START OFF 2023 IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!🤠

Austin, Texas is truly a destination for foodies, music enthusiasts, history buffs, bat lovers, and much  more! Keep Austin Weird might be the unofficial official motto of the city and once you visit, you’ll see why. It’s a weird little gem of a city deep in the heart of Texas. From famous music festivals like Austin City Limits to prominent conferences like South By Southwest where John Krasinski premiered A Quiet Place to some of the best food and bars in the country, the state capitol of Texas is a destination you need to add to your list of places to travel in 2023!

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Granduca

The property is tucked in the West Lake Hills area of Austin, offering stunning hillside views and adjacent to 227 acres of Wild Basin Wilderness Basin perfect for hiking. It is only a 10 minute drive to Downtown Austin, and perfect for a day trip to nearby wineries and Hill Country attractions. It features 38 suites, a 24-hour state-of-the-art fitness center with steam room and sauna as well as an outdoor pool with hot tub. Private cabanas are available to rent poolside, and offered to both in-house and day guests. The hotel is also pet friendly, and welcomes dogs with organic treats and even offers a special dog food menu. Explore the hotel's website here.

The Ruby Hotel

Nestled only 20 minutes from downtown Austin is the beautiful and chic, Ruby Hotel in Round Rock, Texas. You'll find the guest rooms at The Ruby Hotel to be thoughtfully designed. With rooms over looking the pool or creek, you will be at peace when you look out of any window. Rooms are equipped with Nespresso Machines so that you can wake up at your own pace and enjoy a nice cup of coffee or espresso in bed. The best part about staying at The Ruby Hotel is it's close proximity to the bar! Monday to Friday, they offer a fun happy hour from 4-6 p.m. Start the night with a "Great Balls of Fire" with lunazul tequila before exploring the city of Austin, browse the menu here! 

HOW TO EXPERIENCE ATX LIKE A LOCAL

VISIT THE ALL PINK INSTAGRAMMABLE RESTAURANT

This all pink restaurant is a MUST visit while in Austin, TX. From it’s delicious pink tacos, yes the tortillas are actually pink, to pink margaritas and all the pink photos opts, you’re sure to have an amazing time! Some cool history on the restaurant is that taquero in Spanish is someone who makes tacos but “Taquero Mucho” is a play on “Te Quiero mucho”, which is, I love you so much in Spanish. Austin is known for it’s “I love you so much mural” on the side of Jo’s Coffee off South Congress. Be sure to charge those photos because you’ll be capturing photo and video content all day long at Taquero Mucho!💕

EXPERIENCE THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY LIKE NEVER BEFORE

Austin is a harbor for outdoor enthusiasts. With the Texas Hill Country in Austin’s backyard, several rivers and lakes bisecting the area and a handful of state parks within short reach, there’s an abundance of ways to spend time outdoors. Cool off in a spring-fed pool in the middle of Zilker Park at Barton Springs pool or hike up Mount Bonnell to watch the sunset over Lake Austin. If those don’t tickle your fancy, zip-lining through the treetops of Texas’ Hill Country with Cypress Valley Canopy Tours sure should! There are endless opportunities to get outside and explore nature right in the heart of the city or just beyond it.

GRAB A DRINK WITH FRIENDS ON RAINEY STREET

Rainey Street is known for renovated houses turned into bungalow bars making it an increasingly popular tucked-away street in downtown Austin. Day or night take a stroll from bar to food trailer to bar again! Rainey Street’s bars are known for their quirks, good drinks, and music! Slide (yes there’s a real slide) into a circus-themed bar called Unbelievable, try one of the 51 Texas-only beer tap at Craft Pride, or pop into a little speakeasy called Bar Illegal.

SIT BACK, RELAX, AND WATCH THE BAT SHOW

When most people think of Austin, visions of things like tasty taco and musicians performing all over town come to mind. But the city is also known for its love of certain winged nocturnal animals that appear at sunset — the Mexican Free-Tailed Bats. A 1980 renovation transformed the Congress Avenue Bridge into an ideal bat cave, soon attracting migrating Mexican free-tailed bats. Decades later, Austin's bat numbers have swelled and locals have adopted the beloved creatures as neighbors who happily handle the city's bug mitigation and provide an amazing nightly show.

Starting in late March and continuing through early fall, North America's largest urban bat population calls Austin home. The bats begin to wake up and start their night flight around sunset. The first few bats begin to trickle out from under the bridge then. After the sun sets, the show really begins, and hundreds to thousands of bats pour out and cascade East over Lady Bird Lake. The best time to witness the bats is around sunset, but the nightly show can take place anywhere from 7:30 to 9:45 p.m. It can take as long as 45 minutes for all of the bats to exit the bridge for the night. Plan to arrive early in order to find parking and get your spot. Seeing the bats under the bridge fly out is one of the fondest memories I have with my family in Austin believe it or not. It’s kind of creepy and kind of magical!

Have you ever spent New Years in Austin? It’s one of my fondest memories, especially since it started snowing on 6th street the last time I celebrated New Years there!

XOXO

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