# Need help with San Antonio



## shagnut (Oct 1, 2010)

Will be going in 2 weeks and my neice & her husband are joining me from Friday to Monday.  She wants to go to Seaword. ( Kelli wants to go to Six Flags) but company wins out. We will on Sunday do the riverwalk & the Alamo.  After they leave  I want to go to the hill country . Should I plan on spending the night in Banderas or somewhere? 

There is also some caverns that look interesting & a drive thru animal park. 

I need suggestions of what all to do & good restaurants that are not to pricey. Are there any of Restaurant.com I should buy? 

TIA  Shaggy


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## chellej (Oct 1, 2010)

double posted somehow


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## chellej (Oct 1, 2010)

There are lots of good resturants in San antonio.  On the riverwalk we usually hit the county line BBQ at least once.

At the Mercado we go to Mi Tierria - they have a great bakery. http://www.sanantonio.gov/dtops/marketsquare/

The Hill country is kind of broad... There are lots of antique stores in Gruene and Fredrickburg

We usually go to the outlet malls in San Marcos.

The Wildlife park and caverns are closer to New Braunfels than Bandera.  
http://wildliferanchtexas.com/index.html
http://www.naturalbridgecaverns.com/

The Wyndham La Cascada and Riverwalk are downtown
Hyatt is sort of northwest between sea world and Fiesta I believe, Bandera is 45 -60 minutes from Downtown in the north west.

Silverleaf has Canyon Lake resort which is 60 minutes or so to down town - great place if you want to float the quadalupe

Salado Creek (shell ) is on the north side of town.  Worldmark is in New Braunfels. There are several really good German resturants in New Braunfels... also schlitterbaun. We like Oma's House

We encjoyed enchanted Rock State Park and don't forget Luckenbach

Where are you staying?

Restaurants: La Paloma, Buckhorn Saloon, Melting pot, Magic Time Machine (food is so so but it is fun)


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## bobcat (Oct 2, 2010)

shagnut said:


> Will be going in 2 weeks and my neice & her husband are joining me from Friday to Monday.  She wants to go to Seaword. ( Kelli wants to go to Six Flags) but company wins out. We will on Sunday do the riverwalk & the Alamo.  After they leave  I want to go to the hill country . Should I plan on spending the night in Banderas or somewhere?
> 
> There is also some caverns that look interesting & a drive thru animal park.
> 
> ...



Shaggy, We are going in June to Banderas. We will be staying 7 days at the Flying L ranch. The town of Banderas is 1 mile away. I called the San Antinio chamber of Commerce and they sent me info.  We have a one bedroom house on the 18 hole golf course.   Enjoy Bobcat P S We received 22 " of rain in 4 days.


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## Happytravels (Oct 2, 2010)

*coupon book*

I have a coupon book that I picked up somewhere that I would be happy to send you.  There are coupons for:
The wildlife ranch
IMAX3D
splashtown
witte museum
wonderworld and many more. 

If you are interested in the book PM with your address....


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## shagnut (Oct 2, 2010)

Marilyn, thank you so much .  I'll pm you right away !!
Bob, I heard about all the rain in your area. Glad you are alright!! You are alright, aren't you?  

shaggy


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## pianodinosaur (Oct 2, 2010)

There is so much to do in San Antonio that you simply cannot do it all even if you live there.  The most exciting thing I think I have ever done in San Antonio was participate in War Games at Camp Bullis.  However, if getting tear gassed is not exciting enough there are perhaps some more enjoyable things for non military members or you family that can be arranged.

Will you be staying near or on the RiverWalk?


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## shagnut (Oct 2, 2010)

Now, I know I have an adventurous reputation but I think I'll pass on your suggestion.  I'll have to admit that your suggestion was one of a kind!!

