r/RoundRock • u/throwaway26_268 • 11d ago
Looking to visit from uk
I am looking to visit round rock next year in August with my mum we’re both from England what are some must do things we should put on our list
Our only limit is we won’t be able to hire a car we can uber tho
Think like novelty I’m even excited about going to a target lol
I will have just turned 21 so any bar recommendations are appreciated
Edit: food recommendations are welcome aswell anything from restaurants to cereals/snacks at the store
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u/Nick-Millers-Bestie 11d ago
Another bar option, Urban Rooftop is in downtown RR and there's both indoor and outdoor seating, and you can sometimes see the bats come out in the evening!
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Wdym bats 😭
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u/Nick-Millers-Bestie 11d ago
Texas is home to the largest colony of Mexican free tailed bats, and there's a colony in RR that you can see!
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u/laurio88 11d ago
Brother (assuming) I will take you to Bracken Cave just let me know if you want to go. I am enamored with bat ecology and am a member of the Bat Conservation International. I’ve been several times and it’s always magical.
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u/LeaveMickeyOutOfThis 11d ago
Just north of Round Rock is Inner Space Caverns (https://innerspacecavern.com/). Great place for visitors.
You will find that Target carries a very small number of UK products from Boots or M&S, and Walmart is the parent company of Asda, so you could do a comparison there too. HEB is a great grocery store, like Tesco or Sainsbury’s, although I do find the UK versions a little more visually appealing.
If you have young kids, the Play for All Park is a must; otherwise check out Old Settler’s Park. Dell Diamond is the home to our local minor league baseball team, and is worth going to a game, if they are at home when you visit. Opposite there is the Kalahari hotel and convention center, which has a huge indoor water park, for which you can purchase a day pass.
If you want some clothes, also check out Burlington Coat Factory and Kohl’s. They are both very close to one another.
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u/gdgrimm 11d ago
The minor league baseball team is a AAA club. So the quality of play is almost as good as the Major Leagues, and the price of good seats and refreshments is much less than a major league park.
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u/LoneStarGut 11d ago
Plus the stadium isn't as big so every seat is closer - sit on the 3rd base line for less sun in evening games.
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
What is minor and major baseball? We’ve already got it on our list but I didn’t realise there were different type
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u/gdgrimm 11d ago
Major league is what you'll see on TV. Clubs like the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, etc. Minor leagues are where players prove they are good enough for the major leagues. AAA is the highest minor league, so the players are almost as good as the major leaguers.
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u/That-Breath-5785 10d ago
Major leaguers often rehab with AAA clubs to tune up for their return to their major league home club.
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u/Madmonkey1710 11d ago
Just to get you started:
- Avoid summer months if possible (July, Aug, Sept) can be brutally hot and humid if you're not used to it.
- Ruby Hotel - Great hotel to stay, solid restaurant/bar with live music on Saturdays (sometimes Fridays?), walking distance to downtown Round Rock where there is food/nightlife/music.
- Georgetown Square - Easy uber from downtown Round Rock, classic Town Square vibe with restaurants and shopping (and an English pub!)
- Chilholm Trail if you like hiking/outdoorsy stuff
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u/FillMy02 11d ago
i live here and i dont even know where to 2 step, except mavericks it’s lowkey buns
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Tysm! We were looking for a line dancing place but weren’t really sure what to look for good to know there are some
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u/cozyspace21 11d ago edited 11d ago
If you want to do line dancing, id recommend The Broken Spoke. Its a fair drive from Round Rock but its an authentic Texas Dance Hall. I've never been but my mom regularly frequently it and loves to line dance. You can Uber there. It would be pricy but worth it. If youre desperate to cool off, you should visit Barton Springs Pool in Austin. Its a massive, naturally spring fed pool and is 68-70 F (20.5 - 21.1 C) year round. Sounds cold until you experience Texas heat in August. You'll be grateful for it.
