travel guide – The Sol Compass

My Seaport

Welcome back everyone! Today I’m kicking off the first official segment of my My Boston series by sharing some of my favorite Seaport and Fort Point haunts. My goal with these neighborhood guides is to facilitate any travels you may have in Boston. Want to go to the ICA? Now you’ll know where to grab dim sum after. Interested in checking out Harpoon Brewery? I can suggest the perfect place to walk off those IPAs. The best part about this new neighborhood is its newness. Everything is just being built and new places are still opening, so I always find something new here.

Where To Stay.

The Envoy Hotel. There are plenty of options in the Seaport District (such as the aptly named Seaport Hotel), but my only recommendation is Marriott’s Autograph Collection. It’s bold and yet easy going. Rooted in the sea yet lifted up by urban development. Outlook Kitchen and Bar provides modern food in a fun atmosphere with a world class waitstaff, and Lookout Rooftop Bar has some of the best views of the city. Staying in the winter doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your view, though, as Lookout just recently put in these awesome igloos to keep you toasty and warm as you sip on your cocktails and admire the views.

Things To Do.

Craft beer fans rejoice as the Seaport was pretty much made for you. Since Sam Adams was kicked out of the craft beer category, Harpoon has taken over as the biggest craft brewery in New England. The Boston outpost (there’s also one in Vermont) is located right on the water at the far end of the Seaport. They’re best known locally for their big outdoor festivals for Oktoberfest, Saint Patrick’s Day, and Harpoonfest. If you aren’t traveling around those times, you can settle for an impressive brewery tour or drafts and pretzels in their big German-style beer hall and take in some impressive views.

Trillium is Harpoon’s cooler younger sibling in the Seaport. Named #3 on the World’s Top 100 Breweries, this family owned brewery is increasingly harder to find in your local packie these days, which means it is definitely worth a stop at their Fort Point Retail Shop.

If art OR architecture is your jam, you can’t miss the Institute of Contemporary Art. It’s arguably more famous for its sharp glass theater that hangs over the harbor than its art, but we love going for First Fridays, 21+ themed parties that happen on the First Friday of the month (don’t forget to purchase tickets ahead of time!).

Harborwalk travels along the length of the Boston Harbor, passing by many of the big attractions. You can hop on and off the walk as you please and stop in some of the main attractions in the Seaport, including the ICA and Boston Children’s Museum.

If you are a fan of comedy, you should definitely check out Laugh Boston, the comedy club at the Westin. Music fans should check out Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, an outdoor amphitheater on the water.

Places To Eat.

There is no shortage of places to eat in the Seaport. There’s even two outposts of Legal Sea Food for crying out loud (Legal Harborside and Legal Test Kitchen). The flagship location is by far my favorite if you’re looking for a chain, but the LTK is a great option if you’re a fan of the brand looking to expand your options. I have three celiac family members and my mom doesn’t eat seafood while my dad exclusively eats seafood, but we can all eat pleasantly (dare I say enjoyably) at Legal, so it is definitely worth noting if you have a family with a wide variety of dietary restrictions! The flagship location has outdoor seating and a killer rooftop bar.

Flour, a local chain with a few locations throughout the city, Flour is best known for their fresh pastries and delicious sandwiches. They also have a good amount of gluten free options!

Blue Dragon. Ming Tsai, of Blue Ginger fame, recently opened this Asian gastropub on A Street. It’s much more affordable than its sister restaurant, and great for snacks or Dim Sum. The only problem is their weekend hours are frustrating at best, so make sure to check their hours before you head over!

Row 34. More than just a raw bar (although the raw menu certainly doesn’t disappoint), Row 34 expands into burgers, pancakes, and more in this always bustling location. The interior is charming, and the patio is well shaded during the hot summer months. As you can see from the pictures below, I thoroughly enjoy the mini lobster tacos.

Committee. Possibly my number one choice for dining in the Seaport, Committee has a trendy and global vibe to their Mediterranean Meze serving hotspot. It’s nearly always busy by 5:30 when the bustling young professionals have broken free of the air-conditioned cubicles, and B and I absolutely love it here. The meze style menu allows us to share many small plates, and thus get to experience more of the delicious flavors. If you are looking for a hotspot vibe, stay inside and hover around the bar (assuming you can get close enough to it). If you’re looking for a quieter more conversational atmosphere, take it out to the patio!

For healthy chains in the Seaport, you have byChloe and sweetgreen, for anyone seeking comfort food there is also a Shake Shack and a Ben & Jerry’s. Pictured below is byChloe!

