72 Hours in Austin, Texas

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Austin is a vibrant, thriving city that blends a cosmopolitan feel worthy of any coastal metropolis with a down-home Texas experience. With a beloved food and music scene, as well as natural bounty only a few miles away, Austin beckons to visitors with bright lights, delicious mouthfuls, and loud grooves.

Fly Into

ABIA Austin–Bergstrom International Airport 
(Austin, TX)

Drive

16mins To Austin, TX
Where is

Austin, TX

The Driskill is housed in a building built in 1880s and is brimming with Gilded Age opulence for all its visitors–a Texan take on the grand hotels of New York City or Paris. The property is not a museum piece, though: while the façade and plush rooms feel fit for a 19th century aristocrat, The Driskill Bar inside the hotel was just voted the best cocktail bar in the city by The Austin Chronicle. Every weekend, the bar jumps with Austin’s most beloved export: live music. Insider tip: The buttery and soul-satisfying cheese soup, served at the 1886 Café and Bakery inside the hotel, is legendary.

Where to Stay

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What to Eat

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Texas and Thai may not seem like a logical blend, but the chefs at East Side King Thai Kun prove that such a match was made in culinary heaven. The restaurant serves up the heat in its fiery papaya salad or waterfall pork, and family-style dishes include whole fried fish. It’s a great spot to check out after a live show, too—they’re open until 1:45 a.m. every night. Insider tip: Grab a cocktail at Whisler’s, the adjoining bar (the tropical Singapore Sling or Thai-inspired Way of the Dragon are some all-time favorites).

With a deep beer list that will quench the thirst of any parched Texan, the Barley Swine is a foodie nirvana with upscale takes on American classics. Whether serving up a glazed pork chop or a parfait garnished with edible flowers, the chefs at Barley Swine insist on using the best ingredients available from local farmers for each season. With high-end versions of red snapper, mackerel and crab custard, this Austin favorite will earn the approval of any seafood lover. Insider tip: Leave the decision making to the chefs—they know what they’re doing. The multi course tasting menu is an ever-evolving hit.

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Austin could very well be the nation’s food truck capital. Slinging barbecue, tacos, Indian and all sorts of culinary fusions, these mobile restaurants continue to earn rave reviews from foodies, cooking magazines, and hungry stomachs from across the country. By going online and mapping out where the trucks are gathered each day, a visitor could easily a-la-carte their way through a whole Austin vacation and inspire envy back home. Insider tip: For authentic Tex-Mex tacos and handmade tortillas, the best contender is Veracruz All Natural.

Austin a world-class city, but it’s surrounded by one of the best wine regions in the country. With rolling hills and dense forests, it offers a completely different experience from the famed coastal meccas of California—absolutely worth the exploration. Insider tip: Wine Road 290 stretches 30 miles. With more than 15 wineries and tasting rooms, it’s an excellent primer to what Texan wines are all about.

What to Do

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