I'll be staying at Eckhart House which is near the hospitals. That may be a good thing, knowing me.  

shaggy


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## dixie (Oct 2, 2010)

We were there this summer and had the most delicious Crab Cake I have ever eaten at Citrus restaurant in the Valencia hotel on the river walk. They have a coupon on restaurant.com too. We did the 3 course dinner and we were able to use the coupon. really good food. The crab cake was filled with lump crab meat not breading. Yum!!


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## bobcat (Oct 2, 2010)

shagnut said:


> Marilyn, thank you so much .  I'll pm you right away !!
> Bob, I heard about all the rain in your area. Glad you are alright!! You are alright, aren't you?
> 
> shaggy



All is O K. Still alot of flooding. Now the rivers on on the rise or have overflowed their banks. Thank You for asking.


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## sushitex (Oct 3, 2010)

*San Antonio/San Marcos restaurants; outdoor pursuits*

A good Tex-Mex chain in the area is Mamacita's. Their flour tortillas are freshly-made, and last time we went, they gave us big portions. There is a Mamacita's off exit 208 (I-35) in San Marcos/New Braunfels area.

Mi Tierra is a decades-old restaurant that still serves good food and draws in the crowds (my mother was a native San Antonian and used to tell us tales of her going out with her friends and family to Mi Tierra, and this was in the 1930s and 1940s!)

If you were going to Corpus Christi, I'd be giving you names of lots of restaurants (we live in a section of Corpus Christi called Flour Bluff.) While San Antonio and its surrounding area and Corpus Christi all have chains (and some are our favorites), there is nothing like a good, homey, clean, inexpensive taqueria when you want some down-home Tex-Mex food.  

Another San Antonio institution is Brackenridge Park, which includes the San Antonio zoo. The zoo is set in caverns (as is Fiesta Texas) and there is a nearby Japanese garden as well as a small train that you can pay a few bucks to ride on. Now that train ride has been around for awhile...I remember riding it back when I was 7 or 8, and that was in the 1960s! 

If you want to get out in the country and can manage some walking (and more strenuous hiking) there is Garland State Park and Lost Maples Natural Recreation area (Lost Maples is kinda close to Bandera.)  My son and I went camping last year at Lost Maples during spring break with his boy scout troop, and while we enjoyed it, I would love to come back someday in the fall (maybe now is not too soon) to see the maple trees in all their fall colors. Garland State Park is also very popular and there are more places to swim (and camp) there because it is bigger. Lost Maples is also big with birders (I'm not even a beginner when it comes to birding, even though Corpus Christi is officially proclaimed "the birdiest city in the U.S.)

I'm no expert on San Antonio, but I thought I'd chip in a little bit.


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## JoAnn (Oct 3, 2010)

Shaggy a few years ago we stayed in the Hill Country and we went with friends of ours (who lived in Fredericksburg)to the Animal Safari/Park.  We had a ball and laughed and laughed.  We bought food and had some animals come stick their heads in the car!  Some were shy...and some were behind fences.   We know they said to be careful and not stick your hands out...but we did and lived.  The Ostriches were VERY bold.  
There was a cavern/cave near by and we walked through that...but, be warned it had some climbing and it was even warm down there.  
We also visited the LBJ ranch and toured that and the Heritage village nearby.  Our friends work there so look for Jane (in the gift shop) Bill in the village. 
Have fun....which I know you will.


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## jamstew (Oct 4, 2010)

Natural Bridge Caverns also has zip lines


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## dls0210 (Oct 4, 2010)

The State Park name is actually Garner State Park, not Garland.  

There's a restaurant in Bandera called The Grotto that has great pizzas and caesar salads, along with lots of other options.  My husband has some hunting property near Bandera and he and his friends go there every time they are in the area.

However, I would recommend spending the night in Fredericksburg over Bandera.  Lots more to do and more places to stay.  Tons of great bed and breakfasts in Fredericksburg.


If interested, there is a smaller scale replica of Stonehenge and Easter Island statues north of San Antonio that's kind of neat to look at and the drive in the area is nice.  Here's a link to a story about it.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/7819


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## Hophop4 (Oct 4, 2010)

If you are driving near Bandera towards Kerrvile or Fredericksburg it loops around.  Just north from Bandera on 173 is Camp Verde General Store was established in 1857 nice stop for lunch. 

