Mother’s Day only comes around once a year, so you better do right by your mom. A gift can’t possibly measure up to the love and support moms give, but it’s a start.
Austin is a unique town, and in much the same way each mom has her own one-of-a-kind combination of personality traits, quirks and interests. What better to celebrate your mom’s individuality than by giving her something reflective of the most iconoclastic city in Texas?
Here are 10 Austin-themed gifts for mom.
10.) Ride the rails from Cedar Park to Bertram
The Hill Country Flyer, courtesy of AustinSteamTrain.org.
The Austin Steam Train Association runs several trips a week through the Hill Country. Most round trips start and end in Cedar Park with a stop in Bertram. Some routes go all the way as south as downtown Austin.
Soak in the scenery with Mom on their special Mother’s Day trip (if tickets are still available). The 15-minute stop in Bertram is enough time to walk around the depot and take a few pictures before making the return leg of the journey. Seats are filling up, so get them soon!
9.) A bag Ruta Maya coffee
Ruta Maya started in Austin in 1990 with the idea of selling superior Latin American coffee while giving farmers a fair portion of the profits. The company “imports 100 percent organic Arabica coffee beans that are shade-grown by a cooperative of farmers in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico — the land of the ancient and modern Maya. This coffee has exceptional richness that combines ancient growing techniques with gentle roasting to extract the ultimate in coffee depth and flavor. The carefully harvested green coffee beans are imported to Texas, where they are custom-roasted to exacting standards and packed fresh daily,” it says.
So if your mom wants some fresh, fair trade coffee, Ruta Maya is the way to keep it Austin as well. You can buy their coffee at their south Austin cafe and online.
8.) Tickets to a live music show
Lorde performs at ACL 2014. Photo: Flickr user Ralph Arveson, CC licensed.
How long has it been since your mom saw a live music show? To paraphrase the old Wolf Brand Chili television commercial, that’s too long.
She may not want to stand the whole show, so be careful about which venue you pick. If you don’t get assigned seats, she’ll be standing. Cedar Park Center, Austin360 Amphitheater, The Backyard, Frank Erwin Center and other large venues usually have ticketed seating options. Then again, maybe your mom doesn’t mind standing shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers. You’d know best. She’s your mom.
7.) A Hill Country wine tasting tour
Photo: Flickr user Brendon DeBrincat, creative commons licensed.
The Hill Country has become a fierce rival of California’s Napa Valley as a producer of top-notch wines. As you cruise the scenic back roads west of Austin, you can see vineyards that were not in existence a few years ago.
Dozens of wineries are sprinkled across the Hill Country, so pick a few to try, and get tasting! Even if you’re the designated driver, you’ll still have a nice time taking in the scenery as your mom samples the spiked grape juice.
6.) Lucchese Texas Longhorn boots
Ladies Lucchese Texas Longhorn Scholarship Boots.
Does your mom bleed burnt orange? Does she need footwear to go with her favorite sundress? The Ladies Lucchese Texas Longhorn Scholarship Boots are not only stylish for the female UT fan, but the proceeds from their sales go to the Rebecca Carreon Scholarship which is awarded to exemplary UT students in need. The boots are available exclusively at the University Co-Op.
5.) Artsy products from South Austin Gallery
Photo: Flick user Jeff Gunn, creative commons licensed.
South Austin Gallery sells product like coasters, trivets, cutting boards and canvases covered with photos of recognizable Austin places like Pennybacker Bridge, the Capitol building, murals, restaurants and bars. You can order products online, but they’re also sold in many shops around town.
These make perfect gifts for the mom who loves Austin but doesn’t live here anymore. When she looks at the gift, she’ll think of you and long for the weirdness of Austin.
4.) Dinner at an authentically Austin restaurant
Austin is filled with local restaurants to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Mom is sure to enjoy a family dinner at an authentically Austin restaurant. So plan your Sunday lunch for food you can get nowhere but Austin. The saying goes that the stomach is the quickest way to a man’s heart, but give Mom a meal she didn’t have to cook, and you’ll warm her heart.
3.) A trip to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Purple Cone-Flower and Prickly Pear Cactus at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Photo: Flickr user Earl McGehee, creative commons licensed
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center offers scenic walks among native foliage. The Center’s mission is “to conserve, restore and create healthy landscapes.” Who can’t support that?
Take your mom on or before Mother’s Day to celebrate National Wildflower Week. The Center is hosting on-site tours and off-site events at green spaces around town. Check their National Wildflower Week calendar for details. If you think Mom will want to come back again and again, memberships are reasonably priced, and the money goes toward preservation of the Center.
Pack a picnic, and you’ll be the best kid ever!
2.) Some relaxing treatments at Lake Austin Spa Resort
Photo: Flickr user Nick J. Webb, creative commons licensed.
Lake Austin Spa Resort is a world-renowned tourist destination. In fact, last year it was ranked by Travel + Leisure Magazine as the #4 destination spa in the world. And it is right in our backyard, next to Mary Quinlan Park, that is.
If your mom needs to max and relax in luxury, consider one of the Mother’s Day packages. You can pamper her with a half-day or full-day package including treatments, lunch and a spa gift to take home.
1.) Delectable treats from Lammes Candies
“Longhorns,” from Lamme’s Candy.
Lammes Candies is an original Austin business dating back to 1878. They have a few stores around town, and online ordering is available. Their most famous products are the Texas Chewie Pecan Pralines and the Longhorns (caramel and pecans in milk chocolate). They also offer a wide variety of sugar-free products.
Mom’s sweet tooth will be satisfied with a box from Lammes. She’ll be swimming in chocolate happiness thanks to you.
