But there’s so much more to San Antonio. We were last in town 10 years ago, and only for two nights—just enough to explore the downtown stretch of the River Walk and to know that we wanted to return. This time we spent a week, which allowed us to venture beyond downtown to discover more of the charms of this historic, beautiful Texas city.
Beginning With The River Walk (Of Course!)
The second week of January was a good window to be there—the weather was pleasantly cool (low 40s at night, mid-60s during the day) and the town was remarkably peaceful and uncrowded.
Beginning our week in San Antonio on the River Walk, with plenty of elbow room
January was a wonderful time to visit. I doubt you could see the mosaic during high-tourist season.
Meandering the wide, winding path beside the river and exploring the interesting cafés, shops, and artwork along the way reminded me of being in Europe. Which was precisely the intention of architect Robert H. H. Hugman, the visionary who saved the river from being paved over after a disastrous flood in 1921.
Hugman came up with a flood control plan for the river that included “a narrow, winding street barred to vehicular traffic…holding the best shops and cafés…with quaint atmosphere.”
With the help of the Works Progress Administration, the core of the River Walk was created in 1939. The result is a beautiful two-and-a-half-mile stone path bordering both sides of the river, linked by a series of lovely stone arch bridges.
Late winter reflections on the San Antonio River
The River Walk has been called the Venice of America (or at least, of Texas)—but the gondoliers in the riverboats don’t sing opera arias. Instead, you’ll be serenaded by mariachi bands strolling the sidewalks. (Which I find delightful unless they make a beeline for us while we’re having lunch at a riverside café, and then I just want to pay them to go away.)
Enjoying a peaceful lunch at Las Canarias on the River Walk
A delicious shrimp salad, Nicoise style
There’s a lot of art to discover along the River Walk
North On The River Walk: The Pearl Brewery Complex
In the past few years, the River Walk has expanded to 15 miles, and is now the longest linear urban park in the country. Walking just a couple miles north on the section called Museum Reach took us through more landscaped beauty and artwork, ending at the restored historic Pearl Brewery. It’s a favorite spot for locals, and ended up being one of our favorites, too.
Strolling the River Walk in the Museum Reach area
Within the Pearl complex are cool boutiques, bookstores, curio shops, and a charming hotel. The food offerings at a dozen different restaurants are some of the best in town; there’s a big green space for hanging out and relaxing; there’s a farmers’ market on weekends, and a microbrewery turns out some fine beer. We visited the Pearl twice and could have happily spent more time there.
We enjoyed walking along the River Walk to get to the Pearl, but you can also catch a river taxi downtown that will take you there and back. Which looked like fun, but we seem to always be trying to walk or bike off whatever indulgences we have planned.
Fish art on the River Walk on the way to the Pearl Brewery complex
Cured restaurant in the Pearl District; originally an administrative office for the brewery, circa 1903. RVing friends Laura and Kevin told us about this little gem.
Lunch at Cured: Kale salad with dried cherries, toasted pumpkin seeds and watermelon radish. The second course was grass-fed beef chili with pumpkin. All accompanied by tasty local IPAs.
Dessert. We first had Lick Honest Ice Cream in Austin and were delighted to find it again at the Pearl Brewery complex.
Some unique flavor choices. Not so sure about the roasted beet ice cream, but I can vouch for the goat cheese ice cream with thyme and honey.
The Pearl Brewery Complex by night
Inside the renovated brewery, where we had an excellent dinner of grilled Gulf snapper at Southerleigh Fine Foods and Brewery. Good beer at the brewery, too.
South On The River Walk: Biking To The Missions
Heading south on the River Walk, we spent the better part of a day biking the Mission Reach, an eight-mile section (16 miles round-trip) that links four 18th century Spanish Colonial missions. It’s a beautiful ride along the river through wetlands and natural areas, with side trails that lead to the missions. And it’s mostly pretty flat. My favorite kind of biking.
Biking the Mission Trail on the south section of the River Walk (16 miles round-trip)
Mission Concepción, the most historically intact of the missions
Inside Mission Concepción
The Texas missions were established in the early to mid-1700s, more for political than religious reasons. By converting the indigenous nomadic peoples to Catholicism and teaching them Spanish language and culture, the missions bolstered Spain’s presence on the Texas frontier. In return, the missions provided food and shelter to the wandering tribes (collectively known as the Coahuiltecans) and offered protection from their enemies, the Apache and Comanche.
