Description

Highlights (i.e. best things to do, memorable moments, etc.)
I like to travel a certain way when I travel to cities. . . eat the food they are known for, visit at least one museum, and do or see something cultural. We wanted to focus on downtown instead of driving over to visit the museums. We liked the concept of just wandering around downtown so I found a walking tour of some historic places in the downtown area. While I longed to go see artworks at the McNay or San Antonio Art Museum, I settled for spending our few free hours walking around and observing some interesting history about both San Antonio itself and the state of Texas.

San Antonio is the only major Texan city founded before Texas won its independence from Mexico. During its early days, it was populated by diverse groups including Native American Indians, Spanish missionaries sent to convert the Indians to Catholicism, Spanish militia men protecting the territory from the French, German merchants starting new lives, cattle ranchers and plantation owners. All have left their mark, both tangibly on San Antonio's downtown and subtly on the city's culture and cuisine. Plan a visit to the Alamo, San Fernando Cathedral or Spanish Governor's Palace.

Quick tips/suggestions
Do: Visit the Spanish Governor's Palace accordingly. It has fans, but no air conditioning. Unless you have a rare cool day in Texas, plan your visit in the morning so it is not too hot.

Don't: Forget to admire the city's architecture which reflects its multiethnic history. After the Texas revolution, Spanish viga beams began to be replaced by southern Greek revival columns, German fachwerk (half-wooden) pitched roofs, and East Coast Victorian gingerbread facades.

Do: Stop in some of the older hotels to see the lobby and maybe have a drink or snack in their classic bars.

Do: Try to get to the Alamo early. Either right when it opens or a bit before. You should be able to walk around the grounds and it will be less crowded early in the morning, especially on week days.

Don't: Miss San Fernando Cathedral. It is a beautiful church with Spanish influences and lots of history.

Local tourist office: The visitor's center is located right across the street from the Alamo. Here you can gets maps, directions and coupons in addition to buying San Antonio souvenirs.

Best Way to get around
If you stay in downtown San Antonio any place near the river you can walk to all of the sites. On the map things look quite far away, but I would venture to say the downtown area is in about a 6 block radius. We walked from all the various ends in one day only pausing for lunch or a drink. If you do not feel like walking, San Antonio has a very good trolley car system. The trolleys are colored to match their routes (red, green, etc.). Maps are well placed on the streets throughout the city and in several guides and brochures. The best thing is the price. For only $0.50 you can cruise down Market Street in a snap.

If you stay further away from the river you can drive downtown and park at one of the many lots. Parking seemed to be between $5 and $7.50, but we did not park too often so the prices may increase depending on which lot and how long you stay.

There are also river cruises you can take which is a great way to see the riverwalk. Sightseeing tours depart throughout the day. Several restaurants offer dinners on the boats as well.