I hope this helps on your Seaport adventures! Let me know what your favorite stops are in the comments below!

xo, C
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Nashville

Welcome back friends, happy Friday! Today’s post is a full recap of my trip to Nashville, This post will be broken up by neighborhood, including what we did and ate in each area. As usual, I won’t include any of the things or places I didn’t enjoy on this review and will only talk about the places I would recommend to everyone! Michaela has celiac and eating out on vacation can be frustrating for her, so I included her reviews in italics!

Downtown.

Play: Broadway’s “claim to fame” is a string of honky-tonk’s playing live music at all hours of the day. It’s really strange for a couple of Bostonians to see people drinking in a dark bar with live music at 11AM, but alas, ’tis the Broadway way.

Downtown Nashville is rapidly expanding, a fact you can see for yourself from the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. It’s a beautiful view of the skyline and gives you a great idea of how quickly the city is expanding based on just how many buildings are under construction at one time!

A lot of the mainstream attractions are also located in this area, which makes this Music City Total Access Pass worth the price. We used it to visit the Johnny Cash Museum, Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Sports Museum, and Frist Center for the Visual Arts all in Downtown (plus Belle Meade and the Parthenon) for $75. It’s a great value if you plan on going to six of the attractions (with the added benefit of not having to worry about purchasing the tickets at each entrance), and there are even more attractions Downtown if you don’t want to leave the area.

The Tennessee Sports Museum, inside the Bridgestone Arena, might be something you wouldn’t think twice about if admission wasn’t included in your ticket price! If you’re a college sports fan I would especially recommend it, as Tennessee has a remarkably deep history of college sports. I would say it’s worth the price of admission just to see the Pat Summit exhibit – even as a UConn fan I am continuously blown away by her greatness on and off the basketball court.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum was actually much larger and in depth than I anticipated it being. It often is mentioned as a “can’t miss”, and I probably enjoyed the Bob Dylan x Johnny Cash exhibit the most, though we definitely didn’t read everything in there.

As a big Johnny Cash fan, I really enjoyed that museum. It covered so much more than just his musical success, going into his personal relationships and humanitarian efforts as well.

The last museum we visited was the Frist Center. Located in the beautiful old post office building, the architecture and design of the Frist is a work of art itself. The gentleman who greeted us was so helpful and knowledgable, that we got off to a really great start. They had three galleries, all of which were comprehensive collections centered around one ideal. The first, Buddhist Art, was of great interest to me and they had the most beautiful Mandala on display, complete with a video of the Monks creating it at the museum! The Irving Penn gallery was of obvious interest to a fashion blogger, and the Claire Morgan exhibit was unbelievably powerful. All three exhibits we saw are ending at some point in May, so it’s really great to know you never see the same museum twice!

Eat. As possibly the least likely person on the planet to walk into a Honky-Tonk, Michaela and I discovered (sought out) the two most amazing restaurants on Broadway. The first, Merchants, had a great covered patio for lunch where we enjoyed some people watching, salads, and sandwiches. The interior is really amazing though, and they have more casual bistro dining on the first floor and an elegant dining room up on the second.

M: The black and white downstairs bistro was bustling with waiters, waitresses and bartenders in white button ups and black bow ties. The place was packed with locals and tourists alike searching for a delicious meal in the chic digs. We sat outside under some cafe lights, hearing the live music coming from the surrounding Broadway bars. They brought us a small tin of seasoned popcorn to snack on; a great placeholder until my chicken Caesar salad came. Pretty good for a salad, but overall, the experience of the restaurant was what made it onto the list.

Acme Feed & Seed is another multi level restaurants with specifically themed floors. It has a gorgeous rooftop with views of the river and down Broadway. The only food we got was chips and salsa trio, but I’ve read online that the meals are really good too! Michaela was able to eat the chips, which is always a huge plus. We went for Happy Hour (on a Monday) and it was like the Hunger Games trying to get a table on the rooftop!

The Gulch. The Gulch is the current trendiest spot in Nashville, and for good reason. It’s the location of the famous Nashville murals (including What Lifts You) and some amazing food and nightlife spots.

Eat.

Burger Republic. Burger Republic is sort of an upscale burger joint, but it is totally worth it. If you’re looking for a comfort meal while traveling with a bit of the local scene, I would highly recommend trying it out. We sat out on the patio (if only we could have as long a patio season as Nashville does!) and met up with a friend who lives down in Tennessee, who vouched for Burger Republic and pointed us in the direction of 12South (she obviously has great taste).