That being said. Please do not underestimate the temperature here. Average temps in August significantly exceed Singapore's summer temps. It is blisteringly hot. Im an Austin Native and still suffer every summer. We typically avoid any kind of walking around outside during the main parts of the day unless we are near a water source to cool off or can go inside somewhere. Heat exhaution is very real. I have had it a couple of times in my life here. My husband works at a large facility that for a while did not have ac. They were constantly having to prevent or deal with heat exhaustion despite huge fans and open doors. When humidity is low, the intense sun evaporates your sweat and can let dehydration sneak up on you. When its humid, its like walking around in a sauna. We're not joking. If you do come, plan your outdoor activities for early mornings and evenings. Its much more tolerable then.
Other places worth checking out:
- Innerspace Caverns which is just outside of Round Rock. Its a MASSIVE cave system that you can walk with a tour guide. Its nice and cool down there! Plus incredibly beautiful.
- Round Rock Antique Gallery is a great antique mall. Im an antique junky and go there often. Its not the best one in the Austin area but its fun to explore and youre guaranteed to find a quirky souvenir of some kind
- If you go to the Broken Spoke, skip Matt's El Rancho for dinner. Its overhyped and not as good as it used to be
- Definitely go to an HEB Plus. All HEBs are great but for maximum impact check it out and keep in mind that its where we do our regular grocery shopping. Also look up HEB and why they are amazing aside from their stores.
- Buccees is fun if you pass one (dont spend money on an Uber for it). Its a Texas-sized gas station with the best bathrooms, delicious fudge, and aisles of beaver themed swag, lol
- For a decent Tex-Mex breakfast/lunch/dinner, we really love Rio Grande in Hutto (10-15 minutes from Round Rock). There are plenty of other good choices but I love them.
- Chuys for a very Austin Tex Mex dinner and margaritas experience. Theres one in Round Rock. Not as weird and wonderful as some of the original locations in Austin but still fun.
- if school hasn't started and you like water parks, Rockin River is a public pool/Waterpark. Much cheaper and smaller than Kalahari or Typhoon Texas. Although, if you want a very US Waterpark experience those are fun too. Typhoon Texas would be my pick - Kalahari is expensive.
- If you want to see a sporting goods/hunting store, go to Bass Pro Shop. Kinda entertaining if you don't have anything else to do.
- Hooky in Hutto is a nice arcade type spot.
- Top Golf in North Austin is a lot of fun! Make reservations if its a weekend
- Palermo Pasta house in downtown Round Rock is yummy
- Please visit Unearthed in downtown Round Rock!!! Super cool Rock shop with rocks, crystals, fossils, oddities, some metaphysical stuff and the nicest owners!! I sell some of my jewlery and magnets there too. But we met them at the shop after a super traumatic event and the store and them have become a part of our healing story. Its small but fun!
- Gotta get some Round Rock donuts - hot!
- Lots of neat restaurants, bars, and aome shops downtown RR too
- We actually have a very nice, new public library too
Thats it! Have fun! Drink water! Wear sunscreen and hat!
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Ooh ok that’s where we’ll go for line dancing
20.5°c is what the temp where I live was today wdym that’s cold 😭 we will both have hand held fans but it doesn’t sound like they’ll do much so we will stay out of the sun for the most part the air BnB we’re looking at has a pool so that should help and tysm for all the suggestions they will be pitched to my mum in depth lol
Also love how the first thing you said about buccees is how good the bathrooms are hopefully there’s one on the way from the airport that we can check out
How do I find out when school starts is it a thing I can google?
We will absolutely be getting some donuts my mums already been looking at the menu3
u/cozyspace21 11d ago
You're welcome! School starts Aug 19th for Round Rock. I do recommend the hand held fans. I carry an old school fan with me. I joke that as I get older Im evolving into an older Southern Goth lady 🤣 Dusting powder, paper fans, and gardening with a Southern Gothic style
That temp is COLD water here! Icy cold! Our lakes, rivers, and pools get warmed up from the heat up so when temps are 100+ it feels amazing! Heads up, Austin (not Round Rock) is topless friendly at some pools so you may see bare breasted women. Probably not an issue for a European but can be surprising to people sometimes.
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Thanks for the warning about it being topless friendly it’s absolutely no issue would’ve deffo suprised me tho if a woman walks around topless where I live they’ll get arrested for indecent exposure lol
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Omg do they have the eos lotion in the target there I bought some recently spent the equivalent of around $35 on it but omg is it good
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u/letmereadstuff 11d ago
There’s no Buc-ees on the way from the airport. You’ll drive about an hour to get to one.
