San Antonio, TX Road Trips

San Antonio is considered to be the cradle of Texan liberty. Its best-known landmark is the Alamo, the site of the famous battle (1836) where Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were killed. When most visitors see the Alamo for the first time, their common reaction is "Hm, I thought it would be bigger." No other city in Texas reflects the state's Spanish and Mexican heritage better than San Antonio. Hispanics make up a considerable fraction of the population and it shows in most places. The Hispanic atmosphere of San Antonio makes it a truly unique U.S. city. This becomes most evident during Fiesta week, a yearly celebration that attracts 3.5 million people to its over one hundred events including parades, music, festivals, fairs and food and drink in the charming downtown streets of the city. San Antonio also has a significant African-American population. San Antonio, with a population of about 1.5 million (2020), and a metro population of nearly 2.5 million (2018), still enjoys a small-town feel despite the hustle and bustle. Its people are friendly, open and bicultural, and the concentration of population around its center makes it easy to get just about anywhere within a 30- to 40-minute drive. During the summer it can get hot, and sometimes humid. Temperatures in the 90s and 100s °F (30s °C) are typical from May to September, though there are some days that stay cooler.

1 The Alamo, 300 Alamo Plaza (park at any of the pay lots in the area), ☏ +1 210 225-1391. Daily 9AM-5:30PM, closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Considered to be hallowed ground and the Shrine of Texas Liberty, the Alamo is a former mission which was also the site of the Battle of the Alamo (1836). Admission is free, although donations are appreciated. Revenues from an adjacent gift shop fund the historic preservation efforts. The Alamo site consists of not only the former mission itself but quite a lot of monuments, informational placards and outbuildings. Excavations and expansion of exhibition space is continuing as of 2023, to include another future museum, but as of January 2023, there is already more than enough to see and learn on-site that you could spend an entire day there if you so chose. (updated May 2016) 2 Aztec on the River (aka Aztec Theatre), 104 N St Mary's St (on the River Walk, at the corner of E. Commerce and N. St. Mary's Streets), ☏ +1 210 812-4355, [email protected]. The Aztec on the River was touted as the Riverwalk's most exciting entertainment attraction. This historic 1926 movie palace was meticulously restored in 2006, complete with a Mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ. (updated May 2016) 3 Casa Navarro State Historical Park, 228 S. Laredo St., ☏ +1 210 226-4801, [email protected]. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day). Homesite of Jose Antonio Navarro, a 19th-century Texas legislator under Mexico, the Republic of Texas and the U.S.

Fiesta!!!. Fiesta is a yearly event held in San Antonio in late April. Fiesta is a 10-day, city-wide, fun-filled, multi-cultural celebration. Many family-oriented events take place during this time, as well as many events geared towards adults. With over 100 different events, it's the biggest party and greatest community benefit in the state of Texas. One of the most fun events of all Fiesta, is Oysterbake on the St. Mary's University campus. It kicks Fiesta off with a bang, has plenty of food (chicken on a stick, oysters, fried oysters, corn, corn in a cup, meats on sticks, pizza, you name it. Friday of Oysterbake is usually more family-oriented with a 1980s or '90s band headlining the festivities. (Previous headliners: Eddie Money, Loverboy, Night Ranger, Smashmouth) Saturday is a jam-packed day of fun, food, music and booze. More modern acts will headline the main stage, there will be a country stage, and a tejano stage. Previous acts include: Three Days Grace, Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd, Hinder, Lit, 10 Years, Buckcherry (bad year), and The Veer Union. If you're single, Oysterbake on Saturday is your time to shine. Otherwise, you'll have an awesome time with friends or family. First Friday Art Walk. San Antonio First Friday is a free showcase of the art community in San Antonio. The event takes place on the 1st Friday of every month in the historic King Williams district. Many local restaurants feature live music, and there are vendors selling local goods along the walk. San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo.

