A spontaneous trip to Texas with a new friend.
I’ve been wanting to go on a solo trip for a while—get out of my comfort zone, go somewhere new, meet some people, do some thinking.
Texas seemed like the perfect location. The cities looked vibrant and fun; plus it would be warm and a reasonable drive. So I planned it, against the advice of my mother.
And then I got a call.
Coincidentally, my new friend Zoe also wanted to go to Texas and she needed a road-trip buddy. She would leaving in two days.
At first, I was hesitant but then I thought more about it. If I went with Zoe, my mom wouldn’t kill me for traveling alone, I could get to know Zoe, and I could travel Texas.
And so we went to Austin.
It was confusing and scary and a little unorganized. Zoe and I got lost more than a few times. We tried to go to places that ended up being closed. Our AirBnB featured a sign that said “Congrats on Rehab” and another guest who happened to be a 30-year-old man. But, we survived and explored a booming city, full of art and creativity.
PLACES
Yoga at Cherrywood Coffeehouse
Before we started our official adventure around the city, Zoe found a free yoga class at Cherrywood Coffeehouse. From Monday to Friday, the coffee house offers a yoga classes from 7-8 a.m. They even provide mats and blocks for those who don’t have any (me.) While we stretched, we could still hear the hustle and bustle of the coffee house. It was a little distracting, but an important lesson in mindfulness. You can find peace wherever you go.
Lady Bird Lake and Zilker Park
While we were at yoga, someone recommended that we go kayaking on Lady Bird Lake so Zoe and I headed that way. The Lake looks more like a river than anything, but it’s actually a reservoir meant for flood control.
It runs right through the city and under several bridges including the South Congress bridge, famous for its bats. The lake is a part of Zilker Metropolitan Park so as we kayaked, we could see runners, walkers, and DOGS (so many good boys) along the trail. There are a number of places where you can rent boats, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, etc. but we went to Congress Avenue Kayaks.
Walking 6th Street
This is the bar and party street of Austin (at least one of them.) Zoe and I are underage so we did a day-time stroll around the area. There were lots of murals, historical sites, and bars. It smelled exactly like you’d expect.
Walking South Congress
For a much more PG walk around Austin, I highly suggest South Congress. There and dozens of cute and quirky shops filled with art, vintages clothing, and food. Two of my favorite stores were Lucy in Disguise With Diamonds and Allen’s Boots.
If you love dressing up for Halloween (or any other time) Lucy in Disguise is perfect for you. There are hundreds of costumes: a mermaid, knight in shining armor, 1920s flapper dress, a German barmaid. If you don’t plan on purchasing or renting anything, you can try on up to four costumes at a time. You’re just not allowed to take pictures in any of the costumes.
Just down the street is Allen’s Boots, every cowboy or girl’s dream They have boots in every color and shape; embezzled boots, embroidered boots, tall boots, short boots, boots with different leather etc. We even found a pair of boots that was $1500. I don’t know if those are made for walking...
Another one of our favorite stops was Tesoros Trading Company which features arts and crafts from over 20 different countries. I got a super cute postcard while I was there.
South Congress is just a hip place to walk around. Everywhere you look there’s a mural or a cool restaurant.
Uncommon Objects
If you are a Type A antiquer, Uncommon Objects is the place for you. The store has only been around since 1991, but it has decades worth of stuff—and all of it is color-coordinated. I could have easily stayed in the store for hours trying to figure out the story behind everything. It has everything your traditional antique store would have and some random items. As we were strolling through the aisles, I even found a Jayhawk coin (Rock Chalk.)
Central Library
Downtown Austin’s Central Library is an awesome place to check out (pun intended.) It’s even featured in Time Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places. The library opened in 2017 and there are over 500,000 books spread across the library’s six floors. But one of the coolest things is the rooftop garden and balcony which feature plenty of outdoor seating and a beautiful view of the city. Go at night for a different view.
Improv Comedy at Fallout Theater
To end out first full-day in Austin, Zoe found a comedy show for us to go to at the Fallout Theater. Fallout hosts events every night of the week, but on Monday they have a show called “F*** This Week,” where members of the audience tell a story about their shitty week. Then the cast turns the story into a series of skits. Three audience members talked about a car wreck, a girls trip which was actually a cover-up for an affair, and an embezzling boss who won leader of the year at his company. If you’ve had a terrible week and want to cheer-up, head to Fallout.
Capitol Building
You may know from a previous blog post, but I think state Capitol buildings are an awesome way to learn about the history of a state and see some amazing architecture. On the day Zoe and I set out for our free tour, it was pretty crowded. People were lined up outside of the door, dressed in formal attire.
As it turns out, we were at the Capitol building on the same day that they were swearing in state representatives and senators. Ope. We met political campaigners, government officials, and many cool people.
Our tour was not as in-depth as it normally is, but we still got to see a lot of the Capitol. As well, there some artists had set up an exhibit on the the effects of school shootings. I do not remember their names or their specific cause, but their work was incredibly thought-provoking.
Aside from that, our tour guide told us a variety of fun facts:
The inventor of Six Flags is from Texas and he named the amusement park after the state’s seal and history. The State Seal features six different flags which represent an entity that controlled Texas: France, Spain, Mexico, Texas, Confederate States of America, and finally the United States of America.
