San Antonio

Day 1 · ~1.5 km

1. 

   1

   Alamo Plaza

   The plaza over the old mission grounds in front of the Alamo church, being remade around its history

   Morning · 30 min · free

   Stand at the south end of the plaza and take in the whole sweep: the church, the Long Barrack beside it, and across the way the Victorian commercial blocks, among them the Woolworth and Crockett buildings that are being turned into the new Alamo museum. Then walk the edge to find the exhibits marking where the mission's walls and gate once stood.

2. 

   2

   Menger Hotel

   An 1859 hotel beside the Alamo, with an 1887 bar built as a replica of a London club's taproom

   Evening · 45 min · free

   Walk through the Victorian lobby, then find the Menger Bar: cherry-paneled ceiling, beveled mirrors in mahogany frames, and the round tables where, by the bar's own tradition, Theodore Roosevelt signed up Rough Riders. Order a drink and sit a while.

3. 

   3

   Casa Rio

   A family-run Tex-Mex restaurant on the river since 1946, under rows of bright umbrellas at water level

   Any time · 75 min · $$

   Take a table at the water's edge under the colored umbrellas and order a plate of enchiladas and tamales, the style of Tex-Mex the restaurant has served since it opened. Watch the barges pass close enough to touch.

4. 

   4

   Schilo's Delicatessen

   A German-Texan deli on Commerce Street since 1917, known for split pea soup and house root beer

   Midday · 45 min · $

   Slide into a high-backed oak booth and order a bowl of split pea soup and a mug of the house root beer, then a Reuben if you are still hungry. Look over the old photographs and mounted heads on the walls while you eat.

5. 

   5

   GO Rio River Cruises

   The narrated open-air barges that loop the downtown River Walk, a short ride under bridges and cypress trees

   Any time · 45 min · $$

   Buy a ticket at one of the riverside booths or online and board the next barge; the narrated ride runs about half an hour along the downtown River Walk. Sit on the outside edge for photos of the bridges and the cypress canopy.

6. 

   6

   Arneson River Theatre

   The WPA open-air stage in La Villita where the audience sits on grass steps across the river

   Any time · 20 min · free

   Walk down to the river below La Villita and sit on the grass-covered steps on the south bank, facing the stage and its arches on the far side. Watch the barges slide between you and the stage, then cross the arched stone footbridge, Rosita's Bridge, to stand under the bells.

7. 

   7

   La Villita Historic Arts Village

   The city's early riverside neighborhood of 19th-century houses, restored in 1939 and now artists' shops

   Morning · 45 min · free

   Wander the short lanes between the low old houses, stepping into the craft shops and galleries, then find the Cos House, where by tradition Mexican general Martín Perfecto de Cos surrendered San Antonio to Texan forces in December 1835. Finish at the river steps above the Arneson River Theatre.

8. 

   8

   Main Plaza

   Plaza de las Islas, the square the Canary Islanders laid out in 1731 between their church and the courthouse

   Evening · 20 min · free

   Walk the square from the cathedral steps to the courthouse, reading the plaza as the colonial town's living room: church on one side, county government on another. Stay under the trees until dark, when the cathedral facade lights up for The Saga.