Genie hosts a local artist market that is only open at certain times throughout the year. This market should be open on the weekends in May.
The Crescent
The Crescent is home to 99 Ranch Market, Kinokuniya Austin, Torii Kawaiii, Tanuki Games, Daiso, and Pinkbox Austin. A great place to walk around from shop to shop before grabbing a bubble tea from 85 °C Bakery Cafe.
Austin Zoo
Another family friendly option in Austin is the zoo. Unlike the aquarium (please avoid) the zoo takes care of their animals and isn't located in a strip mall.
Austin Record Convention
May 3-4, Parmer Events Center Founded in 1981, and held twice a year in the Spring and Fall, The Austin Record Convention brings together dealers, collectors and aficionados from points near and far for a weekend of music appreciation and activity in beautiful Austin, Texas, the ‘Live Music Capital of the World’.