M: I don’t think I need to say anything other than burgers, kettle chips, and shakes here. But in case you need more convincing, they have gluten free buns and a ton of burger options!

Biscuit Love. Michaela kindly put up with me as we waited in line for Biscuit Love. They have some gluten free options if you choose to eat there, but no biscuits. Southern Biscuits were high on my list of things to try while down in Tennessee, so I went in for the bonuts (biscuit donut hybrids!) and got them to go (their staff is incredibly helpful and accommodating!) They were so amazingly delicious I only wish I had someone to share them with! (Sorry M).

Barista Parlor. I wish this place was in Massachusetts because they take coffee to a whole new level. If you have any interest in brewed coffee as an art form, this is definitely a place to go. They had about six different roasts, available hot or iced, and cold brewed or pour over. As a coffee aficionado, this was like heaven. I went with a daredevil and it was gone far too soon. The location is equally amazing, in an open and airy garage, filled with long tables and natural light. I also love the coffee bar in the center of the room, and the lack of big tacky menu boards. 10/10 would recommend.

Thompson Hotel. If you’re going to Nashville, stay at the Thompson Hotel. That’s it. Walking up to the hotel, we instantly wish we had stayed here. The Gulch is a great neighborhood to be in, it’s an easy walk to Downtown, the staff is all BEYOND incredible, and they have the most amazing spot…

LA Jackson. This breathtaking rooftop bar is located at the Thompson Hotel. It has a beautiful view of the city, a solid drink selection, celeb sightings, and thoughtful interior decor. The service of every person at the hotel from the doormen to the bartenders is so thoughtful and touching, it made our trip so delightful. Such a small thing, but it really impressed us. 11/10 would recommend.

Saint Anejo. M: I’m a big fan of Mexican food. Always have been, always will be. In fact, I’m genuinely worried that I will never find someone who makes me as happy as tacos do. I love them that much. So trust me when I say that the chicken tacos from Saint Anejo are better than any boy I’ve ever met. We split the tray of 5 tacos and devoured an entire basket of chips and salsa. The food is tremendously flavorful, and the décor is chic and moody, with wooden tables, red accents, and cafe lights strung across the entire open air restaurant. Also, everything was gluten free here and they were very helpful and willing to accommodate allergies!

Juice Bar. M: Delicious smoothies. Quick and easy and a good option for when you’ve eaten so much all week and you don’t want to stuff breakfast down your throat.

12South. Possibly one of the hottest spots in Nashville right now, 12South is home to chic restaurants, local boutiques, and some more fun murals!

Eat.

The Frothy Monkey has several locations throughout Tennessee, including one in Downtown Nashville, but I chose to talk about the 12South location because it’s the original. Each location has its own vibe and charm – I wish there was one near me because I would be there working on my laptop and sipping on cold brew for days.

M: Personally, I was looking for some comfort food. I got a grilled cheese on gluten free bread (actually good bread-not cardboard gf bread) and it was served with some corn chips and salsa. It was delicious and just what I needed. We also went back the next morning for their gfree chocolate chip muffins which were surprisingly delicious and airy.

Jeni’s Ice Cream. High quality ingredients, unique flavors, in an artisan ice cream shop makes Jeni’s a win for me on all fronts. A small cone comes with two flavors, so I tried the Brambleberry Crisp and the Osmanthus & Blackberry Crackle – they were so good! I also really wanted to try the churro and black cat espresso flavors!

bartaco. M: A perfect gluten-free find in 12South, bartaco is a beachy and open air haven. I couldn’t have been happier. The relaxed atmosphere is filled with a happy and helpful staff who spend the day bustling around cranking out delicious food. We got the lunch trays; three tacos and a chopped salad or soup for only $10. We also got a large order of guac to start and it was delicious. Possibly my favorite meal of the trip!

Play.

Draper James. Reese Witherspoon’s store is nothing short of darling (what else would you expect). In addition to beautiful clothes and accessories, they have helpful employees who offer you a sweet tea when you enter. Score!

Past Draper James are even more amazing shops, from Imogene + Willie to Emerson Grace, all filled with expertly curated styles.

Midtown. Surrounding Vanderbilt is the Midtown area, including the beautiful Centennial Park. They have lots of chains in one strip, including a Moe’s and a Starbucks, but also a lot of Southern restaurants and a few local dive bars that we didn’t get to try.

