72 Hours in Austin

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Dress: ℅ Rent the Runway | Boots: Vince Camuto (more colors and sizes here)| Bag: Tory Burch | Earrings: ℅ Gorjana | Necklace: Taudrey | Bracelet: Kendra Scott | Sunglasses: Selima Optique

This past Veteran’s Day weekend, I decided to take advantage of the long weekend hopped on a flight to Austin, TX. Austin has been on my bucket list for years — I really want to head to Austin City Limits one day, but before I go to ACL, I really wanted to explore Austin first. Music festivals are an all day affair, and you don’t have that much time or energy to actually explore the city when you’re at a fest!

I ate all the tacos, took a stop by Kendra Scott’s HQ, went to a black tie gala, and managed to squeeze a football game in at UT – Austin (which by the way, was my very first football game ever!) Here’s a summary of what I was able to pack in in 72 hours, but clearly I need to head back because there were a million more places I wanted to eat at!

Also, it was pretty warm in Austin (75 and Sunny the entire time I was down there!), and since I had packed all of my summer clothes away, I decided to get a dress from Rent the Runway shipped down to my friend’s apartment. This dress was so lightweight and breezy, and perfect for a day of brunch and exploring!

Eat

• Gordough’s Public House: I brunched here on my very last day in Austin, and A. it was super cheap, B. it was crazy delicious! I got their fried chicken donut, which basically tastes like chicken and waffles, AKA heaven. 
   
• Lucy’s Fried Chicken: Oh my ‘lanta: this place was absolutely delicious and I will absolutely eat there again when I go back! We enjoyed a delicious family-style southern meal. Grab a bucket of chicken, mac n’ cheese, sweet potatoes and collard greens. I basically pregamed for Thanksgiving with those sides!
   
• Caffe Medici: I was walking around downtown and stumbled upon this coffee shop. Coffee was on point, but guys: they served breakfast tacos with coffee. Taco Deli breakfast tacos, to be exact. Why did I leave Austin? Where can I get breakfast tacos in D.C.?
   
• El Ama Cafe y Cantina: It was hard to pin down my favorite Mexican spot in Austin, but I think this one took the cake. Great cocktails, delicious tacos, and some of the spiciest guac I’ve ever had. 

Shop 

• The Gypsy Wagon: Some of the boutiques on South Congress were a little pricey, but this one was super affordable *and* had the cutest pieces! I picked up a velvet/lace tank from there that I hope to get up on the blog soon!
    
• TOMS: Okay, not a local shop. But the TOMS store in Austin is a hybrid of a coffee shop and shoe store, which is pretty legit!
    
• Allen’s Boots: I’m not from the south, so I never really understood the appeal of cowboy boots — until I visited Allen’s. These were the craziest, most intricate boots I’ve ever seen: from studded boots to embroidered boots, I fell in love with a million pairs!
   
• Uncommon Objects: It’s a super eclectic antiques store, where you can find amazing, one-of-a-kind pieces for your home. If I had room in my suitcase, one of their trunks would have gone home with me!

Play

• Floppy Disk Repair: This was a super-hip, ~secret bar~ in Downtown. You needed a code to get in, but they’re semi-lax. Great place to chill and catch up with friends.
   
• Handlebar: Handlebar has two floors, and you can occasionally catch live music here. Overall I just loved the vibe of this place, and the rooftop is perfect to hang out on when it’s nice out!
   
• Rainey Street: If you want a Sunday Funday in Austin, this strip of bars is where you need to go!

Have you been to Austin? Where were your favorite places to go?