A weekend in Texas
One of the things I love about Texas is that it’s big enough to constantly surprise you. Some of the stereotypes are certainly true: there’s a easy and outgoing hospitality, complimented by a Southern drawl, and the wide open landscapes are dotted with cows, and the hair is bigger and the Texas flag seems to fly the highest. But Texas Hill Country is also home to one of the fastest-growing wine-growing regions in the United States, and Austin has more colorful murals and rooftop bars than you can dream of, and the freeways are lined with fields of wildflowers.
I was lucky enough to spend last weekend exploring the awesome city of Austin and the surrounding beauty of Texas Hill Country with my friend Kirsten Alana and the ladies of Local Wanderer. We ate, we drank, we frolicked in fields of wildflowers, we soaked up the 80-degree sunshine: I don’t think I could have asked for anything better!
Essentially, we ate our way through Austin: the most delicious rosemary fries and artisan cocktails on the lawn at the Four Seasons, four different kinds of guacamole and fresh pineapple margaritas at La Condesa, insanely decadent cinnamon sugar donuts at Gourdough’s, steaming biscuits and fried chicken drizzled with spicy honey at Fixe Southern House, all the brunch fixings at Trio and a much-needed kick of acai and fresh fruit at Blenders & Bowls.
And then we drank our way through Texas Hill Country with stops at three different wineries! We sampled local wine and cheese at Four Point, sipped on the latest vintage in the lavender fields at Becker Vineyards and tasted the range of wines overlooking the rolling Texas hills at Pedernales Cellars. I have come back a few pounds heavier, and insanely impressed by the Austin foodie scene and the range and quality of Texas wines.
We also spent some time in the adorable German-settled town of Fredericksburg: the bustling Main Street looks like it was the set of a Wild West film, with the German architecture heavily influencing the beer halls and towering cathedral. We had a lovely and laid-back lunch at Vaudeville lifestyle store and restaurant, and then sampled the surprisingly different and delicious liquid-filled chocolates at Quintessential Chocolate Company. It’s like there’s a shot of liquor encased in the chocolate! I brought home a box of amaretto chocolates for myself and whiskey chocolates for my boyfriend. The best part, though, might have been a stop at Wildseed Farms: even though we were a little too late for bluebonnet season, the red poppies certainly didn’t disappoint. 
One of my favorite parts of Austin is the street art: there are so many creative and colorful murals, but my favorite (and the most iconic) has to be the Greetings from Austin postcard mural. I also stumbled across this insanely beautiful SIDEWALK mosaic downtown, and was just blown away by the intricacy of it–and that it was outside for all to enjoy! 
It’s insane how much there is to do just within the city of Austin: stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking on Lady Bird Lake, gathering with the crowds to see the bats fly off the Congress Street Bridge at dusk, a tour (or just a wander around at sunrise) of the Texas State Capitol and the University of Texas campus, and sampling the insane array of food trucks and rooftop bars and coffee shops scattered around the city. I already want to go back!
Have you visited Austin or the Texas Hill Country before? What was your favorite part?
*Note: Texas Tourism very kindly sponsored my trip, but all opinions are my own.