Back to San Antonio, visit the missions if you are there on a Sunday I think they hold church services in one of the old missions there.  Most of them are just ruins except for that one.  I remember one time when we were there they were having a wedding but it's been a while now. check with visitors center.

Another nice drive is along the Gaudelupe River up River Road goes almost up to Canyon Lake.

Have fun!!


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## shagnut (Oct 6, 2010)

*Thank you!!*

I just want to thank everyone for all the suggestions. I don't think I'll get bored!!  

BTW< I read that they are moving the stonehenge & easter head and may not be up & ready before I get there. Will do more research on that.  

shaggy


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## calgal (Nov 27, 2010)

*San Antonio advice*

Just to tag along on this thread, would you recommend that our family visit San Antonio the first week of April or mid-August? We would be at the Hyatt in Hill Country for half the week and in San Antonio proper for about three days.


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## zcrider (Nov 27, 2010)

calgal said:


> Just to tag along on this thread, would you recommend that our family visit San Antonio the first week of April or mid-August? We would be at the Hyatt in Hill Country for half the week and in San Antonio proper for about three days.



The first week of April if you want to do sea world and other sight seeing.  Aug. if all you want to do is ride the lazy river and play in the pool the whole time.  It will be miserably hot in Aug. for walking around outside seight seeing.


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## pianodinosaur (Nov 29, 2010)

We have decided to spend New Year 2011 in San Antonio.  My wife has advised me to start looking for a hotel room on the RiverWalk.  We will be traveling with her cousin, her cousin's husband, and her cousin's mother. I don't yet know if my mother in law or sister in law will want to go as well.  My wife is getting those details resolved.  The RiverWalk is beautiful this time of year and we would like to see it before the Christmas lights are taken down.


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## Happytravels (Nov 29, 2010)

*going again*

 We are going next week for three days  We went two years ago.  Going to  see the lights again and to do the extended (8 more miles)river ride ............


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## Toppermom (Dec 2, 2010)

*Hyatt Wild Oak*

I have a request in for a trade to the Hyatt Wild Oak in San Antonio for next June, which has unfortunately not come through yet. 

Where are you all staying?  We are Marriott owners and trade through II.

Thanks for your advice and suggestions.


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## mshatty (Dec 3, 2010)

calgal said:


> Just to tag along on this thread, would you recommend that our family visit San Antonio the first week of April or mid-August? We would be at the Hyatt in Hill Country for half the week and in San Antonio proper for about three days.



April - great weather

Mid-August - can be kinda warm, errr HOT!


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## riverdees05 (Dec 3, 2010)

We are thinking about late October or early November for a trip to there - how is the weather then?


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## calgal (Dec 3, 2010)

Toppermom, I just checked Hyatt vacation club, and there is lots of availability for early to mid June in San Antonio. Hyatt usually deposits its weeks into II at slightly under 6 months in advance in order to give Hyatt members first shot. I think it is likely you will get your match soon in II.


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## Toppermom (Dec 3, 2010)

Thank you so much...I am REALLY hopeful we will get the match as it is to be a family vacation.   

I understand and appreciate the Hyatt advantage, but this gives me a bit more reason to be optimistic

Are there any other choices in the area to consider?

Still hoping....


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## Happytravels (Dec 5, 2010)

riverdees05 said:


> We are thinking about late October or early November for a trip to there - how is the weather then?



Weather is great that time of year........not TOO HOT!!!


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## jules54 (Dec 19, 2010)

How are the temps right now. We are leaving in 10 days only staying 3 days then back home on Jan. 1


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## Happytravels (Dec 20, 2010)

*weather*

We live in Houston and the weather has been all over the map...been in the 70's some days and other days only getting to about 55.  The few days we were there was in the 60's during the day and at night got into the 30's...which is pretty cold for us... that was last week....


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