OT - sightseeing CA family Texas bound

Greetings to all you Texas peeps!

My oldest son will be graduating from Air Force basic training at Lackland next Friday.  We will be flying in next Wedensday and leaving Sunday.

While we are there, I was hoping some of you local folks can give me some hints on things to do, places to eat.  I am looking for a mixture of both touristy-type stuff and also places the locals eat, etc.

Any help you all can give me would be just fantastic.  Thanks so much!!

Hugs!!

Jillie

San Antonio is a great place to visit.  You can go to Sea World, Six Flags Fiesta Texas (whi*****ludes a water park), the missions, the Alamo, etc.  I recommend a trip to the Blue Star Arts Complex.  It's a group of galleries that sell local artists.  The Blue Star Brewing Company is fun and tasty.  My favorite place is a little outdoor beer garden called La Tuna which is across the street.  The fish tacos are so good!  But, be forewarned, it's hotter than hell in SA right now. 

I'm not from San Antonio, but I have a daughter who lives there.  If you're interested in any particular place or kind of activity, let me know and I'll ask her. 

Congratulations to your son and thanks to him for his service to our country.

Thanks for the response!  I have written all these places down.  I guess we got really lucky.  I booked a package thru travelocity not knowing the area at all and we will be staying right on the riverwalk at a Marriotts.

This is what I wrote another about my son and I thought I would repeat it here

Thank you for mentioning my sons.  I am off to Texas next Wednesday to see Dustbuster graduate from basic training with the Air Force.  I am so dang proud of him.  I haven't seen him in eight weeks but I can so tell ho much he has turned from a 19 year old teen to a 19 year old man just by the phone calls!

The first phone call home was filled with crying by both of us and him wanting to come home and me willing to move heaven and earth to get him home.  I was talked out of it by some very smart friends of mine.  Today, eight weeks later, he tells me of how proud he is he stuck out the hard times in the beginning, etc.  I am just soooooo proud of him.

My firstborn, Dustin Michael Harper, is now a man!!!  I am sooo proud!!!

Welcome to San Antonio.  Here is a link to the chamber of commerce visitors website:  http://www.sachamber.org/cwt/external/wcpages/visitors/

I would really reccomend visiting the river walk...they have recently extended the river much further north and a river barge ride is great.  http://www.riosanantonio.com/content/publish/charters.shtml

There is a lot to see in the downtown area and the Via Bus system runs street cars that can take you everywhere.  http://www.viainfo.net/BusService/Streetcar.aspx

You can ride a street car to the Market Square which is a mexican market on the west end of the downtown area and eat at one of the oldest 24hr mexican restaurants.  Mi Tierra.   http://www.mitierracafe.com/default.html     You can also ride one to the tower of the americas and the Institute of Texan Cultures..a museum of sorts. 

The alamo and the spanish missions are great historical places to visit too.  http://www.nps.gov/saan/historyculture/index.htm


If you're son is at lackland and you are staying over in that direction there are plenty of good restaurants over near 410 and Marbach Rd and also on Military Dr. 

As a local, my absolute favorite Mexican Restaurant is Las Salsas, 2018 San Pedro Ave,  just north of the downtown area and the San Antonio College Campus, maybe your son knows the area. 

Be ready for the extreme heat, I am sure your son has mentioned it.  We have had over 20 days of 100+ degree days and it's just mid july .

Rosemary

thank you  thank you  thank you

thankyouverymuch!!!!!!!!!

The trolley is great and takes you past the River Walk, the Alamo, and the Marketplace. Great restaurant at the marketplace is Mi Tierra.

It's going to be HOT, so be prepared.

My son has been telling me about the "hot" 

He says it doess not compare to our 105 degree hot.  He says our dry heat seems cool compared to Texas heat!  Can hardly wait!  ha ha ha ha

Jill, you should come with me in Sept to Dallas.......

Whatcha doing in September?  Maybe I will.  I don't quite understand how things work.  When I worked, I never had a dime to do anything, now that I am unemployed, I seem to be able to eke out $$ to do these fun things.  I might just tag along with ya if I haven't gone back to work yet.  BTW, I hope that I don't become a pariah bacause of the drama crap and me speaking up.  I know that you have been there, done that and if there is anything you can share, I would greatly appreciate it.

Hugs!

Jill,
OH conference in Dallas on the 25th and 26th.

yes, understand about the drama, will shoot you a private email....

yep, we can share rooms if ya come...:)