TEXAS AND LOUISIANA JUNE 2022

DAY 1 – Wednesday 01.06.22

( Night at: Studio 6 San Antonio Airport )

( On the plane with Delta on Salt Lake City, Utah )

I woke up early in the morning and spent a little time in bed with C., just chilling and relaxing before the day properly started. Eventually, we got ready and headed out for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. It was a really nice place and I did enjoy it, even though I wasn’t feeling my best, I had a massive headache the whole time.

After lunch, we went back to the hostel, packed everything quickly, and made our way to Powell Street Station to catch the BART together. We arrived at the airport quite early, but since we were flying from different terminals, she with United and me with Delta, we stayed together for a bit, chatting and enjoying those last moments. It was actually really nice. Then we said goodbye, and I headed to Terminal 2.

I dropped off my bag, passed through security, and got to the gate just in time, there was basically no waiting before boarding. Luckily, the plane had screens, so I started watching House of Gucci while they were serving snacks.

At 8 pm, I landed in Salt Lake City. I already knew my next flight had been delayed to 10:35 pm instead of 9:05 pm, so I took it easy, grabbed something to eat at Starbucks and walked around the airport for a while before heading to the gate. Unfortunately, there was another delay announced, pushing departure to 11:20 pm.

When I finally boarded, there were quite a few kids crying around, but thankfully I had earplugs so I could still watch a movie. House of Gucci wasn’t available on that flight, so I switched to Couples Retreat, which turned out to be an easy, light comedy.

At 2:40 am, I finally landed in San Antonio. I was exhausted. I called an Uber straight away and got to my accommodation a little after 3 am, then went straight to sleep.

Since there are no hostels in San Antonio, getting a room was my only option. It was a bit more expensive than I would’ve liked, but I chose a place close by so at least the Uber cost stayed low. Not ideal, but still okay.

DAY 2 – Thursday 02.06.22

( Night at: Firehouse Hostel, Austin )

( Butler Metro Park, Austin )

I woke up at 11 am and checked out around 11:30, which was the latest the hotel allowed. I was still extremely tired and honestly just wanted to sleep all day, but it was time to move on.

I headed to the bus stop right in front of the hotel and took a bus to the Greyhound station. The stop itself wasn’t great, it felt a bit rough and not the cleanest, which made the whole experience a little uncomfortable. At 1:20 pm, I left San Antonio, and by 2:50 pm I arrived in Austin.

From the bus station, I walked to my hostel, checked in, dropped my bags, and went straight back out to explore the city. The heat hit me immediately, it was intense. My first stop was 7-Eleven just to cool down, and that’s where I discovered Texas Tea, Goodflow Austin’s own green tea. Honestly, it was one of the best teas I’ve ever had, exactly what I needed in that moment.

After that, I walked to the Capitol and went inside. It was really beautiful and surprisingly interesting. From there, I continued all the way down to the river, where the atmosphere completely shifted, it was calm, relaxing, and the perfect place to slow down. I stayed there for a while and watched the sunset, which made the whole day feel worth it.

Later in the evening, I went back to the hostel, ordered Taco Bell through Uber, and ate in the kitchen. That’s where I ended up meeting a few people, and I connected with one girl in particular. We decided to grab a drink together the next day, which was a nice, unexpected plan to look forward to.

Even though the day started with exhaustion, it turned into a really good first impression of Austin.

DAY 3 – Friday 03.06.22

( Night at: Firehouse Hostel, Austin )

( The Range at Austin )

I woke up around 9 am, got ready, and headed out to explore the city. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans, and it started raining not long after. Instead of wandering around in it, I decided to switch things up and take the bus to The Range at Austin.

On the way, I stopped for lunch at Whataburger, a place I’d seen so many times but never actually tried. To be honest, it just felt like a slightly worse version of McDonald’s, so not exactly a highlight.

Getting to The Range turned into a bit of a mission since it’s quite far out of the city, so I had to take an Uber for the last stretch. When I arrived, I realized I didn’t have a reservation and they were fully booked, but luckily one of the staff managed to sort something out for me. I ended up choosing a package where I could try two guns, a Glock 17 and a semi-automatic AR-15, for an hour.

