Austin, Texas in 48 Hours

Another famous 48-hour trip strikes again, and this time, it was to Austin, Texas! I've been to Dallas and Houston before, but neither are quite like Austin; this town somehow manages to keep its southern charm while still being incredibly urban and trendy. Keep reading for the best things to do, places to stay and food in Austin, Texas.

Tamale House

The Eden West Food Truck

Torchy's Tacos

Best food in Austin, Texas

• Tamale House—A seemingly hole-in-the-wall, Tamale House is located in the heart of East Austin and has, as you would expect, amazing tamales. We had the pork and chicken, and I have no idea what the sauces were, but they were great!

• Spicy Boys Chicken—Also very close by, Spicy Boys Chicken has a couple locations, but we visited the food truck located inside Zilker Brewing Co. I can't imagine how you could go wrong with anything on this menu, but we especially loved the korean buffalo boneless wings and tater tots.

• The Eden West Food Truck—Located at Desert Door Distillery, the Eden West food truck is the perfect combo of classic and modern, comfort southern food. Our favorites we're the pork belly sando and the fried okra.

• Forthright Cafe—Right in the middle of downtown, Forthright Cafe is the perfect brunch spot! They had plenty of breakfast and lunch options, but my favorite was the whiskey + cold brew.

• Torchy's Tacos—Although Torchy's is known as being a large chain, it actually originated in Austin, Texas, and their tacos are definitely worth stopping for. We stopped at the location on South Congress, and my favorite was the trailer park taco.

Desert Door Distillery

Zilker Brewing Co.

Best drinks in Austin, Texas

• Zilker Brewing Co.—Right next door to Tamale House, Zilker is a super popular Austin brewery, with tons of spread-out, outdoor seating. It was super hot when we visited so we got a berry sour and a blue raspberry slushie, but they were so refreshing and fun!

• Desert Door Distillery—A little bit further away, Desert Door is actually located in Wimberly, which is about 45 minutes outside Austin. This distillery is the only one of it's kind in the U.S. That's right, the only sotol distillery around. Sotol can only be grown in Mexico and parts of Texas, so the plant itself is quite rare, but we loved it! Our favorite drinks were the Comanchero (Sotol, jalapenos, cilantro, sotol nectar, lime and agave) and the Ranch Water.

Figure 8

Best coffee in Austin, Texas

• Mañana Coffee—Located right in the middle of the lively South Congress Ave., Mañana Coffee is such a cute, hidden shop. I've heard great things about their bakery selection, but alas, we didn't come early enough to try it. I did, however, really enjoy the lavender iced cappuccino.

• Figure 8 Coffee—Over in East Austin, Figure 8 had some seriously good brews. They definitely had a solid cappuccino, but I really enjoyed the kouign amann, a sort of sugar-crusted, muffin-shaped, croissant that was fabulous.

• Greater Goods Coffee Roasting—Greater Goods has a few locations, but we visited their roaster in Dripping Springs (about 25 minutes outside Austin).

Driftwood Estate WInery

Boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake

Kendra Scott on South Congress

Best things to do in Austin, Texas

I guess you can't just eat your way through a town, so here are some other fun things to do in Austin:

• Driftwood Estate Winery—Located in Wimberly, Texas (~45 minutes outside Austin), Driftwood is such a cute way to spend an evening. In addition to a patio/outdoor restaurant, where you can buy and enjoy a local bottle of wine, you can also do a wine tasting (and keep the glasses)!

• Boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake—Get the best Austin skyline views while you walk along the recently built boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake. You can also rent paddle boards, kayaks and more nearby.

• Walk along South Congress Ave.—Arguably one of the most fun parts of Austin, South Congress Ave. has the best restaurants, cafes, boutiques and more. If you're into jewelry, Kendra Scott's flagship location is here, and their main shop even has a wine bar + cafe on the patio! We also explored tons of cute shops with beautiful artwork and local favorites.

Best places to stay in Austin, Texas

Despite only having 48 hours in Austin, we still managed to have two completely different accommodations each night.

• Getaway House—Staying at a Getaway House was absolutely incredible. I was originally nervous about the size of the tiny house, but when we walked in, we noticed that it was plenty spacious. It was fully equip with everything we could have possible needed, the yard had a fire pit and picnic tables, the kitchen has cooking necessities like olive oil and salt, the bathroom was extremely accessible, and they even gifted us a free s'mores making kit. But the best part was the view you wake up to in the morning! For my full Getaway House review, click here.

• ARRIVE Austin—Though a very different experience from the Getaway House, we really enjoyed our stay at ARRIVE, located in East Austin. There was free parking, they welcomed us with a free drink of choice, the rooms were super stylish and the hotel had its own restaurant, bar and coffee shop. It's also a couple minute walk from Zilker Brewing Co., Spicy Boys Chicken, Tamale House, Figure 8 Coffee and many more.

Use promo code ANNALINA for $25 off your Getaway House

Have you been to Austin before? Comment your favorites below!