Last week was a hectic week for me! Tuesday I had my last two finals, I packed up my dorm, and headed back home to Connecticut only to wake up at 2:30 am that Wednesday to head to Texas with my family for my sister's military prep school graduation. After a treacherous drive through flash flooding we finally arrived in Fredericksburg which a German influenced town in Texas' Hill Country 90-minutes outside of Austin. We spent two nights in Fredericksburg and then moved on to Austin for one night before heading home on Saturday. It was a very quick trip, but we did A LOT within the three full days.
Day 1: Fredericksburg
We stayed our two nights in Fredericksburg at the Fredericksburg Inn & Suites that has beautiful rooms and grounds with a lovely pool situated alongside Barons Creek only a block away from Fredericksburg's Main Street!
Where We Ate:
We ate breakfast at the hotel both days because it was complimentary, but ate lunch and dinners out!
The Salt Lick (Dritftwood, TX)- The Salt Lick is a barbecue restaurant outside of Austin and was arguably the best bbq I've ever had! The vibe is so Texan with lots of open seating, a huge wooden Texas sign to take pictures with, beautifully decorated grounds, and a warm and friendly staff. When you walk in the restaurant you also see this grilling gazebo which was fascinating! This was the first place we ate at when we arrived on a Wednesday afternoon after a monstrous rainstorm so it was very quiet, but it does get very busy.
El Milagro Twenty Twelve- I'm going to be honest and say that the food wasn't amazing at this Tex-Mex place located in Downtown Fredericksburg– it was average, but the vibe was great with a sweet staff! They have outside and indoor seating, but it was a nice night so we sat outside on their patio for dinner where there was live music of course country music (my fav!)
Where We Visited:
Wildseed Farms- Wildseed Farms is the nations largest working wildflower farm with over 200 acres in Fredericksburg! The main attraction may be the flowers that are blooming from March to October such as poppies, daisies, and sunflowers, but the farm also has a wine tasting room featuring wine's from Texas' Hill Country, a butterfly garden, delicious refreshments such as peach soft serve, a garden center, and a gift shop. There is something for everyone here on the beautiful Wildseed Farm grounds!
Magnolia Pearl- Located just down the road from Wildseeds Farm on Highway 290 East this clothing store is located in an old German grain barn with stunning grounds. I loved the decor in this store, but the distressed vintage clothing was just not my taste and it was a tad bit expensive for the design and materials.
Day 2: Fredericksburg
My family and I spent most of this day in Kerrville at my sister's graduation, but when we arrived back in Fredericksburg we explored the Downtown area more as most of the shops closed early when we arrived on Wednesday.
Some of the shops I visited in Fredericksburg include the Olde Thyme Fun Shop, Native, Headquarters Hat, Zertz, Earthbound Trading, Camp Hayden, HCM Thrift Shop (where I got two cute Texas shirts for a $1!) and several more cute shops. Because we visited Fredericksburg during the week, the center of town was quiet, but of course this makes for a cheaper trip and less wait times and crowds!
Where We Ate:
Western Edge- This eatery located in Downtown Fredericksburg has an excellent atmosphere with an open floor plan and great service. They have a great setup for live music (unfortunately no one was playing when we ate here) and a great selection of food and drinks!
West End Pizza Company- After looking for places to eat in Fredericksburg on a quiet and rainy Thursday night, we decided to eat at the West End Pizza Company. The pizza here is nothing compared to the stellar thin crust pizza I'm used to in the Northeast, but it was still delicious and the decor and setup at this pizza restaurant was great with outdoor and indoor seating and a game room!
Clear River Ice Cream and Bakery- The homemade ice cream at this retro ice cream parlor located Downtown was delicious and the setting transported you back to the 50s with the red booths, music, and deli.
Day 3: Austin
We stayed the one night at the Hyatt Regency in Austin overlooking Lady Bird Lake and within walking distance of Downtown Austin and the South Congress District! The hotel was gorgeous with a great patio, fine dining, and a Starbucks, gym, and pool onsite. I really wish I could have stayed longer.
We arrived to Austin later in the day because we took our time leaving Fredericksburg, but we still got a lot done in Austin– a city known for its live-music scene and night life. I love the motto "Keep Austin Weird" because it really does describe Austin well with its unique shops and eateries and colorful murals practically on every corner! Even though it was chilly and overcast out we still had a blast exploring this quirky city! My mom and I even waited about an hour on top of the Hyatt parking garage to watch the bats fly out of the Congress Street Bridge, but unfortunately it was too overcast for the bats to fly out– but this is a must see for when you visit Austin when it's actually bright and sunny out!
Where We Ate:
The Switch BBQ (Dripping Springs, TX)- My family and I stopped at this bbq joint on our way to Austin and it was another delicious stop for bbq– this time without the torrential flooding! This place had terrific service and great bites!
Voodoo Donuts- Once we arrive to Austin we walked to the iconic Voodoo Donuts (yes there's a location in Austin!) across the Congress Street Bridge to 6th Street for a bite! The atmosphere is great with Texas inspired murals on the walls, a giant lit up American flag, and a voodoo tree. The atmosphere is everything I expected a Voodoo Donuts to be like. I got the voodoo doll donut and throughly enjoyed every bite!
Whataburger (Barton Springs)- I was so excited to finally try a Texas-staple, Whataburger that I even walked to it by myself from the hotel, but I got to say it was disappointing. I'm not sure if just this location was bad, but even a McDonald's burger tasted better than the burger I got here.
Torchy's Tacos- For a quick dinner, we ate at the Torchy's Tacos chain on South Congress and it was delicious! I got the fried avocado taco and it never disappoints. The staff was also super accommodating here and the restaurant was cleanly!
Where We Visited:
Art for the People- Upon entering this independent art gallery two little black pugs ran up to me and I knew this was going to be a great place. This gallery holds so many local heart such as jewelry, ceramics, t-shirts, postcards, notecards, home decor, body products, and more varying in price points! The staff was so friendly and a butterfly mural adorns the outside walls for you to take pictures by.
Greetings From Austin Postcard Mural- Right across Art for the People there's a "Greetings From Austin" mural on 1720 S 1st St that's great to let your Instagram followers know your in Austin!
YETI Flagship- The YETI flagship store was right next to my hotel and it featured an outdoor bar, cute plants in YETI coolers, and a great indoor setup.
Because I had to wake up early the next morning to make the flight, I didn't get to experience Austin's nightlife, but next time I visit Austin it's at the top of my list! Before walking to dinner, we also stopped at many cool and quirky stores such as the costume shop, Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, Kendra Scott, Feathers Boutique, Little Limbo, Triple Z Threadz, Maya, and many other great shops on South Congress!
Even though my family and I were in Texas for three full days with some chilly temperatures (around 50 at times!) and severe flash flooding the day we arrived, exploring Fredericksburg and Austin was a blast and I cannot wait to go back!
Sarah, xo