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On our Thanksgiving cross-country road trip from Florida to California, we made a stop in Austin, Texas. Austin is rapidly rising in popularity and we wanted to see for ourselves what all the hype was about. Since we only had one day to explore Austin, we packed a full day of activities and started our day bright and early.

7AM Breakfast at 1886 Cafe & Bakery

604 Brazos St.

We started our morning with breakfast from 1886 Cafe & Bakery which is a quaint Victorian-style cafe located inside the historic Driskill Hotel. Crystal really wanted to try their Texas-shaped waffles.

They serve brunch every day and everything is cooked to order. Candy ordered the steel-cut oatmeal which was served with raisins, toasted pepitas, almonds, and fresh berries. Crystal ordered the Texas Shaped Pecan Waffles that also was served with fresh berries.

We both enjoyed our breakfast but had we known about their baked goods, we would have ordered that as well. They, unfortunately, don’t do a very good job of displaying their bakery items and it also wasn’t listed on their menu.

9:30AM Texas State Capitol Tour

1201 San Jacinto Blvd. (Capitol Visitor’s Parking Garage)

We visited the state capitol in Sacramento, so when we were in Austin, we decided it would be a great time to check out their state capitol and learn a little more about the history of Texas.

The Texas State Capitol was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also designated as a National Historic Landmark.

The grounds at the Texas State Capitol are huge and the Visitor’s Center was located in a building separate from the capitol building. We stopped by there first and were really impressed by a replica of the Texas State Capitol made out of Legos. It took approximately 65,000 lego pieces to build the model and it’s really impressive. It was such a unique way to showcase the building.

The building that the Visitor Center is housed in is actually 30 years older than the capitol building, so if you are a history buff, you will definitely want to stop by this building. There are some interesting facts and the staff were all very helpful.

After staring at the legos, we headed towards the capitol building for a guided tour. The tours are free and run regularly Monday through Friday on a limited basis between 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, guided tours of the Capitol are available on a limited basis between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

The tours are available on a first-come-first-serve basis and generally depart every 30 to 45 minutes. We did the 10 AM tour and had no problem securing a spot.

Our tour guide was charismatic and took us through the history of Texas and the architecture of the building as we walked through the different offices and chambers. The tour was about 30 minutes and afterwards, we were given the option to roam freely to explore on our own.

12PM Lunch at Sixth and Waller

1108 East Sixth Street

We stumbled upon Sixth and Waller on Instagram and adored the vibrant pink colors and bohemian vibe. The cafe is located inside the trendy East Austin Hotel, which is about a mile from the Texas Capitol.

The atmosphere of this place was exactly as we had imagined and there are tons of photo-ops within the cafe with their adorable collection of bohemian items.

Sixth and Waller offers international flavors, vegan/vegetarian-friendly dishes, and sandwiches & salads, as well as breakfast classics.

We ordered a grilled chicken sandwich at the counter and were a bit surprised when the server brought it out to us in less than 5 minutes. This obviously meant that our meal was not cooked to order, so we were a bit skeptical.

Despite our grilled chicken sandwich being precooked, the meat was moist and tender. We felt the flavors were average for the price point. We were definitely paying more for the ambiance.

1:30PM Shopping on South Congress

South Congress Avenue

South Congress is Austin’s biggest shopping, entertainment, and tourist street and there are plenty of dining and shopping options. We decided to wander up and down the street and hop into the stores that caught our attention.

If you are traveling with your dog, most of the stores on South Congress are dog-friendly, so you can go shopping with your pooch like we did.

Allen’s Boots

Allen’s Boots is one of Austin’s iconic stores and they are all about those cowboy boots. There is an impressive 4,000 pairs of boots on display with a variety of price points. They had some cute lookin’ boots in there and they were surprisingly comfortable.

TOMS Shoes & Coffee Shop

We loved the cottage-style store and the entrance had a lovely porch. We had no idea TOMS also sold coffee and this store in particular, had a coffee shop inside. You can also purchase coffee beans as well as shop around for shoes and other merchandise.

Fun fact: The owner of TOMS started the One for One model of donating a pair of shoes for every shoe sold.

Parts & Labour

Parts & Labour is a variety store with creative T-shirts, jewelry, handmade cards & other quirky gifts all created by the talents of Texas-based artists and makers. If you are looking for Austin-themed souvenirs, this is definitely a great place to shop.

Kendra Scott Flagship

Kendra Scott is known for her beautiful gemstones and we are recent fans of her timeless styles. Her flagship store is gorgeous and it’s also home to The Sips & Sweets Cafe. This whimsical cafe serves coffee and features seasonal bites from local bakers.