It turned out to be an amazing experience. The instructor was super friendly and explained everything clearly, which made me feel comfortable right away. I actually really enjoyed it and, surprisingly, I was pretty good at it too.

After that, I took another Uber to the Boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake. The atmosphere there was completely different, calm, peaceful, and full of locals running, walking, or kayaking. I spent some time just wandering around and taking it all in, which was a perfect contrast to the earlier adrenaline.

Later, I walked back toward the hostel, stopping to take a few photos along 6th Street. I relaxed for a bit, and then at around 9 pm, I met up with the girl I’d met the night before at the hostel. We went to Firehouse Lounge, which I honestly loved, it had a really cool vibe. We had a drink there, but the music was a bit too loud, so we headed back to the hostel kitchen.

There, we ran into the guy from the previous night and another traveler, and somehow that turned into a group plan to go out again. We headed to Coyote Ugly and from there just bounced between different bars along the street. A lot of places had $1 shots until closing, which, in hindsight, explains how the night escalated so quickly.

When the bars closed around 2 am, we weren’t quite ready to call it, so we ended up at a gay bar where we stayed until around 3 am. Eventually, we made our way back to the hostel.

I was definitely drunk, probably one of the drunkest nights I’d had all year.

DAY 4 – Saturday 04.06.22

( Night at: La Villita Inn, San Antonio )

( Tejas Rodeo, San Antonio )

I woke up at 9:30 am with a brutal hangover. It was one of those mornings where even moving felt like a challenge. I checked out and immediately called an Uber because walking was simply not an option.

The driver dropped me off at the bus stop, and at 11:30 am I boarded a Megabus back to San Antonio. Thankfully, the ride itself was smooth, but I felt awful the entire time, just trying to hold it together and hoping I wouldn’t get sick.

When I arrived in San Antonio, I decided to walk to the hotel. It was only about 15 minutes away, but the heat made it feel much longer, well over 35 degrees. It was intense, but I made it. Since it was almost 2 pm, I was able to check in straight away and walk into a room with air conditioning, which honestly felt like a lifesaver.

I stayed in bed until around 5 pm, trying to recover. After a while, I took a shower and forced myself to get some energy back because I had plans to go to a rodeo that evening.

Before heading there, I went into the city, grabbed something quick to eat at McDonald’s, and stopped by the Rivercenter Mall to pick up a cowboy hat for the occasion. It felt very on theme.

Then I ordered an Uber to the rodeo, which was quite far out. The ride turned out to be a highlight on its own since it was in a Tesla, which it was my first time being in one.

When I arrived, I spent some time walking around and taking photos before the rodeo started. And honestly, it didn’t disappoint. The whole experience was exciting, energetic, and something completely different from anything I’d done before. It lasted around two hours, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It made me wish I could go to rodeos more often.

After it ended, I ordered another Uber and headed back to the hotel. I was still exhausted from the night before, but really happy I pushed myself to go. It turned out to be one of those experiences that made the whole day worth it.

DAY 5 – Sunday 05.06.22

( Night at: La Villita Inn, San Antonio )

( Cowboy store at River Mall, San Antonio )

I woke up pretty late, feeling lazy and not very motivated to leave the comfort of my private room. Honestly, I could have stayed there all day, but I pushed myself to get ready and go explore the city.

By around 9 am, I made my way to the River Walk. I grabbed an iced tea and started wandering around, enjoying the atmosphere. I wanted to visit the Alamo, but I found out you need to reserve a ticket online, so I booked one for 12 pm. In the meantime, I went back to the River Walk, sat on a bench, and called my mum since it had been a while since we last spoke. It was a really nice, quiet moment in the middle of the trip.

At noon, I headed to the Alamo, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a beautiful place with a lot of history, and the whole area around it is well kept and interesting to walk through.

