cody + rhea

things to do and eat in austin

You might be thinking to yourself: I have a lot of time, don't I? Before the mehndi, before the ceremony, and even after brunch — depending on when you arrive and leave, of course. If you're wondering what there is to do in this city, we put together a quick list of our favorites.

nature

  • Mount Bonnell
  • 360 Bridge
  • Zilker Botanical Garden
  • Hiking the Greenbelt
  • Kayaking or Paddle Boarding on Lady Bird Lake
  • Barton Springs
    The Oasis at Lake Travis (The view is unmatched but the food is mediocre)
    Congress Bridge Bats at Sunset (These bats emerge at sunset from under the bridge and take flight)

window shopping

  • South Congress Street
  • Whole Foods - Flagship Location
  • Book People
  • The Domain
  • The Drag (This is the strip of Guadalupe Street beside the University campus which is always an interesting walk as the stores and restaurants swap out frequently)
  • Mueller Farmers' Market (This will be open after the brunch, actually, so you can walk over easily!)

history + culture

  • The Texas Capitol
  • The Blanton Museum of Art
  • The Driskill (Some say it's the most haunted hotel in America!)
  • LBJ Museum and Presidential Library
  • The University of Texas Tower
  • Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
    Austin Central Library (Don't sleep on this one! This ultra-modern, multi-story library features a rooftop view of the city — and tons of games, books, and more)

austin classics

  • Whataburger (They have the best fast food fries there are, according to Rhea)
  • Tacodeli (Breakfast taco staple!)
  • Kerbey Lane Cafe (It's a classic for pancakes!)
  • Chuy's
  • Hopdoddy
  • Chi'lantro (This restaurant featured on Shark Tank for its innovative Korean-Mexican fusion. The fried tofu is UNBELIEVABLE.)
    Cabo Bob's (Like Chipotle, but with fresh tortillas and a variety of sauces)
    Uchiko
    Ramen Tatsu-ya
    Amy's Ice Creams (Sometimes they'll do ice cream tricks!)

rhea's favorites

  • Jinya Ramen Bar
  • Sangam Chettinad (Beyond excellent south Indian food, they also have a robot!)
  • Elizabeth Street Cafe (Okay, so the food could be better, but the restaurant is extremely cute)
  • Sway
  • The Steeping Room
  • Big Nonna's (Truly out of this world pizza!)
    Nori
    Sarah's Mediterranean (Hole in the wall, but the falafel is extraordinary!)
    Ike's Love and Sandwiches (Cody and Rhea both love the Handsome Owl)
    JuiceLand

things near the renaissance

restaurants

  • Amy's Ice Creams
  • Cinnaholic (To die for!)
  • Teapioca Lounge
  • CAVA
  • P.F. Chang's
  • Fire Bowl Cafe
    Honest Mary's
    Ichi Umi Sushi
    Starbucks
    Trader Joe's (Not a restaurant, but we felt it deserved to be recognized)

hair places

  • The Salon at the Arboretum
  • Milk and Honey Spa
  • The Gents Place Men's Hair Salon

nail places

  • Organic Nails & Lash Spa
  • Milk and Honey Spa
  • Arboretum Nails & Spa

things near home2 suites by hilton

restaurants

  • Jinya Ramen Bar (This is where Cody and Rhea first went on a date together!)
  • Curry Up Now
  • Bakery Lorraine
  • Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
  • JuiceLand
  • Starbucks Reserve
    Blue Sushi Sake Grill
    Flower Child
    Yard House
    Whole Foods (They have an extensive quick-service hot bar area with pizza, ramen, tacos, and more)
    North Italia
    True Food Kitchen (Try the matcha horchata!)
    CAVA
    Medici Roasting

hair places

  • Drybar at the Domain
  • Bird's Barbershop
  • Jose Luis Salon and Boutique

nail places

  • T Nails and Spa
  • Arbor Nail Bar
  • Viva Day Spa
    M. Vince Nail Spa

the catch all

HEB has pretty much anything you could need — and at amazing prices. For shampoo, hair pins, contact lens solution, hair spray, bandaids, medicine, ice cream, and more, you can go to any location.

Closest to the Renaissance
10710 Research Blvd Suite 200, Austin TX 78759

Closest to Home2 Suites
12407 N Mopac Expy, Austin, TX 78758

Are you an HEB enthusiast? Then check out their new multi-story location, complete with a pizza restaurant, coffee shop, and BBQ. It's located at 2652 Lake Austin Blvd, Austin TX 78703

renting a car and need gas?

Both Costco and Sam's Club are between the two hotels, and they share the cheaper gas prices in town. However, if you don't have a membership at either of these stores, we've found that any Circle K tends to have cheaper gas than other gas stations.