In honor of Justin's newly-minted history master's, we headed to San Antonio, Texas, for a few days of fun. Everything is bigger in Texas, so our trip description will span several blog posts.
While the draw to the city was the Alamo, we were incredibly impressed with the beauty of the Riverwalk, a winding path along the San Antonio River just below street level. Described as America's Venice, it is enchanting--full of interesting masonry, fountains, and outdoor art nestled among shops and restaurants with al fresco dining. There is some presence of "nifty" chain venues like Hard Rock Cafe, but many establishments are decidedly local. A large number of downtown hotels are either directly above the walk or within walking distance (as are destinations like the Alamo, La Villeta artisan village, and the San Fernando Cathedral), and the batteau boat cruises provide a great way to get a sense of place. Soon, visitors will be able to use the Riverwalk as a picturesque public transportation route; it's being extended so that visitors can cruise the river to multiple missions.
If you go, take time to learn a bit of the walk's history from a book like the readable River Walk: The Epic Story of San Antonio's River by Lewis F. Fisher. If you are good on foot and able to dress for the weather, don't bother renting a car and just hoof it and boat it to explore the city. Once you're there, you'll want to spend a lot of time down on the Riverwalk. Feel safe in so doing--the walk is well-monitored at all hours.
Relevant Websites:
Visit San Antonio
Rio San Antonio Cruises
Relevant Twitter Handles:
VisitSanAntonio
RioSanAntonio
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