1 Honchos - The House of Churros, 6421 Broadway St., Alamo Heights, ☏ +1 210-760-0377. W-M noon-10PM, closed Tu. Local dessert shop with churros, hot chocolate, and other dessert items from the region. $5-10 on average. (updated May 2024) 2 Casa Rio, 430 E. Commerce St, ☏ +1 210 225-6718, [email protected]. Su–Th 11AM–10PM; F Sa 11AM–11PM. A great Tex-Mex restaurant if you're on a budget. This is the oldest restaurant on the River Walk, opened in 1946. You can enjoy good local-style dining in a colorful and romantic setting. Mid-range. (updated May 2016) 3 Ruthie's Mexican Restaurant, 11423 West Ave, ☏ +1 210 308-0253. Great Latin food. 4 Schilo's Deli, 424 E. Commerce St, ☏ +1 210 223-6692. M–Sa 7AM-8:30PM. If you're tired of Tex-Mex, Schilo's is a great place for good German food at budget prices, right above the River Walk (next to Casa Rio). Try their Evening Specialties, available after 5PM, excellent value. Split Pea Soup is a long-time favorite. (updated May 2016) 5 Teka Molino, 7231 San Pedro Ave., ☏ +1 210 344-7281, [email protected]. M-Sa 7AM - 9PM. Teka Molino is a famous Tex-Mex restaurant on San Pedro, two blocks from North Star Mall. Locals are familiar with their famous puffy tacos, carne guisada, guacamole cups, bean rolls, and home-made tortillas. (updated May 2016) 6 Main Street Pizza, 1906 N. Main St, [email protected]. Just east of San Antonio College, about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of downtown.

San Antonio's downtown is the hub of the city's nightlife, with hundreds of dining options, bars and clubs mostly on the Riveralk and throughout street level. Other major nightlife locales, include Southtown Arts District, home to First Friday Art Walk, a large art block party with crowds upward of 20,000 along Alamo St. Scores of dining, galleries, theatres and lodging options, that include more than 10 historic 19th century B&Bs adjacent to the Riverwalk. Wander down through the River Walk and take your choice of bars and eateries. You can't go wrong. There are also several bars/restaurants in the Mercado block of tourist shops. 1 Drink Texas, 200 Navarro St, Suite 100, ☏ +1 210 224-1031. 2PM-2AM daily. (updated May 2016) 2 Mad Dogs British Pub, 123 Losoya St # 19. British-themed bar & grill on the Riverwalk. (updated Apr 2016) 3 Howl at the Moon, 111 W. Crockett #201, ☏ +1 210 212-4770, [email protected]. Su-Th 7PM-2AM; F Sa 6PM-2AM. Howl at the Moon is a singing, clapping, stomping, dance-on-the-piano, rock 'n' roll dueling piano show! It's part concert, part piano bar & all centered around audience interaction & 2 baby grand pianos. Howl at the Moon offers an experience beyond the average bar with live entertainment, comedy, & sing-a-longs throughout the night. Howl at the Moon is the perfect place for corporate parties & special events. Don't fret if you can't get there for your party or event–with their "Piano Shows To Go," they'll bring all the excitement & fun to you!

1 San Antonio Fort Sam Houston Houston, 6900 IH 35 North, ☏ +1 210-798-3900. Complimentary hot breakfast buffets and social hour in the evening. Also offers in-room business services, a work area complete with dual phone lines, Wi-Fi access, personal voice mail and daily newspaper. $51 (Jan 2022). Super 8 by Wyndham San Antonio Airport North, 15314 San Pedro Ave, ☏ +1 210-306-4902. Free transportation to San Antonio International Airport. $55 (Jan 2022). 2 Days Inn Suites San Antonio North/Stone Oak, 1505 Bexar Crossing (corner of San Pedro Avenue, just south of 281 and 1604 junction), ☏ +1 210-545-5400. Well outside of San Antonio's downtown. Large and comfortable rooms, pool, free high-speed Internet (Ethernet). Just off a big freeway, so no neighborhood nearby to enjoy, but pleasant inside and with friendly staff. $54 (Jan 2022). 3 Bullis House Inn, 621 Pierce Ave, ☏ +1 210 223-9426. Historic bed and breakfast offering rooms. 4 Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk, 105 S. St. Mary's St (between Commerce and Market (kitty corner from Aztec Theatre)), ☏ +1 210 270-7799. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. The 24-story Alamo Bank building, opened as a Drury hotel in 2007. Direct access from the lower level of the hotel to the western side of River Walk downtown loop. Free hot breakfast buffets and evening social hour daily on the second floor of the 50-ft tall lobby. Views from the 22nd floor observation deck; pool/spa on same level. Free internet and long-distance phone calls. Pets accepted with a daily cleaning fee of $15 each.

