Austin & San Antonio

I recently visited Texas for the first time on a perfect little five night trip. San Antonio had long been on my list of cities to see, and with it being so close to Austin, it's a super easy combo. I do recommend a rental car, not only for driving between the two cities but also for getting around while there since they are both sprawling. We stayed in Air BnBs outside of the city centers, and I made sure both had free parking beforehand.

Plus, we happened to be in San Antonio while their annual Fiesta celebration was going on! That turned out to be a lot of fun, so I'd recommend checking the event calendar for the city if you're there that time of year.

Day 1

Arrive in Austin

Flights into and out of Austin had better timing for us, so we landed there on a Wednesday evening, picked up a cute little car with Alamo, and headed to our Air BnB first to drop off our bags. We'd booked a tiny home just south of the city near the river, and it was on a really cool gated hippie event space property (although we saw no one but the cats during our stay).

It was my first time in a tiny home, and I loved it! I'm a big fan of loft beds, and this felt like sleeping in a nest. We also had a private porch and little patio area.

We headed to a spot called De Nada Cantina for dinner, but despite them having 4-5 different seating areas between the inside and out (like three patios between the sides and front), they were insanely packed. We put our name on a waitlist and spotted a brewery across the street called Central Machine Works that I had actually thought was an auto garage.

The place was huge, both the inside and the patio out back. Everything is bigger in Texas and all that. We finished up our beers just in time for our table to be ready, so we crossed the road again and were seated out front for some tacos and margaritas at De Nada. I thought my veggie tacos were just alright, but Mat said his barbacoa ones were really good.

After dropping our car back off outside the Air BnB, we walked over to Rainey Street, which was less than half a mile from the house. It was lively enough for a Wednesday, and we enjoyed cocktails at Half Step where a band was playing, then went for beers on the porch swing out front of Stay Put before calling it a night.

Half Step patio's redneck pool

Day 2

Austin

Day two was jam-packed with all of our Austin sightseeing, yet somehow I feel like we bypassed the city altogether. Everything we did seemed to be on the outskirts, but Austin was surprisingly great for nature what with being surrounded by trees and water.

We started off with breakfast at the El Dorado cafe, which looked like a closed up dive from its exterior in the center of a strip mall, but inside was super bright, well-decorated, and full of diners. I had a horchata cold brew and my first ever migas, and everything was excellent.

Our next stop was Barton Springs, which was a confusing experience. Maps took us all over the parking lots, which all seemed to require payment, and then there was construction going on which made the entrance unclear. We ended up finding out that the pool was closed on Thursdays, of course the only day we're in Austin, but we could see it from the fence and it looked really nice (and huge!).

The fact that the creek was right beside it made this less of a bummer, and I was able to wade into the water a bit before we found a kayak rental place and decided to rent a double. They charged by the hour, so we just took it out for one, but it was nice to be able to see the city skyline from the water! Also, there were dozens of turtles all over the place, sunning themselves on sticks and rocks or swimming through the water.

I love kitschy tourist attractions, so when I saw there was a Museum of Ice Cream in Austin, I thought that sounded fun. It was only $20 anyway, and they offered unlimited ice cream with entry which was all that Mat needed to hear.

It was located in a big outdoor shopping mall, and we were in and out in less than an hour. Definitely set up for photo ops with lots of bright colors and different backgrounds in each room, including a swing, amusement park type animal seats, slides, a disco ball room, and an arcade room with Whack-a-Mole and cotton candy or plushies for sale. There were three ice cream stops - one right past the entrance in a diner-style area, a Dippin Dots booth halfway through, and one near the end with six different fun flavors.

The highlight is definitely the sprinkle pool at the end, where I definitely went down the slide three times (out of my way, kids). There was an older lady who worked there with a nametag saying Granny who saw us taking photos and insisted on taking my phone and posing us all over the room. It was very sweet and she got some awesome shots!

When we were done here, we headed to a bar called Lala's nearby that is Christmas themed all year round. The decorations were amazing and it was very cozy feeling while also being spacious. The music was the only thing not on theme - great 90s alt rock the whole time.

We had dinner at a vegan spot called Nissi that did not live up to the excitement I had over the wide variety of fake meat options with the tacos (never had seen carne asada or chicharron in vegan variety, plus they had birria). I was buzzed enough that I devoured the food despite its mediocrity.

My main priority for the evening was seeing the bat colony at the Congress Ave bridge, so we went to drop off our car and walk there before dark. People were lined up all along the top of the bridge, but we walked to the bottom and found a viewing platform on a walking path to stand.

Lots of people came on boats too!