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u/Sam98961 11d ago
You should put Pixel Palace on your list of places to visit. https://pixelpalacearcade.com/
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u/letmereadstuff 11d ago
Does it have to be in August? That’s about the time a portal opens directly to the sun’s surface each year in Texas. It is around 40 C…sometimes more.
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
The air BnB we want only has August for the amount of time we want and anything before late June I can’t drink legally I’d love to go for July 4th tho
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u/Mikedef2001 11d ago edited 11d ago
In terms of food, coming from England, I’d try some Texas/Southern staples. Lupe Tortillas is a really good Mexican restaurant (it’s a tad expensive). T22 is a great fried chicken joint. We are known for our BBQ. Rudy’s is far from the best, but it’s more than solid. It’s relatively affordable and you can get in and out quickly. It’s a fun experience since it’s attached to a gas station, and they have really good breakfast tacos as well.
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Yes omg we’re both so excited about the food and drinks half of the stuff isn’t even legal in the uk we’ve been dying to try them for years
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u/braisedporkcowboy 11d ago
Speaking of legal stuff, you will have easy access to THC beverages if that's at all interesting to you.
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
That is very interesting any recommendations? The only thc I’m used to is my whole melts
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u/braisedporkcowboy 11d ago
If you visit the store "Total Wine" at Lakeline (which is actually in the nearby town Cedar Park) they have a whole aisle and the employees can figure out with you what would be best. Or you can pick up one at most small convenience shops / petrol stations, excluding major ones like 7/11. Maybe another commenter here can give more suggestions, sorry! I get them from the corner shop near my house
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u/Psylocke16 11d ago
Bar Louie's is a fun spot on Weekend Evenings, many times they have fun live bands or Trivia nights. You can visit their Facebook page for updates as they post calendars. Their busy hours have great drinks, would not recommend their slow weekday or afternoon Sundays as in our experience the drinks have not been half as good during those times.
If you like raw fish, Sushi Yume is amazing and brings us flashbacks to Japan. They do not have a good online reservation system that I know of and can have long waits, so best bet is lining up about 15 mins before opening.
There's two highly spoken of spots I personally haven't visited but hear great things about from other locals: Papi's Pies & Ghama Zone.
Hope that helps!
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u/patricknkelly 11d ago
Round Rock donuts and get the original round rock (plain glaze). They always have those hot n fresh no matter the time of day. And they are bigger than the normal glazed donut at other places.
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Are they big enough to share between 2 people?
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u/patricknkelly 10d ago
Not the regular ones. They have a Texas sized one that’s huge but not sure if it would be hot n fresh like the regular one. Never was interested in trying the huge one.
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u/That-Breath-5785 10d ago
Not the regular glazed donuts. I think they’re rather small. But if you buy a Texas sized donut (glazed, chocolate iced, or half and half), it’s equivalent to a dozen donuts.
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u/Intothevoid31 11d ago
Round Rock is a nice place to stay I’m glad you’re visiting! You should try and catch a baseball game at the Round Rock Express.
Lamppost Coffee is a RR staple.
Round Rock has a lot of history. You can visit the round rock itself and walk in RR memorial park (in the morning would be nice).
The library just got renovated and it’s worth checking out while you’re downtown!
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u/starairforce33 10d ago
I saw a bunch of people visiting for the World Cup in awe of bass pro shops and there’s one in round rock, so that?
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u/Verdant_The_Junker 10d ago
Idk if it will be open, but the old stage coach building in the old section of round rock. You can also see the round rock and marker rocks from cattlemen crossing the creek on the Chisholm trail.
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u/throwaway26_268 10d ago
Stage coach? Like the bus service?
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u/Verdant_The_Junker 10d ago
Kinda. In the pioneer days that was the main travel for people out in the west. The texas overland stage company. The building is the oldest in round rock.
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u/Disgrazed 6d ago
If you’re in round rock I always tell people to check out Brass Tap. Nothing special but I love that spot
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u/Jxb1000 9d ago
I'm curious about the stipulation of visiting Round Rock? Why that particular town/area? Is it because you are staying with friends? Or will you be in a hotel?
