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Would you mind looking at my Austin itinerary?

Pasadena, CA
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369 posts
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Would you mind looking at my Austin itinerary?
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We're in the beginning stages of planning a visit to Austin, our first, mid June. It'll be myself & my husband, our 15-year old daughter (from LA) and our wonderful 75-year young aunt from NYC. My aunt is up for anything and loves history, art and shopping, but she has arthritis/extremely limited mobility and uses a walker. She's a sophisticated New Yorker and the purpose of the trip is to take her to the LBJ Library - the only presidential museum she hasn't seen. So we need to balance the needs of my aunt (no hiking, no music, no bar-b-que)w/those of our teen. Can I please lay out what I'm thinking in terms of itinerary? I don't need to fine tune this but rather get an idea of whether I've allowed too much/too little time for things so we can book air travel. I've been conservative about timing because my aunt moves slowly

Day One

Half day together at the Texas State History Museum (including the IMAX film) + a nice lunch. Afternoon my aunt and I will go to Elisabet Ney Museum while (hopefully) my husband/daughter can get a UT tour. Is this museum a good choice? Since my aunt has access to great art in NYC I've learned it's tough to take her to museums in what she thinks of as secondary markets so I thought a house w/a local flavor would be a better bet than an art museum. In the evening we'll have a nice dinner together and then my husband and I will take our daughter to see the bats.

Day Two

I'm pretty much planning all day at the Johnson Library and lunch. Too much? Then maybe some shopping in an historical district and dinner.

Day Three

Travel in the a.m. to Fredericksburg (2 hours I believe) which my aunt wants to see, then lunch. Maybe the Pioneer Museum, then touring around the town. We might see something at the Rockbox Theatre in the evening if something's playing.

Day Four

Morning at the Nimitz Museum, then lunch. Travel back to Austin and then depart.

Does this sound about right? I'm trying to balance everyone's needs on this trip and my husband can't take more than 4 days off work. Thanks so much.

Maureen

Austin, Texas
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1. Re: Would you mind looking at my Austin itinerary?
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Congratulations on your pre-planning! I think you've done a great job.

Minor changes I'd suggest:

Day One -afternoon at the Umlauf Sculpture Garden instead of the Elizabeth Ney. Umlauf has some wonderful artwork in a wooded setting. Charles Umlauf was a professor at UT. Ney is nice but Umlauf is more Austin and unique.

Day Two - Maybe not all day at the LBJ. Perhaps morning, lunch at Nau's 1115 W Lynn St (has the original soda fountain and known for their pimento cheese sandwiches) and then afternoon on S. Congress, W. Lynn,

A special dinner one night might be Jeffrey's on W. Lynn. Another special dinner would be the Driskill Hotel.

In Fredericksburg don't miss the Wildseed Farm - fields of blooming flowers. Be sure and pick up some of the wonderful German pastries at Dietz Bakery. They sell out by noon.

Hope this helps?

Welcome to Austin and please let us know how your trip was after you return home. We love feedback.

Austin, TX
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2. Re: Would you mind looking at my Austin itinerary?
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I'm going to throw out some other ideas:

Have you considered the Blanton Museum? It is not far from either the Bob Bullock (Texas History) museum or the Johnson Library. It'd be a nice break on day 2.

Another possibility - since you are going to the Johnson Library, why not make a stop at the Johnson Ranch - it is right on the way to Fredericksburg. There are also several wineries that make for a pleasant stop.

It's going to be hot in June, the shops and main st of Fredericksburg are going to be more conducive to shopping in a historical district and I strongly recommend Rathskeller in the middle of downtown Fredericksburg for lunch.

Austin, Texas
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A couple of thoughts --

Try to get to Fredericksburg on a weekday. It is very very crowded with visitors on the weekends and the sidewalks are packed with people. It will easier for your aunt to get around with her walker if there are fewer people around. Wildseed Farms is great, but not very walker-friendly. The paths are small gravel stones and sand.

I think the Elisabet Ney Museum is a great idea considering what you said about your aunt. It's interesting and has a local feel to it. The Blanton is nice, but it's nothing compared to what she has undoubtedly seen in NYC. The sculpture garden may be a little difficult for you aunt to get around with the walker.

What type of food were you considering for lunch? There are some nice sit-down options in the downtown area and near some of the attractions you were considering. There is a nice little Italian trattoria near the Texas State History Museum. It's called Sagra and they have a lunch menu that includes some pasta dishes, salads, and pizzas. North of campus and the LBJ Library, near the Ney Museum, I would recommend Hyde Park Bar & Grill (more of a restaurant than a bar). It's a great local place with a varied menu. There is also an excellent vegetarian restaurant in that area called Mother's. If you need more details, please let me know.

Pasadena, CA
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4. Re: Would you mind looking at my Austin itinerary?
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Thanks so much for your feedback - it's so helpful. Because of my aunt's unsteadiness/need for a walker, I may need to skip the sculpture garden and the wildflowers. She really loves history so the Texas State History museum sounds perfect. Thank you for the heads-up that the LBJ library not a full day thing. Do you the the Pioneer and the Nimitz museums are both worth seeing?

Sagra and Hyde Park sound perfect for lunch. Thanks again.

Austin, Texas
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No need to skip the Wildseed Farm. More often than not we simply drive into the parking lot and turn around. The fields are easily seen from the highway and parking lot.