Fun fact: Kendra Scott started her business in Austin.

Maufrais

Maufrais is more than just an average hat shop. You can custom make your hats at their custom hat bar. They have quality hats and embellishments like feathers and pins to add to your one-of-a-kind-hat.

It was quite mesmerizing to watch the employees use the hat steam machines to custom shape the hats to their client’s liking.

It’s recommended to make an appointment if you want a full custom making hat experience, but they will do their best to accommodate walk-ins.

Mural Hopping

While you are shopping around South Congress, there are plenty of fun murals, so we made a few stops including the Willie for President mural, Before I Die wall, and the popular Greetings From Austin mural.

The Greetings from Austin mural is a little out of the way from South Congress, but it’s only a few blocks away and half a mile from Guero’s Taco Bar.

If you want a complete guide to South Congress’ murals, check out Kelsy’s list: South Congress Murals + Where to Eat by Them.

5PM Dinner at Guero’s Taco Bar

1412 S. Congress Ave.

Since we were spending the afternoon in South Congress, it made sense to dine in the area as well. There are a lot of options, but we settled on Guero’s Taco Bar since they had rave reviews. There was a little bit of a wait, but once we were seated, the service was speedy.

Crystal ordered the Enchiladas and Candy ordered the Caldo De Pollo. Candy usually orders fajitas at Mexican restaurants, but the traditional chicken soup sounded really nice since it was a bit chilly outside.

While we waited for our meals, we were given some yummy chips and salsa. These were so good that it was a little addicting and hard to stop eating.

The soup was packed with flavor and filled with plenty of veggies and topped with rice. The enchiladas were great, but the flavors were pretty average.

If Tex-Mex is not your thing, here are some other dinner options I noted in Austin that has great reviews:

• The Meteor: 2110 S Congress Ave. - Combining cultures of coffee, food, wine, & bikes

• The Peacock: 600 West 2nd St. - Mediterranean cuisine with a great ambiance

• Fukumoto: 514 Medina St. - Japanese izakaya specializing in yakitori

• Launderette: 2115 Holly St. - Gas station and laundromat-turned-restaurant

• Josephine House: 1601 Waterston Ave. - Cute restaurant in a cottage with excellent food

7PM Drinks at The Roosevelt Room

307 W 5th St.

We typically call it a night after dinner, but we really wanted to check out the Roosevelt Room that was a few blocks from our hotel. They offer an epicurean drinking experience in an airy, industrial-chic space.

We made reservations ahead of time so we could secure a spot at the bar where we could watch the talented bartenders work their magic.

The ambience of the bar is fantastic and you almost feel like you’re walking into a secret joint like a speakeasy. We wanted to make the most of our experience and ordered the Cigar Box, Zombie, and one non -alcoholic cocktail called the Castaway.

The Cigar Box is one of Roosevelt Rooms’ classic creations and has been on their menu for years. The presentation was very classy and the flamed cinnamon stick really looked like a cigar.

The presentation of the Zombie was definitely a show stopper. It was flamed with cinnamon powder and decorated with mint, cinnamon sticks, and flowers.

Out of all the drinks, we enjoyed the minty cucumber flavors of the Castaway the most. It’s great that they offer a variety of non-alcoholic cocktails for nondrinkers.

If You Have Some Extra Time…

If you’re lucky enough to have more time in Austin, here are some other things you can do in this awesome city:

• Congress Bridge: If you are in Austin in late March to October, you can watch a magnificent show of 1.5 million bats that fly around here.

• Ann and Roy Butler Bike Trail: Nice trail with views of downtown Austin

• Wonderspaces: Immersive and interactive art show

• Museum of Ice Cream: Celebrating the universal joy of ice cream

• Rainey Street District: Lots of dog-friendly bars and restaurants

• Mount Bonnell: Highest point within Austin City Limits at 785 feet

Where To Stay

We stayed at Canopy Hilton Downtown Austin and had an incredible stay here. It’s in a great location right next to many bars, eateries, and entertainment. The hotel is very modern and has a great on-site restaurant called Verbena. It is also a dog-friendly hotel where dog bowls and dog beds are provided with a dedicated pet-relief area.

Here are some other great accommodations to stay at with great reviews:

• Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt - Near Congress Ave bridge and about a mile to downtown Austin

• Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Austin - Near Colorado River and a mile to downtown Austin

• South Congress Hotel - Right in the heart of South Congress