Three Things You Have to Do in Austin

Along with Portland, Oregon and Asheville, North Carolina, Austin, Texas' motto is "Keep Austin Weird." Host to the famous South by Southwest ( or SWSX) music festival held there every March, the craft beer capital of Texas and countless hip places to eat and drink - especially barbecue, Austin is the hippest city in Texas. You can visit an actual surf park, stand in line for some of the allegedly best barbecue in Texas at Franklin's, taste your way through a food truck park, go on a street art tour and see and hear some of Texas' best live music. (After all, Austin is home to Austin City Limits, the longest running music series in TV history) Here are three things you should do in your visit to this cool college town -

Watch the bats from South Congress Bridge
The first thing that everyone said when I told them I would be visiting Austin is "You gotta see the bats!" And they were right. Every year between March and October, 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats emerge from under the South Congress Bridge around 7pm and fly off into the sunset. The crowds gather on the bridge an hour or so before to get a good viewpoint - or you can watch from the viewing platform on the side of the bridge, rent a kayak to see it from the water or take one of the many bat viewing boat tours for a better vantage point. Pedicab drivers wear bat shirts and play the theme from Batman. It's a huge deal and the number one thing to do in Austin. Where else are you going to see a spectacle like this?  Don't miss it. ( And don't worry about bringing your camera to take photos - unless you're a professional - they're pretty hard to catch on camera. Just enjoy the experience)

Go Bar Hopping
There's definitely a plethora of bars in Austin. It is a college town after all. You can go bar hopping to dive bars, upscale bars, bars with entertainment, college bars and everything in between. Here are a few areas you can visit -

-Dirty 6th  is one of the most iconic streets in Austin. Lined with dive bars and live music venues, Dirty 6th is known for it's dollar shot bars and drunken college students. But it's bar hopping heaven as you can go hopping all the way up and down the street. We hit up Maggie Mae's rooftop on East 6th and the Key Bar on West 6th.

-If you're not into the dollar shot scene, then you can head to Rainey Street - next to Lady Bird Lake - to get your drink on at a strip of old houses that have been turned into bars and restaurants.

-East Austin is an "up and coming" area that still has that old school Austin feel. Some places have been there forever but there is a new group popping up everyday.

-South Congress is where you want to go if you want to get a good meal, shop a little and then visit some cocktail bars.

Catch a sunset from The Oasis
The Oasis - a four story restaurant, bar, shopping complex and craft brewery - isn't exactly in Austin. It's located an hour outside the city on Lake Travis. But I think you'll find it's worth the drive. It's positioned perfectly on the Lake to catch killer sunset views. I was there off-season - in summer - and had no problem getting a lakefront table to see a beautiful sunset. But be prepared to fight a crowd and elbow your way in during the season.  I think you'll find it's worth it, though.

Bat watching, bar hopping and sunset viewing - what more could you want from a city? I hope you get a chance to experience all three on your next visit to Austin. 

How about you? What have you enjoyed doing in Austin?


Linking up with: Wednesday Around the World at Communal Global and The Weekly Postcard at Travel Notes and Beyond!