The Franciscans recognized that perfect adherence to Catholic doctrine wasn’t going to fly with the natives, and wisely modified their goal to one of “Imperfect Conversion.” Meanwhile, the Indians came up with their own creative take on Christianity, which included peyote ceremonies to help connect them to the spirit world.
Even the artwork in the missions incorporated the beliefs of the indigenous peoples. In Mission Concepción, the most well-preserved of all the missions, original frescoes still decorate the interior. In one of the rooms, I looked up to see a mustachioed face, surrounded by yellow rays, looking down at me.
Fresco in Mission Concepción
The sun was considered the face of God for the native peoples. So it’s pretty cool that this image is in the mission. Here’s the not so great part: Because the Spanish were considered the masters, God was depicted as a Spaniard.
At least the Spanish worked with the Indians and offered something in return instead of just killing them, as happened so many other places.
As of 2015, the San Antonio Missions were named a World Heritage Site, and all still serve as active Catholic parishes for the community.
Mission Concepción
Original interior frescoes
Mission San José
The convento at Mission San José
Indian dwellings at Mission San José, with a traditional stone outdoor oven
Mission San Juan, currently being restored and not open for tours
Mission Espada, the fourth and last on our bike tour
The rustic and beautiful entrance to Mission Espada
Inside Mission Espada, a much simpler mission than the other three
One More Mission: The Most Famous Of All
There’s one more mission in San Antonio. And it’s the most important one, at least according to Texas lore and pride. (Remember the Alamo?) We didn’t realize that the Alamo was not just a fort, but was originally the first of the San Antonio missions.
The Alamo is right in the middle of downtown, just a short walk from the River Walk. It’s a huge tourist attraction with all of the tourists and touristy trinkets that come along with being a tourist magnet. It’s completely unlike the other four missions, all of which have retained their mission-like dignity, peace, and beauty.
Nonetheless, this is a sacred place for Texans. It’s here that a pivotal battle took place in 1836, where the Texians fought for their independence from Mexico. For 13 days, less than 200 Texians defended the Alamo against more than 1800 Mexican soldiers. Although the Texas rebels lost the battle and their lives (including the legendary folk hero Davy Crockett), their sacrifice fueled the rebellion and helped to win the war, carried forward by the battle cry of “Remember the Alamo!”
The Alamo, right in the middle of downtown.
Exploring San Antonio’s Gardens
Getting ourselves entirely off the River Walk, we spent part of a day exploring the delightful San Antonio Botanical Garden. Enormous glass pyramids house ferns and tropical plants, and paths wind through all kinds of different gardens and Texas landscapes. One of the most unique areas is a demonstration garden for wise-water usage, with six themed gardens that include tiny houses designed in keeping with the theme.
January is spring gardening time at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens
In the Fern Grotto
Piney Woods cabin along the Texas Native Trail
A tiny house (Spanish courtyard style) in the Water Saver demonstration gardens
And a big purple chair
A fairy house in the children’s garden
We also paid a visit to the Japanese Tea Garden. This had been on my list since I saw it on our friends Lisa and Han’s blog a couple of years ago. It’s a lovely garden created in the 1920s in an abandoned limestone quarry. The name was changed to the Chinese Sunken Garden during WWII, for obvious reasons. And then changed back in 1984—although the entrance gate still reads “Chinese Tea Garden.”
Japanese Tea Garden San Antonio
Stone pavilion in the tea garden
Overlooking the tea garden
We wrapped up our San Antonio adventures with a stroll through the King William Historic District, on the south bank of the San Antonio River. In the late 1800s, this was the most elegant residential area in the city and the homes have been beautifully preserved.
Beautiful home in the King William Historic District
Another beautiful home in the King William Historic District (but I don’t want one. Too much to keep up with).
About the RV Park:
We stayed at the San Antonio KOA. The park was fine, and our site backed up to a biking/walking path along a creek. It had all of the things you expect from a KOA—nice laundry, bathhouses, and a random assortment of activities, none of which we ever participate in. It was also quiet, dark at night, Verizon coverage is good, and it’s a 10-minute drive into the city (there’s also public bus transportation available).
