What To Do on a Trip to San Antonio, TX

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while now, but y’all… life has been crazy lately! I am SO looking forward to the summer, and even though I’ll be teaching summer school for 6 weeks, I am ready for a change in pace. The end of the school year is always incredibly rushed, where we are fitting in everything we can in the last few weeks. Now that STAAR is over, it’s a lot of fun, but there’s still a LOT to do. I still can’t believe time has flown by so fast this year!

And speaking of time flying by, I couldn’t believe it when I realized it’s been EIGHT WEEKS since spring break. I could have sworn it had only been tops three. ;) And that means it’s been two months since Isaac and I did our half marathon, and since the last time we visited San Antonio. So, if you’re putting two and two together, you’ve probably realized that I’ve been meaning to write this post for quite a while now. Oh well… better late than never, right?!

So San Antonio… Where to begin? I absolutely love this city! Not only does it have some amazing Mexican food, fun things to do, and some pretty entertaining people watching spots, but it’s also rich with Texas history. My aunt lives just blocks from the Riverwalk, which means a free stay for us in one of the best places in town. I’m going to be so sad when she moves! I have been to San Antonio quite a few times over the past couple of years (and if you search the blog archives, you’ll see what I’m talking about haha), and during those visits I’ve come to find the best of the best things to do and see when you visit. And lucky for you, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned with you today! 

What To Do on a Trip to San Antonio, TX

Restaurants

Riverwalk- There are a ton of restaurants on the Riverwalk you can go to for some tasty grub. I’ve been to a few, and they’ve all been about the same. Decent food, but overpriced (because they can)! It is a lot of fun to eat outside here, though, because you get to enjoy the water flowing past, and do some awesome people watching. 

Bakery Lorraine- I have gone to this little cafe every single trip to San Antonio for the past three years. It’s sort of tradition now… we can’t visit SA without dropping by for some quiche and macaroons. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this cafe! Every single time we’ve gone the food has been amazing, and I just love the ambiance in the restaurant. Best of all, Bakery Lorraine is in the Pearl District, which is my favorite place in the city! 

Los Barrios- We ended up here last Memorial Day weekend because one of our friends knew a guy who was family to the owners. And I am so glad we did. Y’all… that was some of THE BEST Mexican food I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot over the course of my life. I highly recommend you go here- it’s amazing. 

Madhatters Tea House and Cafe- I went here with some of my friends from college a few years ago, and it was delicious! They serve up some tasty breakfast food that you don’t want to pass up on. Between the fluffy waffles, great coffee and cute decor, you’ll have a blast at Madhatters! 

Sweet Yams- This was one of Isaac’s Yelp! finds this past trip to San Antonio, and even though it looks a bit sketchy when you first get there, don’t turn around and find somewhere else. This little shack serves up healthy food at a decent price. We wanted to keep things light with our half marathon in a few days, and I am so happy we stumbled up on this place! It was all organic food, full of veggies and lean protein, and delicious. 

Lick- This ice cream place is in my favorite area of San Antonio, the Pearl District. I love getting ice cream when we travel, because every place tends to be a little bit different. Here the ice cream is sweet and creamy, and you’ll find some very interesting flavors (like Pink Peppercorn Lemon Twist). It was a great way to end the day on a sweet note.

 Local Coffee- This coffee shop is right next to Bakery Lorraine, and it’s amazing stuff guys. So great, in fact, that I made Isaac detour at least three days in a row on our last trip so I could get my coffee fix. I highly recommend their Caramel Latte. It’s to die for. 

Things to Do

Riverwalk- not only does the Riverwalk have lots of restaurants, but you can also find some pretty cool shops to go through. There’s also a mall if you’re into that kind of stuff, but my favorite part of the Riverwalk is in the Pearl District, where it’s been made into a gorgeous little spot to stroll around, and sip on some coffee from Local Coffee. 

Zoo- This year I told Isaac I really wanted to go to the San Antonio Zoo, so we got up early one morning and headed out. It was AWESOME. I highly recommend getting there right when the zoo opens, because if not, it will be super crowded and parking is a nightmare. At least that’s what happened when we were there over Spring Break! The zoo itself is huge, and there are so many animals to see. We spent a good 4 hours or so just wandering around, taking pictures and having fun. My favorite exhibits were the tigers and all the flamingos! 

