This was our first big trip in 12 years…because now my mother is well taken care of in assisted living, we can finally get away for more than a weekend!!!  Victor’s sister Patty and her husband Don invited us to their beautiful home in Austin, Texas…they have had the house for 4 years but just recently retired there!!

 

 

This is Patty and Don on the left and on the right are Patty and their daughters Kara on the left and Courtney on the right.  Courtney joined us on some of our excursions, but had to leave early to go back to her job in Dallas!!  Kara lives in Delaware and unfortunately couldn’t join us.  Patty and Don love the music scene in the city…Did you know that Austin is “The Live Music Capital of the World⁉️”  They also love the food and restaurants, in which there are plenty and soooooo delicious!!  They planned our 4 day vacation to introduce us to Austin in style…

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I will start off with what I brought in my suitcase…since air travel is so difficult nowadays, I tried to minimize my wardrobe!!!  When I travel I choose a color palette for my outfits, along with bringing the right clothes for the weather.  However, even though I checked the weather often while packing, I still got it wrong!!  It was unseasonably cold, everyone kept apologizing for the cold and also saying that we brought it from Boston!!!  So I chose pinks and grays for my colors… This is a pink rain or shine trenchcoat, which I wore often.  A gray Lululemon knit top under the coat, jeggings for comfort on the plane, gray and white slip-on Skechers with pink socks and a blue, pink and gray scarf to tie it all together.  Also, a gray purse and sunglasses that I stuck into my gray carryon!!  I put an inset photo of my jewelry, which I wore on the plane so I wouldn’t have to pack it!! I also, brought gray chino’s and to go with it a dressy blouse of pink and gray flowers, which I never wore because it was so cold…but isn’t it cute??  I didn’t wear the gray demask pink knit top either, but I did wear the pink long sleeve knit top and gray sweater, along with the Champion ballet flats!!! Also shown is pink jewelry, which I didn’t get to wear because it was so cold, I wore scarves and long sleeves the whole time!!I spiced up white jeans with a gray and white stripe Lululemon top and a colorful scarf, my Alex and Ani silver bangles along with silver necklaces and cellphone carrier matches the outfit…all easy to pack and easy to mix and match.  A little travel tip, jeans in all colors are great to wear because you can roll them up to be capris if the weather gets warmer!!I made some springtime sugar cookies to bring as part of a hostess gift…I packed them in my carry-on!!

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Our first food stop, at Tacodeli, right from the airport, because Patty being the good Italian that she is, didn’t want us ever to be hungry😆.  Tacodeli is supposed to have the best tacos in Austin, a rival with Guero’s Taco Bar!  

Don ordered us an appetizer of chips and queso… I had never had queso, it looked like soup so I was a little doubtful about dipping my chip into it, but can I tell you???  I never tasted anything so good on my chips, it was cheesy, tangy and oooh so gooey😋

   I ordered vegetarian tacos with migas, jack cheese, avocado, and scrambled eggs sauteed spinach, queso fresco…so yummy!!

 

 

Patty ordered these tacos with a sunny side up egg and scallions on one and scrambled eggs with jack cheese on the other, we all finished our tacos and left very satisfied to set on our four days of sightseeing!!!

Before going out to dinner at this wonderful restaurant, Patty allowed me to take a little nap, which I needed!!!  To celebrate Victor’s yet another 70th birthday celebration they brought us to this amazing restaurant in a historical building, Moonshine Grill!!After dinner, Patty, Don and Courtney brought us on a walk down 6th Street, fondly known as Dirty 6th!!     Our first stop was of course, dessert at Voodoo Donut Shop!!                                 It’s a very funky place of which we were the oldest by a large margin😂These are some of the donuts, it was really hard to make a choice…But this is what we chose!!!  The best donuts I ever had!!!  And then we were off to experience 6th Street, in which again we were completely out of our element with mostly young people… 

“One of Texas’ most well-known streets, Austin’s 6th Street is the entertainment hub of the city. A mishmash of tourists, college students and locals, whether you’re looking to get rowdy, catch a show or marvel at the historical houses, the seven blocks between Congress and IH 35 are sprinkled with one of a kind event venues, tattoo parlors, Tex-Mex gems and bars galore. The Mardi Gras of Texas, anything goes.”  The best I can describe it is, there are bars and restaurants that line the street with a band in every window…they were blocking the street off to traffic, which they do every night at 10 pm…very loud and fast moving…  Now I know why Austin is called “The Live Music Capital of the World”

 

 

 

You might get a little flavor of it by this video I took…

 

Another stop on 6th Street is this famous historic hotel, The Driskill…There are usually a few of these horse-drawn carriages parked in front of the hotel, to give guests tours around this beautiful city, adding an old-time charm to the scene.

 

 

The front of the hotel and the grand lobby…This is a close-up of the colorful domed skylight in the lobby rotunda!!  Of course, I have to include the bathroom…this lovely glass sink with pink marble counters and brass fixtures adds to the luxury feeling of the hotel!!

Our tour continued the next day, of this funky part of Austin called South Congress!! Lots of wall art to have your picture taken in front of!!

“This vibrant neighborhood south of Lady Bird Lake is a must-stroll for visitors and a popular hangout for locals. South Congress oozes homespun character and boasts the story of Austin’s yesteryear in its boutiques, eateries, galleries and music venues.”

 

 

 

This video will give you a feel of this area of the city…

 

 

 

And this video has to be the best one I took during this vacation, notice how in sync these street performers are as they dance!!!

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Look closer, the guy in the middle is human, the others are puppets!!!  Don’t you love it…how clever??

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There were so many fun things to do in Austin that I have to post this tour in 2 parts!!  Well, we had the dining and dancing in this post, the next post you will see the “wining”🍇