Summer Activities in Austin

Living is Austin, Texas is a blessing. If you ever come and visit, I guarantee you’ll fall in love. It ranges from the hustle and bustle of the city to the famous Texas countryside all in one city. With rolling hills and trees everywhere, the scenery is beautiful. Downtown, the odd shops and even odder people live up to our catchphrase “Keep Austin Weird”. There is always something to do here, especially in the summer. If you live nearby or find yourself in this great city in the next few months, here are a few things you HAVE to do!

1. Blues on the Green: Known as the “live music capitol of the world”, Austin has great concerts all over town every night. From small band at local bars to international stars on a world tour, artists almost always make it a point to stop in Austin. But, if concerts aren’t in your budget, make sure to make your way to Zilker Park downtown for Blues on the Green. This free concert series is held every other Wednesday night a 8 for anyone who wants to come. Bring a blanket to sit on and some drinks to sip as you listen to great live bands perform with all your friends.
2. Lady Bird Lake: On days when the Texas heat is beating down on you (aka every day), taking a kayak or stand up paddle board out on Lady Bird Lake is the perfect way to cool down. Rent your boat by the hour and spend some time exploring the lake with your friends. I always make sure to jump in when it gets too hot, and sometimes even tip over my friends boats!
3. Barton Springs: If boating isn’t your thing, another great way to cool down is swimming at Barton Springs. This natural pool is freezing cold, so it takes some guts to jump in, but after you get used to it you’ll have a blast! It’s giant and has a huge diving board so you can show off your tricks to everyone there.
4. Zilker Park: Pack a picnic and bring a football and head over to Zilker park! This is a great place to spend a day with friends. Get a group together for a game of pickup soccer, or bring a volleyball and use one of their sand volleyball courts for a tournament. But make sure to bring lots of water and sunscreen, it gets hot!
5. Food Trailers: Austin is famous for their food trailers. Serving out of converted campers and even school busses, these chefs know what they’re doing. From donuts to burgers to sandwiches and cheesecake, you can find anything you want to eat. My personal favorites include Gourdoughs (donuts), Short Bus (sandwiches), and Sno Beach (snow cones).
6. South Congress: If you are looking for shopping and good food, South Congress is the place for you. With quirky shops, boutiques, and a thrift store, there is all types of shopping. SoCo is even home to the original Kendra Scott store (swoon). The restaurants are amazing as well. Stop by Hopdoddy for the best burger in town, or Homeslice for pizza that will make your mouth water.
7. Segway Tours: Rent a segway and ride downtown in style! A tour guide will take you all over town showing you historical landmarks and telling you interesting stories about all kinds of things. And yes, you’ll get to segway up to the capitol building and take some pretty sweet pictures.

Have you ever visited Austin? Right now we are hosting the X Games, are any of y’all in town for that? Let me know what you did!