To be honest, before visiting Texas the state summoned thoughts of cowboy boots, Mexican food, BBQ, and rodeos. But in just a week’s time wandering (mostly eating) my way through the cities, I found the big state has plenty more to offer.
The vibrant, funky town that is Austin provided nothing short of a great time. While only there 3 nights, I could’ve stayed 2 weeks purely to try all the amazing food. Walking up and down South Congress Avenue was the perfect way to spend a Saturday. Lined with food carts, outdoor bars with live music, upscale boutiques, and tiny indie shops it has something for everyone. If quirky Portland and chic Los Angeles put a street together, this would be it (with southern flair of course). Sushi, pressed juice, pizza, all the tacos you could ever want, and even a gourmet grilled cheese shop are just some of the painful decisions found there. When dining in the city the tacos are not to be missed. An Austin favorite is the fried avocado taco, it’s exactly what you think it is, and yes it’s amazing. Naturally I tried multiple versions, but Torchy’s Tacos, a local taco chain was my favorite.
Later that evening, friends suggested I go out on Sixth Street, or “Dirty Sixth,” and it by far surpassed my expectations. Texas knows how to party. For a moment I felt like I was in Vegas; multiple blocks are turned into a pedestrian area, and the amount of bars to choose from and people flooding the streets were overwhelming. The scene itself is definitely worth dedicating a night to.
While our following evening may have not been spent dancing the night away, it was definitely filled with excitement. As a west coast native I got to experience my first tornado warning. I woke up to the sound of what I initially thought was the hotel shower leaking, only to realize it was heavy rainfall after seeing the bright white flashes enter the window through the thin space where the curtains were just shy of touching. With thunderstorms being such a novelty where I’m from, my excitement was immense and my roommate and I ran outside to get a better view only to get painfully pelted by the horizontal rain whipping through the air. After a few great bolts and cracks of thunder we hurried back to the safety of our hotel room thankful not to have witnessed an actual tornado- the warning was excitement enough.
After my fun in Austin, I met up with friends in Dallas. My favorite thing I did in the city was attending the Dallas Museum of Art. Not only is general admission free to the public, but there was also an exhibit on cocktails throughout the centuries, talk about a twenty-something’s happy place. While not overwhelmingly large like some other cities' art museums, this one is the perfect size and a great way to spend an afternoon. After the museum we walked across the street to Klyde Warren Park with yet again more food trucks. Stumbled upon a place called Relish that sells burgers and hot dogs with specialty relishes where I had the best jalapeno relish avocado lime black bean burger. The next day we explored Deep Ellum, a funky neighborhood downtown. The highlight was going to Drugstore Cowboy, a coffee shop that offered homemade orgeat syrup (a sweet almond based syrup) as well as homemade lavender syrup. I’m always one to try the recommended in-house special so I opted for the orgeat latte, and my friend got the lavender. Neither of us was disappointed.
Black Bean Burger from Relish, Dallas
Dallas Museum of Art (Shade, Kenneth Noland; Rise 2, Bridget Riley)
Dallas Museum of Art (Untitled, Alejandro Puente; Untitled, Clyfford Still)
Jade and Clover, a boutique in Deep Ellum, Dallas
View of Austin from Graffiti Park at Castle Hill; a large hill overlooking the city with a cement structure where people are permitted to graffiti the walls, take photos and just hang out.
