Adventuring Week 2: Austin
- priscillawrites
- Jan 24, 2015
- 2 min read
This week I visited Austin for the first time! This is a city that lives by the motto "Keep Austin Weird," so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Here are some of my favorite sites:
Probably one of my favorite things we got to see in Austin was its famous "Graffiti Wall." This wall (series of walls really) is set on one of Austin's many hills, and is made up of an old building foundation that was never completed. Now the wall is an art hub for local graffiti artists to express themselves. It's a monument of free speech, and one of the places that I think really captures Austin's spirit.
Despite Austin's quirky nature, it is also our state capital, and that meant I had to visit the Capitol building for the first time. One of the most impressive parts of the building was the dome which is lined with pictures of every state governor and our six different presidents (remember Texas is the cool state that was also briefly a nation). I also loved getting to see the House of Representatives chamber in person (the history nerd in me freaked out a little), and the portrait of our first female governor.
A bit less iconic but every bit as memorable for me was Austin's bookstore, Book People, which is often frequented by authors for book signings and other events. This three-story tall bookstore is one of the top-rated in the nation and really makes me wish it was in my city. Aside from all its little quirks and unique setup, the store also takes time to write out staff reviews on some favorite books, helping book lovers in their hunt for new reads.
We ended our time in Austin at a small coffee shop and got to see the sunset on Lake Austin.
Though our trip was only for a day and we didn't get to see everything, this unique city left a great impression on me and I definitely look forward to visiting again soon!