Adventuring Week 9: Austin Round 2

With how crazy busy this past semester has been for me, I knew I wanted to take some time off to relax after graduation- the sooner, the better. So I started planning a weekend trip to Austin to start the day right after commencement. And by planning I mean convincing myself over and over that nothing was going to keep me from taking this trip. Despite being a little tired the morning right after two graduation ceremonies and even having to repair a flat tire before we left, I made it to Austin with my sister and a couple other family members, and it was eveything I needed.

This was my second time in Austin and from all I've heard about it, I knew it wasn't going to take me long to fall in love with this quaint city. Austin has so many of the things I dream about in a city: particularly nature and hills. I love my city, but there's something special about Austin and though I'm perfectly fine with living where I do, I am glad that Austin's only a few hours away.

This time around was also special because we got to spend two nights there, so there was less of the pressure to do the "traditional touristy things."

On our first day there, we spent some time at Zigler Park where I witnessed the reality that practically everyone in Austin has a dog. With places as beautiful as this park, I can definitely see why.

On day 2 we ended up spending some time near the University of Texas, and even had time to stop by the Blanton Art Museum which is part of the university. One of my favorite parts about this museum is the beautiful wall design that you see as soon as you enter. It's called Stacked Waters and kind of makes you feel like you're on a beautiful island beach.

Of course the museum's paintings are no less impressive. I'm usually the biggest fan of the Romantic landscape paintings, but some of the contemporary pieces here really took my breath away, like Warhol's "Farrah Faucet."

Okay next up is another thing that makes Austin so inconic: the food! We only got to stop by some of the food trucks once but it was enough to see why this city was one of the first to make them so popular. With my undeniable sweet tooth I had to stop by Hey Cupcake! and their cupcakes are as sweet as their lovely truck makes them look.

We also stopped by In-n-Out which I'm sure is no big deal in most of the United States. But where we live there are no In-n-Out's, so it was my first time ever trying it. And while burgers aren't my favorite food in the world, it was pretty delicious!

On our last day we explored a little bit outside of Austin by heading to Krause Springs which kind of felt like it was in the middle of nowhere at first. That's one thing I love about Texas: cities are so crowded and full of busyness but in between you've got huge farmlands and animals roaming free, like this lovely little donkey enjoying some lunch near Krause Springs:

He makes those flowers look delicious!

If you're near Austin and haven't been to Krause Springs yet, let me tell you it is so worth the hour drive through the hill country. This natural swimming hole has a man-made pool as well as waterfalls, a rope swing, and this gorgeous view:

It was the prettiest nature I got to see during our weekend trip, and I loved it :)

So that's our Austin trip for you! It was a really great weekend and I'm so glad I went through with it despite the few bumps in the road. Getting away to rest is so important, and it's especially wonderful when you head into it without a set schedule and a quest for true adventure.

Of course the best part was all this was only a three-hour drive away! I think it's so easy to overlook the opportunities for travel and adventure around us because we long for faraway places like Europe or Asia. But chances are there's an oasis right around the corner from you, just waiting for you to find it. :)

Don't forget to look out for them, and happy adventuring!

#2015 #adventuring #travel