Most people who know me, know that I love to travel. Plane, train, car, sign me up! Living in Oklahoma means that Texas is a straight shot down I-35. It’s a trip I take rather often, but I haven’t been to south Texas in a long time. Denver’s grandmother wanted to take us on a trip, and after contemplating where we could go easily in a weekend, San Antonio, Texas was our final destination.
Here is volume two of my lowkey travel series. This time, Denver and I packed ourselves into a car with his grandmother and headed south to San Antonio.
This trip was a mix of family milestones, an impressive amount of steps, some mild ankle pain and some seriously awesome expereinces. If you’re planning a trip or looking for an honest, real San Antonio travel guide (with tourist traps), here is exactly what we did, what we loved, and what we’d skip next time.
day 1: road tripping, h-e-b first impressions, & sports rivalries
We kicked off day one with the drive from Oklahoma to Texas. Our first major stop was in North Texas to visit my grandparents and Aunt. It was a super special stop because it’s the first time they got to meet Denver’s grandmother! We ate a small lunch, and of course, the m-a-r-r-i-g-e question came up. We left with some new things, some cookie cutters and the first four seasons of NCIS.
After the sweet visit, we hit the road again and made the mandatory Texas pit stops. First up: Buc-ee’s. Honestly? I don’t see the appeal. It’s just a massive gas station with a cult following. Next, we stopped at H-E-B. This was the first time I had ever entered an H-E-B and can someone explain why the aisles are so unnecessarily small?
Once we made it to San Antonio and checked into our condo, we headed into the city. We walked over to The Big Friendly Ice House, which was absolutely packed for the OKC Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs game. As a casual sports observer, it is a very, very weird experience to be in a city that is actively rooting against your home team.
We grabbed dinner at Queso Pan y Vino before heading back to the Big Friendly to watch some of the game and grab a beer (it was okay, nothing to write home about). After that, we skedaddled back to the condo and crashed for the night.
day 2: the alamo, the pearl, and crutching around downtown
We started day two with breakfast at the condo before Denver and I decided to walk to The Alamo. We took the scenic route through the Riverwalk and downtown San Antonio. It’s beautiful and cool, but it was a long walk.
San Antonio Travel Tip: If you want to see the Alamo, doing it for FREE is the way to go. Don’t bother paying for the extra tours. Also, it’s defineitly smaller than you remember from history class!
By the end of the trek, my ankle was hurting pretty badly. We ended up buying matching t-shirts and taking a little bus back to the condo to rest before embarking on our next adventure.
To help stretch out my ankle, Denver suggested that we go for a swim. It helped out a lot and became a staple for this trip! After a quick rinse, some medicine, and leftover pizza, we headed to The Pearl. I ended up needing my crutches for this part, but I grabbed a $4 Alani Nu Cherry Twist prior to leaving the condo as a little morale boost.
Lesson learned about The Pearl: You would think a cool, trendy district like this would have tons of taprooms, but it doesn’t.
Instead, we hung out at Sternewirth, drank a few beverages, ate a big ass pretzel and played a few rounds of Magic: The Gathering. Afterward, Denver and I walked around so he could take some photos. We grabbed food at a nearby smash burger place (and for their sake, I won’t mention their name, because it was not good) and hit up a winery for a slice of tiramisu that tasted identical to Olive Garden and a glass of Moscato. We ended up catching a Lyft back, and our driver was incredibly nice and gave us some great tips.
We wrapped up the night with another swim (seriously, why are there so many kids swimming at 9PM?) and fell asleep watching Godzilla vs. Kong.
day 3: el marcado, japanese tea gardens, and tourist traps
Day three started with another Alani Twist and a trip to El Mercado (the Historic Market Square). The culture here is awesome! Denver and I chatted up a shop owner about Thunder vs. Spurs game, and I managed to score a massive bottle of authentic Mexican vanilla which is a baker’s dream! Denver took a ton of pictures and I joined in with the little Instax he brought. We stopped by a bakery for some pastries, and I have vivid memories of visiting with my aforementioned grandparents. The pastries were okay, and I was overwhelmed inside the shop, but it was a very vibrant atmosphere that made it worth the trip.
Next up was the Japanese Tea Gardens, and Denver and I absolutely loved it. It is breathtakingly beautiful. Denver even ended up taking a few graduation photos for a recent high school grad who was there!
We ate some great sushi at the gardens – though, to be fair, it wasn’t quite as good at Uchi in Denver, Colorado. We also visited the gift shop and bought some stickers and chopsticks.
Afterwards, we rested at the condo for a bit where I finished reading She Kills Monsters, which I started on the drive down. We then hit the Riverwalk again.
We had a great time walking around despite me stepping in some throw up. We stopped and had dinner at Casa Rio, which is famous for being the oldest restaurant on the Riverwalk. Honestly… It was not worth the price.
After dinner, we walked to the Tower of the Americas. While it looks super cool from the outside, it is definitely a tourist trap. Spending %50 to go up is not worth it.
We ended the night with some frappuccinos, one final swim to stretch out my ankle (during which OKC lost to the Spurs, bummer since we thought we’d take it all again), packed up our bags and went to sleep.
day 4: back to oklahoma
On day four, we ate a quick breakfast, grabbed my morning Alani, and we drove back to Oklahoma. Of course, another Buc-ee’s stop was had, followed by a Braum’s stop. We made it home, swam again, and started on our Sunday chores.
final thoughts on san antonio
- Is San Antonio walkable? Yes! It is crazy walkable. There is something so fulfilling about feeling tired after a day of exploring on foot (we hit 17k steps on day 3!)
- The Culture is amazing, vibrant, and welcoming
- The Reading List: I manage to finished She Kills Monsters and started Best Offer Wins during the transit times
- The downside is that I missed Aldo… a lot.
let’s chat!
Have you ever been to San Antonio? What are your favorite non-touristy spots to hit? Let me know in the comments below!
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