It’s been 3 years since I and the kids boarded an airplane! My kids are 2 and 5 years old. We chose Austin for our winter getaway from the cold rainy Seattle, just to get some sun and warmth. We didn’t know much about Austin but I did make a list of over 20 things to do with kids and restaurants worth checking out. We left end of Jan and came back mid-Feb, and we experienced all kinds of weather in Austin in two weeks: from breezy spring to warm summer, from winter storm to windy autumn. Our summary about Austin (in comparison to Seattle mostly): first and foremost, the kids love it! Very family-friendly. Lots of parks and hiking trails, and not crowded at ll. Fun indoor kids museum. Very yummy food, especially tacos. Places are very accessible with wide highways everywhere. Easy and cheap to park. Outdoor pools everywhere, though most of them are closed during winter. We didn’t know that Jan and Feb were the winter season for Austin and some places and activities were closed. Things seem to open up from March. So it would be even more fun for other months, though I heard that summer is really hot. So, here is our day to day itinerary for reference, with our ratings and tips. Sat 1/29: about 4 hours flight. Kids did great on the plane, especially the little one who was having his first ever flight. He kept asking: “Where is the airplane?” While sitting right on it! Upon arrival, we picked up our rental car, checked in the Airbnb house, and ordered food which was ok. We lived in the southwest of Austin, around the West Gate Boulevard area. We liked the area. Sun 1/30: sunny and warm. In the morning we drove to the nearby Barton Creek Greenbelt for a hike. Rocky trail with shallow creek. The kids hiked well till the Twin Falls and played in the water there. Lunch at Torchy’s Tacos. 4.5 out of 5. In the afternoon we went to the big Butler Park by downtown. Kids had a blast in the playground there. Liz Carpenter Fountain with lights at dusk was super fun. 5 out of 5. Dinner at Qi Dim Sum Chinese restaurant. It was Lunar New Year, and for sure we didn’t get a table without reservation. So ordered onsite for pick up. Pricy and ok taste. 3 out of 5. Monday 1/31: Rainy and chilly. In the morning, we went for bowling at Westgate Lane right across the street from us. It’s the kids’ first time and they had lots of fun. The little brother was just satisfied in passing the balls to his sister. 4 out of 5. Lunch: we came back home and made some pasta and veggies. In the afternoon, we went to Austin Nature and Science Center. It was very nice and free, with almost no other visitors. It has both indoor and outdoor areas. 5 out of 5. Dinner: Tacodeli. 4 out of 5. Tuesday 2/1: Overcast but warm. In the morning, we went to Lady Bird Lake Playground. The trail by the lake is very nice. I imagine it would be great to jog along the lake but I didn’t get any chance during our stay there. The playground was ok. 3.5 out of 5. Lunch: Veracruz All Natural Taco and Drinks on Webberville Road. Great food, drinks and outdoor seating. 5 out of 5. In the afternoon: drove out to Bee Cave Sculpture Park. It was much smaller than I thought, but was still nice with fun sculptures and no tourists. The kids had fun there. 3.5 out of 5. Dinner: home heated Costco food. Wednesday 2/2: Overcast and rainy. In the morning we went to Lady Bird Wildflower Center. A bit pricy for a group and one time visit. If you plan to go there twice and have a group of more than 4 people, it would be more reasonable just to purchase a yearly membership. And even without any wildflowers due to the season, it’s still super fun for the kids. 4.5 out of 5. Lunch: Taco Brother food truck, 3 out of 5. We actually wanted to order from the Thai food truck next to it but it was closed on that day. In the afternoon my husband had a break from work and took our 5yo to the Altitude Trampoline Park nearby. They loved it. 4 out of 5. Dinner: home made pasta and veggies. Thursday 2/3: Freezing cold, snow, winter storm. In the morning we walked to the bowling place. It was just 5 minutes walk but the kids were almost frozen to tears. And worst of all, the bowling place was closed. Almost everything was closed actually on that day. So we just spent whole day at the house. Very bored and hard with two little kids. Friday 2/4: still freezing cold, still most things closed. Spent the morning in the house. In the afternoon we ventured outside to Texas Capitol. It was miraculously open and we marveled at the building running up and down inside. 4 out of 5. Then we went to Pease district park which had a great playground and an amazing trampoline thing to bounce. 5 out of 5. Dinner: food at a shopping mall. 2 out of 5. Saturday 2/5: cold but sunny. In the morning we went to Thinkery, a children’s museum and it was fantastic. We were four people and the tickets would cost almost as much as a yearly membership, so we became members and were happy about the decision because the kids could spend days there. Need to reserve before going. 5 out of 5. Lunch: at HEB nearby. 3 out of 5. In the afternoon we went into Thinkery again and then spent some time in the Mueller park just outside Thinkery. It has a cool dragon sculpture and a nice lake with many kinds of water birds. 