The Nimitz museum is very interesting. The Pioneer Museum may prove difficult with the walker. But its something so different from NY that again you'll be able to judge whether or not you want to attempt it when you drive in.

I definitely agree on the Hyde Park Bar and Grill for lunch. There are a few steps going in. It's located in an old house.

Mother's has recently rebuilt since a fire and we haven't tried it lately.

Sagra has gotten very good reviews.

Austin
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Great itinerary.

Mind you it will be hotter than hookie here. I grew up in the desert outside LA and Texas wins in the heat and humidity contest, hands down. In the summer I go back to the CA desert to cool off.

LBJ Library:

Yep, half a day at the LBJ sounds about right. Call ahead to see if you can get a docent-led tour. Explain that your aunt is a presidential library buff. Lunch after the LBJ would be closer at the Eastside Cafe, a real Austin institution, or across Manor Road at Hoover's another local landmark. Eastside grows some of its own produce and has a lovely garden to view.

http://www.eastsidecafeaustin.com/

Hoover's is southern cooking although it also has that BBQ that your aunt isn't keen on. But man oh man it is comfort food to our family.

http://www.hooverscooking.com/

Elisabeth Ney Museum: Great choice. The museum is close to the restaurants of Hyde Park, including those mentioned by other posters. Julio's (Mexican restaurant) is a favorite of the locals.

Fredericksburg:

I too highly recommend the LBJ Ranch. My parents love to tour it every time they visit. Take a morning or early afternoon tour; don't take one of the late afternoon tours because the cattle (descendants of LBJ's own herd) move to their barn after 4 PM. If you've come this far, you want to see LBJ's prize longhorns! Perfect for your aunt, since the tour is done in an air-conditioned NPS bus. You will probably want to do this rather than shop in the heat.

http://www.nps.gov/lyjo/planyourvisit/visitlbjranch.htm

Also visit the Sauer-Beckmann Farmstead just east of the National Park Service building at the LBJ Ranch. You can drive up to the front gate of the farmstead and let your aunt out. My dad uses a cane and it works for him.

I'd see the Nimitz Museum the afternoon I arrived, then hit the LBJ Ranch the AM of the following day. Your trip won't be complete if you see the LBJ Library but not the ranch.

Dinner AND bats:

Shoreline Grill. Good food, fine dining, albeit expensive. But you can view the bats from the covered outdoor patio. Jeffrey's is better, but to impress visitors with the fine dining/bats combo, we go to the Shoreline.

Austin, Texas
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Here are the websites for Sagra and Hyde Park --

http://www.sagrarestaurant.net/

http://www.hydeparkbarandgrill.com/

Enjoy your trip!

Pasadena, CA
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369 posts
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8. Re: Would you mind looking at my Austin itinerary?
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May I impose one more time w/a revised itinerary based on everyone's extremely helpful input? Thank you.

Day One

(Hopefully docent led) tour of LBJ Library and lunch at Eastside Cafe. In afternoon, Texas State History Museum, then dinner (and bats!) @ Shoreline Grill.

Day Two

Elisabet Ney Museum, lunch at Hyde Park Bar & Grill, then drive to Fredericksburg. Visit Wildflower Farm. I thought we could skip the Pioneer Farm as that sounds like the LBJ Ranch's Sauer-Beckmann Farm may give the same sort of experience.

Day Three

LBJ Ranch (thank you for that suggestion - it sounds wonderful) and afternoon at the Nimitz Museum. Is that too much for one day? Maybe evening at Rockbox Theatre if anything playing there a NY lady would like.

Has anyone done the 90-minute van tour in Austin? Worthwhile?

Thanks again!

Pasadena, CA
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369 posts
20 reviews
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9. Re: Would you mind looking at my Austin itinerary?
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I'm replying to my own reply!! On Mapquest Fredericksburg seems and hour and a half from Austin. I'd assumed we'd move hotels. Is that correct? Thank you.

Austin
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Sounds good.

On a good day, with some traffic, it's a 1 1/2 hour drive to Fredericksburg. More and more these days it's close to two hours (or just seems like it), especially with all the development out in Oak Hill and along 290. My experience with the drive out is the earlier the better.

The Elisabeth Ney Museum won't take very long, so I would be tempted to suggest that you leave for Fredericksburg immediately after the museum, except that I cannot think of a good restaurant along the way. If you left the Ney at 11:30 you could be in Fredericksburg by 1 or 1:30 at the very latest, time for a late lunch.

The Nimitz Museum is in Fredericksburg itself, while the LBJ Ranch is on the Austin side of Fredericksburg, near Stonewall and Johnson (what else?) City. So you would want to visit the Nimitz Museum first, then the LBJ Ranch as you make your way back to Austin. Or you might just have time to see it the afternoon you arrive, but possibly not. If you just drive up to the Wildflower Farm and gawk, you would have time.

Oh, gosh, that reminds me. You will be in Hill Country for peach season! You have to make time for a stop at a roadside stand to buy some peaches and eat peach ice cream. The Stonewall peaches are fabulous, even to me, a Californian who grew up with homegrown peaches.

http://www.texaspeaches.com/ripedate.html

Given this (and strawberries and lavender), I would plan to spend the entire day meandering back from Fredericksburg. You might also hit a winery or two.

http://www.texaswinetrail.com/index.html

Oops, shouldn't give you MORE to do (and a winery with a 15 year old??). But some of the wineries are on the road back from Fredericksburg. You should stop in one just to see the fast-growing winemaking "industry" of Texas. Amazing.

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