Dear Austin, you’re my favorite. If you love tacos and two-steppin’, this Texas town is for you.

One of my all-time favorite hotels is the San Jose. It shares a parking lot with the world’s best coffee shop, Jo’s. It’s directly across the street from the world’s best dive bar, “The Continental Club”. AND it has an adorable pool, serape bathrobes and frosé all day. It’s also steeped in history. Built in the 1930’s, it was a brothel before it became the hipster haven it is today.

Start at Jo’s. Get an Iced Turbo coffee, then walk around to the side of the building and take the “I love you so much” pic before strolling around SoCo. South Congress has some of the cutest shops, restaurants, murals and bars around. Personal faves: Parts & Labour, Tesoros Trading & Take Heart. OF NOTE: Sunday is the day for live music (aaaaaand Chicken Sh*t Bingo at C-Boys Heart and Soul). Also: Güero’s patio is always lively and fun.

If it’s hot out head to Barton Springs. You can rent bikes from the San Jose or grab one of the public bikes available all around South Congress to get there. StandUp Paddleboarding is also amazing. It’s beautiful in the morning OR go at sunset and watch the world famous bats take flight under the Congress Avenue Bridge.

East Austin is fun to explore. There are some cute shops and fun knock-around spots. Flitch Coffee is uh-dorable and has great breakfast tacos. East Austin Succulents is a gorgeous indoor/outdoor plant store. Nickel Creek is a sweeeeet dive bar with cool merch. Micklethwait Craft Meats is a BBQ food truck that was literally sold out every time we went there. WHY WON’T YOU JUST GIVE US MEAT SWEATS?!

An out-of-the-way, but amazing antiques shop is Uncommon Objects. It use to live on South Congress but has since moved. Here you’ll find vintage cowboy boots, cute Texas road signs and lots of stuff you never knew you needed: https://www.uncommonobjects.com/

Loooove me a good Austin watering hole. ATX has some of the best. Check out Austin Monthly to make sure you’re not missing something “muy importante”.

Personal faves: Continental Club (especially afternoons when there’s two-steppin’ and Lone Star specials). C-Boys on Sundays for honky tonk tunes & Chicken Sh*t Bingo. Broken Spoke, a classic Texas dancehall. Sam’s Town Point, a bar in the middle of NOWHERE, where you’ll park your car on what appears to be someone’s lawn, then have a dude in a golf cart drive you to the bar. It’s weird and perfect.

A day trip to Luckenbach is 100% worth is. This tiny “town” has been makin’ music, memories and friends since 1849. The brainchild of Hondo Crouch, it started out with a general store and a population of eight people and has grown into the heart of honky tonk in Texas hill country.

Make sure to pop into Magnolia Pearl along the way. It’s a cross between Burning Man and an Anthropologie store. It’s weird and cool and otherworldly. We also stopped at Texas Jack’s Wild West Outfitter in Fredricksburg. It’s REI for rednecks.

We also did an overnight in New Braunfels, home of the oldest dancehall in Texas (built in 1878!), Gruene Hall. Love this teeny tiny town and all its quaint stores & shops. Dinner at the GristMill is great (sit at the bar and avoid the wait!). We stayed at the Gruene Mansion Inn. Spendy, but the location and cuteness can’t be beat.

Pro Tip: stock your own bar…the dancehall only serves beer + wine AND is cash only. Also: stop at Riley’s Tavern on the way. It’s Texas’s first bar after prohibition ended: