Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Trip Report Austin, Texas in February

I want to thank everyone for the advice and recommendations on Austin. Despite suffering through American's flight cancellations and delays, we had a great trip!

We were originally booked for one night at the Omni downtown (DS staying there on business) and two nights at the Fairmont on Red River Street; however, DS was informed our room at the Fairmont was undergoing renovations and we were moved to the Omni for our entire trip. No complaints--the hotel is a typical conference center and a good location for what we were wanting to do.

DS arrived Thursday around noon, but thanks to a flight cancellation and delays I wasn't able to join up with him before his business dinner that evening. I grabbed a bite at the hotel bar and went to bed.

Day 1: I was disappointed in the foggy and rainy weather, but was grateful to be traveling at all. We walked to the Capitol Building and took pictures. I love how the building faces Congress Avenue--it's a beauty when walking Congress toward the Capitol at night. Next we toured LBJ Museum--very well done. Took Lyft to the Warehouse District and had a quick cup of tea and coffee at Halycon Coffee Bar. DS was meeting a colleague for lunch at Searsucker, so I walked a bit and stumbled upon Lambert's BBQ where I enjoyed brisket. Checked out a few shops on 2nd Street and returned to the hotel to meet up with DS.

There was less chance of rain on Friday evening than on Saturday, so we decided to go to Lake Travis and have drinks and nachos at The Oasis. Sat on the patio and enjoyed the warm weather (60s). The view was beautiful, but within the hour fog came rolling in making visibility almost nil. We took Lyft to Sixth and Brazos, listened to some live music at a couple of bars before making our way to The Driskill. What an elegant hotel! The bar was very crowded, but we scored a table within a few minutes. I loved the Texas decor and comfortable seating areas.

Day 2: we rented a car and drove to San Antonio to see The Riverwalk and The Alamo. Enjoyed our leisurely walk and had lunch at Ole Cafe--fish tacos were very good. Drove a scenic route through Hill Country (Bandera, Kerrville, and Fredericksburg). I would love to see this area during the spring or early summer! The sun came out for the first time on our trip, so we stopped at a winery and sat outside. Drove back to Austin and had sushi dinner at Uchiko, which we highly recommend! Drove around the city exploring and making plans for our last day.

Day 3: ate delicious breakfast at Kerbey Lane--banana nut bread french toast and Migas. It was raining, so we drove around Zilker Park and Barton Springs areas. Shady Grove restaurant looks nice, but alas the weather wasn't cooperating at that time. Went to SoCo area and shopped a bit. Torchy's was packed and we weren't in the mood to stand in line, so we decided to drive to Rainey Street. This historic area has several bungalow-style houses that have been converted to bars and there are several food trucks. My favorite was Lucille, a charming bar with hammocks along the patio.

We really enjoyed our trip and packed a lot into our three days! Originally there was no plan to rent a car and see San Antonio, but I'm glad we did and we were able to drive through the country and see the beautiful ranches. Hope to return someday!