Austin, TX

Loved it right away!

The back porch was easily my favorite part. It was a lovely place to sit and read at the start and end of each day.

Loved the mood this majestic old tree added to the yard.

In Austin approximately 30 minutes and we’re climbing trees, of course.

I could definitely go for a meal at Fareground right about now. And, really, just about anytime.

Now we’ve moved on to peace signs in every photo.

Watching people get into the water at Barton Springs is by far the best thing about it.

Both of these little knuckleheads didn’t mind the cold too much. Andrew actually loved it!

Andrew wanted you to know he can pick up Austin, NBD.

I wish we had had more time to explore more Mexican and Tex-Mex food in Austin, but I’m so glad we were able to try Veracruz All Natural. Love this photo of my sweet girl ordering.

He really does.

The best street in Austin, obviously.

I loved seeing the bright and colorful murals all around the city, and so did the kids!

What can I say? We’re a classy family.

Needless to say, late June is a very hot time of year in Austin but I promised the kids we would keep cool with lots of swimming and other water-related activities. I think I stayed true to my word, and we had a fun time exploring Austin’s many pools and parks, such as Deep Eddy pool pictured here.

I didn’t love laying on the grassy/dirt ground instead of a pool chair, but for this little nut I guess I can manage.

So many popsicles on the porch. Love those chocolate mustaches :)

Sometimes, fancy ones like this from Odd Duck.

Is my kids’ vacation philosophy. It is fun to indulge them this way sometimes.

I am pretty sure Andrew would call the comic shop down the road his favorite part of the trip. We went often and he loved every minute of it!

We also really loved our sushi date at Uchiko. Such a fun experience!

We were so lucky to have this gem of a restaurant so close to where we stayed! I wish I lived next door…not exaggerating. Elizabeth Street Café is the neighborhood café of my dreams.

Plus jam that tasted so much like the homemade strawberry jam my grandma always made. Be still, my heart!

I simply adore this photo.

I think my mental image of Texas foliage was off base. I thought we would see cactuses and such absolutely everywhere, and while we did in most places, I was very surprised by how lush and green much of the area was. It was unexpectedly lovely!

I was really proud of what a good job these two did hiking and climbing around as we explored Hamilton Pool Preserve. They loved it!

She does this kind of thing all on her own and I really can’t get enough of it.

I wish the waterfall had been a bit more forceful while we were there. I guess we’ll just have to visit again sometime in the future!

Sorry/not sorry, Clark’s.

But don’t call him handsome, he hates that!

Our trip to Toy Joy was definitely another highlight for the kids, and I loved watching them agonize over the perfect thing to spend their money on. Ah, to be a kid again.

Ultimately, kayaking via The Rowing Dock was me and Caroline’s favorite thing about this trip. I would go as often as possible if I lived in the area. So much fun!

I’ve been wanting to try Shake Shack for a really long time, but whenever I’m in a city that has one, I’m usually too busy eating at restaurants local to that place and reluctant to eat at a chain I can try some other time. This one happened to be pretty close to where we stayed and was a perfect option for a quick lunch after kayaking one day.

We loved it! The fry smile says it all.

I don’t know if other people love to visit public libraries in other cities, but I sure do. So grateful my sweet reader turned friend Katherine recommended the Austin central library and met up with us there!

I just wanted to hang out there…forever, maybe?

The screened in porch area of the kids’ section was unbelievable. Caroline loved it almost as much as I did.

Though I don’t often leave meals up to chance while traveling for fear of tourist traps and mediocre food, this French brasserie downtown that we wandered to turned out to be a great choice and so so cute!

My favorite thing about this meal was undoubtedly the excellent company and conversation with Katherine. I love making new friends in my travels. Second favorite was for sure this glass of rosé which was incredibly beautiful and so delicious.

I never would have guessed that an Italian restaurant would turn out to by my favorite meal of the trip, but Caroline wanted Italian for her special night with me and our entire experience at L’Oca d’Oro was perfect.

It just does.

Really love that her shirt doubles as a carrier for LGB.

We tried out Lick at the insistence of many, many readers who assured me it was at least as good as Jeni’s. It was okay but honestly I like the ice cream I make better and the comparison to Jeni’s is a stretch. Glad we had a chance to check it out, and enjoyed a lovely walk that evening.

Thanks for the fun, Austin. We’ll definitely be back.