Unfortunately, the bats all swarmed out from the opposite end of the bridge, but it was still so cool to see! There was this neverending black line just streaking across the sky into the distance, and it went on for a good ten minutes. There were a few flapping around our end too, and we could hear them the whole time.

That black line in the sky is all bats

By the time we got back to our tiny home, I was exhausted. I'd wanted to go out to the E 6th bars, but the thought of dragging myself off the mattress once I laid down sounded so miserable that we just called it an early night.

Day 3

Gruene

After getting ready in the morning, we packed up and headed south. We stopped in Austin on the way at a cafe called Once Over which had a gorgeous back patio overlooking a creek, then ate at Bouldin Creek cafe which was my favorite breakfast of the trip between my coconut matcha lemonade, blueberry cornbread, and tofu scramble benedict on ciabatta.

It was only about an hour to Gruene, and the billboards as we got close let us know that there was a Buc-ees off our exit. Having never been to one but heard all the hype, we had to stop. This is a whole-ass franchise, it was almost overwhelming. Like the hugest gas station you've seen, complete with grocery store, souvenir and trinket area, camping supplies, even gun accessories (Texas). The trademark snacks I got were delicious.

We parked the car at the Rockin R lot where they rent rafts for river floating. There was a shuttle that would take you up the quick hill into the town center, so we hopped on to get to the square. Everything in Gruene is so walkable, all within a 5 minute radius from the junction of the dance hall and general store.

This reminded me so much of Amish Country back in Ohio. All these cute little shops, even with samples for food. I am also really thankful I read a blog online that clarified the pronunciation of this town is "Green," otherwise I'd be embarrassed about how long it probably would have taken me to get all the play on words in the shop names ("Red & Gruene," "The Gruene Door," "Winery on the Gruene," "The Gruene Olive," "Gruene Gardens") instead of saying "groon" like a dumbass.

You could really see the town in a few hours, but we spent 4-5 there taking our time and enjoying it. We hit the old general store where I very much enjoyed the peanut butter samples, a few different antique shops, the Grapevine for wine in the cute outdoor area, the garden shop, the toy store, the Christmas store, the cafe, the olive oil tasting room, the pecan candy company, and The Barn pottery shop.

We ended the day at Texas's oldest dance hall where they were setting up for a show. There was also a huge outdoor patio area where we took our beers outside. It was giving me exactly the Texas vibes I had hoped for!

We made it down to San Antonio in the early evening and checked into our Air BnB, the Muncey House, for the next few nights. As much as I loved the Austin tiny home, I loved this pad in San Antonio even more! It was such a vibe.

Cool multi-colored lights, tons of plants, fun furniture and artwork, and a fenced-in back patio with a projector screen. There was free beer in the fridge, and all the liquor was labeled with prices and Venmo QR code as well to help yourself.

We went to the coolest outdoor bar called Elsewhere for dinner and drinks after settling in. There was so much to look at all over the place, tons of seating areas, a DJ spinning dance tunes, and even a slide near the back.

There were separate order windows for drinks or food, and I had a good mushroom melt and this big pouch of alcoholic lemonade. After we'd eaten, we finished our drinks on one of the swinging benches overlooking the river.

Another outdoor bar called Hops & Hounds was just next door, so we went over there for one last beer. It was a gigantic outdoor space with tons of lawn chairs out and a huge TV screen. Lots of people had their dogs with them. Unfortunately, I haaated the music the DJ was playing, but otherwise a nice spot.

Day 4

San Antonio

We started off our first full day in San Antonio with an unfortunate breakfast pick, a NY style diner called Max & Louie's that had a crowd of people waiting out front. Since it had been a drive to get to, we put our names down and got coffees at their attached cafe while we waited... and waited...

After over an hour had gone by and I'd already been up once to check on our table, Mat went to check again and they'd taken my phone number down wrong. Then my food was pretty mediocre (got the shakshuka which is a dish I normally like), so it was a giant time suck that put us back to afternoon before we made it into the city.

Thankfully, we still had a great day and plenty of time to see the highlights. I had our uber drop us off at La Villita, the arts square that's full of adobe style buildings, but it was absolutely dead and almost everything looked closed. They were setting up the streets for some kind of Fiesta event which may have been why, so we left after popping into one gallery and instead headed to the river walk.

The river walk is totally deserving of its fame! It's so pretty and so long. It runs through most of the city, and the walkways on either side are lined with trees, bars, and restaurants. Bridges cross the river all the way along, and there were tourist boats going up and down the water.

We hopped off when we were near the Alamo and went to do the free parts of the tour. I did not have high expectations, having heard that this is a very underwhelming attraction, so I wasn't disappointed. The outside is nice with some statues, info placards, and one square with a massive tree. You can also go into the church at no cost where they show a short video about the battle.

