Austin, TX is well known for its live music scene and cultural diversity, where the slogan “Keep Austin Weird” has been widely adopted to describe its uniqueness. When I decided that I was going to surprise Emily for a 30th birthday weekend trip, Austin’s quirky vibe seemed to be just what I was looking for. Since early March is still quite chilly in Missouri, I knew I wanted to escape to a city with more sun and warmth that still offered plenty of fun things to do. And when I found out that her two best friends and their spouses were ready and willing to join in on the surprise, Austin seemed even more like the perfect pick. The only details that I told Emily in advance were to request the appropriate Friday off from work and to pack a bag for a weekend away in warmer weather. Being as she is, Emily was pretty uncomfortable not knowing what we were doing or even where we were going, but this was all part of the plan. So I picked Emily up from work on a Thursday afternoon and disclosed our final destination on the way to the airport. I originally wanted her to find out the location after checking in and boarding the plane but was mildly concerned someone would think I had kidnapped her if she didn’t know her ticket details. Thus, we were on our way to Austin, TX for the weekend, but Emily still didn’t know all that awaited her with during this surprise trip.
Day 1: South Congress by day, 6th Street by night
We arrived in Austin late Thursday night, and after a full day of work for both of us followed by two flights, we were tired. We had only enough energy to have our Uber drop us by an In-N-Out Burger (an absolute must for Emily during a trip to any city that has one) prior to checking into our AirBNB. I did quite a bit of research trying to find a good place that would house the six of us for the weekend but was also centrally located for the majority of what we were planning to do. We ended up booking a two-story condo in the South River City area with access to the Colorado River and just a short ride from most locations in Austin. I’ll admit, I had to feed Emily a little white lie about why I booked such a large place for just the two of us since our friends weren’t arriving until Friday around noon. But after I explained to her that there was an error with the booking and the host had accidentally double-booked the intended rental so gave us this, his other rental property, for the same price, we were in the clear with hardly any questions asked!
Every detail of the weekend was planned in advance in hopes of spending very little time trying to decide where to eat, what to do, how to get there, etc. In particular, for a city like Austin with so many unique but excellent food options, I wanted to be sure I chose options with fun entrees, beautiful interiors, and the ability to seat a group of six without a long wait. No one likes spending their limited amount of time waiting to be seated. So for our first true meal in Austin, Emily and I had a reservation at Café No Sé in the South Congress neighborhood. This sunny, little cafe is very popular, particularly with large groups celebrating bachelorette parties, so a reservation was a must. We sat inside and enjoyed a perfectly fresh brunch along with coffee and a carafe of mimosas.
With plenty of local boutiques, each offering their own Austin flare, this neighborhood is a popular area for a stroll on a sunny, Southern day. After a very enjoyable brunch, we went next door to the Kendra Scott flagship store. Emily loves her jewelry, and any husband can appreciate a 50% birthday discount! Over the next hour and a half, we wandered leisurely about South Congress Ave. while I coordinated with Emily’s best friends a meeting location. The timing was perfect; as Emily and I ordered a cupcake from the Hey Cupcake! trailer, the rest of the crew snuck up behind us and delivered an epic surprise. Emily’s reaction was priceless. The three hadn’t been together in quite some time, and you can definitely tell. I love surprises!
Now that the entire group was reunited, it was time for more food. Street tacos are a big deal in Austin, so we walked to Torchy’s Tacos on South Congress. There were a ton of different options, all of which were great, and we left completely full and satisfied. Next, we walked to one of Austin’s iconic wall murals for a group picture. Sometimes, no matter how much you try not to, doing the “tourist” thing just has to happen, and that’s ok!
Since we got that out of the way, we were ready to do what most young couples do best together: drink and be merry! We found an crowded oyster bar called Perla’s on South Congress and got lucky enough to stumble upon great seats outside right off the busy street. Together we enjoyed some of the best people-watching while drinking everything from wine to whiskey to beer and even ordered some oyster samplers. Emily discovered she loved oysters (I already knew that I did), which was a great surprise. The sunshine and laughter kept us on that patio for a few hours until it was time to head back to the AirBNB to get ready for dinner and a night out in Austin.
As I’ve mentioned, there are a ton of different options when it comes to both fine and casual cuisine in Austin, one of the very reasons I decided to bring our group here for this celebratory weekend. For dinner on Friday night, I chose Fixe Southern House. I knew that I wanted an upscale restaurant pretty close to the 6th Street nightlife, and Fixe offered a menu that seemed both authentically Southern and innovative at the same time. The interior of the downtown restaurant was dimly lit and warm with Southern character. Our meal was great, particularly the appetizer of homemade biscuits that came with three options of spread: berry preserves, local honey, and bacon-flavored jam.