Play: The Parthenon. The story behind the Parthenon is really cool, and the Centennial Park surrounding it is absolutely beautiful. It’s included in the Music City Access Pass, but even if you decide not to purchase the pass, admission is only $6. Michaela and I rented bikes from the B-Cycle station outside our hotel (I talked more about it in this post) and rode down to the park, where we dropped them off at one of the stations there!

Also inside Centennial Park, besides beautiful landscaping work and some peaceful benches, is a Women’s Suffrage monument, which is an amazing bonus to learn about how Tennessee became the “Perfect 36”, the final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment.

Eat: One of my favorite chain restaurants in the world is J.Alexander’s. The first time I ever tried one was actually this location between Vanderbilt and Centennial Park when I was visiting Nashville with my mom in high school (we also visited two in Florida on subsequent family vacations). My personal strategy is to get the drool worthy Spinach Con Queso for the table, and then follow up with an equally amazing salad. Balance in all things, my friends.

You can view more in detail about our trips to the Parthenon here and Belle Meade here.

Hope you all enjoyed hearing about our trip to Nashville! It’s amazing how fast the city is growing and expanding, but it makes a perfect short trip from New England!

xo, C

San Antonio

Welcome back. Today is the last installment of my Texas trip guides (you can view Austin here and my nightlife guide here). Since it’s only about an hour’s drive from Austin, we decided to spend a day in San Antonio, ending it with a Spurs game at the AT&T center. We had a late night the day before, so we took our time getting up and out of the hotel and got to San Antonio by late morning. We decided to spend the day downtown, which allowed us access to all of San Antonio’s highlight attractions. The list of other attractions we didn’t have time to get out to included the Botanical Garden and McNay Art Museum.

Most of our day was spent on the River Walk, a beautiful Texan Treasure. As our first full vacation day, we alternated between walking along the river and watching other people do so from the comfort of a bench; catching up on life and talking leisurely in the lush oasis. The River Walk seemed to me like the reverse High Line. But instead of being elevated above the city you’re sunk in below it, hidden and protected by the overwhelming greenery in a serene kind of paradise. From the midday warmth to the romantic evening under twinkling cafe lights, the River Walk shines at all parts of the day.

Nearby is the Shops at Rivercenter, where we stopped twice for a coffee and ice cream cone. There was an abundance of chain shops at restaurants alike, but we stopped at the Marble Slab Creamery and enjoyed it by the center’s San Antonio River front.

No trip to San Antonio would really be complete without a trip to the Alamo. The history and evolution of this landmark is particularly fascinating, but the grounds are beautifully landscaped and full of palms and succulents providing some shade from the warm Texas sun. (We also spent plenty of time on a park bench chatting inside the grounds here, too).

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

xo, C

Vacation Nightlife

Hey guys! Part two of my vacation round up here. Today I’m talking about my favorite ways to spend evenings on vacation. As someone who isn’t really about the nightlife scene and would rather find a killer restaurant than a hot new club, I feel the pain and pressure of finding things to do at night during vacation and that self-inflicted disappointment that maybe you’re going back to your hotel too early or you haven’t done enough yet.

As my best friend and number one travel companion, Jenn and I have a pretty good idea of what we want to spend our evenings doing. When we’re in Boston, you can usually find us at a concert or sporting event, finding a place with deliciously close proximity to eat at beforehand (or find cheesecake at after, whatever). So whatever corner of the country we’re zigzagging off to, we tend to follow similar patterns on vacation.

I think experiencing the sports culture of other areas in an underrated aspect of traveling. In LA I was mesmerized by the Staples Center and how theatrical the whole experience was (how apropos, Hollywood) and equally shocked that it was still half empty at tipoff-something that would never happen in Boston! In Texas, we ended up at the San Antonio Spurs game and had a blast exploring their new stadium and witnessing the way fans enjoy a game down south.

As the live music capital of the world, I knew I definitely wanted to see a concert while we were there. Going back and forth between small venues and mainstream acts, it became clear to me that I definitely wanted to see something at the Moody Theater. Seeing such a culturally significant theater such as the one ACL Live is filmed at seemed like a good way to spend an evening in Austin, but I couldn’t have imagined how much I would love it! I have a tendency to geek out over the strangest and weirdest things, like being outside, but the Moody Theater really hit the nail on the head with me. The sound quality is superb and from what I could tell every single seat in the house had fantastic sight lines to the stage. The open air foyer was perfect for a beautiful Austin evening, and the outdoor stairs provided fantastic views down 2nd Street. To call this “Music’s Best Address” is the best, most accurate statement of my concert attending days.