After that, I went to the Rivercenter Mall and grabbed something quick for lunch at Taco Bell. Then I spent some time exploring the canals around the River Walk. It’s a very beautiful area, calm and scenic, although quite touristy. Compared to Austin, it felt a bit less vibrant, but still enjoyable in its own way.

Later in the afternoon, I stopped by Ice Dream for an ice cream, which was a perfect break from the heat. Around 6 pm, I went back to the hotel to rest a bit and take a shower. I was thinking about going out again in the evening, but in the end, I was too tired and lazy, so I stayed in bed, relaxing for the rest of the night and falling asleep early.

DAY 6 – Monday 06.06.22

( Night at: Wanderstay Hostel, Houston )

( River Walk, San Antonio )

I woke up around 10 am, got ready, packed everything, and checked out. On the way to the bus stop, I grabbed something to eat at Blue Star Provisions, which was a nice and easy start to the day.

At 11:45 am, I boarded the Megabus. The ride was really smooth, and the bus was almost empty, so I managed to get some rest along the way. By 4 pm, I arrived in Houston.

From there, I took a public bus to reach the hostel since it was a bit far from the city center. It was actually very straightforward. The hostel had a self check-in system, so there was no one there to guide me, I just went straight to my room, dropped my bags, and headed back out to explore.

I stopped at Whole Foods Market to pick up some watermelon and some Texan tea, then started walking through the city. I passed by Sam Houston Park and made my way to Eleanor Tinsley Park. The area was really beautiful and gave me some Austin vibes, though it felt a bit less comfortable overall.

I stayed there to watch the sunset, which was a really nice moment. Once it started getting dark, I called an Uber back to the hostel. I spent some time relaxing and socializing in the living room, then ordered Taco Bell for dinner.

After eating, I went straight to bed. It had been a long but easy travel day, and I was ready to rest.

DAY 7 – Tuesday 07.06.22

( Night at: Wanderstay Hostel, Houston

( Space Center, Houston )

I woke up early at 7 am and went to the gas station in front of the hostel to grab something quick for breakfast. After that, I called an Uber to head to the Space Center, I had already booked my ticket online on Viator for $25.

I was feeling really tired that morning, probably from all the walking over the past few days or maybe just the heat catching up with me. Still, I was excited to visit the Space Center, and it didn’t disappoint. It was a really cool experience, I learned a lot about the history of space exploration, from missions to the moon to plans for other planets, as well as how space stations and spacecraft are built and operated. Definitely interesting and worth the visit.

Around 2 pm, I took an Uber back to downtown Houston to grab some lunch. I stopped at Chick-fil-A since I’ve been trying different American fast food spots along the way. After eating, I spent some time just walking around the city, passing through Market Square and exploring the area a bit more.

At around 5 pm, I took a bus back to the hostel. Once there, I had a shower and spent the rest of the evening in bed, just relaxing and recharging. I didn’t have much energy left, and I knew I needed to rest since I had to wake up very early the next day to catch my bus to Nola.

DAY 8 – Wednesday 08.06.22

( The Quisby Hostel, New Orleans )

( All the Pride flags around Nola for Pride month )

I woke up at 6:45 am I had to get moving to catch my bus. I called an Uber, which dropped me off at the Megabus stop. After a short wait, I boarded the bus at 7:45 am, heading toward New Orleans.

Along the way, we made a few stops. At one stop in Lowa, I grabbed two slices of pizza, which ended up being my quick lunch. We also stopped in Lafayette and Baton Rouge before finally arriving in New Orleans around 3 pm.

From the bus stop, I walked to the hostel. I tried to check in, but it wasn’t possible until 4 pm, so I waited there until my room was ready. Once I checked in and dropped off my luggage, I headed straight back out to explore the city.

I walked down to the river and then made my way to Bourbon Street. The area had a really lively atmosphere and was interesting to see, even though it felt a bit rough in places, with some dirty streets and a noticeable number of homeless people.

I stayed out exploring until around 7:30 pm, then headed back to the hostel. I took a shower and went straight to bed, still feeling exhausted from the early start and the long travel day.

