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2023 Travels -- Waco, Austin, San Antonio

Road Trip Journal: Waco, Austin, and San Antonio

I recently embarked on a 3-night road trip through Waco, Austin, and San Antonio, driving my 2016 Toyota Highlander V6. Here's a detailed account of the itinerary and experiences along the way.

Planned Itinerary

Day 1 - Monday: Waco to Austin

  • 10:30 am - Depart Dallas for Waco
  • 1:00 pm - Arrive in Waco (2.5-hour drive)
  • 1:15 pm - Visit Magnolia Market
  • 1:30 pm - Lunch at Club Sandwich Food Truck
  • 2:30 pm - Depart for Austin (3-hour drive)
  • 5:40 pm - Arrive in Austin
  • 6:00 pm - Dinner at Ramen Tatsu-ya

Day 2 - Tuesday: Austin to San Antonio

  • 7:30 am - Breakfast at the hotel
  • 9:00 am - Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Downtown Austin
  • 11:00 am - Visit Domain Shopping Center
  • 12:30 pm - Lunch at Miyo Sushi
  • 1:30 pm - Enjoy Chi Cha Boba Tea
  • 2:30 pm - Depart for San Antonio (2-hour drive)
  • 4:30 pm - Arrive in San Antonio
  • 5:00 pm - Explore Riverwalk Mall
  • 5:30 pm - Dinner at Dave & Buster's
  • 6:30 pm - Stroll along the River Walk

Day 3 - Wednesday: San Antonio

  • 7:30 am - Breakfast at the hotel
  • 9:30 am - Visit the Alamo
  • 11:00 am - Take a River Walk boat tour
  • 12:30 pm - Lunch at El Castillo
  • 1:30 pm - Shopping at River Walk Mall
  • 4:30 pm - Dinner at Ostra
  • 6:00 pm - Enjoy more time on the River Walk

Day 4 - Thursday: Austin to Dallas

  • 7:30 am - Breakfast at the hotel
  • 9:30 am - Depart for New Braunfels - stop at Buc-ee's (30-minute drive)
  • 10:00 am - 12:00 noon - New Braunfels to Temple - Buc-ee's (2-hour drive)
  • 12:30 pm - Lunch at Buc-ee's
  • 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm - Temple to Dallas (2.5-hour drive)
  • 3:30 pm - Arrive in Dallas

Trip Photo Journal

Day 1: Waco to Austin

It took 2.5 hours to reach Waco from Dallas due to traffic. The trip typically takes 2 hours for 125 miles.

Lunch at Magnolia Market was satisfying. I tried the Club Sandwich; the chicken was good, but the pork was a bit dry, though still tasty.



After lunch, I headed to Austin, but traffic was awful. It took me 3 hours instead of the usual 90 minutes to get there, leaving Waco at 2:30 pm and arriving at 5:40 pm.

Dinner at Ramen Tatsu-ya was delightful. The broth was rich; I ordered the OG Tonkotsu but could only handle one bowl.




Day 2: Austin to San Antonio

Breakfast at Hampton Inn was decent for a 3-star hotel. I paid about $100 a night. Their breakfast included eggs, meat, and delicious free waffles.

After breakfast, I cruised through the Umlauf Sculpture Garden and downtown. I decided to stop at Starbucks for coffee at the Domain.

For lunch, I visited Miyo Sushi, which didn’t disappoint with their reasonably priced lunch bento set.

Before leaving Austin, I checked out Chi Cha Boba Tea, and it was legit good—a must-stop!

Traffic was better than the previous day, but it still took 2 hours to reach San Antonio instead of 90 minutes.

Dinner at Dave & Buster's was surprisingly good, with mojitos and margaritas enjoyed on the famous River Walk in the River Center Mall. The queso was decent, and the drinks were refreshing.

I ended the night with a beer (Stella) but forgot to snap a pic.





















Day 3: San Antonio - River Walk

The hotel breakfast was free and delicious, featuring bacon, eggs, hash browns, oatmeal, and Texas-shaped waffles.

I explored the River Walk before heading to El Castillo for lunch. The chips and salsa were amazing—a must-have for anyone who enjoys good Tex-Mex at a low price.

After a bit of relaxation at the hotel, I enjoyed another beer before dinner.

Dinner was at Ostra, where I savored oysters, calamari, and more margaritas and beer. Happy Hour was a great deal!

The hotel had complimentary beer and food, so I opted for a salad, which was delicious.















Day 4: Heading Back to Dallas

I indulged in another free breakfast at the hotel, enjoying biscuits and gravy along with salsa for the eggs. I was tempted to go for seconds!

The drive back to Dallas was smooth sailing. I stopped at Buc-ee's for gas and lunch, making it back to Dallas by 3:30 pm.





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