Since we live in the Information Age, there are a ton of online resources available that I’ve found helpful when planning trips, or even when I’m at home looking for something to do. I frequently use the Boston.com events calendar at home, and I get the BosTen Newsletter delivered to my inbox every Thursday with ten things going on in the city that weekend. When I was trying to find concerts in Austin I used Austin360, which is how I found out my Uncle Greg had a concert scheduled for one of the days I was in Austin (crazy). It’s also how I found out about The Lantern Fest, which was an incredible real life Tangled moment. If you have the opportunity to go to one next year I highly recommend it.

Our first day in Texas, we wanted to make sure we had something to do so we didn’t let jet lag tempt us into staying at the hotel all night. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema kept coming up while doing research, so we decided to give the Texas chain a try. Luckily the Ritz location was having a Rocky Horror Picture Show party (the same night as the TV special), and as an avid Rocky Horror fan I knew that would be a good option. This movie theatre absolutely blew me away. I wish there was one closer than New York City to me, because I would be there all.the.time. Serving everything from pizza and beer to big bowls of popcorn to warm chocolate chip cookies, this really takes movie going to a whole new level. 10/10 would recommend. As an added bonus, this particular location is right on Sixth Street. At midnight when the movie got out we walked out to a bustling street of nightlife. In lieu of cars, it was filled with people walking down the middle street going in and out of the seemingly endless bars. Walking back to the car we were offered free shots at least twice I believe from different venues (Thirsty Thursday is alive and well in Austin). Knowing that we would never have gone in search of the traditional nightlife scene, it was fun to get to experience it as a happy accident post movie!

Make sure you stop by tomorrow for a recap of San Antonio! See you then!

xo, C

Austin

Welcome back friends! I hope you all had an amazing weekend. Today I’m finally getting around to sharing my Austin trip. My best friend and I went down to celebrate our six year friendiversary (the significance of six years is thanks to this Lady Gaga song we had on repeat in our college dorm back in the day). It took a bit longer to assemble this one than my Providence and Philadelphia guides so please forgive me for jumping out of order!

Where To Stay: Hotel San Jose. Tucked away off of South Congress hidden inside a lush garden oasis is a courtyard of bungalow style hotel rooms. They really feel like a ‘home away from home’ as locals swing by for happy hour and a courtyard brunch, or as you walk right out the door and onto the street of one of Austin’s most vibrant neighborhoods.

Also on South Congress is the aptly named South Congress Hotel. A trendy hotel with minimalist rooms, prime location, and a rooftop pool; it’s also home to the cutest little spot, Café No Sé.

Where To Eat: The food scene in Austin is absolute heaven. I honestly wish I had more than three meals a day just so I could have had an opportunity to try more of the places on my list.

The first group up is the chains. In-N-Out, Whataburger, and Mooyah are bountiful in Texas and in my opinion you absolutely cannot go wrong with a burger at any time of day, but especially as a late night option. The real rockstar in my book was Torchy’s Tacos. Damn Good tacos, as they “warn”, for a price so reasonable I think my jaw legitimately dropped the first time I went to hand a cashier my credit card. Also their guac is subtly spicy in a way I have never experienced out here on the East Coast. All this in a fast casual joint? 10/10 would recommend.

You cannot go to Texas and not get barbecue. That’s just sacrilegious. The first place on your list should be Rudy’s. Apparently people line up at crazy hours to get a bite of Franklin’s, but if that’s not your scene I guarantee Rudy’s will not disappoint you. A charming country store, Rudy’s gave us the biggest and most Texan welcome. After hearing we were first time customers, they started whipping up a batch of their most popular items as samples for their “friends from Boston”. Seriously the kindness and hospitality just absolutely floored me. Also it’s fantastic to be able to try a bit of everything before you make your move. Every piece of meat was more delicious than the last, but you absolutely cannot leave without trying the creamed corn or the spicy pinto beans! (Pro tip: grab some barbecue sandwiches from Rudy’s and take them with you on a “hike” (slighly elevated stroll) up Mount Bonnell and enjoy your barbecue with a view)! An added bonus: everything here is super affordable, so you definitely won’t feel bad about going back a second (or third) time.

Another barbecue option I would definitely recommend (though it is a bit pricier than Rudy’s) is Salt Lick. We tried this one in the Austin Bergstrom Airport, which was a bittersweet way to say farewell to Texas, with one last barbecue sandwich for the road.

