Any Suggestions for San Antonio????

[aggiemullins]

Enchanted Rock is outside of Fredericksburg. It's about 45 min to the Northwest of S.A. It is definitely a neat place. Take your hiking boots.

I also highly recommend Fredericksburg. If you do go (and if anyone in your family is a war buff) make sure to check out the National Museum of the Pacific War. It's an amazing museum. There is a great article about it from the Wall Street Journal from last year, Here.

 

[KT27]

Stayed here in February: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...d-suites-san-antonio-seaworld-westover-hills/

Very close to Sea World & Six Flags. Very nice paid $69/night.

 

[Harters2WDW]

Also, the best Tex-Mex, Margaritas and value (where the locals go) is Alamo Cafe. If you go, try to visit the one on Highway 281. The food and drink is the same, but the ambiance and restuarant itself on 281 is MUCH NICER then the one on I-10. Here is the link:

www.alamocafe.com

It's not the most "amazing" mexican food you'll ever have, but the value and service can't be beat. We eat there close to weekly.

Lived there for six years and agree with this. I still crave their mango margaritas and queso there! And the tortillas. I don't even remember the rest of the food at the restaurant!

I second Rudy's BBQ as well! And the Gristmill in Gruene, near New Braunfels, is a great restaurant. And Gruene Hall is great to see. Tubing in the summertime is a great idea near New Braunfels. So many fun things to do around there! Enjoy your trip!

 

[LoveDopey]

Stayed here in February: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trav...d-suites-san-antonio-seaworld-westover-hills/

Very close to Sea World & Six Flags. Very nice paid $69/night.

We were in San Antonio in January. I second the Fairfield Inn. It is right off a freeway giving you very easy access to all the tourist spots and it is very close to Sea World. It's a great place for families to stay at $69.95 per night.

 

[aggiemullins]

I second Rudy's BBQ as well! And the Gristmill in Gruene, near New Braunfels, is a great restaurant. And Gruene Hall is great to see. Tubing in the summertime is a great idea near New Braunfels. So many fun things to do around there! Enjoy your trip!

I also vote for Rudy's! The peppered turkey is awesome! FYI, there is a Rudy's BBQ just outside Sea World on 151 & Westover Hills. Don't confuse it with the Bill Miller's BBQ across the street. Bill Miller's is decent but not nearly as good as Rudy's. Look for the red gas station called Rudy's Country Store and it's attached to it. WAY better food then in Sea World!

 

[my2redheads]

Thanks for all the suggestions...I'm going to have a hard time narrowing down my itinerary!!
The Fairfield Inn does look nice but the summer rates are pretty high. I may end up going with Hotwire for a room?
Disney planning is sooo much easier

 

[Belle5]

Personally, I like to visit the Riverwalk...but not stay there (do enjoy eating on an outdoor balcony). I prefer staying in the La Cantera area. Rudy's...despise the turkey, but the creamed corn is good. There are a whole lot of restaurants I would choose before Rudy's (sorry). I am having a serious craving for Alamo Cafe...thanks everyone!
Love, love, love the Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg (but not with young kids). Love Enchanted Rock just as much. Love Pedernales Falls. Love Lost Maples in the fall. Like looking at the Alamo along with the other missions on the mission trail: San José, Concepción, San Juan and Espada.
Can do without: Sea World (Orlando's much better), Fiesta Texas

Kids like Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels. I don't know who thinks it's better than Typhoon Lagoon but...okay...not me! Can make for a fun day, though.

 

[Green Tea]

Chris Madrid's for burgers.

 

[mommyoftwinfants]

We always enjoy visiting the Rainforest Cafe in San Antonio, it is located on the Riverwalk. He are some .99 kids meal coupons. http://www.rainforestcafe.com/rewardsCalendars.asp

 

[paysensmom]

I would defniitely have to disagree with Sea World in Orlando being better than the one in San Antonio. We went to the one in San Antonio first and then a few years later to the one in Orlando and boy were we disappointed. It is smaller and just NOT as good! Schlitterbahn is nice to do ONCE in your lifetime. UNLESS you just love standing in line for hours in the scortching sun You would have a much better and cheaper time floating down the Guadalupe river ( a little more child appropriate, not as much drinkers and not as rough).
The Natural Bridge Caverns and the drive through animal park is wonderful and children and adults alike would love it. We go at least once per year. There is also Wonder World in San Marcos which was very fun for my two children. Oh and it does sound nasty but there is a Snake Farm right outside of New Braunfels on 35 that your children would really enjoy. They have tons of different snakes, but an outside area with different monkey, peacocks and lots of other animals.
The river walk and the other things people have mentioned are great as well. I hope you have a wonderful time, there is a lot to see and do here

 

[Planogirl]

Try to avoid Schlitterbahn on the weekend at least. All of the exposure on the travel shows probably have only made it more crowded. DS and DS used to go every summer and they loved it in spite of the crowds.

