Departing from: Tampa International (TPA)
Flight duration: 2 hours 35 minutes
Nonstop flights: Daily
Airlines: American Airlines, Southwest
Known for its mainstream museums, performance art and its status as the capital of the Lone Star State, Austin strikes the perfect balance of outdoor adventure and urban fun, spiced up with some seriously mean barbecue and tacos. Come for the live music scene, great food and the city’s abundant swimming holes.
Where to stay
A stay at the South Congress Hotel puts you in the heart of one of Austin’s most walkable districts. With two Michelin Keys, the Commodore Perry Estate is a boutique Auberge property that dates to 1928 with lush gardens, Gatsby-style architecture and one of the city’s most esteemed private social clubs. For a wellness escape, Lake Austin Spa Resort, an adults-only property by the lake, offers special aquatic treatments and hydrobikes and paddleboards for guests to enjoy.
Where to eat
The masa is always homemade at Chef Fermin Nunez’s Suerte, where traditional Mexican cooking meets Texan ingredients in dishes like huitlacoche quesadillas. The new-school Texas barbecue at LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue earned it a Michelin star thanks to dishes like spice-encrusted beef cheeks. The seasonal menus at farm-to-table favorite Dai Due pull exclusively from Texan products sourced from the surrounding region. The brief window for Texas asparagus, late March to early May, draws local foodies for an oak-grilled preparation of the humble vegetable.
What to do
The Live Music Capital of the World delivers with legendary festivals, grande dame music venues and smaller hangouts like The Continental Club and Elephant Room. Refresh at the Barton Springs Pool, fed by multiple springs that hover between 68 and 70 degrees year-round. From March to mid-November, witness Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from under the Congress Street Bridge.
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