Austin TX trip advice

If you are music fans, don't miss the statues of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Willie Nelson.
 
Originally Posted by FIREarly View Post
IMO, Austin is amazing. Personally, I don't like to stag downtown. Go there and take a tour of the state capital. It's gorgeous and a great tour. Take a pic with police in a cowboy hat out front. While downtown, go to the "first" Whole Foods and get a Next Level Burger while you're there. If you are OK with a messy and DELICIOUS burger get the Beyond Animal burger.

As far as where to stay, look into staying at a hotel at The Domain. Many options including The W (?) and others. Think there's a nice Residence Inn next to Top Golf there. You can find some fancy shopping in The Domain, everything from Louis Vuitton and Tesla to Yeti and Starbucks... a lot.

Austin is a driving town too. Recommend getting a nice car via Turo. You'll get cars/trucks dropped off at airport that you can't rent at big name car rental companies.

PS the food there is amazing!!
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kgtest said:
Thanks for your help! We found a nice Wyndham property in the Domain area and also a nice convertible on Turo. I had never heard of that service, here's hoping we have a good experience.

Now we just need to book the Bat experience, and settle on some restaurants. SO many options. We plan to do some hiking around, catch a sunset somewhere decent and tour a museum and library. I know another person mentioned some military points of interest so I will also check that out.

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To mitigate risk for yourself on Turo, look for All-Star Hosts. It's similar to AirBnB Superhosts. This way you experience Turo from one of the higher-regarded Turo hosts.
 
FIREarly said:
To mitigate risk for yourself on Turo, look for All-Star Hosts. It's similar to AirBnB Superhosts. This way you experience Turo from one of the higher-regarded Turo hosts.
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Picked up the Camaro at the parking garage. Super slick and I think I might favor Turo over car rental companies now. I did get the lowest level insurance through turo and the host had a 4.8 starr review with over 100 trips on the profile.

Checked out the Hyatt bridge bat migration at sunset on Lady Bird. Cool experience. Walked the river, ate at Velvet Taco near Domain where we are staying. A real quick walk near all the shops. Ate dinner at Terry Blacks near Barton Springs after a quick happy hour on the rooftop bar next door.

Today we started the day at the Waterloo Adventures on Lake Travis. Gonna probably eat at Beachside Billy's or The Oasis on Lake Travis tonight. Probably sit by the pool a bit more today and tomorrow headed up for a day trip to San Antonio to checkout six flags.

Open to dining ideas on the river walk and on Lake Travis if anyone has good suggestions. We like mostly American, tex mex, and I dont mind some decent seafood but DW isn't a fan.

Fun place! Lots of people and very hot at over 100 degrees yesterday.

Monday will be some kayaking and Capitol Tour and quick shopping for kids souvenirs. Really enjoyed the break from the 3 littles but will be happy to see them. Somehow grandma and grandpa are surviving watching them.

Might try to swing out to the military base. We considered the zip line on Lake Travis but its a 3 hr deal and time is precious this trip. Next time. We are big thrill seekers :)
 
I was in Austin a month ago for the first time in 40 years. Couldn't believe how it has grown. :facepalm:

But I got to try Franklin's BBQ and was happy to find that all the hype about the place is justified -- absolutely the best brisket I've ever had!
 
We lived there for 12 years. The State Capitol (not only the building but also the beautiful grounds), Umlauf Sculpture Garden, and Zilker Botanical Gardens were favorite spots. If you want to take a drive, and are interested in recent US history, a short Hill Country trip to the Johnson Ranch is an option to consider. If you want Mexican food and aren't looking for high-end ambience check out Habanero Cafe.

P.S. I see you're looking for San Antonio Riverwalk restaurant recommendations. We liked Acenar for Tex-Mex.
 
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Originally Posted by FIREarly View Post
To mitigate risk for yourself on Turo, look for All-Star Hosts. It's similar to AirBnB Superhosts. This way you experience Turo from one of the higher-regarded Turo hosts.
Click to expand...

kgtest said:
Picked up the Camaro at the parking garage. Super slick and I think I might favor Turo over car rental companies now. I did get the lowest level insurance through turo and the host had a 4.8 starr review with over 100 trips on the profile.
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+1 Turo; I'll be getting a Tesla from it next time in Austin. ?

Depending on your credit card, it might offer free car rental insurance, very helpful, confirm it applies to Turo (some do, some don't). It'll save you a few more $.

The State Capital in downtown is beautiful and offers free tours (Mon-Fri) that are very informative and will show you things you didn't see... spoiler alert, spelling TEXAS with lights (in the lights) above one of the main political meeting rooms (name?).
 
I don't know of any credit card that covers the insurance with Turo, although I have heard some unconfirmed reports of it being possible.

From their site:
It’s very unlikely that your credit card company provides coverage for damage to a car booked through Turo. It’s even less likely that it provides liability coverage for injuries or damage you may cause to other people or their property. That’s because Turo is not a rental car company. We’re a peer-to-peer car sharing platform, so credit card companies may provide no coverage for a car booked through Turo.
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braumeister said:
I was in Austin a month ago for the first time in 40 years. Couldn't believe how it has grown. :facepalm:



But I got to try Franklin's BBQ and was happy to find that all the hype about the place is justified -- absolutely the best brisket I've ever had!
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Heck yeah. Gonna try it on Memorial Day!
 
scfr said:
We lived there for 12 years. The State Capitol (not only the building but also the beautiful grounds), Umlauf Sculpture Garden, and Zilker Botanical Gardens were favorite spots. If you want to take a drive, and are interested in recent US history, a short Hill Country trip to the Johnson Ranch is an option to consider. If you want Mexican food and aren't looking for high-end ambience check out Habanero Cafe.

P.S. I see you're looking for San Antonio Riverwalk restaurant recommendations. We liked Acenar for Tex-Mex.
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Thanks! Gonna try and take that drive and try your restaurants you recommended. Def hitting up the Capital Monday.
 
Originally Posted by REWahoo View Post
Be sure to allow two hours each way due to traffic.
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kgtest said:
Will do! I have a pretty fast car so I may or may not be completely obeying the speed limit en route.
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This is usually related to I-35. Take Mopac (Rt 1) if you can... often less traffic.
 
FIREarly said:
Maybe he is thinking he's on HWY130. The fastest highway in the country!*

*be careful of speed traps ?
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I loved that freeway and was delighted to be the only person on it, by accident, because I missed staying on 183, a few years ago.

And 85 mph. Whoo hoo!

Imagine my horror when I got the toll bill in the mail from my rental car company!

I cautioned my brother most heartily when we were going through that same area 2 weeks ago.
 
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