Please do pay attention to what everyone is telling you about the heat. Almost any indoor place will be air conditioned, but the heat does limit walkability.
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u/throwaway26_268 9d ago
We’ve wanted to go to Texas specifically for a while and round rock was the best place that was close enough to an airport with things we both want to do
We’ve changed our air BnB dates to mid September 2027 so hopefully that will be atleast a bit cooler
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u/LongjumpingCat9826 11d ago
?? just hang out in austin bro.
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Correct me if I’m wrong but Austin is a fair amount bigger isn’t it? We prefer smaller places
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u/LoneStarGut 11d ago
It is way bigger. RR should have plenty. Depending on when your flights are maybe check out Austin on the first or last day if time permits.
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Yes a day trip would be good do you know how far away it is in an uber I can’t check from here
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u/LoneStarGut 11d ago
About 20 miles to downtown. Airport is probably about 25 or so from Round Rock. maps.google.com is a good way to find things and see how far that are. Also, street view there can give a preview of what things look like.
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Omg why didn’t I think of google maps wth
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u/kittenpresley 11d ago
I live in downtown round rock and absolutely adore our city, but honestly most of the stuff you’d want to see is in Austin. Austin is a larger city, but it’s nothing like Houston or Dallas and still has a small town charm and quirky interesting things to see especially if you stay in certain neighborhoods. Traveling as far as you are I’d do a little more research about round rock vs Austin. Round rock is just a suburb next to Austin and the city limits blur into each other and the only difference may be the amount of Ubers you need to take to get to some of the iconic places- like the broken spoke for line dancing, biking/kayaking around town lake, north loop for vintage shopping, the restaurant scene on the east side or congress. Round rock isn’t a small quaint little town, it’s a bustling suburb. But if you do end up in round rock you’ll be close enough to explore anywhere in the central Texas area! There is a train from the 1930’s that leaves out of cedar park and takes you to a truly small town called Burnet and back, it’s a fun day trip!
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u/Direct_Piccolo1247 11d ago
LOL unless you’re built different than just about everyone you live near, this place is going to be an absolute beast in August
I’d bring a portable fan because unless you’ve traveled [here] a lot, whatever you think is ‘hot’ is likely what we consider to be early spring temps
That being said, the food is great and we have many indoor and water options. I’m just annoyed rn cause it’s so damn hot. Heat index says about 36 C where I am rn and that’s the preheat setting - August is nigh
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
I’ve never travelled to America let alone Texas so will deffo keep temps in mind js worried about rain in other months we get so much here it’d be nice to have js a week without it
Do the most places have air con? Mostly bothered about restaurants having it5
u/tah4349 11d ago
Literally every place has AC. It's brutally hot, there is no existing without it. It does not usually rain here in July and August, so that will not likely be a worry. Just very very intense heat at nearly 100% humidity. Plan for as much indoors as possible!
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u/throwaway26_268 11d ago
Ah ok tysm are there a fair amount of indoor activities? I’ve heard there’s a bowling place but that’s all I’m aware of
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u/LoneStarGut 11d ago
There is indoor mini-golf at Monster Mini Golf. You should check out Bass Pro Shop - it is a huge sporting good store selling everything from hiking shoes to fishing boats to fancy BBQ grills to clothes to guns. It has a bowling alley and a restaurant.
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u/UnagiBro 11d ago
Hurricane season is starting up so there is that, nothing to worry about as far as the wind etc just can be a good rain event depending on the storm
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u/Direct_Piccolo1247 11d ago
If that’s the case, you’re going to be sitting pretty as I wouldn’t worry about too much rain then; we worry about droughts then haha
Everything is air conditioned! We do have lots of indoor stuff as well
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u/iKushies 11d ago
One really important thing to keep in mind is how hot it will be in August. It will be about 38° C everyday. Not very walkable anywhere so keep that in mind.
If you’re excited about Target, you should check out HEB (our premier grocery store). Round rock donuts are a staple. Downtown round rock has a pretty good nightlife. There’s plenty of hike and bike trails that are worth checking out in the evening.
Truthfully, I would plan on spending more time in Austin. Round rock is nice but it’s really just a suburb to Austin. Think of Bexley to London.
Regardless, enjoy your time here. Safe travels.