Our Austin Adventure

Our trip to Austin last weekend was tons of fun.  We were there for the wedding of Justin’s cousin but we had plenty of time to squeeze in a bit of fun.  Here are some of the highlights of our adventure in Austin.

We drove down from Dallas on i35 and had to stop at the sunflowers for some family photos.  I snapped this one quickly from my phone so that I could share it with you right away!  They seem to go on for miles and are so stunning!

 We also HAD to make a quick stop for the amazing pastries and breads at the Czech Stop.  My son gobbles up the blueberry bread every time we get it and we bought a few more treats for the family to enjoy over the weekend.

photo courtesy of Hotel Ella, Austin

When we arrived in Austin, we checked in at the charming Hotel Ella.  It was lovely!  Of course we chose it because it is a part of the Southern Living Hotel Collection but it lived up to it’s reputation.  It was a full of charm and the staff was so warm and friendly.  They had a “real” crib which is always such a relief – Baby girl doesn’t sleep well in a pack ‘n play!
photo courtesy of: Bullock Texas State History Museum
While Justin and the baby took a little nap, my son and I took a quick jump over to the Bullock Texas State History Museum.   We walked the three exhibit floors counter clockwise and got a great overview of the history of the State.  My six year old loved the dioramas but the long texts about Texas Heros on the second floor were a bit less interesting to him.  Overall, I thought it was a great way to spend an hour with him.  There is also an IMAX theatre there which would have been a blast if we had planned ahead and had the time.
We went back to the Hotel to get ready for the rehearsal dinner and the little man decided this would be the best time to wear his western ensemble.  

We took it slow and easy the next morning.  We had breakfast at the hotel and just laid low for the morning. Justin took the kids to the pool while I had lunch at Josephine House with my friend Camille Styles.  She knows Austin inside and out and her blog is amazing! I loved catching up with her and the restaurant was wonderful.  I highly recommend it! The atmosphere was wonderful and the food was amazing.
photo courtesy of IRR
We spent the afternoon exploring S. Congress Street.  We got out the stroller and strolled!  We went to By George, Uncommon Objects (where my son found some very cool rocks for his collection) and Allen’s Boots.  There were delicious food trucks everywhere – I wanted to eat at every one of them!
On the drive back to the hotel, we splurged and went for a dipped cone at Sandy’s.  It is ridiculously good – get the mixed dipped waffle cone!
That night we were off to the wedding!  It was held outside at the Zilker Garden overlooking the city. It was a beautiful setting and for a darling couple.  More about that later!

Baby Girl took her first steps on the balcony at the Hotel Ella!

The next morning we joined my parents for breakfast on the terrace of the Hotel Ella and Baby Girl took her first steps!  We were all so excited – even the hotel staff delivering the room service was cheering!


We spent the afternoon shopping on and around 2nd Street. The kids loved Toy Joy!  We ate lunch at Taverna and sweet baby girl obviously loved the bread basket!
Uchiko, Austin – photo from Texas Style and Substance
That night we joined the rest of the of the Whitman crew at Uchiko – seriously one of the best restaurants ever!  Justin and I ate there a few years ago and were still dreaming of it!  It remains No. 1 on our list of places to go in Austin! The Jar Jar Duck is a must from the menu – The presentation is amazing and everyone said it was their favorite!  

The next morning we met up again – can’t get enough of the family that we don’t see all too often!  We went to Elizabeth Street Cafe for brunch and it was wonderful.  The pastries and breads were delicious and the menu was amazing.  We explored some Vietnamese breakfast dishes that I can’t say I had heard of before – Breakfast noodles and sticky rice with a poached egg on top! Yum!
Then we hit to road!  It was sad to leave but we enjoyed our adventure in Austin.  Can’t wait to go back!

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