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Well, let me take the opposing side of the Alamo
story.

I toured the Alamo and was surprised that it was as
big as it is. Before visiting it I thought it would be much
smaller.

SIA

arod757 wrote:If you feel like a good burger, try Chris Madrid's on Blanco Road.

Lived in San Antonio for 7 years. The Alamo IS cool; the Riverwalk is vastly over-rated (locals don't go there, only tourists) and most of the Riverwalk restaurants are weak compared to others in the city

Chris Madrid's definitely has the best burgers in town. Worth the short drive north of downtown.

As for Mexican food, my favorite is one that locals really like but most tourists don't get to because it's not on the Riverwalk or in Market Square .... try Rosario's near the intersection of South Saint Mary's and South Alamo. Unique menu with more than just the typical Tex-Mex, includes some interior Mexican cuisine. A lot of dishes with napalito (sp?) - cactus - as an ingredient that are quite good. Can be a bit pricey (especially if you order one their very good seafood dishes and/or mixed drinks from the bar - one downside is they're stingy with the booze - 3 sips of a premium margarita will run you $10).

Want Italian? Then you want Paesanos - 3 locations, Riverwalk (one of the few good restaurants there), Alamo Quarry Market, and far north Loop 1604 at Huebner - "Shrimp Paesano" should be illegal it's so good

Barbecue? Rudy's - the original in Leon Springs (I-10 a few miles outside Loop 1604), or there's a newer location near Sea World on 151 .... please don't ruin your trip by stopping at Bill Miller's (ugh)

Another good local joint is EZ's Grill - bunch of locations, Quarry Market, I-10 @ DeZavala, Loop 410 @ Bandera Rd, Loop 1604 @ Blanco .... good quick restaurant serving excellent burgers, sandwiches, wood-fired pizzas and - crazy as it sounds - my favorite tortilla soup in all of San Antono ... not to mention a good rainbow trout platter for less than $10.

Also, almost forgot a little hole in the wall that I LOVE and really miss ... again, not what you'd expect in SA but there is a SUPERB cajun/creole restaurant called Bourbon Street Cafe at the intersection of NW Military and Lockhill Selma (northwest side - just outside Loop 410). Best crawfish etoufee I've ever had, including numerous helpings IN LOUISIANA and in Houston

And if you REALLY want to splurge, Bohannan's restaurant in downtown always ranks in the top 10 or so in the state for best steakhouses. I've never eaten there (too pricey) but I friends/colleagues RAVE about it.

If you're into country music, you NEED to visit Floore's Country Store in Helotes (Highway 16/Bandera Road just outside Loop 1604). Great historic honky tonk dance hall with the original sign from the late 1960s still out front saying "Willie Nelson Every Saturday Night", a really cool old Ford pickup in front, and an interior ceiling decorating with thousands of old cowboy boots hanging from the rafters. Of course, if you're in New Braunfels Gruene Hall is mecca for CW fans.

And don't forget to stop at Bass Pro Shop on I-10 just ouside Loop 1604 to gawk at all the cool "toys".

Oh, and how could I forget (since this is one of my favorites): take a driving tour of the King William Historic District. lots of very nice historic houses there. It is just south of the historic center of San Antonio (which is actually now in the south east part of the city, since building exploded towards the north and west in the last 15 years).

http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/onli ... /ghk1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/No ... -BR-1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

At one end of the King William Historic District is the Guenther House, which was the home of the founder of the Pioneer Flour Mill (1860). You can see the tower with the Pioneer name on it sticking up well above the surrounding neighborhood. Besides being an historic house, the Guenther House is a restaurant -- my wife and I hosted a breakfast there for our friends when we were married in San Antonio.

https://www.guentherhouse.com/Main.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Which reminds me -- We married at the German-English School, another historic building, which is on the grounds of the San Antonio Plaza Marriott, just off the River Walk (as in a short walk down the street). Not the cheapest place to stay (discounts for military!) but very nice, also has other historic structures on the grounds.

And if aircraft/air force history interests you at all, a little known gem is Hanger 9 on Brooks City-Base, a WWI era wooden hanger (the only remaining one) with the Air Forces oldest museum.
"It currently houses the U.S. Air Force Museum of Aerospace Medicine, an extensive collection of photographs and equipment related to aviation and aerospace medicine, as well as information on the early history of Brooks Field. The museum was dedicated as a memorial to Edward H. White II, a native of San Antonio who was the first American to walk in space in June 1965 on Gemini IV."

