Surprise Trip Success: Discovering Austin’s Best Spots
My first time visiting Texas came as a surprise, literally. I went to Austin on a Pack-Up + Go trip. Click here to see how these surprise trips work.
When I first got off the plane, I got to have an experience that is rare nowadays - greeting someone at their plane gate. I went to Austin with two friends, one of which was flying from a different city. My flight landed first, so we went over to greet her as she stepped off the plane.
We walked to the Texas Statehouse. It is the largest state capitol building in the US, to no ones surprise. This kicked off my informal list of state capitol buildings I’ve visited.
Instead of the self-guided tour we hopped on the free docent led tour. Its interesting to see what architectural elements are the same basing it on the US capitol and how it differs from other statehouses.
Travel Tip - Statehouses are a great way to glean the history and culture of states
We stayed at Aloft Austin downtown. Aloft hotels are part of the Marriot group and this one is conveniently located. Easy to walk to several items on our itinerary and when we needed a rideshare, it didn’t take long. Since we were on a higher level we could see the Texas Longhorn stadium from our room.
Room at Aloft Austin
My favorite place we ate was somewhere I probably wouldn’t have picked myself. We told Pack Up + Go we were celebrating our birthdays and they made a reservation for us. The restaurant is called Hestia. Named for the goddess of the hearth, all of the food is in someway touched by the fire in their 20ft hearth. I had the halibut, which I loved. It was very succulent. We split the for dessert. It was a nice light dessert to finish off the meal. The atmosphere is upscale, but not pretentious.
When the three of us are together we seem to end up at botanical gardens. Austin’s is just outside the city. it was a nice space to be outside, talk and appreciate the beauty and the quiet.
Pack Up + Go recommended we check out Jo’s Coffee. They are known not only for coffee, but also for their breakfast tacos. So I got tea and oatmeal. :) Which were very good. Others had the tacos and attested to their deliciousness.
Speaking of breakfast tacos, we took a food tour with Secret Food Tours as part of what Pack Up + Go booked for us. Each tour has about 6-7 stops, including a secret stop at the end. It’s a fun way to eat a meal and see the city. We had breakfast tacos, Texas brisket, dessert pizza, stopped at Velvet Taco, and more. You don’t get huge portions, but altogether it makes a meal. Despite not enjoying eggs, and to my friend’s surprise, I ate and enjoyed the breakfast taco on the food tour. Probably because I do enjoy cheese.
One of the stops on the food tour was Velvet Taco. They have tacos for all kinds of type of cuisine, such as fish & chips, curry, chicken & waffles, and Korean fried rice. It’s fun to see what they have come up with. And they have restaurants elsewhere in Texas and a few other states, so if you see one elsewhere, stop in.
As you can tell, Austin is a great place to spend a long weekend. Good food, a variety of things to see and do, and fairly walkable. Just plan enough time for airport security when you leave.
Pack Up + Go: A Mystery Trip Full of Possibilities
I love planning trips.
I enjoy the research, puzzling together everything I want to do, and seeing the best way to get to and from places. So when I told people I wanted to try Pack Up + Go, everyone was shocked.
Pack Up + Go is a company that will send you on a surprise trip. You don’t know where you are going until you leave. The most you have to plan is when to go and what to pack! Since I enjoy planning, people were surprised I would leave it to someone else. But the one thing about being the one to plan everything is missing out on the anticipation of surprise and spontaneity. Taking a trip through Pack Up + Go allowed me to experience the anticipation while being able to trust that I would still have a great researched and planned vacation.
Travel Tip - Trust the Process
With all the options and different ideas of what makes a good vacation, you might be wondering how Pack Up + Go can plan a vacation you will love. The first part of the process started long before you decided to take a trip. Pack Up + Go is always researching, putting together lists of things to do , places to eat, and museums to visit; creating categories of what different types of travelers like to make a part of their vacation. So that when you decide you want to go on vacation, they have lots of options to share based on your tastes.
When you book your trip you fill out a pre-trip survey. It asks your preferences for a variety of things you might want to do on your vacation. If you are celebrating anything on the trip, let them know. There is a blank space for anything you want them to know that wasn’t covered in the rest of the survey.
Then comes the waiting……. for people who don’t enjoy planning trips this might not be that bad. For those of us that like planning trips the waiting might be more difficult. One week before you leave you will receive an email with the weather, packing recommendations, and if you are take a place, when you need to be at the airport. Then anticipation ramps up when you get a big envelope in the mail. This envelope will contain your destination and recommendations. Resist the urge to open it until the day of your trip.
The day has finally come! When you get to the airport or get in your car, its time to open your envelope (they also email you the info, just in case) Inside is your destination, where you will stay, suggested itineraries, and any reservations. You are guaranteed your place to stay and plane ticket if you are flying, with your budget. If there is extra they might book you a special tour or give you an uber gift card. I’ve taken two Pack Up + Go trips. One to Washington, D.C. and the other to Austin, TX, both by plane and they were amazing. There are ideas and suggestions you feel very comfortable with and some that you might not have picked yourself, but those often end up being your favorite. With Pack Up + Go I can get the best of both worlds, the surprise of the destination and picking out what to do from the suggested itinerary while waiting to board the plane (are riding in the passenger seat).
Highlights of Washington, D. C.
Highlights from Austin
