A couple weeks ago, my husband and I traveled to Texas for one of my best friend’s wedding and a little detour to one of our (now) favorite cities: Austin, Texas. My past experience with the Lone Star state is just a couple quick trips for events I was working. I’ve never explored much or really even had free time there, so this trip was such fun! After the wedding weekend, we hopped in the car to head from Houston to Austin. The short drive was made even better by the endless fields of wildflowers. Multiple times on the highway I tried to bribe Chip to pull over so I could frolic and shoot! Then I realized that there were cars zipping by and came to my senses. Fortunately for me, the natural beauty continued into Austin paired with the perfect amount of city-vibe. We ate and drank our way through the city – and our foodie selves enjoyed 17 different restaurants/bars in fewer than 3 days. It. was. amazing. So excited to share a few of my favorite images from the trip and my 5 takeaways from Austin at the end!

Here are 5 takeaways in no particular order from our trip to Austin:

1. The people are so kind – and they love food like we do. Endless recommendations of restaurants and bars led us to some of the most amazing meals. A tip we received on the first day: “Some of the best food in Austin comes out of a truck. If you see something that interests you, stop and eat it!” They were right. If you ever visit, let me know and I’ll send you my list! But really, you can’t go wrong in this city!
2. Austin is so much more lush & green than I expected. The “swoopy” trees quickly became a favorite of mine! I just loved how organic and free-flowing they were! It was so amazing to see how the city is built to incorporate nature. From the trees, to the vines, to the lake, everything is lovely! And the texture and shape of the cactus family is seriously inspiring.
3. Nature is really cool. I realized my obsession with peacocks when visiting Mayfield Park. The males were certainly showing off for the ladies that day, and we were fascinated by their courtship! Oh, and Barton Springs is amazing. We spent an afternoon lounging in the sun by this natural spring!
4. If I could eat outdoors for every meal, I would. Nearly every place we ate had an awesome patio and outdoor seating. With expected thunderstorms all week, we were thrilled when it was sunny and 70s every day, as we really got to take advantage of all Austin had to offer!
5. Traveling with Chip is truly a favorite. Other than our honeymoon, we’ve only taken one other weekend trip to Asheville, NC just us, and this was simply perfect. Taking time away with him to explore, eat, relax and capture it on camera is something I so cherish. Austin was a good place for us to do just that. Now, I’m scheming how we can go back! Destination wedding folks, I’m ready for ya!

Where are some of your favorite places to visit? We’re always looking for new adventures to add to our bucket list!