🇺🇸 Austin | A Relaxed 3-Day Trip

Spent a three-day holiday in Austin and here’s the takeaway: A compact yet vibrant city with mountains and water—perfect for outdoor activities and city walks. 🏞️🚶 No need to stress about hotel location—everything is within a 20-minute drive. Felt like the bluest city in Texas, blending California’s chic vibe with Texas’ bold spirit. 🤠✨ 🌟 Day 1 Lunch at 🍽️ Bamboo House — arrived around 2 PM on a weekend, and the roast duck was already sold out! Next batch at 4 PM, so we tried the crab tofu and spicy chicken instead. Surprisingly huge portions and super tasty! Drove 3 minutes for 🍵 CHICHA San Chen — stick to the classic drinks! The seasonal mango tea (no sugar adjustment available) was way too sweet 🍬🤢, but the oolong tea with half sugar and taro balls was perfect. Afternoon escape from the heat at ⛪️ Texas Capitol — street parking available across the street (min. 2 hours), though an hour inside was enough. Sunset tour: Mt. Bonnell 360 Bridge (park near the bridge and walk up the hill — don’t cross it!) The Oasis on Lake Travis (packed—could barely see anything, but worth another try!) 🌅 Pro tip: Spread these over two days if you’re a sunset lover! Evening on Sixth Street — super lively! Bought famous 🍩 but… not worth the wait. Still too sweet! 🌟 Day 2 Breakfast followed by exploring The Domain — thought it was just a street, but it’s a huge complex with shops, food, malls, and apartments. So fun to explore! 🛍️ Finally had roast duck at Bamboo House at 4 PM! 🦆 Half duck for just $29, plus duck soup — absolutely worth the wait. 6 PM dip at Barton Springs — $9 per person. The water was refreshing (almost chilly!) and perfect for beating the summer heat. ❄️☀️ (Check my previous post for details!) 8:30 PM bat watching under the bridge — 🦇 due to the heat, they didn’t come out until 9:30 PM, and it was too dark to see much. ⚠️ Heads up: The Austin American-Statesman parking lot charged $11, but we got a $92 ticket for not paying! 🌟 Day 3 Memorial Day — visited the Texas Military Forces Museum in the morning. 🪖 Spent the afternoon strolling South Congress — sipped Jo’s Coffee ☕, enjoyed brunch at Two Hands (highly recommend the beef burger! 🍔). Planned to kayak in the evening but skipped due to the heat… next time! 🚣 （Austin also has Terry Black’s Barbecue — a must-try! 🔥） #Austin #TravelUSA #TexasTravel #WeekendGetaway #FoodAndTravel