Alamo- This mission is one of the most famous from the Texas Revolutionary War. It has a little museum inside, a pretty garden area in the back, and barracks where you can learn all about the Fall of the Alamo. I haven’t been here in a few years (other than for the “I visited San Antonio” picture), but it’s a really cool place to go!

Other Missions- on our most recent trip to SA we decided to visit some of the other missions in the city. I honestly had no idea there were more other than the Alamo! We went to Mission Concepcion and Mission San Jose. I thought it was so crazy that they actually still hold church services in the missions! 

Quadrangle at Fort Sam Houston- Isaac stumbled upon the Quadrangle when he was looking for things to do in the city, and y’all… it’s SO COOL. It’s free to get  in, but you have to get a visitor’s badge to be allowed inside. In the quadrangle there is a huge bell tower, a little pond area and giant trees. But the best part? All the animals roaming around! There were peacocks, deer, ducks and geese that just hanging out in the quadrangle. There were families there feeding the animals, and hilariously trying to get pictures with the peacock’s feathers fanned out. It was so peaceful there, and I loved it. There’s also a museum you can visit during the day! (The only sad part is they don’t allow photography in the Quadrangle!)

Up for a drive? 

Isaac and I love traveling around and visiting new places. When we’re in San Antonio, we use the fact that we’re in a different area of Texas to discover some really cool places, and to learn more about Texas history. We also like to stop at places along the way, and anytime hiking is involved, I’m in! 

Bastrop State Park- We swung by the state park on our way down to San Antonio in March to stretch our legs and go on a little hike. A few years ago a forest fire destroyed 90% of the park, and it’s still completely devastated. It was so sad hiking through it, seeing all the burned trees, fallen logs, and remnants of that horrible fire. I can only imagine how beautiful the park was when it was in its prime! We plan on going back again to see how it has regrown in a few years. 

Pedernales State Park- My mom is from a little town called Johnson City, which is about an hour from San Antonio. Right outside of JC is the Pedernales State Park. We went hiking there last Memorial Day and it was such a beautiful area! Rolling hills, the Pedernales River, little streams, and lots of wild flowers. You can read about our hike here. 

Goliad- Goliad is where the massacre of Goliad occurred during the Texas Revolutionary War. Isaac had been wanting to visit this town for a long time, and even though it was a bit of a drive from San Antonio, it was worth it! This area is rich with Texas History, and it was cool learning about all of these things, then seeing where it actually happened. There’s also a state park you can visit where there’s a mission and museum, as well as a little trail you can hike. 

Gonzalez- This was probably my favorite town we’ve visited in Texas, simply because of all the history it is soaked in. Gonzalez is home to a jail that is over 130 years old (such a cool museum!), some amazing Pre-Civil war houses, and the canon that inspired the “Come and Take It” flag. This was the place where the Texas Revolutionary War began, and once again mine and Isaac’s history loving hearts were so happy! It’s an amazing town, y’all. 

Greune- This is a former town that is right outside of New Braufels that is such a fun place to visit! There are a ton of cute little shops, with everything from jewelry, antiques, pottery and t-shirts. My favorite part of Greune is Greune Hall, which is the oldest dance hall in Texas. We went to a concert there a few years ago, and it was so neat to dance on a floor that has seen thousands of feet before ours. They also have what are called “Old Greune Market Days” on the third full weekend of every month, where hundreds of vendors set up a fun little artisan and famers market! 

Luckenbach- The only reason we visited this little town is because of the Waylon Jennings’ song about it. There’s a little touristy area that is super cute and rustic and has some picnic tables set up for families to rest and hang out. There was also a little gift shop, bar and snack shack, and some people playing live music. The dance hall there was closed when we visited, but I bet it’s a lot of fun to head out that way for a fun little honky tonk night! 

Now it’s your turn to talk! Answer one of these questions in the comments below:
Have you ever been to San Antonio?
What is your favorite city to visit?