1 San Antonio International Airport (SAT IATA). Serves over 30 national and international destinations with non-stop service and many more with one-stop direct service. For destinations, check with individual airlines. Ground transportation from SAT to Downtown available by shuttle ($19 one way per person), by taxi ($25-35 one way, up to 4-6 persons depending on the size of the taxi), or by public bus (Number 5) which stops just outside Terminal B (brings you downtown in about half an hour for $1.30 exact change and runs approximately every 30 minutes). San Antonio is served by two Amtrak long-distance trains. The Texas Eagle provides a direct connection with Chicago while the Sunset Limited calls in San Antonio on its way between Los Angeles and New Orleans. 2 San Antonio railway station, 350 Hoefgen Ave. (updated Nov 2020) Most visitors to San Antonio arrive by either I-35, I-10, I-37 or US 281. I-10 comes from El Paso to the west and Houston to the east. I-35 comes from Austin to the north and Laredo to the south. Driving times are about 1 hour from Austin, 4 hours 15 minutes from Dallas/Fort Worth and less than 3 hours from Houston. 3 Greyhound, 500 N St Marys St, Downtown (Across the street from Bill Miller's Parking Lot). (updated Jun 2021) Megabus. Service from Dallas, Austin, and Houston. The bus stop is in the parking lot on the south corner of 4th St and Broadway St. Autobus Americanos. Mexican trans-border bus line with services from various points in Mexico. Bus stop is at 301 Broadway in San Antonio. Turimex Internacional.

San Antonio's bus system, the VIA Metropolitan Transit, runs the downtown trolley service (actually a bus) for a small fare. Bus fares range from about $1.10 to $2.50 depending on the service with a one-day $2.75 pass (for purchase at some retail outlets see VIA's Website under Fare information) for all routes. There are 4 types of routes: Express, Skip, Frequent, and Metro. The Express routes usually run from the sub-urban areas (mostly Park and Rides) to downtown. Most of them run about once every 30 minutes. Skip service usually runs along the streets with high traffic. They usually do not stop at bus stops that are served by the frequent routes. Skip routes also usually run about every 30 minutes. Frequent routes can also be found on high traffic roads and as the name implies, the stops are very frequent. Although Frequent routes come by about once every 15 minutes, it is usually faster to wait a little longer and take the Skip routes if you are going a long distance, for example on San Pedro ave, it is usually quicker to wait for the #3 (Skip) as opposed to the #4 (Frequent) if you wanted to get from downtown to North Star Mall. Metro service is usually found in neighborhoods around the city, frequency varies with each route, but they usually run about once an hour. Discount fares are available to children between the ages of 5 and 11, senior citizens 62 and older, Medicare recipients, persons with disabilities and students.

By American standards, San Antonio is safe for its size; despite a rather high poverty rate and the racial tensions that flared up around the country since 2017, the Alamo City managed to avoid most of the crime waves that hit other American cities during the pandemic. As long as you take elementary precautions, you'll have a fantastic time. Even when there are crowds for such events like the Alamo Bowl, it is still relatively safe. The River Walk always has something going on, but if you're in one of the quieter spots at night, exercise some caution. San Antonio has a high rate of cars break-ins. Do not leave any belongings in your car. Some neighborhoods in the east (Eastwood Village, Wheatley Heights, Arena District) should be approached with caution at night, though they are of little interest to tourists unless you. In San Antonio, if a place looks iffy, don't go there at night. San Antonio has a large homeless population with several large encampments which are to be avoided. The most notable is directly adjacent to the central Via Bus Station / HQ at 123 N. Medina St. You can mostly avoid uncomfortable or dangerous interactions by keeping a reasonable distance and not engaging with aggravated individuals. However, the vast majority of homeless people in San Antonio are passive and will not bother anyone.