*as seen in North Canton Living Magazine June 2024
Perched on the edge of a rock wall with our feet dangling over the San Antonio Riverwalk, my son and I watched the people weaving through busy crowds. Holiday lights dangled from the tall trees and a quiet blend of music drifted from the long line of restaurants tucked into the bottom of historic buildings. The air was soft and I pulled my sweater close. This was our last night in San Antonio and my feet hurt. It was the second week of January 2024 and despite the chill, I welcomed the 60 degrees.
In 1941, twelve years after it was first proposed, the San Antonio Riverwalk opened. It would be another thirteen years before Congress approved funding for additional improvements and flood control. Today, the San Antonio Riverwalk is the number one tourist attraction in Texas.
For me, staying in a Riverwalk hotel was a bucket list item. I first visited the Riverwalk in the 1970s with my family as a young girl. Over the decades I visited two more times and each time fell in love with the gardens, meandering river, and sensory feast.
Our first day in San Antonio began by visiting the Alamo. We arrived when they opened and at the end of the day, I was napping on a bench as my son closed down the museum. English musician Phil Collin’s fascination with Davy Crockett led to a collection of Alamo memorabilia that he donated to the museum. This time visiting was quite different as the story of the Alamo was less grand tale and more factual and painting a far different picture than from my childhood
We toured the San Antonio Botanical Gardens on our second day and it did not disappoint. Over thirty-eight acres, this living museum features native plants from the varied ecosystems of Texas. My son and I wandered over the grounds getting lost on the winding pathways exploring greenhouses, native rose gardens, and historical buildings tucked into corners. For lunch, we indulged at Jardin at the Garden – a four-and-a-half-star restaurant with a menu designed by Chef Jason Dady. The meal featured a fresh twist on traditional Mediterranean meals using local ingredients.
On our last day we explored all of the Riverwalk side channels and small neighborhoods. We were in and out of art galleries, and tourist shops, sampling food at the restaurants that were tucked into corners and under buildings. The Riverwalk is essentially below street level. We sat fascinated on a bench with a group of tourists watching a specialized riverboat scoop the previous day’s liter from the river. We paused and admired public art installations and watched troubadours serenade couples and families.
I introduced my son to Dick’s Last Resort, a restaurant that specializes in insulting their dinner guests. My son and I proudly wore paper hats with phrases that can’t be repeated here. We also ate a huge meal at Casa Rio, the oldest restaurant on the Riverwalk. Our table was along the river and the day was sunny and warm. Tourist boats cruised along and we caught snippets of facts from the tour guides while we sipped our margaritas.
We tried to purchase the famous homemade root beer from Schilo’s on E Commerce Street. Unfortunately, they fell victim to the international root beer shortage. I had been told by several people that it is the best root beer in the world.
Alas, I will have to return to San Antonio to see for myself.
What I Learned
The territory of Texas and Mexico was divided based on the Texas territory’s refusal to ban slavery.
Settled hundreds of years ago, the Alamo was originally a mission.
San Antonio is a busy conference destination with more than 47,000 hotel rooms.
James Bowie did not invent the Bowie knife but made it famous when he used it in a brawl.
Bowie and Crockett were both sick from dysentery when the Alamo was attacked by Santa Anna’s troops.
Only one male survived the attack – Joe Travis, a slave who Santa Anna released. Joe was never seen again.
Before You Go
Hotel rooms are quite expensive in San Antonio rivaling New York City. I recommend that you use hotelscombined.com to compare as it pulls in independent hotels as well as chains. We were lucky to reserve a suite at a hotel where the upper floors were under renovation so the price was lowered for the inconvenience.
The Alamo is quite busy and sells out early. Buying your tickets in advance can save you long lines. There are several tour options from a personal tour to self-guided. We bought the audio tour which is a radio system that you hold up to your ear and provides the same information as the in-person tour guide.
Wear comfortable shoes. This is not the time for fashion. This is a walking city and while there are homeless, I never felt unsafe.
Use the parking attendant at your hotel. There are few parking lots available. Due to Wilbur’s size (length was fine but height was an issue), we parked several blocks away from the hotel.
Make reservations. We ate early in the dinner hour and found tables easily. However, around 7 to 8 pm, we noticed long lines and wait times of an hour or more at all the restaurants. The food is pricey yet all our portions were large. Go hungry.
We noted it is open container along the Riverwalk. Yet we did not see many people walking openly with drinks in hand.