Howdy folks! It’s been a little hiatus for me with blogging but I’m back! Thanks for hanging in! Since I had a long weekend ahead and was looking to get out of the cold, I decided to spend it in San Antonio, TX! I had a great time & wanted to share with you what I did in the land of the Alamo … read on to find out!

I left NY on Friday after work & arrived pretty late in San Antonio so I checked into the hotel & went to bed. The next morning I had breakfast @ a place called Pete’s Tako House which had an amazing assortment of breakfast/brunch items! I got a few tacos, which were probably the most delicious & BIGGEST I’ve ever had. I heard ‘everything is bigger in TX’ & these tacos proved that that is 100% true.

It was so good that I can’t remember what is in these particular tacos because I ate them too fast, but I highly recommend the chilaquiles, which was awesome! Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast dish consisting of corn tortillas cut into quarters and lightly fried, cooked in salsa and sprinkled with cheese and they for sure do not disappoint!

After breakfast, I headed out to the first activity of the day, Natural Bridge Caverns. This was awesome and a definite must-see while in San Antonio! It is very easy to get the tickets, either on the website (naturalbridgecaverns.com) ahead of time or at the caverns themselves. I got tickets on-site when I arrived and was able to get on the next tour going out, which leave every 20 minutes or so. The tours here are guided only and there are several options for tours, but the only one available for at time time was the Discovery tour. The tour guide was named Natasha and she was highly knowledgable about the history and formations that we saw in the caves. 

The caverns were discovered in 1960 by 4 college students. One different thing about these caverns versus others (such as New York’s Howe’s Caverns), is that these caverns are kept at 70 degrees (F) year-round at a 99% humidity rate. The deepest part of the caverns that the tour takes visitors to is 180 feet below, although it has been confirmed that undeveloped areas can reach depths of at least 230 feet. The caverns are still slowly developing to this day and due to the constant flow of water dripping throughout, many of the formations give off a waxy luster. Every formation is unique and different and I was astounded by the all the amazing beauty around.

When the tour ended, I went back to the hotel for a bit before dinner. I was craving Texas BBQ and a quick Google search brought me to Two Brothers BBQ. This place was a bit far from the hotel, but thanks to Uber (which is so plentiful & easy to use throughout the city – I don’t think I waited more than 5 minutes for one), I was able to get there without a hitch!

The menu is extensive and everything is hot, fresh and mouth-watering! What this place lacks in grandeur, it makes up for in the amazing quality and taste of their food – order and pay at the counter and the staff here will bring you out a tray for you to bring to your table. I ordered a plethora of meats, as seen below, and for sides I got macaroni and cheese and baked beans. 

I was so glad I found this little joint and decided to make the trek! Check out all their offerings here so you can prepare yourself for its deliciousness when you come (and you should!): twobrosbbqmarket.com

One of the most famous and best things to do in San Antonio is the River Walk. I was able to see it both during the day and at night and it is equally as exciting no matter what time you go. The river walk is exactly what its name suggests, a sidewalk on 2 sides with a river in the middle and along the river are restaurants, shops, vendors selling things and I even got to see a mariachi band. The most popular thing is here is the boat ride. It is so pretty at night, as the boats are lit up in many different colors. 

I found a great waterside spot, got some sangria, micheladas and chips with salsa and hung out and watched some football playoffs. 

The next day I went to the Alamo. The Alamo is one of many missions in San Antonio and since I did not have time to see them all, I chose this one, as it’s the most famous. I am not sure if one can get tickets online, but I waited at the booth when I got there. The line moved quickly and the best part is, it’s FREE (although donations are suggested).

It was incredible to learn about the history here. Of course, the most famous person associated with the Alamo is Davy Crockett. If you have not brushed up on your history before your visit, there was a really great informative documentary they played inside as well. I left with an extensive amount of knowledge I did not know about before I went.

After my morning at the Alamo, I headed to Market Square for lunch. This is a cultural area of the city where all things Mexican excite at every turn. There are restaurants, shops, vendors, food stalls and entertainment … everything here was lively, colorful and amazing. Some of the foods I ate here are pictured below. I definitely recommend trying everything you possibly can. Among my favorites was the street corn.

Well, that concludes my short but really fun time in San Antonio. I try to plan vacations strategically and make use of long weekends to do shorter trips like these, but I hope to get back to Texas again and see some other cities. If you have any recommendations for me to see next time I are back in Texas, please let me know in the comments.

Until we meet again … yeehaw!

Saif Travels 🙂