I also prefer Texas Sea World to Orlando's. One nice thing is the waterpark inside of Sea World San Antonio. Just be sure to line up for it early because it does get jammed in the afternoon. We liked to play in the waterpark (good stuff for both little kids and older people) for a while early and then enjoy the shows and the other kiddie waterpark area (a separate section) in the afternoon.

 

[ekatiel]

I would defniitely have to disagree with Sea World in Orlando being better than the one in San Antonio. We went to the one in San Antonio first and then a few years later to the one in Orlando and boy were we disappointed. It is smaller and just NOT as good! Schlitterbahn is nice to do ONCE in your lifetime. UNLESS you just love standing in line for hours in the scortching sun You would have a much better and cheaper time floating down the Guadalupe river ( a little more child appropriate, not as much drinkers and not as rough). The Natural Bridge Caverns and the drive through animal park is wonderful and children and adults alike would love it. We go at least once per year. There is also Wonder World in San Marcos which was very fun for my two children. Oh and it does sound nasty but there is a Snake Farm right outside of New Braunfels on 35 that your children would really enjoy. They have tons of different snakes, but an outside area with different monkey, peacocks and lots of other animals.
The river walk and the other things people have mentioned are great as well. I hope you have a wonderful time, there is a lot to see and do here

Do you mean the Comal river? IMO, the Guadalupe is where you find all the beer drinking college students, and it is a rougher and longer ride than the Comal. The comal is about an hour and a half, and it includes the tube shoot (super fun, but you might want to hold on to the 5 year old's tube!).

Lived there for six years and agree with this. I still crave their mango margaritas and queso there! And the tortillas. I don't even remember the rest of the food at the restaurant!

I second Rudy's BBQ as well! And the Gristmill in Gruene, near New Braunfels, is a great restaurant. And Gruene Hall is great to see. Tubing in the summertime is a great idea near New Braunfels. So many fun things to do around there! Enjoy your trip!

You guys are making me hungry!!!! Rudy's is the best (especially the creamed corn-- I don't even like creamed corn, and I CRAVE theirs!). Alamo Cafe is great, too-- the tortillas are SO yummy!! As for a place to stay, I second using priceline. Try checking out http://www.betterbidding.com to learn how to bid on priceline and make sure you get the best deal. Have a fun time! --Katie

 

[Belle5]

I would defniitely have to disagree with Sea World in Orlando being better than the one in San Antonio. We went to the one in San Antonio first and then a few years later to the one in Orlando and boy were we disappointed. It is smaller and just NOT as good! Schlitterbahn is nice to do ONCE in your lifetime. UNLESS you just love standing in line for hours in the scortching sun You would have a much better and cheaper time floating down the Guadalupe river ( a little more child appropriate, not as much drinkers and not as rough).
The Natural Bridge Caverns and the drive through animal park is wonderful and children and adults alike would love it. We go at least once per year. There is also Wonder World in San Marcos which was very fun for my two children. Oh and it does sound nasty but there is a Snake Farm right outside of New Braunfels on 35 that your children would really enjoy. They have tons of different snakes, but an outside area with different monkey, peacocks and lots of other animals.
The river walk and the other things people have mentioned are great as well. I hope you have a wonderful time, there is a lot to see and do here

I think you may be right in that my last experience at Sea World San Antonio was at Christmas time meaning no water park area. I was basing my opinion more on the animals themselves.

 

[my2redheads]

OP here...thanks again to everyone for all the suggestions! This actually started out as just a short trip for DH to reconnect with some family he hasn't seem in 25 years But San Antonio just seems to have soooo much to offer!
We are not really stand in the sweltering sun all day kind of people (family of redheads here) so we will probably make due with the waterparks at Six Flags and Sea World. My 8 year old DD is really into history so it might be worth a drive to LBJs home. Anyone have any opinions about Enchanted Springs Ranch? Seems like there are so many "animal" places to go!

 

[paysensmom]

Do you mean the Comal river? IMO, the Guadalupe is where you find all the beer drinking college students, and it is a rougher and longer ride than the Comal. The comal is about an hour and a half, and it includes the tube shoot (super fun, but you might want to hold on to the 5 year old's tube!).



You guys are making me hungry!!!! Rudy's is the best (especially the creamed corn-- I don't even like creamed corn, and I CRAVE theirs!). Alamo Cafe is great, too-- the tortillas are SO yummy!! As for a place to stay, I second using priceline. Try checking out http://www.betterbidding.com to learn how to bid on priceline and make sure you get the best deal. Have a fun time! --Katie

Honestly, we have only done the Guadalupe. When we did our kids were 7 and 5 and they like it. It wasn't too crowed or have a bunch of drunks on it. But we have only done it once. We were going to do the Comal, but when we went to get our tubes, we were told that there was an age limit and our daughter was too young and that we should try the Guadalupe instead So, I really don't know and cannot compare the two.