Next time we visit San Antonio, we might try staying at Travelers World RV Resort. We biked past it on our way to the missions, and although the sites seemed close together, we were intrigued by the idea of staying right on the River Walk so that we can explore without driving at all in San Antonio.
Our site at the KOA San Antonio RV Park
I LOVE the big purple chair and your take on Edith Ann…..just perfect!
We last visited San Antonio years ago on business and I remember thinking we should return at our leisure. We never have. This post certainly reminds me why we need to. Thanks!
p.s. I’ll have the Salt Lick when I’m there…..
Sue, that purple chair was ENORMOUS! I didn’t realize quite how big it was until I saw the photo. I think you guys would love San Antonio, everything about it. The Salt Lick flavor was a close contender…
Another place we missed in a re-route that we hope to get back to! I love the subtle colors of the old mission and the unique beauty of the Japanese Garden. Gorgeous historic homes!!!
Oh, definitely plan a route that will take you to San Antonio, Jodee. There were dozens of beautiful historic homes in the King William area and a really nice self-guided walking tour that we did.
What a wonderful recap of all-things San Antonio! We haven’t been in years and clearly it has expanded in some areas and you visited so many we missed. The RV park info is most helpful – thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comment, Betty. I’m happy if the info is helpful for you. San Antonio is a lovely city and the new additions (the expansion of the River Walk, the Pearl, etc.) make it even better. We’ll return in our travels!
San Antonio is a wonderful city! It’s neat to see how the Pearl has grown, it was under construction when we were there, with only a few shops open among the dust and debris. I wish we had visited the botanical garden, looks interesting!
Lisa, we were really impressed with what’s happening in San Antonio. The Pearl is awesome. I’d go back just for that. :-) And you would love the botanical garden. Thanks again for the tip on the Japanese Garden.
Thanks for the tip on camping. A great city to explore. If you are there for any length of time check out Guadalupe St. Park just north of the city.
Love your posting of pics…
Julie, Guadalupe State Park is in our plans, probably for next year. Maybe you want to meet us there, with a stop first in San Antonio? So glad you enjoyed the photos.
I feel like I just got a “real” tour of San Antonio. When we visited, it was so overrun with spring break visitors, we hardly got any sense of it as a city. We left feeling like it wasn’t our favorite place, but after seeing and reading your descriptions, I am more sure than ever that we just went at a bad time. It really is the kind of city we would typically love and there is so much to see and do there, we really must go back and give it another shot (just not in March!).
So glad you enjoyed Cured as much as we did, and the Pearl overall. Your photos of the missions and the river walk are beautiful. I did not know about the gardens or the RV Park you found, so that is good information for our next trip. (Which will definitely happen now…)
Also – I LOVE the purple chair pic!
Laura, we were lucky to be in San Antonio during a quiet time of year, after the holidays but long before spring break. I think it’s a city that you and Kevin would definitely enjoy at a less busy time.
Thanks again for telling us about Cured. We could have spent ALL of our time at the Pearl! Don’t miss the botanical gardens when you return…there’s also a blue chair and a yellow chair, so you’ll have choices if you don’t want purple. :-)
Well, purple is kind of our theme color, you know. Our RV has purple in it, so we named it Barney after ‘the big purple dinosaur…” and…. whatever… None of this is important. I’m just saying… purple would be the most appropriate color if I was going to sit in a gigantic chair. That is all. Carry on…. :)
Well, no, I didn’t realize that purple is your theme color! But I’m very happy to hear that. Now I know for sure we’re going to get along great! (Unless you’re using purple ironically, but you wouldn’t do that, right? :-))
January definitely looks like a wonderful time to be there and I can see why it reminds you of Europe especially the bridges over the river. I had no idea the River Walk was 15 miles long. Good grief! I hear you with the “have to walk off my food”. And your food is making my mouth water. Lick wins for the most unusual ice cream flavors I’ve ever seen. The biking to the Missions sounds wonderful. Not sure how you managed to see them all on one ride. How did you get the gardens to put that big purple chair in just for you? Again you make me wish I’d just gone with you to San Antonio and followed you around. Thanks for the campground tip. I’m not a KOA lover and not driving sounds grand.
Sherry, we had a wonderful time biking to the missions! It was only 16 miles, but it made for a good long day of biking because we stopped and explored all four missions along the way. It was really lovely.
