We are heading to San Antonio where we will meet up with some indigo clothing co. models. Their parents are dear family friends, but, as my girls’ tell me, there is no such thing as a family vacation anymore because all vacations are working vacations for our young entrepreneurs.
p.s. For more ideas of what to do and eat in San Antonio, check out my friend Kristin’s 3 Perfect Days in San Antonio.
Foodie Stops in San Antonio
103 E Jones Ave
San Antonio, TX 78215
Our friends know that we love Mexican street food and casual settings so they’ve scouted this restaurant out for us. It’s self-described as, “offbeat counter-serve kitchen & bar for big plates of high-end eats served in a funky outside space.” We can’t wait!
This light-filled Mexican spot lures locals with breakfast tacos, fajitas, enchiladas & margaritas.
955 S Alamo St
San Antonio, TX 78205
This looks like a fun area to explore: “located in San Antonio’s acclaimed arts district, Southtown.” “Here, tucked into historic pockets are grassroots art communities and notable architectural gems (not to mention the local enthusiasts working to preserve both) as well as more than enough unpretentious watering holes and good restaurants to make you consider taking up permanent residence.” from Texas Monthly
100 E Grayson St,
San Antonio, TX 78215
Our last trip to San Antonio to meet said friends included this Mexican street food restaurant that was my husband’s favorite restaurant in the world. It’s hard to eat there these days as it’s packed. We will have to go at a weird hour like 10pm to get in!
1001 Northwest Loop 410
San Antonio, TX 78213
We are obsessed with their fideo soup but everything we ate there was delectable. As you can see from these first few choices, we are going to eat as much Tex-Mex as possible. This restaurant is a hole in the wall, our favorite kind of haunts and described as, “authentic & inventive Mexican fare (with health-minded options) in a casual setting with a full bar.”
218 Produce Row
San Antonio, TX 78207
This huge restaurant and Mexican bakery is in a tourist spot but we ate there before and the tortillas are made in house which is impossible to find in Boston. Unless we find a better source for homemade/handmade tortillas hot from the griddle, we are coming back here! Also, we have a long ways to go before we’ve taste tested all the baked goodies!
2, 312 Pearl Pkwy #2101
San Antonio, TX 78215
This ice cream shop is also located in The Pearl, near La Gloria, so this is a natural pairing. Check out a sampling of their ever rotating flavors: horchata, Texas sheet cake, dark chocolate with olive oil and sea salt, hot chocolate, roasted beets, fresh mint, and more. Lick also makes seasonal and dairy-free creations.
1414 S Alamo St #105
San Antonio, TX 78210
This sounds like another great pairing! “Nestled in the Blue Star Brewery complex is some of the best gelato and sorbetto in town. Every flavor is made fresh daily with both Italian and local ingredients including passion fruit, strawberry, black sesame, nocciola, and fior di latte.”
What Do To With Kids in San Antonio
The San Antonio Botanical Garden is a 33-acre, non-profit botanical garden in San Antonio, Texas, United States, and the city’s official botanical garden.
555 Funston Pl
San Antonio, TX 78209
My oldest wants to go to the Botanical Garden which is fine by me. I love Botanical Gardens. I think it’s also a great location for their photoshoot.
200 W Jones Ave
San Antonio, TX 78215
The museum is situated on the northern section of the Riverwalk. Egyptian Animal Mummies: Science Explores an Ancient Religion will be there from March 23–July 1, 2018. Over the past 70 years, the Asian art collection has grown to include over 2,000 works from China, India, Japan, Korea, Tibet, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Spanning 6,000 years of Asian art history, this collection is internationally recognized as a center of excellence. The San Antonio Museum of Art has one of the most comprehensive collections of Latin American art in the United States. The collection spans 4,000 years and contains paintings, sculpture, works on paper and other objects from Mexico, Central America, South America and countries of the Caribbean. It also contains an important collection of Spanish folk art from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Nelda’s Vintage Clothing
1621 N Main Ave, (210) 271-7111
Claiming to be the oldest and largest source for vintage clothing in South Texas, Nelda’s Vintage Clothing delivers on everything fashion. From unique and affordable vintage clothing plus costume jewelry and fashion accessories, this place is truly the best of classic finds.
26495 Natural Bridge Caverns Rd
San Antonio, TX 78266
The Natural Bridge Caverns are the largest known commercial caverns in the U.S. state of Texas. The name is derived from the 60 ft natural limestone slab bridge that spans the amphitheater setting of the cavern’s entrance. There is also the Mining Company, where you mine and pan for gems, fossils and other treasures.
The Scobee Education Center at San Antonio College is a 22,000 square foot facility combining the Scobee Planetarium, a first-of-its-kind, next-generation Challenger Learning Center and a rooftop star deck and observatory.
1819 N Main Ave
San Antonio, TX 78212
Most programming is reserved by school and community groups Monday through Thursday with the public programs only offered in the planetarium on Friday evenings with presentations at 6:30, 7:30, and 9:00 pm. This doesn’t align with our schedule but I would have wanted my kids to check this out!
The Alamo Mission in San Antonio is commonly called The Alamo and was originally known as Misión San Antonio de Valero.
300 Alamo Plaza
San Antonio, TX 78205
We visited our last trip and somehow this was traumatizing to my kids because they all insisted that they do not want to go back. Personally, I think that you have to go here if you visit San Antonio. It’s a fascinating museum to learn about American history.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park is a National Historical Park and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site preserving four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas, USA.
6701 San Jose Dr
San Antonio, TX 78214
We also visited here on our last trip and my kids found it excruciatingly boring. Still, I think it’s worth a stop.
The San Antonio River Walk is a city park and network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River. It was touristy the last time we went, with mostly chain restaurants and shops. I heard that the restaurants are better these days. It was a nice place to walk around though, even if you are just window shopping. We stayed in La Maison on the River Walk (pictured below) last time.
p.s. Related posts:
Family Vacation in Quebec City, Canada
Family Reunion Vacation in Oahu, Hawaii
Family Reunion Vacations: Bermuda
Family Reunion Vacations: North Captiva Island, Florida
Family Reunion Vacations: San Antonio, Texas!
Family Reunion Vacations: Kennebunk, Maine
Family Reunion Vacations: Kennebunkport, Maine, The Colony Hotel
Family Challenge: 8 Mile (Death Defying) Hike
My books:
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
- Green Earth Book Award longlist
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
So many great things to see and do! Pinned just in case we ever make it there.
I’ll do a new post soon on where we actually went and the amazing food experiences we had!
I still remember visiting the Alamo as maybe a 4yo?
I really liked visiting the Alamo but my kids complained so much about going back again.
Growing up San Antonio was like my second home. My mom grew up in San Antonio, so living 2 hours away from her hometown meant plenty of visits to see grandma and grandpa. Sadly, we didn’t explore enough there. Sure, I saw the Alamo, the mercados, but we didn’t get out much. Most of our time in SA meant outside barbecuing, which trust me I didn’t mind. 🙂 The smell of porky smoke and the sounds of pecans (from my grandparent’s pecan tree) crunchy under my feet is a memory I can still feel like it was yesterday.
Anyway, I love San Antonio and I cannot wait to take my kiddos back there this summer.
Mi Tierra was one of my grandpa’s favorites. 🙂
The BBQ in San Antonio was so good! We are ruined now for bbq in Boston which is SOOO bad compared to the south!