Selfie Does Austin Visits with Kids: A Guide For Kidless Adults
A common fixture of our decade-plus residency in Austin has been a pretty consistent influx of visitors. Part of that is because our families and friends like...love us, and they are willing to schlep to us but also because “I heard Austin is cool!”*
For the vast majority of my 20s, that meant taking your friends on the 7 bus to downtown and living your best Dirty Sixth life.**
Now that we’re older, most of our friends have tiny humans who evidently require entertainment at all hours of the day and night. The Selfies have no children and as such, we are only experts in entertaining ourselves and one vindictive dachshund.*** Thus, we have carefully researched and cultivated a list of things for kid visitors to enjoy but also, things that are fun for the accompanying adults! As an added bonus, I legit have a google spreadsheet that I’m happy to share with anyone - just shoot me an email!
For the time-being, I have asked this child model ^ and her parents for their favorite things to do while they are in town.
The Thinkery in Mueller has never failed us in entertaining kids. It’s a huge learn-and-playground with multiple floors and themed rooms (The light room! The balloon room! The water room!). For adults, you are mostly going to be staring at your child having fun but wait! The Thinkery is located next to a bunch of cool restaurants and bars and so the adults can tag out and go grab a coffee (or a coffee cocktail) at Halcyon or a pint at Craftwich or B.D. Riley’s Irish Pub. Kiddos and parents and lightly irresponsible tias can all enjoy lunch down the street at Kerbey Lane - an Austin institution. On nice days, there’s a playground across the street, a beautiful lake filled with duckies and a fun farmer’s market. Seriously, don’t sleep on the Thinkery.
Zilker Park Playground and Train
An Austin highlight, Zilker park is a place I mostly associate with standing in the mud or the heat whilst watching hungover performers at ACL. It’s also a place I run past during training season on the hike-and-bike trail. But for kids, there is an amazing playground and a super fun train ride and seriously, what kid doesn’t love a train ride? For parents, you can enjoy the fresh air and the scenic views of Ladybird Lake and downtown and relish in your child’s ability to run around since Tia Selfie zero-scaped the backyard like an idiot.
Either the Driftwood location or the Round Rock location work for this since both include delicious BBQ^^ but importantly, places for kids to run around. The Driftwood location has live music, a winery to grab a local adult beverages and plenty of places to set up lawn games while you wait for your table. The Round Rock location has a nice playground and an outdoor bar to...grab a local adult beverage. I know this a consistent theme here but this is what visiting parents have been most impressed by.
Wait? Austin has a zoo? Yup! But it’s not of the Brookfield/San Diego variety. Austin has a really neat “We Bought a Zoo” zoo filled with rescue animals. Which I originally thought meant like...random pet pigs and snakes but apparently, drug dealers love tigers and wolves and then, letting them loose. So it’s actually this super cool zoo with a really neat mission and they really care about their animals. Plus, they have an awesome petting zoo for the kids!
Day Trip to San Antonio
“What?!?!? You couldn’t think of anything else in Austin?!” Actually, I still have a pretty long list of Austin things but I’m telling you right now, at least one person’s favorite thing during an Austin trip has been going to San Antonio, paying their respects at The Alamo and riding in the little boats on the Riverwalk. It is...not at all my favorite thing but kids and Abuelos love it and grandpas are visitors, too!
Honorable Mentions:
SoCo and Austin Murals - kids love mediocre Tex-mex and colorful murals.^^^ Fact.
The Bob Bullock Texas History Museum - This Museum is awesome, interesting for adults and has both an IMAX and an interactive effects theater for older kids.
Texas State Capitol - This is another Abuelo favorite but they also have hourly tools and it’s super beautiful.