Bringing dogs on a weekend trip....what to do (Austin: condos, house)

[firedogut]

My wife, my two beagles, and myself are planning a trip to Austin this weekend. Arrive sometime Sat morning and leave Sunday.

What do you guys recommend to do with the dogs. I know i will hit Red Bud isle and a few hiking areas. Where should we eat and such. Everything needs to be dog friendly.

anything going on in austin for the holiday?

thanks

[RoamingWolves]

You are already planning some fun things.
Many of the parks in the area have off-leash areas.

Dining is easy. DogFriendly.com's City Guide: Austin, Texas I would not recommend Freddies Place. It was just too crowded outside and the wait staff kept tripping on the dogs. the food was mediocre. There are better dog friendly choices.

Go by one of the local pet stores. Not petsmart or petco. You want to hit a local place like Bark and Purr or Tomlinsons. They have a free local guide for dogs you can get there. I think it may be available at the visitors centers as well.

Get you hands on a copy of Ausitns Friday Paper. It will have the weekend events in it. You can then get online to find which are dog friendly.

I would go south of town and take my doggies tubing down the river in New Braunfels or San Marcos.

I am sure locals would have more leads. I just go up there about once a month.

[RooCeleste]

Third Base (at least the one on 35 in Round Rock) has a very dog-friendly patio and good food/drinks (bar-type food). We've taken our Rottie there a couple of times and he has been very well-received in a fun atmosphere.

[capcat]

A few things I'd do, judging from the list of dog-friendly places in the link:

North-Central Austin:
Go to either Billy's at Hancock and Burnet Road, or Phil's Ice House (Amy's Ice Cream) and then on to Ramsey Park in the block just west of 42nd and Burnet Road. Take a walk through Rosedale and enjoy the tree-lined streets and the old-fashioned neighborhood that it is. Nearby Pacha's coffee shop on Burnet Rd. may allow dogs on the (very small) back porch. I can't imagine anyone would bother you about it. You can definitely take them to Upper Crust Bakery (recommended!) if you sit outside on their patio. Try the Texas croissant if you like jalapenos, or the Paraguayan cornbread, or the cupcakes, or most anything of the large selection of baked goods that they serve. All are excellent! There's a reason they've been around for 30 or so years. Also, they have great cheese soup and sandwiches. Warning: They close at 1 pm on Sundays, and stay open no later than 6 or so on any other day, 5 on Saturdays I believe. Take your dogs shopping at Bark n Purr just a few doors down for some dog treats or a new toy.

Downtown:
1. Go to Whole Foods at Lamar and 5th and sit on the patio. One of you could go in and get the food at their deli while the other waits outside with the dogs. You could also go to Austin Java a few blocks north on Lamar. While you're downtown, you can window shop at some of the neat stores on west 5th and 6th streets or see some of the new condos that have been built.

2. Go to P.Terry's (be sure to get a couple of their complimentary doggie treats), then take the dogs for a walk down South Congress to window shop. Later in the day, go to the Congress Avenue bridge to watch the bats take flight.

3. Take stroll down Congress Avenue near the Capitol.

4. Have lunch on the patio at Scholz Garden and then walk over to the UT campus and see the football stadium, etc.

There are other interesting parks around Austin that are not well known, but fun. One is Reid Park off of Pecos Street, in West Austin. You could take lunch there and walk the trails behind the park. A stream runs through it, and it's beautiful. It's an interesting place as well for the historic brick kiln that's no longer used, but still standing. Mayfield Park off 35th street is also beautiful, but there are peacocks roaming the grounds, so I'm not sure they allow dogs. The Laguna Gloria grounds are right next door.

North Austin...I believe you can take your dog to the Domain shopping center (outside). I see dogs there frequently. It's a nice atmosphere with fountains, some upscale and some "regular" shopping.

Have fun!