Austin: An Ethel Travel Guide
- Recommend a hotel/motel in your town/city:
The Driskill, built in 1886, is ideally located in the heart of the city and is Austin’s oldest hotel with enormous historic relevance. It’s where President Lyndon B. Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson stayed when in town — you can even book the LBJ Suite. Other cool downtown hotels close to everything that are worth considering are Austin Proper, Hotel Zaza and The Fairmont.
- Recommend a restaurant in your town/city:
Try a breakfast taco, a way of life in Austin, and available at food trucks or most coffee shops for a few bucks. Don’t miss Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden on Rainey Street with 200+ beer taps, house sausage and live music. Craft breweries are everywhere, but my fave is Lazarus Brewing. Tip: Order their amazing guacamole with your beer. Barbecue is an obsession — in fact, la Barbecue on E. Cesar Chavez St. in East Austin won a Michelin Star.
- What’s a must-see in your town/city?
Take a free guided tour of the Texas Capitol, shop on South Congress and catch live music at Antone’s or the Continental Club. At dusk in warmer months, from the “Bat Bridge” (Congress Avenue Bridge), you can watch swarms of bats emerge to take their nightly flight — astonishing! Cool off at spring-fed (68° to 70° degrees) Barton Springs Pool or Deep Eddy Pool in the heart of the city. Stroll along Lady Bird Lake, the body of water Austin sits on, for excellent city views.
- What should you avoid when visiting your town/city?
It’s a dependably casual city — come as you are! For better rates and fewer crowds, avoid booking your visit to the Lone Star capital during its famous festivals — Austin City Limits (fall) and SXSW (spring). The University of Texas Longhorns football games and Formula One (F1) also make rates jump. While summer is famously hot (temps in July and August often reach 100°), there are upsides. Many locals leave town to escape the summer heat, which can mean thinner crowds and more reasonable rates.
5. What else makes your town/city fun?
The Oasis on Lake Travis has been around for nearly 40 years. Have a bite or a margarita here to enjoy one of the most spectacular sunsets you'll ever lay eyes on.
