There's no better way to pass the time than sitting outside on a sunny day sipping a cold beer and watching the world pass by. Add in historical and culturally significant sites and a lazy river and you have San Antonio, TX.
We've spent a lot of time in San Antonio. Being there is very relaxing and I get a sense of homecoming as soon as I land at the airport.
Whenever we're in San Antonio we stay on the River Walk. The San Antonio River Walk is a public park that is open 365 days a year. It's lined with restaurants, hotels and attractions.
There are many great places to stay. A few of my personal favorites are
The Hotel Contessa,
The Hyatt Regency River Walk and the
The Omni La Mansion del Rio. All are great hotels with direct access to the River Walk and right in the heart of all that it has to offer.
San Antonio is famed for its many missions, the most famous of course being the Alamo. Four of the missions are located in
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. The Alamo is not part of the park and is located at a separate site. Visiting the Missions National Park and the Alamo are definite must do's. The history and architecture are amazing. Free guided tours, movies, and demonstrations are scheduled throughout the week.
A good way to see the city is to take a trolley tour. You can get a Hopper pass that allows you to use the trolley all day. You can get on and off at any of the scheduled tour locations. It's a great way to visit the various sites throughout the city.
Another option is to take a Segway tour. I haven't done this yet but it's on my list for my next visit. You can spend a couple of hours touring around some of the cities main attractions. The Segway tours even offer a ghost tour. Sounds like fun!
A few other must see sites are:
The Market Square - El Mercado. A three-block outdoor plaza lined with restaurants, shops and produce stands near San Antonio's city center, Market Square is the largest Mexican market in the U.S. El Mercado is home to Mi Tierra. A really fun Tex-Mex restaurant that is open 24 hours a day.
The Market Square
La Vallita is a historic arts village in downtown San Antonio. It's one square block filled with artists, craftsman, restaurants and shops. A place to pick up a few gifts for friends and family. Or yourself. La Vallita is accessible from the River Walk.
La Vallita
Take a walk through HemisFair Park. The park was built to host the 1968 World's Fair and is home to The Tower of the Americas.
HemisFair Park
We can't talk about San Antonio without talking about the terrific food. San Antonio is home to the best Tex-Mex food and some of the best BBQ in the country. If brisket is your thing you're in for a real treat,Texans know how to smoke a brisket. Brisket sandwiches, brisket dinners, brisket tacos, try them all.
Another local treat is the puffy taco. Puffy, masa taco shells filled with all manner of taco fillings. They can be found on menus all over town.
Head on down to San Antonio for a visit. Grab a table at a restaurant by the river, order a local Shiner beer or an icy margarita, sit back and watch the parade of people and the river laze by. Grab a few tacos for dinner, listen as the sound of mariachis drift across the river, take a deep breath and relax, you can always go sight seeing tomorrow.