Sam Houston who was vital to the revolution of Texas and president of the Republic of Texas, is the only man to have been a governor of two states. He was the sixth governor of Tennessee and the seventh governor of Texas.
It is the largest US capitol by square footage which goes to show the everything really is bigger in Texas.
Blanton Art Museum
The Blanton Art Museum is on the University of Texas campus and it ranks highly among University art museums. The museum has both historical and contemporary pieces from a variety of artists. When I was there, the Blanton had a brilliant exhibit about immigration.
One of their more “Instagrammable” spots is Ellsworth Kelly’s building. It features rainbow-colored windows and a series of black and white marble squares which represent the angles that Jesus carried the cross. With the student discount, we only paid $5 a person.
University of Texas campus
I’m a big fan of college campuses. I love being on tours for college campuses. I love giving tours of my college campus. I love it. After visiting the Blanton, we walked around the University of Texas, home to 40,000 Longhorns. Orange-topped roofs and gardens filled with cacti cover the campus. The university offers tours of its Main Building tower which has a sweeping view of campus.
Umlauf Sculpture Garden
The sculpture garden of Charles Umlauf, an American sculptor and former professor at the University of Texas. His most famous student and muse was Farrah Fawcett. The student fee to get into the sculpture garden is merely $1. Not only are tickets cheap, but you can touch most of the sculptures.
THINGS WE WANTED TO DO
Casa Neverlandia
Cathedral of Junk
Congress Bridge Bats
Mount Bonnell
Hippy Hollow
Zilker Park
FOOD
Twisted Root Burger Company
We ate here on a quick pit-stop in Waco, TX. The burgers came out quick, they had chipotle ketchup, and six vats of different flavored pickles. What more can you ask for?
Voodoo Donuts
Voodoo Donuts was actually founded in Oregon but there a few locations around the US, including on 6th Street of Austin. The shop was just as artsy as the donuts. Voodoo even serves a “blunt” donut.
Bouldin Creek Cafe
A vegetarian restaurant with a dog-friendly outdoor patio. Zoe was a saint for most of the trip and she ate at many places with meat, but she chose Bouldin Creek Cafe. While there, I had sweet potato tamales and it was amazing.
Gordough’s Donuts
Monster donuts. Each donut is the size of your hand and covered in toppings: both savory and sweet. I've been dreaming of going to this place for over a year. I found Gordough's on a list of great donut places and it's had my heart ever since. You can order donuts with chicken and bacon on them or covered in fruit and chocolate. There are well over a dozen options and they all looked amazing.
Home Slice Pizza
Located in South Congress, Home Slice is a good place to grab a classic New York style pizza.
PEOPLE
Mia: We the met the slender, blonde girl at yoga. Her name was Mia. She had thin-rimmed glasses and floral tattoos. Mia was visiting friend in the US, but she was from Germany. Back home, she works as trauma psychologist with migrants. She’s really grateful that she’s been able to travel and help people. It’s her dream job.
The Hat Expert: He was wearing a red hat and a blue suit. We met him at a hat shop downtown. He kindly educated us on berets and bowler hats and winked at us as we left.
The Waiter: He was young and bearded, working as our waiter at Home Slice Pizza. The man asked us where we were traveling from and gave us some recommendations. He wasn’t from Austin originally but he lived there now, performing with his punk band. Before we left, he boxed up two huge chocolate chip cookies.
The Comedian: While we sat at the comedy show, I struck up a conversation with the woman next to us. Her husband was performing in that night and she would be performing later this week. Her show: an emo reading of old MySpace posts.
The Politically Involved: As we waited in line to get into the Capitol building, an older woman behind us explained that they were swearing people in that day. She was the president of the Democratic Women of Texas and she had campaigned for numerous democrats in the state. When Zoe mentioned Beto O’Rourke, with a heavy Texas accent the woman said, “He’s our man.”
Zoe: My partner in this road-trip and a new friend. Zoe is creative, bold, organized. She made a map with every location that we wanted to go and she included the hour and admission prices of everything. An incredibly badass, strong gal.
ALL IN ALL
Almost everything about this trip was last-minute. It’s not often that adventure will literally call you, but when it does...consider going. I love travel and I love getting out of my comfort zone, but this trip was a hard decision. It's one that I know I'll struggle with for the rest of my life; stay at home or go into the world.
So badly I want to be in St. Louis. I want to watch my brother struggle through his first year of licensed driving and talking to girls. I want to hear my mom asking me a million questions about my day. I want my dog to take me on a walk.
But I also want to eat free cookies, massive donuts, vegan breakfast. I want to meet comedians and artists; healers and meditators. I want to meet strong-willed women who get shit done.
I want to get on the wrong highway ramp in bustling traffic. I want to find peace in morning yoga after a cup of coffee. I want to sit on the water listening to a growing city’s heartbeat. I want to crash a government ceremony. I want to see creativity brushed onto every wall.
And I did get to do those things. We only have so much time and (on the occasion) it's important to use that spontaneously. It won't always be the right time or place, but there are some things that you just have to do.