This past weekend, Brian and I went to San Antonio for a family wedding. It was a quick trip, but we managed to see a lot of sites! The city in October was beautiful and warm. It was about 80 degrees the whole time we were there, so it was perfect for exploring and walking the city at night comfortably. We didn’t do too much research before our trip, but it was pretty easy to find things to see and do throughout the weekend!
A Night Out in the Pearl District
The Pearl District was our first stop for the weekend! It has a number of bars and restaurants to enjoy an night out; a great place to enjoy time with family and friends!
The wedding we were in town for was at Hotel Emma, which was a 19th century brewhouse restored to its former glory. The incredible architecture was the first thing that you notice when walking up to the historic building. And once inside, the decor did not disappoint! I could’ve spent hours exploring the entire hotel, but we spent most of our time enjoying an amazing dinner at Supper before a night out with the bride and groom. Supper had incredible food! (The fried quail being my favorite.)
A Morning in The Japanese Tea Garden
Who knew there was a serene Japanese garden in San Antonio? Not me! My brother-in-law found this online and the whole family decided to check it out the morning after the wedding. It was a beautiful day, and so nice to walk around and see the gorgeous plant and the koi fish swimming all over the ponds. Admission was also free!
An Afternoon Seeing Historic Sites
After lunch, we decided to hit up some historical sites, with our first stop being The Alamo. The church at the entrance was very cool, and the grounds were filled with shade from the trees. (Very much not what I expected to find!)
After walking through the grounds, we decided to head to HemisFair. This is where the World’s Fair was held in 1968! We enjoyed the large fountains surrounding the Tower of the Americas before heading to our next destination. (Going up into the tower was $13. We did have much time before our next tour, so we decided to skip it.)
San Antonio Scooters
On our way to the River Walk, we decided to test out the many scooters that the city had on hand. San Antonio is filled with electronic scooters that you can ride basically anywhere! Through the Bird and Lime apps, you can activate any scooter you find and ride around for as long as you’d like. I was a bit scared to ride them, but it was a super fun way to get around, and we used them several times throughout our trip.
Touring The River Walk
The famous San Antonio River Walk was something that we did not want to miss. We met up with the family to take a boat tour down the river and learned a little more about the river itself, and the city of San Antonio! Strolling around the River Walk, you feel like you a in a tropical oasis. If you dropped me down there, I would never think that I was in Texas! It is filled with lush palm trees, tons of restaurants, bars and shops. A perfect place to enjoy dinner or a drink with friends. Definitely a must see if you’re in the area.
Discovering La Villita
While taking our scooters around the city, we stumbled into La Villita, a historic art village right next to the hustle and bustle of downtown. We didn’t have too much time to stop here, but Brian and I managed to make it back there the morning before our flight. We came on the perfect weekend, because the city was celebrating Dia De Los Muertos (the day of the dead). This is a tradition that is practiced throughout Mexico, as a way to honor family ancestors. We were so glad we stopped by, because it was such a beautiful festival, filled with bright colors and great food. We didn’t have time to indulge in all the dishes, but we were able to grab some churros on our way out!
San Antonio was the perfect place for a quick weekend with the family. It has great history, local flavor, and little something for everyone to enjoy. I’m so glad we were able to join everyone for this little getaway.
Do you have any favorite weekend trips?
[…] and Brian stood up in two. We went on our honeymoon to Iceland (finally!), traveled with family to San Antonio, and did what seems like a million other […]
How much time would you recommend spending at La Villita? We are visiting San Antonio in February and are trying to create a rough itinerary.
How fun! That will be a nice break from the winter months (if you’re coming from the north haha). I would say an hour or two would be a good amount of time. Some time to walk around, check out the vendors and maybe grab some food 🙂
Yes! We are coming from Pittsburgh to escape the cold weather this winter. Thanks!
Awesome! Enjoy 🙂