San Antonio is one of my favorite places to visit, so we planned a trip when my family got a long weekend. It was our youngest son’s first visit, and I wanted him to see the best of San Antonio, Texas in 3 days.
First Day In San Antonio
On our first day, we arrived before lunch, picked up our other son stationed at Fort Sam Houston, and went to eat BBQ. Texas is a BBQ lovers haven, and there are so many places to choose for good BBQ. After eating, we checked into our hotel and went to The Pearl District to walk around.
The Pearl
Once a brewery, this area of San Antonio has been turned into a unique location that has shops, restaurants, history. It is located just beyond the furthest point of the River Walk, away from the restaurant and shopping district directly on the river. The atmosphere is unique to anywhere I have ever been. It is almost calm and tranquil even though it is in the middle of the hustle and bustle of San Antonio. The free parking is literally under the freeway. The Pearl is an excellent place to relax after a long day of traveling.
With a variety of unique dining opportunities. it is a foodies paradise. The famous Hotel Emma, an elegant boutique hotel, is also at the Pearl. We have not stayed there, but we did eat Sunday brunch there once, and it was beyond all expectations.
Second Day
On our first full day in San Antonio, we visited the two most visited tourist attractions in all of Texas. The Alamo and Missions and The River Walk.
The Alamo and Missions
San Antonio is the third-largest city in Texas and was at one time the largest city. San Antonio is rich with a history of how the Spanish settled and built missions. The Alamo is the number one tourist attraction in Texas and is visited by over two and a half million people each year. While each mission is vital to the culture and history of San Antonio, The Alamo is the most famous because of the Battle of The Alamo. All five missions that reside along the banks of the San Antonio River are within a 14-mile stretch, with walking/bike paths linking each of the missions. The beautiful ruins of the once-bustling missions are incredible for the submersion of culture and history in San Antonio. For more information on The Alamo and Missions, please read my post on A Guide To The Alamo & Famous San Antonio Missions.
River Walk
You can’t visit San Antonio without seeing the famous River Walk. It is the second-largest tourist attraction in Texas, the first being The Alamo. River Walk has dining, shopping, and culture right on the river. The buildings are beautiful and elegantly line the river. It is my favorite place and why I fell in love with San Antonio.
After my last visit to San Antonio, I knew I wanted to eat at Casa Rio. It was the first business to open on River Walk, and it is still going strong. Made famous for its colorful umbrellas, this restaurant is the heart of River Walk. While eating, a mariachi band played for guests. I was in heaven. My husband even let us sit outside, which he usually strongly opposes, but for me, he let me experience sitting under the colorful umbrellas on River Walk.
Taking a stroll down River Walk is the best way to experience its unique atmosphere. However, I highly recommend a boat tour on Go Rio. The captain will tell you about the history and point out landmarks along the way. Cruises run both during the day and after sunset. We timed it so that the sun would set while we were on the tour.
Third Day
We wanted to go to an amusement park for the third day (the second full day). San Antonio is home to SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta.
SeaWorld San Antonio
It was a tough decision, but SeaWorld San Antonio won the toss-up, and it was great. Since we were there during the off-season, we could do everything in a reasonable amount of time. We watched the shows and walked through the aquarium and penguin exhibit, and rode some of the best coasters we have experienced. It was a fun and relaxing day for us.
Fourth Day, The Return Home
On our final day in San Antonio, we decided to stop by the Tower Of The Americas to get in one last experience before heading back home.
Tower The Of Americas
On our final day, we were to fly back home, and we decided to go to the Tower Of The Americas and look over San Antonio from the sky.
I love heights as long as I feel safe, and this was perfect. You have the choice to walk out on the outer rim of the tower and look over San Antonio, or if you don’t like heights, you can stay on the inner edge and learn about the history of San Antonio. There are pictures pinpointing landmarks all around the tower. On the ground level, a shop and a 4D theatre feature three different 20-minute movies you can watch.
After visiting the Tower Of The Americas, we grabbed a bite to eat at our favorite BBQ place and headed to the airport to fly home.
Please read my post on 10 Amazing Things To Experience In San Antonio for other things to do in San Antonio. You can also visit San Antonio’s Visitor’s Site for more information.
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San Antonio is one of our favorites! They have the best food and we always love walking around the River Walk Area. Great post, thanks for sharing!