As the weather warms up, we invite you to enjoy four days of springtime fun in Austin with Vacations by Marriott. From Lady Bird Lake to the State Capitol Building, there’s plenty to do to fill up your time. So grab your bags and your cowboy boots and meet us deep in the heart of Texas.
Day One: It’s nearly Noon local time when you hit the ground at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. You gather your things and grab a taxi for a short ride into the heart of the city and the spectacular JW Marriott Austin. The location here is ideal, and after checking in you make your way just outside to the Burger Bar – one of the best walk-up burger options in town. With lunch out of the way, you head back up to the rooftop pool deck, which offers great views, cool water and tasty beverages. It’s a nice way to relax a bit this afternoon, and as the sun begins to set you hop aboard a Capital Cruises boat for a uniquely Austin experience. The Congress Avenue Bridge is home to the largest urban bat colony in the world, and each spring and summer evening they fly from under the bridge around dark in a pretty amazing wildlife spectacle that can draw thousands of onlookers. Four days of fun in Austin is well underway!
Day Two: After a leisurely morning, you’ve decided to join a small group in exploring downtown Austin by Segway. It takes just a few minutes to master the basics of the Segway, and soon you’re cruising in style on Congress Avenue toward the Texas State Capitol Building (which you plan to visit later in the week), the historic Driskell Hotel, and the Bob Bullock Museum, which features ever-evolving collections of artifacts, rare documents, photographs, and special exhibits designed to share the state history of Texas with visitors. Back at the JW Marriott, you hang out for a while at The Corner, which offers Chicken Tinga with avocado and queso fresco – perfect fuel for your evening on Sixth Street, which features the largest concentration of live music venues in this, the Live Music Capital of the World. It’s an amazing way to complete your first full day in Austin. You’ll sleep well tonight.
Day Three: It was a late one last night, but you’re excited to explore some more today. Your destination: Lady Bird Lake, where locals gather daily when it’s warm to enjoy the great outdoors. You visit the Rowing Dock, which offers standup paddle boards that provide a great workout and nice perspective on the scenery. The water is flat here, making it easy to balance on the big board as you paddle slowly along the shoreline. Once the rentals are returned, you cool off and fuel back up with some smoothies at nearby JuiceLand. Inspired, you then rent a couple of bikes and are soon rolling along the Lady Bird Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail. The 10 miles of trails enable you to leisurely explore the area and snap some pictures, which you’ll upload to Instagram this evening over a Happy Hour beer over on Rainey Street, where once-residential bungalows have been transformed into unique restaurants, pubs, bars and nightclubs.
Day Four: You’ll be heading back home later in the afternoon, but before you leave for the airport, you pay a visit to the Texas State Capitol – which is free and number one on TripAdvisor’s list of things to do in Austin. The building maintains a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, and its huge dome – which reaches 15 feet higher than the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC – can be seen from blocks away as you walk up Congress Avenue from the hotel. The Capitol is generally regarded as the largest and one of the most spectacular of all state capitols, with 19th century architecture that features extraordinary stonework and elaborate limestone. As they say, everything’s bigger in Texas, and the expansive grounds provide visitors with more than just government history by telling “a true Texas story.” Which is exactly what you came to Austin to experience. This springtime trip has been all you expected and more.