Packing List
by rids
Shorts, and more shorts. It is HOT here!
Flat shoes would be good for walking along the Riverwalk.
Don't forget wide brim hats and sunglasses :) Even dogs need them. Whatever meds you prefer to help recover from partying hearty! You might want a tripod for night photos along the Riverwalk, especially at Christmas when the trees are full of colored lights. DON'T stay in the *great outdoors* if it is anytime from June thru September, unless you are floating in a river or in a pool.
Three Areas of Quality and Interesting Shopping
by KimberlyAnn about River Center Mall, La Villita, and Market Square
As an extension to the River Walk shopping you will find River Center Mall, a 10-acre complex, which contains 135 stores and restaurants including a Dillards and Foley’s department store. Planet Hollywood is one of the stores in the River Center Mall where you can find souvenirs ranging from designer T-shirts, leather jackets, to key chains, which will help you, remember your visit to San Antonio. You will also find a variety of specialty shops scattered throughout the city. Handicrafts and Mexican imports are available along the River Walk and in La Villita. La Villita is a National Register Historic District in the heart of the downtown district near the Alamo. Market Square is in an area of San Antonio bordered by Pecos and Santa Rosa Streets on the west and east, and by Buena Vista and Commerce Streets on the south and north. Since 1830 an open-air marketplace for vegetables, fruit, and eggs has been operating here. You can also find American Indian and Mexican items as well as arts and crafts in the specialty shops of Market Square.
Great Mexican Dining and Drinks
by jim_h about La Fonda
This restaurant has great central Mexican cuisine. The service is friendly and the portions are generous. Prices are very reasonable. Carne Asada, enchiladas, and the Margaritas are all delicious. Preparation is wonderful and not at all institutional like many Mexican restaurants.
Best Selection of Mexican Pastry
by lisa_lise about Mi Tierra Cafe Y Panaderia
This local restaurant downtown has the best selection of Mexican pastry. The overall quality is not as good as El Sol (mentioned in other tip), but if you just want to try lots of different pastry for not much money, this is the place.
The decor is an experience all its own, with the employees dressed in festive costumes and tons of color and lights everywhere you look. Plus it's in the heart of the Market, so in good weather the street just outside it is filled with vendors and artisans. I can't recommend anything specific, but there's tons to choose from.
Do not bother with the restaurant at all (bad food)--stay on the bakery (panaderia) side.
Please see website link below for details.
The Alamo
by basstbn
Most VTers probably know the story of The Alamo from movies, if nothing else. Established as the first mission in the area, Mission San Antonio de Valero was the site of the famous battle in 1836 when less than two hundred defenders were defeated by the armies of Mexican General Santa Ana. Among the dead were well-known frontiersmen Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William Travis. The chapel and the barracks are the only surviving parts of the original structure. We enjoyed our visit to these, plus the museum and the beautifully landscaped grounds.
This mission is but one of five missions forming the San Antonio Missions Historical Park. While the Alamo is certainly best-known and historically significant of the five, it is in our opinion the least beautiful and the least interesting from an architectural perspective. Check out my tips for the other missions, and when in San Antonio, be certain to visit them all!
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Bedroom
Chicken enchiladas verde
Inside the Alamo
A Friendly Beast