The 2nd Street District in Austin is bursting with life. Downtown Austin combines the best of weird Austin with Texas hospitality. You could easily spend a day here popping in and out of all the different shops and restaurants. We visited La Condesa for some modern Mexican, and were able to sit outside under twinkling cafe lights comfortable in the upper 70 degree weather, and it was absolutely perfect. La Condesa is one of those places that instantly snatches up real estate in my heart with their interior design, from succulents and long wooden tables to bright colorful accents and crisp white chairs. Add in an al fresco patio and you already have a winner in my book, but it’s worth noting that the food is actually quite delicious also ;). We also stopped by La Condesa’s neighbor, Numero28, and were equally impressed. We had a beautiful lunch spot out on the patio, paired with a delicious panini made on pizza dough and a fresh Italian salad. I was pretty shocked to find such authentic Italian in the middle of the United States, but Numero28 really impressed me. The staff is incredibly passionate about their menu, and can go in-depth on everything from the pizza dough practices to the extensive wine list. One of our dining neighbors was really giving the server a run for his money with outlandish wine questions, but he volleyed them all with ease, relying on the depth of his knowledge. I was quite impressed!

The Oasis is a place you really shouldn’t miss if you are looking for something with that ‘wow’ factor on your trip. I cannot lie to you guys and say the food was anything more than mediocre because it wasn’t, but the views definitely make up for it. The Oasis property includes a brewery and sprawling restaurant, complete with three levels of decks overlooking the sunset on Lake Travis. I specify sunset because the Oasis is known as the sunset capital of Texas, and on this front they definitely do not disappoint. They don’t take reservations, so I would recommend getting there 45-60 minutes before sunset. You’ll probably still face a wait, but you’ll get to watch the sunset throughout your meal which will be well worth it! I probably could have gone around the grounds with a DSLR taking photos and be totally content, but here are the ones I managed to snag with my iPhone over dinner!

Another place of interest to me that might benefit my fellow Bostonians out there is B.D. Riley’s. This Irish Pub on Sixth Street is the official Patriots fan club of Austin and home to our fellow Pats fans! Jenn and I stopped in Sunday afternoon to catch the Patriots game and this place was absolutely packed with Patriots fans decked out in their jerseys for game day. It was so cool finding the home where so many New England fans gathered and connected with each other over our beloved Brady!

Opt Outside. There is no shortage of outside activities in Austin. The aforementioned Mount Bonnell is a great activity, albeit a short one, and may be out of the way if you’re staying downtown and not planning on venturing to the northwest part of the city.

We took a beautiful walk along the new Boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake and took in all the beauty of nature and the unobstructed views of downtown Austin. The boardwalk was a great home for everyone to coexist, runners and bikers exercised, moms pushed strollers, and Jenn and I strolled leisurely chatting about the 40 degree weather we were returning to back home! We also went to Zilker Metropolitan Park, home of Austin City Limits music festival.

The Domain is a sprawling outdoor mall that I would probably spend too much time (and money) at if I lived in Austin! Being able to shop outside in beautiful warm and sunny weather is something I will sorely miss over the New England winters. There is no shortage of restaurants with outdoor patios to dine at, and there is definitely a store for everyone!

South Congress was one of my favorite parts of Texas. I loved the feeling that I had traveled back in time as soon as we crossed over Lady Bird Lake. Everything from a cowboy boot shop to a Warby Parker store can be found here. The flagship Torchy’s Tacos takes up an entire block and looks like Radiator Springs (a fictitious town off Route 66 in Disney’s Cars). The Austin Motel actually has a drive up check in spot and red and white striped umbrellas like something straight out of the 1960s (I actually have zero idea if this is even close to being historically correct, but that’s the vibe I got. Please correct me if I’m mistaken)! We walked up and down this street checking out the cafes and food trucks, window shopping antiques and Kendra Scott jewelry. The character of this eclectic little street just tugged at my heart strings and I wanted to do all of my Saturday shopping there every week! South Congress is also home to the popular Continental Club, and its sister bar the Continental Club Gallery, which are among the many reasons I recommend staying at one of the charming hotels on South Congress!

The Texas State Capital is nothing short of impressive. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and the pink Renaissance building is like nothing else.

Tomorrow I’ll be sharing what we did for nightlife in Texas, and some of my travel suggestions for planning evening activities, so make sure you swing by for round two!

xo, C