4 out of 5. Dinner: homemade chicken wings. Sunday 2/6: cold but sunny. In the morning, we went to Dinosaur park. It was a bit of a drive but really fun! Lots of dino installations, nice playgrounds, I spy game along the trail and little Dino installations for kids to climb on. And not many people at all. 4.5 out of 5. Lunch: at home. In the afternoon we drove to Mt Bonnell for the famous birds view of Austin along the lake. It was great. Pretty busy on weekends though. It should be more stunning around sunset. Free. 5 out of 5. Then we went to the nearby Mayfield park which had lots of free-roaming peacocks and good kids-friendly hiking trails. And it’s free. 5 out of 5. Dinner: Torchy’s again. 4 out of 5. Monday 2/7: warm and sunny. In the morning we went to a little park called Goat Cave and explored the two little caves there. The big one, Goat Cave, was only accessible to researchers. The kids had fun. 3 out of 5. Lunch: homemade pasta. In the afternoon, we went to Westgate Lanes for bowling again, upon the requests of both kids. Then we went for a hike at the nearby Stephenson Preserve. It was a pretty boring hike except for the possible seashell fossils that the kids excitedly found everywhere along the trail. We did read at the Goat Cave park that Austin was covered by sea before. So it was not a bad hike after all. 3 out of 5. Dinner: picked up food that we ordered online from that Thai truck that we meant to try. Banthai Express. 4 out of 5. Tuesday 2/8: warm and sunny. In the morning we went to Thinkery again! Still 5 out of 5. Lunch: homemade food. In the afternoon we went to try the famous Amy’s Ice Cream, it was ok. 3 out of 5. Then we played at Joslin Neighborhood Park. It was fun. 4.5 out of 5. Dinner: homemade food. Wednesday 2/9: warm and sunny. In the morning we went for a hike at Mary Moore Park. The kids enjoyed the playground and the little hike along the creek. It has a disc golf course too. 4 out of 5. Lunch: homemade food. In the afternoon we went to the nearby Garrison Park. It has a mediocre playground. 3 out of 5. Dinner: we finally tried the famous Dee Dee Thai food truck. A short menu but good food. 4 out of 5. Thursday 2/10: warm and sunny. In the morning we went to Circle C Metropolitan Park. It has a great playground, wide but not so fun hiking trails, and a disc golf course. 4 out of 5. Lunch: we tried the Veracruz food truck by Menchaca Road, not as good as the other one we tried. 3 out of 5. In the afternoon we went to the great Butler Park again. Still tons of fun. 5 out of 5. Dinner: we finally made a reservation at Ramen Tatsu-ya but the food was pretty disappointing. Chicken karage was just a few pieces and with overpowering soy sauce taste. Ramen were too oily! We usually finish all the noodles including the soup, but that time I couldn’t even finish the noddles, and it made me feel sick. We all agreed that Seattle has much better Japanese food. 3 out of 5. Friday 2/11: warm and sunny. In the morning we went to Bauerle Ranch Park. It has a tiny playground, nice trails along the creek, an outdoor swimming pool which was closed. 3.5 out of 5. Lunch: homemade food. In the afternoon, we finally got a dip in one of the few open outdoor pools: Barton Springs Pool. It was quite an experience because it’s fed by springs and the bottom was covered by slippery mosses and water grasses. Without a lifejacket, our 5yo didn’t venture far. But the view of the city skylines was breathtaking. And there’s a fantastic playground nearby. So 5 out of 5. Dinner: homemade food. Saturday 2/12: windy and chilly. In the morning, we packed and cleaned up the house. Had an early lunch and headed to the airport around noon. We took one carseat on the airplane so that our 2yo could nap there, and it turned out to be a great decision. He napped 1.5 hours in the carseat which made the 4-hour flight much more pleasant. Our 4yo was just stuck to the screen in front of her during the whole time. I couldn’t complain. Tips:
1. Masks still required in some indoor places, such as Thinkery. 2. Check for request to reserve before heading over to places. 3. Many places closed on Monday and Tuesdays. 4. Check the annual membership fee before purchasing the tickets. 5. Most food trucks only take orders online. 6. Most popular restaurants need reservation beforehand. 7. Always check the opening hours and booking instructions. 8. Always bring an extra set of clothes for the kids. 9. Some authentic experiences such as bat viewing from the boat only opens from March. 10. The amazing outdoor natural swimming holes in parks are only open in summer and take orders to reserve a couple of months earlier. 11. Download the comprehensive Austin guide from https://www.austintexas.org/plan-a-trip/. We didn’t check the famous hill country cities. With a 2yo still napping, we had to return to the house most of the days. Otherwise day trips to hill country would be fun. However, we are pretty happy about what Austin has to offer so we just stayed nearby.
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