We were so excited to have my in-laws fly in to Dallas to spend Thanksgiving with us this year! They suggested taking a weekend trip together so we could all see something new. We figured San Antonio would be a fun and easy family getaway. If you are travelling to San Antonio soon, keep reading for ideas on what to do! This itinerary will apply to anyone, but will be especially helpful if you have little kids!
Friday
We left Dallas and headed to San Antonio. We stopped at Buc-ee’s… for obvious reasons. If you’ve never been, or even if you have, include this pit stop on your road trip itinerary! FYI we stopped at the Buc-ee’s in Temple.
We checked in to our hotel- the Best Western, Riverwalk Location. The building hasn’t always been a hotel, so the rooms were a little odd shaped, but it wasn’t a big deal. The hotel was within walking distance of the Riverwalk and Alamo, so we were glad we stayed here. It was nothing glamorous, but nothing scary either.
Friday evening we spent an hour or two at Breckenridge Kiddie Park. I can’t decide if this place was awesome or trashy. Either way, #ilovecheapthrills.
We ate dinner, then walked over to the San Fernando Cathedral to watch the light show. I can’t believe this light show doesn’t have more publicity. It was awesome! and free! Seriously, if you are going to San Antonio, I’d consider it a must-see. The light show is called “the Saga” and it is projected onto the front of the cathedral. It plays every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 9:00, 9:30, and 10:00. Show up a few minutes before, grab a seat in the court yard across the street, and enjoy! The show is a combination of art and history. I am not a buff for either of those words, but I still enjoyed it!
Saturday
If you’ve never seen the Alamo, you don’t go to San Antonio and not see the Alamo! Saturday morning we headed to the River Walk, did a boat tour (a.k.a. a river taxi, complete with tour guide), and ate at one of the restaurants before touring the Alamo. If you aren’t familiar with the setup, I’ll explain it real fast: The River Walk is basically just a mall built along the San Antonio River. The Alamo is right along the River Walk, but outside the mall. The River Walk and Alamo are easily within walking distance of each other. Check out the map and website here.
Tip: To get on a river taxi, enter the mall by Morton’s Steakhouse, go down the escalator, out the doors on the right. Go over the bridge and down the stairs. These directions are easy to follow if you’re there! haha!
Then we visited the Pearl Farmer’s Market. I’ve heard so many great things about this place, so I must be missing something, because I didn’t get the hype!
Saturday evening we went back to Breckenridge Park to explore the Japanese Tea Garden. FYI this was not within walking distance of the River Walk, but it was a really quick drive! The Tea Gardens are another free attraction! We went at sunset and it was beautiful! Another FYI- we couldn’t find any bathrooms at the Tea Gardens. I had to walk a ways through Breckenridge park in order to find a bathroom for our 3 year old. It was hard to get good pictures here, due to the crowds, so if you are coming for pictures, I’d suggest touring on a weeknight, or right in the morning when it first opens.
Sunday
We checked out of our hotel and went right to LuLu’s cafe for breakfast. Good choice my friends, good. choice. We ordered the giant cinnamon roll and I suggest you do the same. The 5 of us didn’t finish it!
About an hour into our drive home, we stopped at the Meadows Center in San Marcos. There are so many fun adventures to be had in the San Marcos River, but the adventures are more suitable for hotter weather and more time. We opted to take a glass-bottom boat tour, which was a fun way to see the river!
Looking at the first hill of hill country.
Our view looking through the bottom of the boat.
Then we drove back to Dallas!
Anyways, those were the highlights of our trip! It was quick, but I think we saw and did a lot! Anything you would have changed about our family weekend in San Antonio?
Here’s a list of things we would have done if we had more time! What should I add to the list?
