hello all! today i'm excited to have diana here to share all about her most recent road trip to san antonio. i've always wanted to explore texas, and after reading about san antonio, that might have to be my first stop in the lonestar state!
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Hi Everyone! I’m Diana from Down Home Traveler where I write about all things “exploration”. Food, music and being a tourist in your own (and others) backyard and everything in between! There is so much out there to see! Thank you Kelsey for having me as a Tourist Tuesday guest!
Our most recent trip was just a weekend getaway. Sometimes it’s just nice to escape reality, even if it is just for two days. And it’s possible! San Antonio is a good four hour drive from where we live but somehow we did it all in a weekend!
How We Got There (And Back)
On the way down, we took Highway I-35. It got us there the fastest. The scenic route came on the way home, thru Highway 183 and 281. This will take you thru “The Hill Country” where it is nothing but wide open spaces, ranches and small Texas towns. It may take a little bit longer (not much) but recommended if you have the time and want to see what Texas is all about.
What to Do / Where to Eat
Breakfast at the Czech Stop and Round Rock Donuts. Sure, we stopped at both but it was well worth it! (Man vs. Food actually filmed here to check out these huge donuts.)
The San Antonio Missions. If you are into history, architecture, well even if you’re not, this is a must see. San Antonio is the home to four missions, which are all relatively close to each other. They’re easy to get to and all you have to do is follow the signs to the next one! When a mission comes into view, it’s like it comes out of nowhere in the communities that they are in. They are huge, beautiful, hundreds of years old and make up a huge part of Texas history. Best of all they are free!
While visiting the missions, you can make your way to the famous of them all – The Alamo! The Alamo is housed right dab in the middle of San Antonio, plus it makes it really convenient for the next attraction. Free as well.
San Antonio is also well known for The Riverwalk. You can shop, stay, eat and even take a boat ride down the San Antonio thru town. We took the tour. It cost us about $8-$10 for the 30 minute ride where we learned about the history of The Riverwalk, San Antonio, the San Antonio River and the buildings that surround it. It was really interesting and a beautiful trip in the heart of the city. It gives a great new perspective of exploring a city in 30 minutes from the eyes of the water.
Next, we decided to leave San Antonio and visit a nearby town of Gruene, about 30 minutes away. I fell in love. This cute little South Texas town is home to Gruene Hall (George Strait got his start here), wineries and antique shops. Shopping, dining and live music is all at your fingertips. You can’t help but love Gruene!
Dinner – The Salt Lick in Driftwood. We had the most delicious BBQ dinner in the most relaxing atmosphere possibly in the entire South. And, it’s affordable! (For those with big appetites: an “all you can eat” plate is $20.) There is also a vineyard, wine tasting spot, beer table, live music and bocce ball. Don’t be alarmed if there is a wait, it’s normal and your meal will be well worth it!
Where to Stay
We stayed about 20 minutes north of Driftwood off I-35 at Springhill Suites in South Austin. We found a great deal online (we may have even used our AAA discount) for a suite under $100. Indoor pool, free breakfast, large room – can’t go wrong!
San Antonio and the Hill Country was a great place to getaway for the weekend and I honestly can’t wait to go back!
Feel free to swing by my blog at www.downhometraveler.com for more information on our trip to San Antonio and other travels or with any questions. I’d love to hear about your recent trips!
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thanks so much for sharing, diana!
be sure to stop by her blog to say hello
2 comments:
Gruene and the Salt Lick - so hard to beat!
Oh man! I'm from one of those small towns in the Hill Country outside San Antonio and I cannot begin to express how homesick this made me!
So happy to see my old stomping grounds featured :)
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