An Austin, Texas Getaway with Hotel Indigo
When we decide where to have a weekend getaway, Cameron and I consider 3 things: where we can get the best food, where we can get the best deals, and where we can pet the most dogs.
This summer, I decided I wanted to try to plan a roadtrip for us all on my own, and just surprise Cam when the time came to plug in our destination to the GPS. There was no doubt in my mind that the city of Austin would be perfect for us to have a fun weekend full of food, fun, and good scenery.
This post is lengthy, but only because I got so many awesome shots of Austin life! I’ll be sharing about our hotel stay first and then I’m breaking down what we did throughout the weekend!
The hotel
Being downtown and in the heart of all the action is so great for a weekend getaway. Hotel Indigo Downtown Austin-University was so nice to have Cameron and I and really give us a home away from home for our stay!
We stayed in a suite with a king bed and pool view. (And a great view of downtown Austin!) The room was super home-y and I loved the decor! It was the perfect place to refuel before heading out to face the heat as we wandered around town.
The rooms are spacious so you have plenty of space to spread out if you’re bringing in plenty of outfit changes and snacks (like me), but there’s not a ton of unnecessary space that can make you feel overwhelmed or distract from the home-y feel. Cam and I just enjoyed going about our regular routine of watching HGTV!
The amenities
It may seem silly, but I love when hotels carry Aveda as the in-room toiletries! The rosemary mint will open up your sinuses and make you feel clean and fresh!
I loved that our room had a living space complete with a desk! When we travel, we both bring our laptops, cameras, and at least 6 different chargers! Having a space to set all of that stuff aside is great. I’d totally come back for another business trip with this setup!
One of my favorite things about Hotel Indigo was that it provided us with so much information on what was around us in downtown Austin! I flipped through advertisements of restaurants and different sources of entertainment to get a little inspiration for what we wanted to do over the weekend. The staff also offered their recommendations for things to do which we really appreciated!
This was my favorite little corner of the room. Seriously, when it comes to a Texas summer vacation, you’re going to need a spot to cool off and plan your next sight-seeing venture in some AC!
The neighborhood
Hotel Indigo is in the heart of downtown, two blocks from 6th street. This allowed us to walk to food and live music and provided a great view! Driving to any of our picks for food and shopping was never over 10 minutes, so it was so easy to hop from place to place and then head home when we needed to get out of the heat for a rest.
Nearby food and drink
Pelon’s Tex Mex – 802 Red River St.
Priorities, ya’ll. This was our first meal in Austin as it was right next door to Hotel Indigo! I had the best spinach enchilada of my life and it was the cutest place ever. Sit outside on the deck if you can!
6th Street –
We walked along sixth street to walk off our meal the first night and check out the restaraunts. Cameron is 21, but I’m not, so we didn’t go in, but definitely decided we’d come back after my birthday in January! It is an experience just to walk along the street and see all the action. It’s one of those places you can’t not go to if you’re in town.
B.D. Riley’s – 204 E 6th St
B.D. Riley’s is an authentic Irish pub on 6th street. It was actually designed and built in Ireland and transported right to downtown Austin! I knew I wanted to go here because Cam studied abroad in Dublin last summer and has been craving Irish stew. (Again – so good, I forgot to take pictures!)
Our Trip Details
When Cam and I travel, we like to branch out and try new things while at the same time sticking to some of the things we always love to do together. Austin was the perfect city for us to try new food and discover new spots, but spend time doing our favorite hobbies and weekend activities!
The most important meal of the day – Tacodeli, 4200 N. Lamar Blvd.
Have we told you before how much we love Tacodeli? We’ve only ever been to the location in Dallas, but we knew it started here in Austin and that they had a couple. That was our first stop Saturday morning for coffee and breakfast! We each always get the freakin’ vegan (the best combo of black beans, avocado, and pico de gallo you’ll ever taste) and a taco blanco (egg whites and whatever else you want!) So good, I’ve just written a whole paragraph about tacos.
Austin Farmer’s Market – 422 Guadalupe St.
When I was planning our trip, I came across info on the Sustainable Food Center farmer’s market. If you’ve been following for a while, you know a trip to the farmer’s market on Saturday morning is Cam and I’s ritual. We had to keep the tradition alive! (Note: was too distracted by cute dogs and free samples to take pictures.)
BookPeople – 603 N. Lamar Blvd
I love mornings when I can slowly wander through a bookstore with a cup of coffee. When we were driving to go see the Graffiti Park on N. Lamar, we passed BookPeople. We circled back and spent a good chunk of time looking through all the books and goodies! Highly recommend for all you bookworms out there!
Shopping on South Congress – South Congress Avenue
I’ve walked these shops before on my last trip and it’s another can’t-miss-thing-to-do in Austin! We popped in and out of antique stores, candy shops, and cute boutiques and had a blast.
Lunch – Hopdoddy Burger Bar, 1400 S Congress Ave
I read great recommendations on Yelp and the food sounded really good! (It was.) The staff was so friendly and we really enjoyed our meal. Save room for a milkshake!
What I wore –
It was hot and I knew I needed to dress for it! Josephine Resort sent me their Liz Romper cover-up for my trip to Florida next weekend, but I brought it along as something that would be lightweight and cool.
Exploring
We really enjoyed the 2nd street district and the Barton Springs area. Cam and I enjoy just driving around until we see something cool, so on trips, this is something we make time for. I definitely recommend blocking off time in any itinerary for just driving or walking around the place you’re visiting!
Resting Up
I said it on an Instagram post, and I’ll say it again: never had I appreciated a nice, homey, air-conditioned hotel more than on this trip! At any time, it was really easy to make a short drive or walk back to Hotel Indigo and get a shower or just put our feet up. (I’m that girl who always insists on wearing sandals despite the amount of walking, so I always end up needing to rest, haha!)
Big Sunday Breakfast – Austin Java, Suite 100, 2nd Street District, 301 W 2nd St
There’s plenty of spots to grab a cup of coffee or something sweet, but come Sunday, Cam and I were ready for a big, hearty breakfast. Austin Java did not disappoint!
A Stroll in Zilker Park – 2100 Barton Springs Rd
Cam and I had this place on our wish list ever since we followed the Instagram account, “Zilker Bark”, and saw all the cute dogs that hung out there! We walked a ways down the trails and watched people kayak and paddle board. It was a great way to walk off breakfast before our drive home, and, yes, we saw lots of cute dogs!
I’m having total Austin withdrawals and I can’t wait till we can go back! Definitely the perfect spot to spend a weekend filled with good food and good company!
Have you ever been to Austin? What spots do you like to hit when you’re there?
X,
Cristina
