There are many ways to experience Mexico City. Up until our Friday morning departure from Austin, our way had been not at all.

Now, mere hours after returning, I’m wondering: What took us so long?

My husband and I decided to visit our southern neighbor after a quick Google Flights search rendered its capital the most cost-effective destination over a three-day weekend, and, like some of the best life decisions we’ve made, we settled it via WhatsApp from our respective workstations.

"Mexico City — $229."

"Let’s do it."

Day one, Friday

From Austin, we were treated to that quick 31-minute air-hop to Houston, a brief layover, then an hour-and-54-minute flight into Mexico City.

United States citizens and green-card holders from certain countries do not need a visa to enter Mexico, but everyone needs a valid passport.

After going through customs and exiting the immigration area, we wanted to exchange a bit of money for our initial taxi fare. (Turn right out of customs and there are Scotiabank ATMs. If you have international roaming, Uber is also an option.)

For this, our first visit to Mexico City, we chose to stay in the Coyoacán borough – one of 16 that makes up the Federal District of the city. It was a 25-minute, $15 taxi ride from the airport to our waiting Airbnb hosts Arlette, Fernando and their two Chihuahuas.

By 11:30 a.m., we settled into our $37-a-night private room. From our weekend nest, we easily walked to breakfast cafes for coffee, convenience stores for water, restaurants for lunch, dinner and drinks, a bustling market and the Plaza de la Conchita, just kitty-corner to us.

In an effort to illustrate the depth of the history that we encountered (and the impossibility to see everything in one weekend), I’ll say that we stumbled upon the Plaza de la Conchita on our walk to a nearby cafe. I glanced over to my right and saw the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception Church, erected by conquistador Hernan Cortes.

Our walk led us to Villa Coyoacán, the second most visited tourist area in the Federal District. This is a bustling center with copious restaurants, street food vendors, street performers and makeshift booths lining the sidewalks. A number of police officers direct vehicle and foot traffic, while nearly every human being is attached to a pet canine.

We ate a late lunch at Corazon de Maguey and enjoyed the chef’s attention to detail with menu items such as hibiscus tacos and plantain-filled chili. The bartender served the best mezcal cocktails we drank all weekend.

The market in Coyoacán is a winding maze of covered stalls that pleases nearly every sense. Vendors sell fruit, vegetables, grains, coffee and souvenirs while, across the narrow walkway, tostadas are made to order while you watch. The smells are a blend of seafood, textiles and sweat. People jostle around each other in organized chaos. The energy is both exhilarating and crushing.

The Frida Kahlo Museum is a walkable jaunt from the market, but when we arrived, we learned that the tickets were sold out and would remain so all the weekend. Pro tip: Check ticket availability before arriving.

We jumped in a taxi and headed to the historical center of Mexico City. The Metropolitan Cathedral greeted us in all her wonder. We learned later that this structure was built over the course of several centuries and early Spaniards began constructing it on top of Aztec ruins. Remnants of the ruins can be seen through ground-level plexiglass exhibits.

The historical center, which includes the Presidential Palace along one side just across from the cathedral, is a highly trafficked and well-policed area.

After walking through the cathedral, we explored some of the side streets and visited the free Museo de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público, which featured bronze work by Carol Miller and an extensive art gallery.

I noticed many people carrying blue-and-white decorated packages of multiple sizes and shapes. On one package I saw the name: Pasteleria Ideal, and a couple blocks later, there it was – one of the premier pastry shops in Mexico. I quickly became someone carrying a blue-and-white decorated package, too.

We ended the day with a lovely dinner on the outdoor patio at Argentalia while listening to nearby street performers. A taxi delivered us back to Coyoacán, where we napped, then enjoyed drinks at a local bar.

Day two, Saturday

A must-see for us was the ancient city of Teotihuacan. The ruins were an 80-minute drive from our Coyoacán neighborhood and, thanks to a friend, we connected with a driver, Gabriel. He walked with us through the ruin’s entrance and acted as a tour guide before leaving to park the car near the exit, where he waited for us. (I’m happy to share his contact information, so email me if you need a driver in Mexico City.)

There aren’t enough adjectives to describe the ruins. Spectacular. Majestic. Expansive. Unbelievable. Impressive. They are all these things. And more.

We walked the 2-mile length of the Avenue of the Dead, which takes you through multiple ancient alters and deposits you in front of the Pyramid of the Moon, but not before passing the 213-foot-high Pyramid of the Sun. Unlike the Mayan ruins, which were built over the course of generations, the Pyramid of the Sun was built in a single operation, and if that isn’t impressive enough, it’s solid all the way through.

It took us two hours to climb to the top and back in large part because of the huge crowd that had gathered on this weekend. I did not take sunscreen (amateur mistake), and you definitely should.

As anticipated, we spent the entire day at the ruins, then reached home in time for a nap before walking to dinner, churros and street performances in the Villa Coyoacán.

Day three, Sunday

We lingered in our Coyoacán neighborhood, eating breakfast in a quaint cafe, Ecos del Mundo, then checking out of our Airbnb. We spent $1.17 on an Uber to the museum district around the acclaimed Reforma Avenue.

The wide, tree-lined avenue has two vehicular traffic lanes and two lanes designated for biking, roller-skating, running or skateboarding. It is a noteworthy nod to outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. For walkers, there is an expansive walkway that edges past numerous historical sculptures and multiple outdoor Salvador Dali exhibits.

Our walk along Reforma Avenue took us to the National Museum of Anthropology, where we spent 2.5 hours and saw one-third of the exhibits. This world-class museum pays incredible homage to the diversity of the people and landscape that makes up modern-day Mexico.

We followed a walkway that delivered us to the Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporaneo. After reveling in the exhibits, we wound over to the Bosque de Chapultepec, which, at 1,695 acres, is one of the largest city parks in the Western Hemisphere. By comparison, Central Park in New York City is 843 acres.

We perused the endless stream of vendors before ducking over to what we were really looking for — food. And there was plenty of it in the form of countless tortas and tacos and specialty burgers served from open-facing booths.

Finding another pastry shop was a priority of ours, and we were fortunate to discover Esperanza Pasteleria within walking distance. After shopping, we grabbed a taxi and settled in for the ride to the airport for our Sunday evening flight back to Austin, arriving home in time to return to work Monday morning.

Upon our return, a friend asked, "How was Mexico City?"

And I answered, the short version: "GO."