From the Blue Ridge Nest

How I unexpectedly fell in love with San Antonio, TX and why you will too.

I’m sure many people are like you and I. We have a travel bucket list that includes turquoise waters splashing along a soft sandy beach or to experience the natural splendor of a National Park and probably didn’t have San Antonio, TX on that bucket list. This article is my plea to you to make room for one more.

Our trip to San Antonio was planned out of necessity. We were traveling to Lackland Air Force Base to witness our new Airman’s Basic Military Graduation. In my brain, since we were having to fly, we might as well add a few days after the graduation to experience the area. You know, to make the cost of the tickets really worth it. I think that’s different than girl math, right? When we arrived, we were met with a vibrant urban oasis that felt like the source of the spring of Tex-Mex culture.

Where to Visit

You can’t beat the walkability of downtown San Antonio. The city has done an amazing job maintaining and expanding brick sidewalks, lit courtyards, and art installation. You can spend hours wandering along the famous Riverwalk. If your feet get tired you can hop on the Riverwalk boat shuttle. Restaurants, shops, gardens and art line the walk and make it an activity on it’s own. Different than the boat shuttle was the Riverwalk cruise also through Go Rio. This short cruise travels through only a portion of the river and was a great introduction to the river. The boat captains serve as tour guides and do a phenomenal job giving an oral history and economic impact of the Riverwalk. Did you know the movie about Selena has a scene on one of the walkway bridges? They’ll be able to point it out to you along with many other fascinating stories like the hotel built for the World’s Fair.

Now, you can’t go to San Antonio without seeing the Alamo. Despite being a small historical site, it packs a punch with how much you can learn about the history and the people of Texas. They’ve recently expanded the museum to display newly obtained artifacts and interactive exhibits. A visiting exhibit at the time we were there was Peewee Herman’s bike (IYKYK).

In the evening you can walk to the San Fernando Cathedral for a magical light show. Fanciful lights are projected onto the facade of the cathedral as they tell a story of the history of San Antonio. The show lasts about 30 minutes and runs Tuesday through Sunday. Oh, and best yet, it’s free – no tickets required. To check out this event we ordered dinner to-go and had a picnic in the square.

The most show stopping, unique experience that sealed the deal for me was the Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive during the Western Heritage Weekend. This parade and weekend are part of a long fundraising series called “Let’s Rodeo, San Antonio.” The authentic western wear, saddles, horses, dancers, wagons, music and cattle were awe-inspiring to this New England girl. While this event is one weekend day a year- it is without a doubt worth trying to accommodate your trip for.

Where to Eat

There are many different restaurants along the Riverwalk including the Hard Rock Cafe and the walk’s oldest running restaurant, Casa Rio. Casa Rio was founded in 1946 and has authentic Tex-Mex cuisine. I can personally vouch for their tasty paloma cocktail. There are ice cream shops and bars that you can pop into and get an alcoholic beverage to-go. The Riverwalk does allow open containers and in the midday sun, it sure was refreshing as you walked along the winding river.

Mi Tierra was a great spot for a large family dinner. Their dining rooms had plenty of large tables to accommodate. After entering you are hit with a shimmering alter of bakery items. The cases were filled with the most beautiful desserts you could imagine. Many visitors came just for the bakery. The bar was also a feast for the eyes. Dark wood intricately carved with a mirror reflecting a large carved eagle. The bar top and stools invited you to stop and drink it all in – liquor and view. Musicians meander and are happy to strum a melody as they serenade you (for a reasonable tip, of course).

Voodoo Doughnuts did not disappoint. I have heard of them but hadn’t had the pleasure of experiencing them myself. Conveniently right across from our hotel, I picked up a variety of doughnuts to bring back to our hotel as a late-night snack. I get what all the hype is about now and would recommend you check them out as well.

Elsewhere Bar & Kitchen has a cool setup. Something like a park, garden, front porch all in one. Kick your feet up as you go to-and-fro on your own swing and sip a boozy lemonade. Elsewhere is along the Riverwalk and near one of the boat shuttle stops.

Where to Shop

Less specific to San Antonio but a must for Texas is shopping for boots. We found ourselves at Cavender’s Boot City. This is something you must experience for yourself! The shelves of boots have a seemingly infinite variety of boots – and boy howdy, they were all works of art! This was the best souvenir we brought home.

Along the Riverwalk there are little shops that are filled with beautiful hats, ponchos, decor, dresses, belts and so much more.

A fantastic plaza around the corner from Mi Tierra was the Historic Market Square. This felt like a quintessential old Mexico market – colorful ceramics, textiles, food, hats, clothes and decor. The plaza has papel picado banners strung building to building, offering an enchanting visual experience. During the weekends they also have live entertainment.

The Pearl District has retail shops restaurants and a weekend market. This former brewery, founded in 1883, has been successfully repurposed, now offering an experience that surpasses its original purpose. You can walk a few picturesque miles along the Riverwalk from downtown or you can book a quick Uber/Lyft. Along this portion of the Riverwalk is an unexpected grotto. Otto’s Ice House is right on the outskirt of the Peal District and was a perfect spot to have a cold drink and ice cream coming off of the walk. We took an Uber back to downtown, much to the excitement of my youngest!

Where to Stay

Downtown is the place to be. You’ll be surrounded by vintage neon light marquis, great restaurants, tourist spots, tall palm trees lining the streets, a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from the Riverwalk, and if you’re lucky – a cattle run through downtown! We stayed at the TownePlace Suites by Marriott San Antonio Downtown. It was outdated but it functioned for what we needed and the cost was reasonable. We spent most of our time exploring the city so to us, the location was worth it. If there is room in the budget, I recommend spending more and staying elsewhere in Downtown near the Riverwalk.

Things We Missed

SeaWorld is away from downtown but near the San Antonio Airport. We didn’t have this on our radar during this trip but it might be a must-see for others. San Antonio is also home to the NBA Spurs. I wish so badly we could have made a game, but I wasn’t expecting to find so much to do here and we ran short on time. The San Antonio Zoo and the Japanese Tea Garden are two more experiences close in proximity to one another. The Tea Garden is a free public garden open daily built in an old quarry. This is already number one of my visit list when we return.

While these are the items I knew we missed, there are thousands of others I still don’t know about. One thing I do know is San Antonio is oozing in culture, good food, experiences, history and made for a great family vacation.

Tips & Tricks

• Budget extra for parking. While parking is available – it comes at a cost and it adds up.
• Restaurants along the Riverwalk have hosts that invite you to dine with them almost aggressively. Ask the host to view a menu to check the prices. There were a few we checked that we were gob smacked at the cost and opted to dine elsewhere.
• We were there in February and a few afternoons were in the high 80’s, I can’t imagine the heat during the summer! Mornings are chilly but quickly warm up.
• You can jet off as a day trip to nearby Austin. It was a fun experience to drive on the highway where the speed limit was 85 MPH! The Colorado River (yes, THE Colorado River that created the Grand Canyon) flows through Austin. We found a park that offered views of the river.
• The San Antonio Airport (SAT) was small and efficient. Lackland Air Force base is nearby and they host graduations weekly. There are a lot of families arriving Wednesday & Thursday for ceremonies. If you arrive on these days and need a rental car, I recommend booking in advance.