 

[hmdavid]

When we moved to SA last year we spent a few weeks at the Staybridge Suites Sea World off of HWY 151. It is new, each suite has a full kitchen, has a nice pool and includes a hot breakfast daily. They also have a complimentary reception on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday with a light dinner and beer and wine. We really enjoyed our stay there!

For Sea World, they will likely offer specials for the summer. Last year they offered a kids ticket for $5. We have season passes and spend A LOT of time there. They have a very nice water park and a new kids area that my girls enjoy. They offer a Fun Card that is the same price as a non discounted one day admission that is good for the entire calendar year if you are interested in spending more than one day.

Six Flags also has a nice water park. Schlitterbahn is amazing but probably unnecessary if you will be at both Sea World and Six Flags.

La Cantera is a beautiful outdoor shopping complex if you enjoy shopping.

Check restaurant.com for restaurant gift certificates and google for any coupon codes that may be available. You can get Riverwalk restaurant gift certifictaes for as low as $2 for a $25 certificate. Usually not the best restaurants but decent food and cheap!

I think someone mentioned Rainforest Cafe's kids meal coupons. We use them frequently and they are a great deal!

If you enjoy baseball, Missions games are fun and inexpensive for a few hours of entertainment.

Most importantly, research the areas that you plan to stay and visit. There are a lot of not-so-nice areas in San Antonio!

Have a great time! Feel free to message me if you have any questions!

 

[jackandsally]

We have a wonderful zoo, our kids love coming here; however sometimes it can be crowded. Just outside the zoo is our Brackenridge Mini Train that goes around Brackenridge park, it does travel by the Witte museum (actually has a drop off station to get off and on at). We have so many things to do here that it does take some time to see.
If you are downtown stop by the Hemisphere Plaza, there is a park for the kids and that is where the "tower" is located. You can go up the tower and I believe for an extra cost there is a movie as well (my opinion, skip the movie, just go up the tower for the view).
The Children's museum is located downtown as well as the Buckhorn Salon (a little pricey but there are coupons for all of these).
As this is my hometown and I love being a "tourist" in my own city and love the riverboat ride and walking down the riverwalk.

The folklife festival is in June, I think it is either the weekend of June 10th - 12th or 17th - 19th, not sure on the dates just remember that it was going to be going on when we were going to be in Disneyworld so we would be missing it. It is a lot of fun and has lots of yummy food.

Just remember it does get hot here so prepare for the heat. Hope you have fun here, I know I do.

Go SPURS!!!!

 

[MEM]

Enchanted Rock is outside of Fredericksburg. It's about 45 min to the Northwest of S.A. It is definitely a neat place. Take your hiking boots.

I also highly recommend Fredericksburg. If you do go (and if anyone in your family is a war buff) make sure to check out the National Museum of the Pacific War. It's an amazing museum. There is a great article about it from the Wall Street Journal from last year, Here.

My DH is a Marine and WWII buff and he spent an entire day at this museum and it wasn't enough time for him. From there we headed to San Antonio and spent 5 days at the Drury Inn and Suites on the Riverwalk. For $109 a night (this was 3 years ago) we had a corner room on a high floor with stunning views. The rate included a hot breakfast for 4 every morning plus snacks and cocktails in the afternoon. We visited the Alamo twice, enjoyed the Spanish Governor's Palace, a cruise on the San Antonio River and the Tower of the Americas. We would love to go back.

 

[Texan]

Have lived in and around the San Antonio area for over 20 years; I do not want to get flamed but Mi Tierra is NOT what you consider good Mexican food, everyone goes there just to say they have been; and Alamo Cafe has gone WAY downhill, I will not set foot in there again; Downtown I would try Mexican Manhattan, and for BBQ on the Riverwalk County Line is delish, and the Paesano's at the Riverwalk or the one in the Quarry off of Highway 281, this is a much more upscale place but so definitely worth it; Six Flags, I would not waste time or money there; I would go to Sea World and/or Schlitterbahn; try to stop by the Japanese Tea Gardens near the Zoo, not far from downtown, very unique and absolutely gorgeous; they recently finished a major upgrade; I second the Grist Mill in Gruene, that would be a must do; the shops at La Cantera are so unique and beautiful; it you want to venture a little off the beaten path Rosario's is an absolutely delicious Mexican restaurant, true Mexican food; the Missions are a San Antonio must do; you can find much, much cheaper hotels off of Highway 281 or IH-10 near the Wurzbach area, you won't have the Riverwalk experience, but they are cheaper; wow, I have really babbled on and on; post if you should have any more questions!

 

[driftwood]

Downtown I would try Mexican Manhattan, and for BBQ on the Riverwalk County Line is delish, and the Paesano's at the Riverwalk or the one in the Quarry off of Highway 281, this is a much more upscale place but so definitely worth it;

I didn't know this place was still open! I grew up in San Antonio, used to go downtown and eat there after shopping. Is it located in the same place and street? I miss SA very much and can't wait to move back.