San Antonio was never really top on my travel list but I am so glad I ended up there! My brother does EMT work and was working there for a few months so I decided to go visit with my best friend. We went in mid-February which is a great time to go if you aren’t into the summer heat but are also in need of a break from the cold… which is this girl 100%.
There is a TON to do in San Antonio and we were on the go non-stop. I’ll fill you in on my favorite spots and things to do in the area 🙂 This trip was taken pre-pandemic FYI.
We flew out of Philly and landed in San Antonio airport. It is small compared to Philly’s airport and very easy to navigate. Our Saturday evening flight to San Antonio was actually pretty empty so that was an added bonus 🙂 The uber ride to out hotel was only about 10-15 minutes- the airport is super close to the heart of town.
Short & Sweet Tip- the TSA does not accept the yellow change of information card at the security checkpoint and if you changed your name and it doesn’t match your boarding pass, it will be a huge issue unless you have two other forms of ID that match that yellow card such as an insurance card/credit card etc. The other option is when you purchase the ticket, use the name that is on your ID.
Lodging/Location:
Lodging/location: In San Antonio, we stayed at the Hilton Homewood Suites right in the middle of town and a block away from one of the Riverwalk entrances. Our stay included a continental breakfast, and the dining area looked right over the river–providing us with beautiful scenery while we ate breakfast. During the weeknights they also had different free theme nights in the dining area. The night we attended, they had free small appetizers, margaritas, sangria, and draft beer which was really nice. They also had the standard coffee and water sitting out throughout the day in case you needed an afternoon pick me up or to re-hydrate from a long night out.
Lunch, Dinner, Late Night Eats & drinks 🙂
The Esquire Tavern- known for having the longest bar in Texas and the first place we visited. It was pretty big but we still couldn’t find a seat on a busy Saturday night during Mardi Gras weekend. The restaurant had a very romantic/date night vibe and was very dark inside so if you have issues with night-time seeing, I wouldn’t suggest it–I had to use my phone to light up the menu. I got a burger and a margarita which were really good. The food was on the fancier side and more exotic; nothing too plain on the menu so if you aren’t an adventurous eater, be prepared to try something new.
*Shipley Donuts- This is the go-to place in Texas for a sugar-filled breakfast. We grabbed one one the way out of town because it was highly suggested by a few people when we mentioned we were going to San Antonio.
Merkaba- fun place to grab drinks with an open layout, couches to get comfy, and more live music. They also offer line dancing on Sunday nights- I would love to try this next time I’m in San Antonio.
*Mash’d- moonshine and great food- what else could you ask for? They had a huge variety of different moonshine cocktails here. They also had a really fun menu from quinoa bowls, to tacos, to burgers, to southern style food. This is about a 20 minute drive from San Antonio but it is in a shopping center with plenty to do so you could make an afternoon out of it. It’s also right by Six Flags.
*These places are not on the Riverwalk
The County Line: love, love, love this place for some southern bbq. It was right on the river so we sat outside for the gorgeous view on a 70 degree day in February. We ordered brisket, mac & cheese, corn bread, and beans along with a margarita because why not? After all, San Antonio is known for their margaritas and when in Rome. It was SO good and I would definitely recommend going there for some really good bbq.
Late night eats: After closing time at 2 AM one night, we were ready to grub. Very limited options during the week at night but we wound up at The Original Mexican Restaurant. It is 24 hours and on the Riverwalk. We were among 2 people in there, but it was a Sunday night. The menu was pretty big with a ton of different Mexican food options available. They also give you free chips and dip while you await your meal. Their food wasn’t the best Mexican I ever had but it hit the spot at 2 AM.
Things to do:
Sea World- We went here because my brother was working as an EMT there. Typically, I don’t support large animals in captivity but SeaWorld has done a lot to change the way they operate. They do still have whales there but they will be the last generation and Sea World appears to now be more focused on rescuing/rehabbing animals that either can’t live in the wild or who need rehabilitation before they can return. They still have some work to do but are changing so that’s all I can ask for. Sea life absolutely fascinates me. I wanted to be a whale trainer when I was a kid 🙂 The park was empty in February, in the 60s, and we didn’t have to wait in any lines. They only have a few roller coasters but we didn’t wait more than a few minutes to board any of them so that was really nice. We watched the otter show and the whale exploration while we were there and fed the sea otters. It was really amazing to see them so up close and personal. You can also swim with the dolphins and have other close interactions with other sea life but it was a chillier day in San Antonio so we opted to skip that.
