Austin, TX: Travis County (Our 1st Texas County!)

Hey! Even Team Goodvin comes up with an out of state getaway every now and then. Like when we went to Rock Island Arsenal (Illinois) that one time. Well, to ring in the New Year we headed to Monie’s hometown and the birthplace of all three of our traveling gallivant gaggle. Austin, TX, is our mid-winter destination where we found a little Iowa away from Iowa. Let’s get unpacked, get the parental units some much needed time to themselves, and get to discovering some Iowa connections. How about some grown-up ice cream!

A location in Austin’s Eastside is a scoop of everything you ever wanted since you discovered ice cream… and then your favorite adult beverages. Hopefully in that order and many years between each discovery. Prohibition Creamery is owned by Iowa City native, Laura Aidan, and she is showcasing some of Austin’s best homemade ice cream with a nice mix of libations.

I enjoyed a large scoop of Mezcal Vanilla in a promotional New Year’s Eve waffle cone while Monie tasted a refreshing hit of a Sangria Sorbet. All made in house and loaded with flavor. And the answer is, yes. Yes, you can taste the boozy treat in all of Laura’s creations and they fit perfectly withing the flavor profile of each creamy creation they offer. Laura makes every ice cream there on site and also has flavor options suitable for the rest of the family. That being said, Prohibition Creamery not only has your sweet tooth covered, but they also offer a full bar if your looking to just knock back a a few. And that’s exactly what we did after our mid afternoon dessert….

Another Iowa City native with another Austin original. JT Egli is the owner of Craft Pride in the Rainey Street Historical District and it’s pouring a legion of Texas craft beers! Local craft beer is exploding in Iowa and its no different in Austin. Craft Pride not only has great Texas beer, they also have a staff that can educate you on all of them. Another booming business in Austin is the brigades of food trucks. Tucked into the patio area of Craft Pride is Via 313 baking off authentic Detroit style pizza to soak up all that cool craft beer. All this grown-up stuff is great, but we knew that no out of state Iowa expedition is complete if we don’t get a taste of something that reminds us of home. Our trip back through North Texas had just what we were looking for.

It’s not Iowa native owned but if you’re from any of Iowa’s infamous Czech neighborhoods, you will appreciate this comfort food oasis that could make a Cedar Rapids lover homesick in an instant. Right on I-35 between the cities of Waco and Dallas is the little Texas town of West and the iconic Czech Stop and their thousands of fresh baked Kolaches. Buttery pastries filled with fruits, custards, and more! This has been a “must pull over now or I’ll throw a complete tantrum” tradition in our family road trips for many years and it won’t be coming to an end anytime soon. And that whole tantrum business was a direct quote from me circa 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007……

Another great trip to Texas produced some unique Iowa memories and that’s not always something you can say when you go on vacation. While you’re plowing through breakfast tacos, hopscotching your way to BBQ joints, and wandering down 6th street, you may find that link to home you never thought you would be expecting. Hook ’em Hawks!

Thanks for reading! -Team Goodvin