Austin: A Family Friendly Weekend Guide

The weekend wanderlust hit us hard so we packed up the van and took the boys to one of my favorite places, my old stomping studying grounds, Austin, TX! Now Austin may not be what one thinks of for a "family friendly vacation" but I'm here to tell you that Austin isn't all 6th Street and #FratBoys. Austin has an abundance of outdoor activities, kid focused play museums and plenty of family friendly dining and exploring. Here's a peak at our weekend getaway!

Our first pit stop on the way down was to a long desired destination of mine: The Inner space Cavern in Georgetown. First discovered by the Texas Highway Department in 1963 during a drilling expedition, these gorgeous caverns were hidden below ground for over 10,000 years! Thankfully, the great state of Texas realized the importance of this discovery and allowed the original land owner to open this natural wonder up for the public to enjoy and discover. The Adventure Tour is a good option for kids 4 and up but our adventurous 3 year old was able to keep up with the group and had no problems tackling the terrain. Bonus- kids 3 and under are FREE!

While exploring the cavern we enjoyed the reprieve from the Texas heat and learned that Texas was once home to suburban sized armadillos and sloths. Since the bones of these prehistoric animals were safeguarded from the elements over the last 10,000 years, the process of fossilization did not occur and the remaining bones are incredible brittle, most did not survive excavation. To share the wonder of these pre-historic creatures in the absence of fossils, the caverns have a section of life sized cave paintings which give the impression of discovering a lost world just feet below the surface of our modern day hustle and bustle. There is still an active population of solitary bats living in the cavern and our boys loved knowing they were a real life "Batman Cave". If trekking underground in the company of bats isn't your thing, there is also an interactive playground and miner's area to enjoy while the adventure seekers in your group explore below.

Once we hit Austin proper, we made a short stop at the famous HOPE Outdoor Gallery. This abandoned real estate development turned into a mecca for local artists to paint and play at will. After years of this totally accepted guerrilla graffiti,  a group of outdoor art enthusiasts rallied together to protect this plot of land and maintain it as a living outdoor gallery for future generations and artist to enjoy. While much of the artwork is completely family friendly and museum worthy, there will always be a few rebels that like to immortalize a few four letter words. Don't let that deter you from enjoying this ubiquitous Austin adventure. To keep our boy's from inhaling too much toxic fumes, we packed painters masks and brought sidewalk chalk paint for their painting pleasure. The kids loved getting the go ahead to paint on walls and I LOVED not having to clean up afterward. I love how so many artists have gathered over the years to create this space and how rapidly the art changes even during the course of a 15 min visit. There are even local artists on site who can create pocket sized canvases for purchase should you desire to capture the art seen during your visit. 

After our time running around at HOPE, we all needed a break and headed to the gorgeous Barton Springs Pool for a refreshing splash in the Caribbean blue waters of this aquifer fed natural spring. The Barton Springs Pool is a true Austin staple, even the famous Robert Redford learned to swim here back in the 1970's. Today the pool is a protected natural habit for the endangered Barton Springs Salamander and food is not permitted on the grounds as a result. Have no fear, if you find yourself in need of a snack just grab a reentry stamp so you can come back to play some more. Chemicals are not used to treat this water and the pool is closed every Thursday for cleaning so keep that in mind as you plan your trip. We spent a lazy afternoon here swimming, exploring the trails and searching for fossils. We even had a glorious family nap on our picnic blanket in the shade of an 80 year old oak tree. Not a bad way to relax and unwind!

No trip to Austin would be complete without experiencing the Food Network hailed, infamous Kimchi Fries from Chilantro, a delightfully funky Asian meets Mexican fusion concept with a cult following. I insist on a giant platter of these babies every time I visit and you should to.  Once I had my fry fix we headed to the hotel for the night and enjoyed the sunset from the rooftop pool. 

We woke up the next morning completely refreshed and in an Austin state of mind. After a quick breakfast at Biscuits & Groovy, we hiked the trails just off our hotel to pick up kayaks at Congress Kayaks and explore Austin from the river. We had no problem tag teaming the boys, they each sat in front of our two seater Kayaks while mom and dad did all the rowing. There's no better way to burn off those kimchi fries and I'm happy to report that even with a wiggly Desi, no one went overboard! After our time on the river, we headed back to the hotel for more pool time before heading out for some artistically crafted ice cream at Lick Honest, a hipster operated, farm to table inspired, ice cream shop with a curated collection of flavors.  My  personal favorite is the Goat Cheese Thyme and Honey but the  Roasted Beet and Mint flavor is also worthy of a shout out. I'm especially thankful for their large vegan line of specialty ice creams. Eli loved his vegan dark chocolate ice cream so much, he never even considered that it was actually good for him too. Some flavors are seasonal like the Cilantro Lime so be sure to check out their website to pre-game your ice cream plans.

 Later in the evening we took the boys to Toy Joy. This longtime Austin secret is not so exclusive after being touted as "The best toy store in the world" by Travel & Leisure magazine and featured on USA Today as one of the top 10 toy stores of all time. You'll find a healthy group of kids and adults perusing the aisles and the child like wonder and nostalgia alone is worth the trip. I informed Michael that someday he would be buying me a hand chair and Eli loved the store policy of trading out toys if you purchase a blind box and aren't over the moon with your prize. For kids with spectrum disorders and brain inflammation, trips to colorful and loud places can often be overwhelming. While we were prepared for a quick trip for these reasons it did my heart good to see how loving and patient the staff was with our boys. Added bonus- the store trade out policy turned what could have been an epic meltdown situation into an extra fun opportunity to use coping skills to communicate needs and ask for what you want. 

No trip to Austin is complete without a hike up Mount Bonnell. The view from the top is absolutely breath taking no matter what time or season. While the steps are steep, there are guardrails and places to sit if anyone needs a break before continuing to summit.  I'm always renewed by the sights of Austin from it's highest peak and loved that we had time for this last stop before heading home.