Day Trippin' › Texas › From Houston › Barton Springs Pool
The drive from Houston to Barton Springs Pool takes about 2 hr 32 min (west of Houston), by real roads from ZIP 77002. Along the way we found 63 stops within a short detour: 10 coffee shops, 4 bakeries, 9 ice cream and treats and 25 places to eat.
The list below is the best few of each kind, in driving order, with how far into the drive you reach each one (counted from Houston) and the detour it adds. Stops marked Our pick are chosen by us; the rest come from OpenStreetMap listings, so confirm hours before you count on them.
Photo: Downtown Austin, Public domain
Swimming
A three-acre spring-fed pool in Austin's Zilker Park that stays around 68-70 degrees all year. It is home to the endangered Barton Springs salamander.
Heads-up: Closed Thursdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. for cleaning. No pets. Weekend parking fee March through Labor Day. Entry is cashless or at the Zilker Cafe kiosk during construction.
First third Middle third Last third Barton Springs Pool
About 2 hr 32 min by road, heading west from the middle of ZIP 77002. Traffic and weather change that.
Good ones to start with: Memorial Villages Farmers Market (Hunters Creek Village), 85°C Bakery Cafe (Houston), The Paleta Bar (Houston), Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum (Bunker Hill Village) and Bahama Buck's Original Shaved Ice (Houston). The page lists 28 in all, in driving order.
85°C Bakery Cafe in Houston, The Cozy Table by Kape Tayo in Bunker Hill Village, Long Coffee in Barker and Starbucks in Sealy. Check hours first; they come from OpenStreetMap listings.
Bahama Buck's Original Shaved Ice in Houston, Tasty Munch in Bunker Hill Village, Urban Bird Hot Chicken in Barker and Cajun Comforts Crawfish & Seafood in Katy.
Memorial Villages Farmers Market in Hunters Creek Village, Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum in Bunker Hill Village, The Duelin' Daltons in Katy and Bastrop County Courthouse in Bastrop.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Stops come from our own picks and OpenStreetMap listings; hours and detours change, so check before you go. We do not store anyone's location.