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/bro.htm

My sister-in-law went to the Alamo for the first time with us and was underwhelmed also. I told her it's not an amusement park, you have to appreciate it for what happened there. Unfortunately, some people don't care much about all the men that gave their lives for us, no big deal I guess. Pearl Harbor is the same way, not all that much to keep you entertained there but every time I go I have chills. By the way, Nagle's gun shop has a lot of stuff, not cheap but they have a selection.

I live in San Antonio and here is where I would want to go:

1) You have to visit the alamo (ask for the basement, to see peewee herman's bike).
2) Walk the riverwalk, and eat at the Boudro's (not tex-mex), Have to drink a Prickly-Pear Margarita.
3) Drive a few miles up Blanco Rd and eat Tex-Mex as Los Barrios. They also have a location off 281/1604 (redland rd) named La Hacienda).
4) Bass Pro Shop was fun if you do not live near a large metro-sporting-hunting store.
5) Missions are for history buffs. Nice to know where Texas got started. Unlike the other states where: white man overcome indian's and now call it america.
6) go to Gruene, Tx and eat the restraut on the river.

7) for the SCI-FI fun, go to the urban legend "Rail-road" tracks and have your car pushed by the ghostly children.
8) Lackland Airforce base has a bunch of war-planes to see.

rocketexas wrote: 7) for the SCI-FI fun, go to the urban legend "Rail-road" tracks and have your car pushed by the ghostly children.

I saw a movie with that theme. I had no idea it was supposed to be based on San Antonio.

Chas.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

rocketexas wrote: 7) for the SCI-FI fun, go to the urban legend "Rail-road" tracks and have your car pushed by the ghostly children.

I saw a movie with that theme. I had no idea it was supposed to be based on San Antonio.

Chas.

http://www.legendsofamerica.com/tx-ghostlychildren.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/handprint.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I believe there is a "Ghost Tour" in San Antonio that takes you to various haunts. I don't know if the RR tracks are one of them or not.

rocketexas wrote:8) Lackland Airforce base has a bunch of war-planes to see.

Lackland Air Force Base has lots of static displays but you have to be able to get on base (appropirate ID/Sponsored/etc). - Thats home to me!

Don't forget:

** Bullet Hole Shooting Range - http://www.bullethole.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
** A Place to Shoot - http://www.aplacetoshoot.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
** Texas Guns - http://www.texasthunderrange.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
** Bracken Rifle & Pistol Range - http://www.brackenrange.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
** San Antonio Gun Club - http://www.sagunclub.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for all the tips guys. We just visited Sea World today. Boy I was really dissapointed. Tomorrow we're doing the trolly tours, Alamo, and downtown stuff. Not sure about Tues yet

rocketexas wrote: 6) go to Gruene, Tx and eat the restraut on the river.

It's the Gristmill, really neat place, definitely worth a visit. And if you like country music, check out Gruene Hall next door, either way though, you'll walk right by it on the way to the Gristmill.

PUCKER wrote:

rocketexas wrote: 6) go to Gruene, Tx and eat the restraut on the river.

It's the Gristmill, really neat place, definitely worth a visit. And if you like country music, check out Gruene Hall next door, either way though, you'll walk right by it on the way to the Gristmill.

Actually the Grune River Grill just up the road (walking distance) is a MUCH better restaurant, IMHO. Gristmill is OK; GRG is better.

And if you find yourself near the main square in New Braunfels, the Huisache Grill is about a block away and is great too (they serve girly salads and soups, but also have a "man plate" of quail, boar sausage, venison etc ) and their hibiscus iced tea is amazingly good

austinrealtor wrote:Actually the Grune River Grill just up the road (walking distance) is a MUCH better restaurant, IMHO. Gristmill is OK; GRG is better.

And if you find yourself near the main square in New Braunfels, the Huisache Grill is about a block away and is great too (they serve girly salads and soups, but also have a "man plate" of quail, boar sausage, venison etc ) and their hibiscus iced tea is amazingly good

Yes! the GRG is absolutely taste-a-licious. If you are really hungry, or in a big group, get the Tri-Fecta appetizer: queso, salsa and guac, all quite good.

+1 for the Huisache Grill. Also look for The Gruene Onion, on Common Street between Gruene Road and Loop 337 on the way toward new Braunfels from Gruene. It is a little more girly, but the ladies love it.

Gruene Hall is way too much fun. Especially "Two Ton Tuesdays". They run from May to August, and a great rockabilly band Two Tons of Steel, plays each week. It can get a bit (well, a LOT) crowded on Tuedays, but there isn't usually a stinker of a band int he lineup for any other night.

Appreciate the info on GRG - although once you find a place you like it's hard to stray away...especially if you only have a shot at one meal....