Austin, TX

When Trenton and I changed all of our wedding plans our honeymoon destination changed too. We ended up going to a cabin in the piney woods, but Austin was our second option if Europe fell through. And it did. So we decided to do a spur-of-the-moment trip to Austin in August. My husband is the planner of all planners and he definitely did a great job with this one! We left on a Saturday morning and came back on Monday afternoon which made for a quick trip to squeeze in all the things.

Saturday

We left by 10am and grabbed some white chocolate mocha's at Starbucks! Then started our 4 hour drive to Austin. On the way we HAD to stop by the Czech Stop in Waco, TX!

They have the best ham and cheese puffs! Super yummy strawberry and raspberry kolaches!

We went straight to a hiking trail called Gaines Creek and Twin Falls Access Point of Barton Creek Greenbelt. Unfortunately you had to have a reservation and there was no water because its August in Texas haha so we went to Zilker Park Boat Rentals and kayaked down Lady Bird Lake.

After kayaking it was time to check into out beautiful hotel at the Kimpton Hotel Van Zandt (seems like we can't get away from Van Zandt haha). This was one of the BEST experiences we have had at a hotel. The staff was very safe in wearing their masks and having shields while checking in. Throughout our stay they would text us and ask us if we need anything or if there was something they could improve on. I'VE NEVER HAD THAT BEFORE. On top of the amazing service they provided the aesthetics and details were definitely 10/10.

Once we checked in we changed and hit the pool. Another way they made us feel safe was by scheduling pool times and only allowing a certain amount of guests at a time. They cleaned the chairs and required the guests to wear masks when approaching the bar. It was such a relaxing environment and the poolside chicken fingers was one of my favorites!

We were super exhausted after driving all day and needed a break from trying to fit in a lot activities for the day! But of course we were starving and needed to find a place to eat. Trenton has been to Austin a couple of times with his friend and loved this restaurant called Moonshine Grill. This is one of my favorite restaurants by far that I have been to. It is a super relaxed environment and the food is AWESOME. We ordered a hard lemonade while we were waiting and they had popcorn already sitting on our table when we were seated. The pretzels and quest come separate but I HIGHLY recommend pairing them together because that was the best appetizer I have ever eaten. The chicken fried steak did not disappoint and we were so stuffed by the end of it we got to eat more the next day!

Sunday

We woke up around 8am this morning and wanted to grab a quick breakfast at the Cafe 605 which is located inside our hotel. I wish I would've gotten more pictures of the cafe because it was super cute. After we had our short breakfast and coffee the hotel offered free bikes for us to use until sunset. We took full advantage of this amenity and rode the 10 mile loop around Lady Bird Lake. It was so much fun and probably the best activity we did the entire time there.

It was incredibly hot that day and I definitely forgot to put on sunscreen and ended up burning the inside of my arms haha. We got back to our fresh hotel room and took a quick shower before we headed out on the bikes again. This time we stopped for some pizza at Via 313 which only had take-out. We biked the rest of the way down 6th street and found our way past Zilker Park and back to the kayak rentals.

After our 3 mile kayak down the river we headed back to our hotel room. They had nice robes waiting for us and fresh towels. Trenton had a Zoom meeting while I lived a luxurious life eating my leftover pretzels in my robe.

We were so exhausted from the 20 mile bike ride and the kayaking that we decided to eat at another food truck called Luke's Inside Out and grab some Amy's Ice Cream. The rest of the night was spent at our beautiful hotel that offered us a free wine hour and concert at Geraldine's.

Monday

Our last day at the hotel was spent taking some pictures and eating an okay meal at Kirby Lane. I do not recommend. The service was terrible and the food was cold. It was right next to University of Texas so maybe it was just an off day. Anyway, enjoy these pictures..

We very much enjoyed this hotel stay and would definitely stay here again. The service the entire time was amazing and the staff brought extra supplies to our room when we asked. It's a brand new hotel so there are still some kinks they are working out like valet parking being the only option ($50/night) and finishing up construction on the entrance, but that wouldn't deter us from staying here again. Let me know if you have any questions about our trip and comment below if you enjoyed this post!

xoxo, Bailey Phelps