I spent most of last week in Austin, Texas with my daughter. We were attending college orientation at the University of Texas – Austin, where she will be an incoming freshman this coming fall. If you have never been to Austin, I highly recommend you visit soon. Austin combines the best that Texas has to offer in an eclectic, magical way. I will be visiting Austin quite a bit during the next four years, so I thought I would share with you some of my favorite experiences during my visits.
Above is a collage of my top 5 favorite spots during my trip last week.
1. HOTEL ELLA: A luxury boutique hotel in one of Austin’s historic landmark estates. The hotel is in a great location on Rio Grande, just minutes from the University. The rooms are lovely and the staff could not have been more helpful. I plan to stay here again.
2. THE DOMAIN: I managed to find time during orientation to do a little shopping. If you like upscale shopping, this is the place for you. Needless to say, I was a little giddy. The Domain is an outside mall situated in a park-like setting. I was in shopper’s heaven strolling among Louis Vuitton, Nieman Marcus and Tiffany. What more could a girl ask for?
3. EASTSIDE CAFE: This café is located in an old house in a quaint neighborhood with its own vegetable garden in the backyard. The food is fabulous. They offer an eclectic menu to appeal to all types of palettes – from hearty hamburgers to salmon ravioli. I can’t wait to go back!
4. PERLA’S: If you want to be in the heart of the action, then this seafood and oyster bar is for you. Perla’s is located on South Congress Avenue. This hip strip features an array of eclectic shops, restaurants, boutiques, antiques, music venues and galleries. You can enjoy a fabulous seafood dinner on their umbrella lined outdoor patio under one of the largest oak trees in Austin. It is so fun to eat dinner and watch all of the comings and goings on South Congress. If you can’t take the heat, they have a lovely indoor dining area as well.
5. TRUDY’S: If you are looking for a neighborhood restaurant and cantina, give Trudy’s a try. You will want to try their Mexican margarita. Apparently they pack a punch and limit 2 per patron. This place is bursting with Tex-Mex from the loaded jalapenos for an appetizer to the stuffed avocado for an entrée. The adventurous might want to try the banana margarita.
What are your favorite places to eat and shop and people watch in Austin? I’ll be going there a lot, and I’d love to find out from you in the comments.
Leslie Hendrix Wood
Decorator
Chancellor Interiors
Midland, Texas
Founder, Editor In Chief
Hadley Court
Gracious Living. Timeless Design. Family Traditions.
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GOOD LUCK!
Top image: freefuninaustin.com