The main bar I had wanted to visit in San Antonio, a retro 80s/90s bar called Be Kind & Rewind, was right down the road, so we headed there next. This was everything nostalgia. Neon signs with song lyrics, a huge VHS tape shelf behind the bar, a DJ booth made from radios, dozens of disco balls over the dance floor, arcade games, and murals of music artists behind the booths.

There was also a fun photo op area with props like a Pac-Man seat or a crane game you could stand inside. Plus my cocktail came in a beach ball cup! I would have loved to come back at night to dance and definitely would if I'm ever back in the city.

We walked to the historic market square next, and I had no idea there was a Fiesta party on, but this was amazing. There was security at all street entrances, then once you were inside, it was an open container party with drink and food stalls all along the street along with stages for local artists.

I got a michelada (and later a Modela Negra con Chile that was super good) and we stopped to listen to this girl doing 80s covers. During the intermissions, they were playing Mexican music, and everyone was dancing. The vibes were so much fun.

We walked around the indoor market and to the more open square, then put our names in for dinner at Mi Tierra. I'm so glad we ate here. The inside was an explosion of color. There were at least six seating areas, all with their own theme, and we were seated in the sunroom area with Mexican flag colors. I got the enchiladas verde with mole sauce on the side, and along with my horchata colada, it was the best dinner of the trip.

We left the party after dinner and had another beer at the 007 Bonds Rock Bar which was a cool grungy type spot, then we made one last stop at the Pearl Brewery District. This had tons of bars and felt more trendy and upscale, but I quickly realized I was good on any more alcohol for the day, so we headed back to the house to sleep.

Day 5

Six Flags Fiesta

Our last full day was centered around Six Flags Fiesta, and we had a great time. Green Vegetarian Cuisine was on our drive, so we stopped there for breakfast. My meal was basically a McGriddle - fake sausage, egg, and cheese between two pancakes and tater tots on the side. It was delicious, but it also may not have been the best choice before a day of flipping my stomach in circles on amusement park rides.

Mat had originally wanted to get fast passes, especially because it was a Sunday with shorter hours and we expected it to be crowded, but I am SO glad we waited to see. The place was empty and we basically walked onto every single ride. I think our longest wait of the day was ten minutes. Crazy good luck!

I really appreciated the themed queue areas on the rides, giving more Disney vibes than our bare concrete queues of Cedar Point. There was one that was somewhat steampunk-like, the Poltergeist coaster with its cool creepy parlor area, the Wonder Woman coaster with Pantheon and torches, and the Joker ride that had an actual funhouse to go through before getting on.

All of the coasters were really good. The Batman one was pretty unique with cars that spun upside down as you went around the track, and I liked the Poltergeist for its high-speed takeoff. With the rapid rate we were getting on every ride though, four coasters in an hour along with the flying chairs (views over the waterfalls were incredible) and then the Joker thrill ride had me feeling intensely nauseous. We had to take a short break for a (wildly overpriced) raspberry lemonade, but there were drink stations all over the park where we refilled the bottle the rest of the day, plus each ride had drink holders by the entrance/exit.

There was also a breezy boardwalk area with a pirate shooter ride, ferris wheel, and paid go karts, a German themed kiddie area where I got to meet Marvin the Martian (my fave) and Yosemite Sam, and the DC area where all of the superhero rides I mentioned were located.

We ended the day on a rafting ride to cool off, then went back to the house to change into dry clothes and head to dinner. We ate at a spot called Hot Joy that was covered in red lanterns and a huge dragon mural. I had a green tea cocktail and shittake chow fun that was really good.

We had a beer outside this wine place called Little Death to end the evening, then went back to take advantage of our super cool patio and watch The Last of Us on the projector screen with free beers from the fridge.

Day 6

San Antonio & Fly Home

Our flight out of Austin wasn't until after 4, so we had the morning to take it easy. We had breakfast at a cute local chain called La Panaderia where they do build your own tortas that were great. My veggie one had jalapenos and pickles which is an elite combo.

Our last adventure in San Antonio was to the Japanese Tea Garden, which is totally free! Very much recommend a stop. There's a waterfall, bridges, koi, and a cat colony on the premises. We even met a volunteer who took us to meet some of the cats!

We broke up the drive back to Austin by stopping at the Rio Vista park in San Marcos, and that would be such a cool place to hang out. There were people in glass-bottomed kayaks, plus an area with rapids and white water rafters.

After a quick drive-through Dutch Bros, we made it to AUS to drop off our car and head home. Overall, it was such a great little trip, and there's tons of fun to be had in both of these cities.