joygerm

Our trio (DH, myself and 19 month old DD) hit I-35 (from Fort Worth) on Wednesday for a fun-filled couple of days in Austin. We timed it just right and were able to stop in Waco and take my sister out to dinner at George's for her birthday. We checked into our hotel late Wednesday night with high hopes for a good night sleep. Sometimes sleep can be elusive for the little miss when we're in a new place, but this time I brought the clock from her room that plays white noise and thankfully she (and by default her parents) slept like a log!

Thursday morning we got up and enjoyed our complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast (shameless Embassy Suites plug) and then walked around the flagship Whole Foods (holy cow - we could have spent hours there)on Lamar for a bit before it was time to meet up with our friends for a pre-wedding lunch at PF Changs. After lunch the baby and I headed back to the hotel so she could nap while DH went out to the wedding site to help setup. After he came back and changed clothes we all headed out to Chapel Dulcinea for the wedding and reception.

Friday morning our first stop of the day was the Austin Children's Museum. It is a nice little hands on museum and DD had a great time making tamales, milking cows, driving trains and being a line-cook at the diner among other things. We enjoyed lunch at Enoteca Vespaio (great food & kid friendly) and then walked across the street for a treat at Hey Cupcake! Naptime for the little one meant movie time for Mama & Daddy (my pick: "The Reader", his pick: "Seven Pounds", the compromise: "W"). After the babe woke up we drove out to Lake Travis and played for a bit being having a mediocre dinner, but spectacular sunset at the Oasis. And since we were on vacay we opted for ice cream at Amy's post-dinner (what can I say...I know,I know, cupcakes & ice cream in the same day = bad, bad, bad).

Would you believe el nina slept until 9:00 on Saturday! After checking out of the hotel we drove out to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. We were there at the front end of their peak season, but even so it was beautiful! I'm sure in a couple of weeks it will be even more so. You know I love planning trips, but in this stage of our lives I really love going places that appeal to all 3 of us and this was a perfect choice. We have a tradition of buying a Christmas ornament whenever we go on vacation as well as a book, but I wasn't sure how available ornaments would be in March. Luckily the staff had some bluebonnet ornaments in the back that were still marked down from Christmas. After leaving the wildflower center we drove back downtown so that DH could get his BBQ fix at Iron Works (mildly disappointing) before hitting the highway for home. Imagine our surprise coming home to a frost advisory!

All in all, it was a wonderful trip...equal parts new sites and relaxation. We've found that trips are more enjoyable at this point in our life if we move at a slower pace and allow for downtime and naptime so while we didn't see/do a whole lot, what we did do was great fun! Traveling is something that DH & I are both passionate about and we look forward to showing our little one the world...a little bit at a time.

kkukura

I plan to go to the Wildlife Center next weekend so maybe the flowers will be even more beautiful! I also enjoy going to the Central Market in Austin and grabbing a bite to eat for lunch or dinner! My children are in their teens now but I can still relate to planning activities that are geared to both adults and kids! It does make the pace slower, but sometimes that makes it even more enjoyable. Thanks for sharing.

longhorn55

Sounds like a really nice trip! I can remember taking my kids to the Children's Musuem in Austin when they were young and how much we all enjoyed it. I don't know if they still have the pretend grocery store, but that was a favorite. (I wouldn't have minded playing there too!)

Kwarren

If you ever repeat your trip, I suggest heading out to the Salt Lick for BBQ after the Wildflower Center. It's over in Driftwood and is shorter hop from the Wildflower Center than if you were in downtown Austin (which is a 50 minute drive.) The BBQ is amazing and the story of the restaurant is great (the stone building - from the 1920's I think - was built by hand by the couple who founded the place.) It's BYOB. And get the peach cobbler. I have friends from California who have the cobbler shipped to them from the restaurant. There is Salt Lick in Austin now, but it doesn't compare to driving out to the country, sipping cold beer under giant Oak trees and waiting for your table to be ready.

siena1

I know you posted this a few months ago, but I just found your trip report as I was researching an Austin roadtrip. We'll be travelling with our 2 year old, so I found your post very helpful. Thanks!