Top Places to visit in Austin, TX
Places you should visit in and around Austin, Texas
I was thinking since I have lived here in the Austin area for a little over 6 years now and we'll be leaving soon, I should write about my top recommended places to visit in and around the Austin area. So next time you are in the capitol you have places to check out!
Via 313- This is our favorite pizza place ever! Detroit style pizza served in so many combinations you'll never get tired of it. Although, we usually get the same thing every time... what can I say, we like what we like. You may think, I've heard of New York style pizza, Chicago style pizza, but Bee, what is Detroit style? Detroit-style pizza relies on a thick and fluffy crust reminiscent of focaccia. It's then topped with a special Wisconsin brick cheese and the pepperoni is baked till they curl up in scrumptious little cups. The crust isn't your typical crust for pizza. It's baked edge to edge and when the cheese melts, it seeps to the edges to form the crunchiest, cheesiest bite(We get a four-square often so no one is fighting over the corner pieces). When you visit they always ask if it's your first time and if it is they give you a free appetizer! They also have vegan and gluten free options which I have tried and they are pretty tasty as well. Another item you must promise me you will get is the beer and pretzel ice cream-you can't not try it! Hand-crafted ice cream made locally, layered with crunchy pretzels and topped with smoked sea salt. There are several locations and they all are great so give it a shot the next time you're here!
Zilker Botanical Gardens- This is a beautiful place to visit in spring and summer. Kids love running around the place and exploring the little ponds and bridges sprinkled throughout. It's very inexpensive and I haven't ever seen large crowds there. Butterflies are everywhere and koi fill the waters. It gives you a nice, quiet walk in nature away from the bustling city.
Round Rock Donuts- I feel like every other place I mention involves food. 😋 Well, we all love food right? I don't hear any complaining. Round Rock donuts are so good. They have been featured on food shows and tout LEGENDARY donuts. Their orange glaze is amazing and they even have a Texas sized donut... take a look at this beast.
The drive through lane is always wrapped around the corner and people are lined up to sink their teeth into these soft, fluffy pillows. But don't let that deter you, it's worth the wait. Every time we have visitors this is a definite stop for us.
Thinkery- If you are here with kids, this is a really amazing place to take them. There are so many indoor and outdoor activities, their brains can't compute! They have everything you could think of. They have really cool hands on science experiments for kids to try, involving wind, electricity, water, and more. They have water tables(with complimentary aprons of course) for the kids to pour water in and out of their bowls to their hearts content. They have an outdoor jungle gym thingy. They have a play grocery store where the kids can get their baskets and fill it up with fruit and veggies and a pretend chicken coop so they can gather their eggs and learn about where their food comes from. It's informative, it's engaging, and most of all, it's fun for children(and adults) of all ages.
Rudy's BBQ-You can't visit the Texas capitol and not eat any BBQ! Rudy's is a low key BBQ place and isn't ever overcrowded. We usually order this because it's the least expensive BBQ place to feed our family of 4, and it's yummy. Their turkey is flavorful and moist and their sides, such as potato salad, creamed corn, & spicy beans, are a great addition. The banana pudding and peach cobbler are also a favorite. Their signature sauce deserves to be poured all over your BBQ fixins'... in fact, just bathe in it. I'm just kidding, that may not end well.
Other BBQ honorable mentions are Louie Mueller's BBQ in Taylor, Franklin BBQ in Austin, and Salt Lick BBQ in Round Rock.
Inner Space Caverns-
This is a cavern system in Georgetown, a short drive from Austin. It's a guided tour, walking through and discussing interesting facts about the caverns that run below us. There are 3 levels and tour lengths available and they list recommended ages for each. We took our 2 kiddos with us and they really enjoyed the Adventure Tour. It's a little over an hour so just long enough to end right when the kids get bored. Our tour guide was very informative and I learned about all the cavern lingo.. stalagmites, stalactites, and...well that's all I got. They showed us a couple of spots where you can do the Wild Cave Tour and I took one look at that deep, unending blackness of death and said, "nope". Here's a picture of that hole:
Who would go down here? No one, that's who.Well probably someone, but definitely not me! Thank goodness I have the excuse of children to fall back on. The guides engage the children with funny names for certain cave formations and at the end there is a point where they will turn out all of the lights so you can truly see how dark it is in there. Here is the link to their website to find out more information and to book tickets.
Downtown Round Rock- Main street has grown and been updated throughout the time we have lived here. It's a small town feel with dining, shopping, and nightlife. Tree-lined sidewalks with decorative lighting make this a must see. Be sure and try out Palermo Pasta house who makes fresh pasta everyday and their own fennel sausage for pizza. For nighttime adventuring there are places like Urban Rooftop, The Long Branch Saloon, and Rockey's Piano Bar. If you visit, let me know what you think!
Gourdough's Big Fat Donuts-
I know I listed a donut place already but a friend reminded me of this place and it is so good. But don't be eating here all the time or you will end up looking like their mascot. We ate at their food truck location and I'm literally vying for it right now remembering how good that food was. I'm pretty sure you get a donut served with almost everything you order at the sit and eat location on Lamar St. Their menu has things like donut sandwiches, donut burgers, and donut french toast. At the truck location we ordered donuts with the names "Flying Pig", "Fat Elvis", "Cherry Bombs", and "Naughty and Nice". Let me just relay a description of the "Son of a Peach": Ahem... "cream cheese icing, spiced peach topping, cake mix drizzled with honey butter and cinnamon sugar." That my friends.... IS A DONUT! Get yourself one or two... or maybe 3 to try out, Don't worry, I won't tell.
Austin Zoo- I wouldn't call this your typical zoo. It's a non-profit rescue zoo, but it's still exciting to see. Groupon usually has great deals for this place, so be sure and check there first! Peacocks and chickens freely roam throughout the park and if you are fortunate, you will see one spread his giant, blue plumes. They have capybaras, monkeys, tigers, bears, snakes, and many other animals. It's never too crowded there, which makes it an enjoyable experience. They have a train ride which goes around the park and a feeding zoo where you can feed the sheep, pigs, deer, and goats. 
These are only a few of the many cool places to visit when you are in the Austin area. I hope you enjoyed reading through this list and get to visit at least one of these places next time you are here! Comment below if you got to enjoy any of these places and any other recommendations I may have missed.
Until next time!
~Bee🐝
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