DAY 9- Thursday 09.06.22

( The Quisby Hostel, New Orleans )

( French Quarter, New Orleans )

I woke up at 9 am and had breakfast at the hostel, which was honestly really good, better than I expected. After that, I headed out to explore the city for the morning.

I started at Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral, both beautiful spots with a really strong atmosphere. After that, I planned to visit the oldest pharmacy in America, but the $10 entry didn’t feel worth it to me, so I decided to skip it. Instead, I kept walking and passed by the LaBranche House.

The heat was intense, around 32 degrees but feeling more like 39 or 40, so I stopped at CVS to grab an iced tea and cool down a bit. By around 2 pm, I headed back to the hostel and grabbed lunch from Wendy’s right next door.

The day was very chill and relaxed. I basically explored the same areas as the day before, but at a slower pace, taking more time and a lot more photos. The atmosphere was really nice, especially with all the pride flags around for Pride Month, which gave the city a fun and colorful vibe.

Later on, I decided to book a Haunted Ghost, Voodoo, and Vampire Tour for the evening through Viator. After a quick shower and getting ready, I headed out at 8 pm to the Louisiana Supreme Court, which was the meeting point for the tour.

The tour itself was really enjoyable. The guide was charismatic and engaging, which made the experience even better. I kind of hoped I might meet some people to grab a drink with afterward, but most of the group were couples or older travelers, so that didn’t happen.

Still, I’m really glad I did it, it was a fun and different way to experience the city. After the tour, I took an Uber back to the hostel since I didn’t feel completely comfortable walking around late at night. By 10:30 pm, I was already in bed, tired but happy with the day.

DAY 10 – Friday 10.06.22

( The Quisby Hostel, New Orleans )

( Jazz band playing under LaBranche House )

I woke up at 9 am and went downstairs for breakfast at the hostel. Unfortunately, the weather was really bad, it was pouring heavily, so I went back to my room and spent some time just relaxing in bed.

Around 12 pm, the rain started to ease, so I headed out again to continue exploring the city. I’ve been here for a while now, and I could feel it a bit, especially since I hadn’t really met anyone at the hostel to explore with, and not even a Tinder match to change things up.

Anyway, I made my way to St. Louis Cemetery. It was quite expensive, around $25, but honestly, it was worth it. The tour was really good, and the guide did an excellent job creating that eerie, mysterious atmosphere that makes the place so unique. I really enjoyed that experience.

After that, I stopped by Marie Laveau’s House of Voodoo, which was interesting to see, and then continued walking around the city, taking photos and just soaking in the vibe.

Around 5 pm, I headed back to the hostel since it looked like it might start raining again. Once I got back, I ordered Taco Bell, which I’ve become slightly obsessed with at this point, and just relaxed.

I took a shower and ended up going to bed pretty early. It was a quieter day, but still full of those small moments that make traveling feel real.

DAY 11 – Saturday 11.06.22

( Night at: U Street Capsule Hostel, Washington DC )

( St. Luis Cathedral, New Orleans )

I woke up at 9 am and went downstairs to try to have breakfast, but unfortunately a staff member started yelling at me, which completely put me off. So I went back to my room, packed my things, and left my luggage in storage before heading out.

I spent a few last hours walking around New Orleans one more time. It was nice to see everything again, even though the heat was intense. I stepped inside St. Louis Cathedral and wandered around the area, grabbing something small to eat along the way.

By 1 pm, I went back to the hostel, picked up my bags, and started making my way to the airport. It’s quite far, so I left early, and the journey ended up taking over an hour.

My flight was scheduled for 5:25 pm. Once I arrived at the airport, I bought a sandwich from Starbucks and ate while waiting to board. The flight itself wasn’t the best due to quite a bit of turbulence, but luckily it was only around two hours long.

I landed close to 9 pm, waited for my luggage, and then figured out how to get to the hostel. It took a bit of effort, I had to take a bus first and then the metro, but for $10 including the transport card, it worked out well.

By the time I arrived at the hostel, I was exhausted and went straight to sleep.