Once we arrived we found out we were there the same weekend as the Alamobowl. Locals told us it was normally not that crowded, even in the busier summer months. I think because of the large crowds, our view of San Antonio is a little skewed, but we still had a good time, and lots of memories to take with us.
We got there around 7 PM and checked into our Airbnb, O'Casey's Boutique Inn. The bed and breakfast was darling, but if it were not for the Alamo-bowl happening the same weekend, we would have looked for something closer to the downtown area or in the Pearl District. However, it wasn't too far from the bike check out. More on that below.
After we checked in, we drove to the Riverwalk, about a 20 minute drive, and walked along the Riverwalk. It was super pretty with all of the trees light up. If we did it again, we would have done the boat tour, too. There's several restaurants along the way to stop for dinner. Unfortunately, the wait for all of these places were around 2 hours long.
So, in true Oliver fashion, we went to Target, got a block of cheese, lunch meat, and fruits and went back to the Airbnb to snack. The one we thing we really liked about O'Casey's was the several outdoor seating options they had- the front porch bed swing, multiple fire places, under the arbor, and several benches on the wrap around porch that made our little picnic seem so much more dreamy. They had a sitting room and dining room, but it seemed too stiff to sit out there enjoy our evening.
Around 7:45 AM there was a knock on the door and a little basket with some coffee, lemonade, orange juice, and a light breakfast. The gesture was darling.
So, in true Oliver fashion, we went to Target, got a block of cheese, lunch meat, and fruits and went back to the Airbnb to snack. The one we thing we really liked about O'Casey's was the several outdoor seating options they had- the front porch bed swing, multiple fire places, under the arbor, and several benches on the wrap around porch that made our little picnic seem so much more dreamy. They had a sitting room and dining room, but it seemed too stiff to sit out there enjoy our evening.
Around 7:45 AM there was a knock on the door and a little basket with some coffee, lemonade, orange juice, and a light breakfast. The gesture was darling.
We tried getting ready quick and getting to town early so we could miss the line at the Alamo, per what all the other travel sites said. What we learned, even if you get there an hour early, the line will still be long. Don't worry too much about getting there as soon as they open. Eat yourself a good breakfast with yummy breakfast tacos or grab brunch at Ocho's on the riverwalk if you're staying nearby.
One of the things we LOVED about San Antonio was how easy it was to get around their town by bicycle. To rent a bike for an entire day is $12 and it's super easy to use! We planned on spending the day riding bikes throughout the Mission Trail to see all five missions. Unfortunately, that didn't go quite as planned because we started our ride at the Alamo and then couldn't find the real Mission Trail so we took a much longer, kind of dangerous "path" all around town to get to the next mission. Learn from our mistake...
DRIVE to Mission Concepción!
After you explore that mission, use the bike app to borrow a bike and ride the Mission Trail to Mission San Juan and Mission Espada.
DO NOT USE THE BIKE APP'S MAP TO GO TO THE MISSIONS. We rode almost 30 miles around San Antonio looking for the trail to only see three of the five missions. We were super disappointed once we found it and realized how easy it would have been to stay on the trail the whole time. The path takes you through San Antonio, but it's perfectly paved, with gorgeous scenery, and lots of bike drop off and pick up spots along the way.
After our nearly thirty mile bike ride, we were starving and exhausted! On the North side of town, on your way back towards Dallas, is the coolest collaboration of food, drinks, shopping and fun in one single area. Pearl Brewery has so many fun food options, everything from vegan to BBQ, from ramen to tacos, and literally everything in between. If you decide to eat in the Bottling Department Food Hall, you can grab a seat at the bar, or take your food outside to the lawn and people watch. We ate at Fletcher's Hamburgers and have not one regret. The cream soda, even if you don't like cream soda, is amazing.
Before we got on the road, we stopped at Local Coffee and enjoyed a latte.
Though it was super crowded from the Alamo-bowl and we couldn't find the daggum Mission Trail, we had a lot of fun. We would most likely plan another trip there, to see more of the missions, eat more the city's food, and visit some of their museums.
One of the things we LOVED about San Antonio was how easy it was to get around their town by bicycle. To rent a bike for an entire day is $12 and it's super easy to use! We planned on spending the day riding bikes throughout the Mission Trail to see all five missions. Unfortunately, that didn't go quite as planned because we started our ride at the Alamo and then couldn't find the real Mission Trail so we took a much longer, kind of dangerous "path" all around town to get to the next mission. Learn from our mistake...
DRIVE to Mission Concepción!
After you explore that mission, use the bike app to borrow a bike and ride the Mission Trail to Mission San Juan and Mission Espada.
DO NOT USE THE BIKE APP'S MAP TO GO TO THE MISSIONS. We rode almost 30 miles around San Antonio looking for the trail to only see three of the five missions. We were super disappointed once we found it and realized how easy it would have been to stay on the trail the whole time. The path takes you through San Antonio, but it's perfectly paved, with gorgeous scenery, and lots of bike drop off and pick up spots along the way.
After our nearly thirty mile bike ride, we were starving and exhausted! On the North side of town, on your way back towards Dallas, is the coolest collaboration of food, drinks, shopping and fun in one single area. Pearl Brewery has so many fun food options, everything from vegan to BBQ, from ramen to tacos, and literally everything in between. If you decide to eat in the Bottling Department Food Hall, you can grab a seat at the bar, or take your food outside to the lawn and people watch. We ate at Fletcher's Hamburgers and have not one regret. The cream soda, even if you don't like cream soda, is amazing.
Though it was super crowded from the Alamo-bowl and we couldn't find the daggum Mission Trail, we had a lot of fun. We would most likely plan another trip there, to see more of the missions, eat more the city's food, and visit some of their museums.
I'm from the Midwest where the best gas station is QT and QT Kitchens are one of God's blessings so I didn't quite understand everyone's love for Buc-ee's. Well, y'all, since you're passing by one, go ahead and stop. It is HUGE. Need to potty? There's like a billion bathroom stalls. Thirsty? There's all the regular drinks, plus some. Hungry? Do you want a snack like "gourmet" jerky made from bison or a brisket sandwich? Want to redecorate your kitchen? No worries, they got that, too. Kids need a new stuffed animal? Check. Seriously, anything I could have thought of, they had.
J made a pretty dope video of our trip if you want to see clips of us almost crashing our bikes! Ha!
Have you ever been to San Antonio? What was your favorite part of your trip?
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