This post is so very long overdue, that I considered not even posting it. I was sitting at dinner with a friend recently and we were talking about my blog. I was telling him that I love blogging, but am finding myself strapped for time and letting my blog slack. The trip I took to Austin, was truly wonderful and it deserves to be shared- late or not! I had actually written this blog post a long while ago but never took the time to upload it. Here it finally is- written from my perspective at the time. Enjoy!
I wanted to get our part of the house cleaned and in order before I left for Austin, but of course that didn’t happen. Not only that, but I got so busy that I slacked on multiple things! Ah, not the best way to start off my girls' weekend. But hey, thats life right? Never going exactly how you had in mind. The only things I could really mark off my to do list were laundry (which I still had to put away when I get home) and cleaning the litter box!
Whenever I travel I always feel like I’m scrambling to get things done. I had most everything packed before I left for the airport, but its always those last minute details that throw me off and I almost ALWAYS feel like I’m forgetting something!
I hurried to the airport and missed my turn for economy parking; I’ve never missed the turn for it before! The lot that I happened to go into was under construction so there were hardly any spots! Eventually I found one and in my rush to the shuttle, I dropped my bag on my toe. The last few times I’ve traveled I’ve only brought a carry on, so luckily it was a decently small bag!
Security was longer than usual for the airport in Orlando, but once it started moving it was easy to get through. I took the shuttle down to my gate and got a sandwich before I got onto the plane. It looked delicious and I’m sad to say that it wasn’t. It was a little sandwich and it was TEN DOLLARS. Airport food is expensive! Onward to Austin I went, excited for my weekend with the girls.
I landed in Austin and took a Lyft to our AirBnb. It was a beautiful home! Everyone was getting in that Friday night and we planned to have an evening out on the town. We got ready, all wearing black dresses and headed out for the night. We played bachelorette party card games, which was really fun because it was reminiscent of the old days. Before Lauren, the bride, got engaged and before I had Amelia; when we still lived in New Orleans, we spent many of our nights enjoying being single and wandering around the city together. Many of those nights, we played with the bachelorette party cards, which were full of silly dares.
When we got up the next day, we talked and laughed about the night before. We made it to brunch, did a little shopping, and headed back to the house. That evening, we went to dinner and then on a Peddle Bar Crawl. It was so much fun! Its this little trolly thing with a bar top. Everyone sits around it and has to use bike pedals to power it. Our guide took us to some really cool places and it was a little bit of a workout! We had a great playlist on and we were laughing pretty much the entire way. If any of you have a chance to experience the Pedal Bar, I highly recommend it!
One of the bars we went to that night was The Rustic Tap. It was a great little spot! They had a “beer Pong” game, except with volleyballs and trash cans. There were tables to sit at, fire pits to sit around, and live music, complete with a gravel dance floor. Did I mention this bar is completely outdoors? It was so much fun!
On Sunday we went to brunch again and took in some sights, stopping to look at a few parks. Austin has so many parks. It was amazing to me how many beautiful, green parks fill the city. It was really clean too; another surprise, considering Austin’s size. I had no idea what to expect before I visited, but I can honestly say that Austin was amazing. I loved it.
Monday was one of my favorite days because we spent some time at a place called Barton Springs. It was STUNNING. People were out kayaking and paddle boarding, swimming with their dogs and kids, sun bathing on the shore. The water in this little river was incredibly clear and calm. It was picturesque, like something out of a movie. We swam in the river. Lauren climbed a log that was full of turtles (of course they all jumped off as she did haha). We visited and ate snacks and got a little bit too much sun.
On Tuesday we cleaned up and checked out of the AirBnb. I shopped and grabbed lunch with Elyse (one of the other bridesmaids and also one of my best friends). It was so nice to spend some down time with her. I miss her so much!
I want to go back to Austin. As we were sightseeing and exploring, I saw so many families out and about together. There were families taking bike rides, moms pushing strollers on some of the MANY trails, families splashing in the water at Barton Springs. Austin is a big city with so many amenities, so many outdoor activities, and so many FAMILIES. I could see me and Amelia living there. I fell in love with that city and I want to take Amelia. I want to take her hiking and swimming. I want to take her to the beautiful parks there. She would have so much fun and I can’t wait to plan a trip for the two of us.
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