Ha, yeah, I made a beeline for that purple chair! The botanical gardens are beautiful. All of San Antonio is beautiful, and there’s plenty of walking and biking to balance out the indulgences. :-)
You did some good sightseeing and eating. I agree about the campgrounds
Debbie, we had a perfect mix of great food experiences, great sightseeing, and plenty of hiking and biking. Just the kind of city adventures we enjoy!
Nice recap, Laurel. Linda and I have a romantic history in San Antonio. It was where we first dated and, for me, it holds all of those memories as well as the magic the Riverwalk naturally evokes. But by far, my visit to the missions this last time was one of the most memorable. Walking around the grounds and reading the history really made me think. It’s such a meditative experience and I find myself drawn to the native culture of this whole area. It’s fascinating, as is the architecture and, of course, the people themselves. I can’t recommend it enough to those who haven’t been.
Steven, how romantic! I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to begin a relationship.
Like you, I’m fascinated by the missions, the culture, the history, and the people. I just went to your photography website to look at your photos—they’re extraordinary, and really capture the meditative experience of being there.
Our first, and only, visit to San Antonio was years ago when we had a long weekend and two “free” plane tickets. We hit the must see sites…the Riverwalk and the Alamo, and drove out into the countryside. It looks like we need to make a return trip after reading your post. How nice that the Riverwalk area has been extended. The bike trail is the perfect way to see the missions. We need to make a return trip!! Thanks for such an extensive tour. The ice creams sound so interesting:) Love, love you in the purple chair:)
Pam, we loved our time in San Antonio. I think you would enjoy it, even though I know Texas isn’t your favorite place to travel. Biking to the missions was a wonderful way to see them.
When I saw the purple chair, I immediately thought, “mine!” haha!
It looks like I’ve got to get back to San Antonio
Pat, I’d say yes! We plan to return, even though we were just there.
What a beautiful town! You two look like you’re enjoying it! Thanks for the tour!
Tom & Georgina, San Antonio is one of the most beautiful cities we’ve visited. It would be a great place for sketching and painting! We’re looking forward to seeing you two this summer…won’t be long!
What a jam packed and wonderful post! I have heard about the river walk, but have never been. Your photos are certainly alluring and captivating, and it looks just delightful! Having just been in a river town in France (Toulouse)it is nice to read about and see this one in San Antonio!
I love that watermelon radish salad and all those unusual flavors for ice cream (of course I have to comment on the food :) ). But my favorite photos are those of the architecture and in particular Mission Concepcion. How magnificent the colors and arches and sense of history.
Wonderful post. So enjoyed your explorations.
Peta
Thank you, Peta. San Antonio is really lovely—and the historic missions are fascinating. The River Walk is about as close as we get in this country to the beauty of a European river town. I think you would enjoy the city, should you ever find yourself in Texas. :-)
This post brought back such happy memories of our weeks in San Antonio. I agree that there is so much more than the Riverwalk. We loved the Pearl Brewery complex and it looks like it has expanded since our visit. The missions were wonderful but we did not know about the gardens, which look fabulous. I’m sure that purple chair was created with you in mind Laurel. :)
LuAnn, I could easily spend more time in San Antonio. There’s so much to explore! I’d love to return a bit later when the gardens are in full bloom—but then again, I don’t want to be there during high tourist season! Probably can’t have both.
A wonderful recap of some of the places we’ve been to … and others that remain on our list. We figure that as long as we keep Houston as our medical base, we can do San Antonio in bits and pieces with week-long stays at Fort Sam Houston. I can’t decide which ice cream flavor to have, so I might have to go a couple of times ;-) I love the idea of biking the Mission Trail … but I can’t keep my balance on a two-wheel bike. Sometimes I wish we had kept our trikes … but they were getting ruined from all the salt in the air while we were based in Port Aransas, TX.
Erin, it sounds like you have a great plan to visit San Antonio a little bit at a time. There’s so much to do there (as you know). Several visits for ice cream is a good idea. :-) And yes, salt air is terrible for bikes. Ours have definitely suffered from our time in Florida and on Lopez Island.
Laurel,
For some reason I missed this one. When I saw you in the purple chair, I bust out laughing. Laurel in Wonderland.
Haha, glad you liked it, Sheila! I want one of those purple chairs for my very own. oxox