Since my son is due in July, my wife and I decided to build in a little vacation time for us while I'm between jobs. So we booked a last minute flight to San Antonio tomorrow. I admit I've never been to Texas and I'm actually looking forward to seeing how different it is from Georgia. We are staying right on the Riverwalk downtown. Any tips or recommendations for visiting San Antonio? We'll be there a few days so I'm hoping we can see a lot.
Sinnce you are at The Alamo, you should see it. I will say, I expected it to be different.
Take a trip off the Riverwalk to Mi Tierra cafe. It's in the marketplace so you can kill some time there.
Mi Tierra is open 24 hours so go any time, but no matter the time expect a wait. They also have a great mexican bakery.
I've always wanted to see the Alamo, but I've never been, so, no suggestions other than that.
mtn wrote: I've always wanted to see the Alamo, but I've never been, so, no suggestions other than that.
...make sure to check out the Alamo's basement, that's where they keep all the good stuff.
I remember when I first saw the Alamo. Thought,"That's it ?' I guess I expected more. Interesting though.
Well it's a little disconcerting to see it sitting right downtown. Do a tour of the old hotel that is close by so you can see the ghost.
+1 on the basement. What's purported to be Jim's old Bowie knife. Also lots of chains and shackles that they used to "convert" the Indians with.
I thought I made this thread!
I'll be in San Antonio/Randolph AFB for a year or so starting in May. Not a single person has told me it sucks.
San Antone is OK. I found the Riverwalk area to be pretty tourist-y, but if that's what you want, it's fine. Remember the Alamo. Ooops. Anyway, judging Texas from the Riverwalk would be a lot like the blind men and the elephant. If you have a rental car, head west a bit into the hill country and get a better idea of real Texas. Bandera, Hondo, Uvalde, Kerrville, Boerne (pronounced "Bernie"), Garner State Park. Those areas are about the nicest in Texas.
Dr. Hess said: Anyway, judging Texas from the Riverwalk would be a lot like the blind men and the elephant. If you have a rental car, head west a bit into the hill country and get a better idea of real Texas. Bandera, Hondo, Uvalde, Kerrville, Boerne (pronounced "Bernie"), Garner State Park. Those areas are about the nicest in Texas.
+1 I spent a few months at Ft. Sam Houston this summer and I found that the touristy stuff (Riverwalk, Alamo, The Market) could be seen in just one day. It wasn't until I hit some of the smaller, outlying towns that I really started to enjoy it there.
Dr. Hess wrote: Anyway, judging Texas from the Riverwalk would be a lot like basing your views on Arkansas on Dr. Hess
fixed. 
I just looked at a map. If it was me, I would make a trip to Luckenbach. Probably because I'm a huge Jerry Jeff Walker fan.
There's only two things in life that make it worth livin'
That's guitars that tune good and firm feelin' women
We stayed at the Hilton Del Rio Palacio, right on the Riverwalk. We loved the Riverwalk, and all the bars and restaurants. Be sure to visit the Tower of the Americas. Such a lovely view. The Alamo was top to visit. We thoroughly enjoyed it. If you want to eat good tex-mex, visit County Line bar=b=que, on Riverwalk. The tour boat is worth its cost. Go to a piano bar, called Howl at the MOON. You will love it. Take your own cigarettes, as they are pricey there.
Or better yet, don't smoke. 
If you're going to do the Alamo, do the Imax theater movie first. It's in the mall, kind of behind the Alamo. After the Alamo, get a beer in the Menger Hotel bar, next door to the Alamo. The Rough Riders hung out there when they passed through San Antonio, and the place is haunted. Take a tour of the missions in San Antonio. The zoo was OK last time I went, but that was a long time back. The Japanese gardens ought to be getting pretty about now. See if there's anything going on in Greune. Oldest dancehall in Texas or some such. Oh, yeah, check out the wildflowers. Do a search - there are a lot of guides to particularly pretty areas.
Oh, yeah, head up to Lockhart and get some barbeque from Kreuz (pronounced krites) Meat Market or Smitty's. They know what they're doing. Go early.
carguy123 wrote: Or better yet, don't smoke.
Or get a Corvette....
Since you will be there for St. Patties Day, there is a great little Irish Pub along the Riverwalk. Actually, just cruise the Riverwalk and eat and drink as much as you can. And stay at the Drury Inn.
hope your trip is fun, safe and enjoyable. and i do agree, smoking is evil. i personally dont smoke, but 3 of my employees that i took on trip, do smoke. and what cigarettes cost, you could buy a corvette, or BMW, in my case. we stayed at hilton del rio palacio. very nice, and located on riverwalk. the drury inn was in our skyline. looked nice as well.
Drury's are nice. Free beer in the evening, free decent breakfast, nice rooms. We stay at them when we can, but the last time we looked, they had doubled the rate and we passed. Might have been a local event, I dunno.
We just go back from San Antonio. I admit I didn't think we'd enjoy the city as much as we did. We spent the bulk of our time on the Riverwalk. We stayed at the Emily Morgan, right across the street from the Alamo. We went to the zoo (eh, the layout is not conducive to lots of people), the botanical gardens (possibly my favorite, so relaxing) the Ripley's Museum (Pigion Forge's location is better), Ripley's Wax Museum (bizarre mostly) and we ate our way around the Riverwalk. Our last evening there we spent on the riverside jazz bar Jim Cullins Landing (pricey, but good drinks and great music from some old jazz hounds who just jammed freestyle all night).
I'd go back to San Antonio. I know we only saw downtown but the Riverwalk was just a fantastic place to chill out for a few days.
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