Four Slow Days in Austin
Austin is an easy city to do well and lightly. I build a few days here around one solar-powered hotel, one plant-based community kitchen, and a lot of free green space, and it costs far less than the city’s reputation suggests. I stay at Habitat Suites, one of the greenest hotels in the country, and I eat most days at Casa de Luz, the plant-based community kitchen I came here to film.
Between the two I fill the days with the things Austin gives away for free: the hike and bike trail around the lake, Festival Beach, and a morning spent planting trees. Here is a slow, low waste long weekend in Austin, markets and all.
Your Austin Itinerary at a Glance
- Day 1 Day 1: Arrive and settle in Austin
- Day 2 Day 2: The lake, the trail and Festival Beach
- Day 3 Day 3: Give a morning back, then the market
- Day 4 Day 4: A slow last morning
Where to Stay in Austin
Habitat Suites
Home base is Habitat Suites in North Central Austin, an all suites hotel with solar panels on every building, organic edible gardens, rainwater harvesting and 100 percent organic cotton bedding.
BookWhat to Do in Austin
The Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail
Borrow or hire a bike and ride the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, the loop that follows Lady Bird Lake right through the middle of the city.
A picnic at Festival Beach
Peel off the trail at Festival Beach on the east side of the lake, a free, easy-going park where locals paddle, picnic and walk their dogs.
Plant trees with a local group
Give a morning back with a local tree-planting group like TreeFolks, who run free community plantings around the city and its creeks.
Where to Eat in Austin
Dinner at Casa de Luz
Head to Casa de Luz in South Austin, the plant-based, organic, macrobiotic community kitchen I came here to film.
Back to Casa de Luz
Casa de Luz is the kind of place you happily return to.
Casa de Luz again
One more plant-based dinner at Casa de Luz to round out the day.
Where to Shop in Austin
SFC Farmers' Market Downtown
The Sustainable Food Center's Downtown market is the heart of Austin's local food scene, growers and makers from within a short drive of the city.
SFC Farmers' Market Sunset Valley
The Sustainable Food Center also runs a Sunset Valley market on the south side, a little quieter and just as good for local produce, bread and flowers.
Austin Farmers Market
Catch the Austin Farmers Market for a last wander and anything you want to carry home, from local honey to hot sauce.
How to Get to Austin
Fly into Austin-Bergstrom
Austin-Bergstrom International is a quick ride from the centre, and once you are here you barely need a car.
Head home
Back out to Austin-Bergstrom, bag full of market finds, having barely spent a thing on the best days of the trip.
Your Day by Day Austin Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive and settle in Austin
Getting in, checking into the greenest hotel in the city, and a first plant-based meal at the place I came to film.
Fly into Austin-Bergstrom
Austin-Bergstrom International is a quick ride from the centre, and once you are here you barely need a car. Buses, bikes and your own two feet cover most of this itinerary.
Habitat Suites
Home base is Habitat Suites in North Central Austin, an all suites hotel with solar panels on every building, organic edible gardens, rainwater harvesting and 100 percent organic cotton bedding. Expedia named it one of the ten most sustainable hotels in the world, and it has the receipts. The suites have kitchens, so you can keep costs and waste down.
Dinner at Casa de Luz
Head to Casa de Luz in South Austin, the plant-based, organic, macrobiotic community kitchen I came here to film. There is one wholesome plant-based meal each service, eaten at communal tables in a garden courtyard. It is calm, generous, and about as far from fast food as Austin gets.
Day 2: The lake, the trail and Festival Beach
A whole day outdoors on Austin's best free green space, from the water's edge to a picnic on the grass.
See the full day-by-day itinerary.
This is your only free pass. A free account gives you 3.
Day 3: Give a morning back, then the market
A few hours of tree-planting, then the pick of Austin's farmers markets for the weekend shop.
Day 4: A slow last morning
One more market, a slow start, and an easy way out.