The Riverwalk: To get to the riverwalk you walk down steps and the river is right there with walkways on both sides. You take steps down to it and it is literally a river that goes through a bunch of restaurants, bars, and shops. During the day they have vendors that sell handmade items if you want to do some shopping. There are a ton of restaurants with a bunch of different cuisines and a lot of the restaurants have happy hours and different specials. We went to Mad Dogs British Pub riverwalk for dinner and I had some southern chicken and waffles for the first time ever and they were absolutely amazing! I definitely would recommend this place. We wanted to sit outside on the river but it was a little chilly so we requested one of the heat lamps they had outside so they brought it over and set it up right next us; they were so nice and super accommodating. The view of the walk lit up at night was so pretty and it was just such a fun atmosphere. Inside, they had a live band playing as well which we went in to listen to after dinner.
Short & Sweet Tip: at night during the week, it gets pretty desolate after 10 and most of the restaurants close down (at least in the winter months when we were there). We didn’t have any issues but were told by locals to just be careful down at the walk when there are less people around. Also, if you are looking to eat on the later side during the week, just know that your options are limited. There are a few restaurants that you will find and one that is open 24 hours but they are far and few between.
Take a hike: The next day we went on a 2 mile hike at Government Canyon State Natural Area park; it cost $7 per person to enter. It was an easy trail but it brought you up to the top of a mountain and it had some pretty views. There were a few trails to pick from if you want something a bit more difficult.
The Alamo: I am not much of a history buff, but we came here for a picture. It seemed wrong not to visit the Alamo while here. We didn’t do a tour or anything but walked by to see what it looked like since it wasn’t far from the Riverwalk.
Natural Bridge Caverns: A unique tour of a underground caverns; not something I would think to do, but it was amazing and well worth the time spent! It cost $40 for a ticket at the door to do the tour of the underground caverns. There is also a maze, rope/zip line course, a few activities for kids such as gem mining, and places to grab food/shop. We only took part in the caverns. The tour took about an hour and fifteen minutes. A tour guide takes you through ¾ of a mile of caverns. Its a comfortable but humid 70 degrees underground. They are just so beautiful and unique so add it to your list 🙂
Japanese Garden: This place is full of gardens, waterfalls, ponds, and beautiful flowers.
Riverwalk Boat Tour: We did the basic tour without food and drinks but if you’re feeling fancy, you can take a different tour with food and drinks. There was a place to buy your own wine/beer before you boarded so we brought some along for the ride. The tour guide took you throughout the entire Riverwalk and pointed out all of the important landmarks with the history behind them along the way. It is a great way to fully experience the river and take a lot of great pics. Tickets were $13.50.
The Pearl: An upscale district with hotels, restaurants, and some shopping. During the week We went later in the evening so most places were closed and the restaurant we picked served mostly seafood (which we didn’t realize) which none of us were in the mood for so we just got a drink and moved on to the next place. It is definitely worth checking out though as long as you go earlier and here is a lot to do/see here in regards to shopping and grubbin 🙂
Short & Sweet tip- it seems like the alcohol policy is pretty relaxed here as far as walking around with a drink as long as it is in a plastic cup/container. They sell wine/beer in cans and as long as you have a can or a plastic cup, most establishments didn’t seem to care that you walked in and out with them. It kind of reminded me of Key West in that regard. I would still be careful, but there were several places that offered to go beers so I think it was permitted–so long as you didn’t get too rowdy.
All in all, I really liked San Antonio. You can definitely hit most of the major spots in a long weekend as it is a small town. We also could have done tours of the Alamo, but history just isn’t my thing and taking a picture in front of the Alamo was just as good to me!