Exploring Austin & Enjoying Mom's Weekend

 “Mom, you have to rent a car.”

It was as simple as that. My mom was a little nervous about driving in a new place but I knew that when she and my grandma came to town for Zeta’s Mom’s Weekend, we would be exploring all that Austin has to offer. Being from Chicago, I am always learning more and more about all of the unique things to do in Austin. My mom has always been into traveling, and acts as a tour-guide for my family when we travel, and so this past weekend I decided to follow in her footsteps.

Live Jazz at Eddie V's

Although the weekend got off to a late start, with their flight being delayed, my mom, grandma, and I sure made up for lost time!  We finally made it to dinner at 10 pm when they got in on Friday. We decided to go to Eddie V’s where we could hear some live Jazz music. After all, Austin is the live music capitol of the world! It was great to catch up and relax with them over some seafood and jazz music before embarking on our fun-filled weekend.

Zeta Mom's Weekend brunch at ACC!

Our Saturday started with Zeta’s Mom’s Weekend brunch held at Austin Country Club. On the drive to the brunch, the sight of green mountains and cliffs marveled us, as we never knew they were even part of the Austin landscape. Maybe Austin natives wouldn’t consider them as outstanding but in comparison to the flat landscape back home, they were incredible. When we finally arrived at the beautiful ACC, many smiling Zeta friends greeted us. After a couple hours of Annie Ray photo booths, dining on gazpacho, chicken crepes and chocolate lava cake, and getting to know my Zeta sisters and their mothers, we were off to the Domain for some shopping. Finally, after walking around and taking advantage of our discount, we were off to Mozart’s to recuperate.

Afternoon coffee at Mozart's

            Mozart’s was perfect. We sat outdoors on the large, wood balcony overlooking the lake, under the shade of a beautiful, big tree. There, on that beautiful day, we sipped on some coffee and planned our next move.

2^nd Street was next. We walked into some trendy, independent Austin shops to explore artwork and clothing. We truly felt like we were in Europe as we walked down the narrow streets and into each quaint shop. I was able to point out a couple neat spots to my mom and grandma, such as Ballet Austin where I take dance classes, and the spectacular capitol building. We walked through downtown til our feet were sore, then drove back to the AT&T center where they were staying to rest up and get ready for dinner at Uchiko.

Grandma's "chicken and rice"

My AXO friend Danielle, and my Zeta sister Chiara joined me and my clan with their moms for some sushi and, well… uh, unique Japanese food. It was an interesting experience to say the least, and my grandma was definitely surprised when her “chicken and rice” dish came in the form of sushi. Nevertheless, it was delicious, and fun to be out on Lamar for a trendy, Austin dining experience. Afterwards, I tried to get my mom and grandma to the famous 6^th street but they didn’t really have it in them to go out that night. I guess I’ll have to save that for next time!

Exploring South Congress!            

On the last day, Sunday, we began with brunch at South Congress Café. After some delicious migas and OJ, we set out to explore South Congress. On SoCo, I got to point out the famous Austin food-trucks, the gorgeous view of the Austin skyline, and the many unique shops, offering everything from cowboy boots to insane costumes and crafty furniture. We stopped to take a picture by the “I love you so much” sign on the side of Jo’s on SoCo, and then headed off to Whole Foods for some groceries.

            

The beautiful Zeta house!

       
 Though I had intended to show them even more, like see the famous graffiti wall on Lamar, and hang out at Zilker park, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend with my mom and grandma. I guess it’s best to leave some things for next time, anyway! After a quick tour of the Zeta house, they were off to the airport and back to Chicago, but the memories of that weekend will stay with me in Austin.

ZL, 

     Alexia Phipps (PC ’12)

Alexia, her mom, and grandma posing for the Annie Ray
photography booth at ACC!