Our journey kicked off from Round Rock, Texas; a neighboring city to Austin.
Austin, Texas and the surrounding cities are a vibrant area of a cross between health and entertainment with a plethora of outdoor activities, live music, solid business and employment growth and a significant homeschooling presence.
We created this site to chronicle our journey after Austin, Texas. However, we felt that we should give a few honorable mentions to some of the establishments that we really enjoyed while in the area.
- Chino’s Burrito – This was one of our favorite places. We had never come across a restaurant that fused Asian and Mexican food together. And they did it so well. Stop in and tell Wei and Sandy that Chase sent you. http://www.chinosburrito.com/
- Torchy’s Tacos – This is an Austin favorite. They have the best queso, hands down, that we have ever eaten. One order of queso and a specialty taco each is enough to fill up most couples. http://torchystacos.com/
- Moses Rose’s Hideout – This restaurant is not in the Austin area. It is located near the Alamo in San Antonio. However its great food and unique entrance is enough to mention it. http://www.yelp.com/biz/moses-roses-hideout-san-antonio-2
- Treasure City – This is a great little thrift store. Why do I mention it? Because one time, each month, they have a sale where most clothing is 25 cents each. My family went there and brought home two garbage bags full of clothes for under 20 bucks. And, they donate all profits to local charities. http://www.treasurecitythrift.org/
- Doc’s Bar & Grill – There is one main reason to stop here…fried avocados. What is a fried avocado? It is a fried avocado stuffed with a chicken mix & cheese topped with tomatillo cream sauce. It sounds weird but it is awesome. http://eatdrinkdocs.com/
- HEB – This is a grocery store. Why would it make the list. It is our favorite grocery store. It has a great selection of organic and gluten-free items. And, their prices are commonly lower than any other store. Great selection at low prices…this store is hard to beat. http://www.heb.com/
- Krause Springs – This is a great little spot in Spicewood, Texas; not far from Austin in Hill Country. It is a beautiful camping, hiking and swimming spot with 32 springs on the property. http://krausesprings.net/
- San Marcos River – This river is spring fed and is one of the cleanest rivers you can find. It is great for camping, lazy toobing, kayaking, and swimming. There is a series of small waterfalls that are a blast to go down. http://www.sanmarcosriver.org/RiverInfo.htm
- Buescher State Park – About 30 minutes from Austin you will find this serene state park with amenities for camping, hiking and fishing. It is not far from Austin but it seems like you are away from it all. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/buescher
- Mayfield Park – Right in the middle Austin, you will come across this great 21 acre park for hiking and outdoor activities. Mayfield Park is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. And, it is the home of many peacocks. This is where I first learned that these birds sleep in trees. Who knew? http://mayfieldpark.org/
- Mount Bonnell – This is touted as one of the best views of Austin. It is the highest point in the city at 780 feet above sea level and is right on the Colorado River. It has been a popular tourist destination since the 1850’s. You have to climb a lot of stairs to get to the top. But the view is worth it. http://www.austinparks.org/our-parks.html?parkid=287
Yes, 4 out of 11 places are restaurants and one is a grocery store. With 2 teenage sons and another quickly approaching teenagedom, it is important to find good quality food at rates that do not break the bank. The Austin area has much, much more to offer than what is listed above. There are many parks, springs, home school groups, plays, night life joints, historical buildings and more. The more you dive in, the more you find. The list seems never ending. If you want any specific recommendations, please contact us and we would be happy to fill you in.
Final note: For a limited time each year, millions of bats make their nightly flight into the wild from Congress bridge in Austin. It is a site worth seeing. Also, lesser known, hundreds of thousands of bats do the same thing in Round Rock and it is less crowded.
Did you live in Austin before you started? I graduated from high school there in 1968, attended The University of Texas, left there in 1972, but my dad lived there until his death in 1978, and my mother lived there until her death in 1996, So, there were lots of trips back to Austin. Love Austin!! I lived there again for a year from 1990-91, and attended UT again (still didn’t graduate from there). I graduated from The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Occupational Therapy. I just discovered your journey yesterday and plan to follow it.
Lynne – We lived in Austin for about a year and a half. We moved there from Naples, Florida. The Austin area is wonderful. I could not say enough positive things about it. The quality of life, the warm and friendly atmosphere, the affordability, outdoor activities….the list goes on and on. We all thoroughly enjoyed the area and we were sad to leave it. But, you cannot create new adventures and live history by staying in one spot forever. We made lifetime friends in Austin and have plans on visiting it during our travels in the US. We are glad that you discovered us and welcome you to follow our journey!