We walked from dinner to 6th Street, which appeared online to be a much shorter walk than it actually was. Our plan was to find a piano bar, in particular the famous Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar. I wasn’t able to get reservations for a table in time before they ran out, and entry cover was outrageous. Instead, we went to a dive down the street called Darwin’s Piano Bar, whose named appealed more to this group of former biology majors anyway. We had a lot of fun there, and we were actually able to request songs without paying an outrageous ticket to get them played. We didn’t stay out too late, partly because we aren’t the young group of college kids that we once were, but mainly because we had BIG plans for the next day.
Day 2: Brunch followed by Sailing Lake Travis
We all woke up excited for what Saturday had in store for us, but the first thing on the agenda was brunch. Austin has a seriously impressive brunch culture, making planning ahead a necessity if you want a table and not a wait. I chose Arlo Grey for our group brunch on Saturday morning. Located on the first floor of The Line Hotel with beautiful views of the Colorado River, this brunch favorite’s chef is Top Chef 10’s winner, Kristen Kish. Because I noted that we were celebrating a birthday in my reservation, we were each treated to a complimentary glass of champagne, which was the perfect start to an amazing meal. They also delivered on a table with a view, making the already lovely restaurant filled with hanging antique lights and handsome greenery even more charming. The food and drink were to die for, as each of us was extremely pleased with our menu selections. While I didn’t discover this restaurant on any of the “Austin’s Best” lists and instead was drawn to it by an Instagram picture of the interior, I believe it absolutely belongs there in the future.
After brunch we returned to the AirBNB to get ready for the day’s main adventure. If I know one thing about my wife, it’s that she loves to be on the water, so I worked hard to figure out the perfect way to incorporate this into our weekend. Lake Travis is a short drive outside of Austin and is a very popular spot for pontoon rentals and boat parties during the summer months. It was definitely too chilly for this type of fun, but I was very excited to find SailATX as an option for getting out on the water. Steve and his team were incredibly easy to work with, and the excursion itself was incredibly fairly priced. After taking an Uber out to Lake Travis, we met Skipper Jake who showed us aboard our sailboat rental for 4 hours. Skipper Jake was probably quite skeptical from the beginning when he saw how much booze we brought for a 4 hour adventure (we came no where close to finishing it all), but he was a good sport throughout and did a great job of giving us whatever experience we were hoping for. He taught us the basics of sailing while being patient enough to listen to our terrible music and stories from the “good ole days” and acting as our personal photographer. As soon as we got out on the water, the cloudy skies opened up and revealed a beautiful sunshine and light wind that made it a perfect day for a relaxed sail on the lake. We had a sheer perfect afternoon together which none of us will soon forget.
Skipper Jake was so great to us that he actually kept us out on the lake longer than what we had paid for. I like to think it’s because he enjoyed us that much and, just like each of us, didn’t want the time to end. Once we returned to the marina, we requested an Uber to take us to dinner. When we had trouble finding a ride big enough for the six of us (a detail we didn’t consider prior to leaving the city), Skipper Jake offered to drive two of us to our dinner location, which was so nice and greatly appreciated. We left plenty of booze with him as an additional tip, so maybe it was all worth it in the end for him!
Our dinner plans for the evening were to catch the beautiful sunset over the lake at The Oasis on Lake Travis. We ended up a bit behind schedule, so the line for a table at the restaurant was insanely long. Lucky for us, though, there was a more casual option on one of the upper levels of the huge restaurant that allowed us to order some barbeque and beers without the wait. While it wasn’t exactly what I had planned, the food was decent, and avoiding the line was worth the sacrifice, as none of us was in any shape to wait in line and go without food any longer.
Of course not all good plans come completely to fruition. Once we returned to our AirBNB after dinner, we planned to go out for the night on Austin’s Rainey Street. Known for its many bungalow-style homes turned bars and music venues, this neighborhood is supposed to offer a more laid-back night out. Unfortunately, everyone decided that they wanted to take a quick “power nap” first, which unbeknownst to me turned into a full night’s sleep. But Emily was happy and had a dream 30th celebration day, so that’s all that matters.
Emily and I had a midday flight out from Austin the next morning to return back home to Missouri which didn’t allow for one last meal with the group. There were still so many places that we wanted to explore and even more food options that we wanted to try, which can only mean one thing: we’ll be back to Austin!