Solo Girls Guide to San Antonio Weekend

Another solo adventure this weekend leads me to none other than the super underrated and chic city of San Antonio. I’ve spent a lot of time in Texas but never made it to San Antonio before, so this was my first trip to this funky little water city! Per usual, I booked this in on the back end of work conference so I only had a few days to explore the city. This was another #solotravel adventure as I couldn’t get any friends to buzz over for the weekend, but I’m beginning to actually prefer to be alone on my travel trips! Ha. You get to do what you want, when you want to do it, and cram as much stuff in at once.

If you’re a solo traveler like myself, out for a girls weekend, or just buzzing through the city, here is a quick little 1.5-2 day itinerary to explore some of the highlights of this funky town!

Since I booked this on the back end of a work conference, I just continued to stay at the Marriott Riverwalk. It was conveniently located to everything, so it was a good home base. It’s actually connected to the riverwalk mall, so if you’re in a pinch and need a new outfit or something, it’s all right there.  However if I was going on my own and planning this trip, I’d stay at Hotel Emma. More on that later.

Friday late afternoon I walked along the historic San Antonio Riverwalk. This is an obvious must when you’re in downtown San Antonio. Even though it was January, it was pretty mild so it was great to just spend an hour or so walking around the canals of the town. Careful, don’t get lost, because it all starts running into one another.

After walking around the riverwalk, I came ‘above ground’ and walked over the Alamo and actually went inside. It’s smack dab in the middle of the city. It was neat to go inside, although there isn’t much to see. I just did a self-guided tour and read the different panels along the way. My favorite part was walking around the grounds, it was peaceful and quiet considering it was off season. My recommendation is to hit the Alamo a few times throughout the trip. It’s literally a 5-minute walk from the Marriott and downtown attractions and it’s neat to see the different perspectives of dawn, afternoon and evening.

Next I did the typical tourist Riverboat ride but it was actually really fun! It was super informative and, being a history nut, I learned a lot about the city and the river and the history of it all. Definitely worth it! Make a reservation ahead of time at one of the booths though, because they fill up fast!

For dinner that night, I stopped at the oldest restaurant on the San Antonio riverwalk, Casa Rio. You’ve probably seen pictures of the outside; it’s known for its’ brightly colored umbrella tables that line the riverwalk. Typical Mexican restaurant complete with a mariachi band (that will make you pay to come and sing at your table).

Saturday morning I started out early and went for a drive to The Pearl area. On my way to The Pearl, I stopped by the Alamo at dawn and it was gorgeous. There wasn’t a soul around and the colors were beautiful.

After dawn at The Alamo I continued on my way to The Pearl area where I wanted to grab a coffee and a gluten free treat at The Larder which is a little gourmet food market attached to Hotel Emma. This is how I found Hotel Emma and it was SWOON-WORTHY! This is where I fell in love with this great little gem. So if I ever come back to San Antonio, this is exactly where I’ll be staying. It’s a mix of masculine and feminine. The fire, the burning wood smell, the iron work mixed with soft fabrics and luxurious leather. I could’ve sat there forever.

I got a coffee and a piece of gluten free coffee cake to go and then hit the road to visit the San Antonio Missions. Did you know there were more missions than just “The Alamo”?! There are the following:

- Mission San Jose
- Mission Concepcion
- Mission San Juan Capistrano
- Mission Espada

I made a little map and made my way through them. I’d suggest this order: The Alamo, Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan and then Mission Espada. Mission Concepcion was my favorite and truly was a humbling and spiritual experience. It’s so spacious and vast and cool inside.

Honestly that took me most of the afternoon because I just drove around and stopped at cool spots for pictures along the way. Texas is so beautiful, vast, and flat that you can see for miles in some places. It’s cool to get out of the city.

After spending a little down time at the hotel to get some work done, I got dressed and went to The Pearl again to Hotel Emma for dinner and drinks. The Brewhouse which is attached to the hotel had a great burger and brewery/wine bar which I grabbed a quick bite. But my favorite part was going into the bar area where there is a roaring fire in front of leather sofas, oversized chairs and beautiful iron work and long farm-style tables. I sipped a cocktail while enjoying the leather and earthy smells of the fire.

The next morning (Sunday) I again got up early and stopped by the Pearl area for a coffee before heading to the Japanese Tea Garden for a quick morning walk. It was a peaceful walk around the water before heading on to my little excursion: the natural bridge caverns! Caving was on my bucket list and I got to check that off this weekend. It was a bit of a drive, about 1-1.5 hours away from downtown San Antonio but I had a super late flight so I knew I could fit it in and still get back in time. So worth the drive! I did the “moderate” hike and was able to do it in jeans/boots and a sweatshirt. But my advice is wear layers because it was so warm and humid down there! I was sweating to death, ha. It was such a fascinating world under there, and I can’t believe it still exists. Bring water and your camera/iPhone because you’ll want to take tons of pictures.

Just like that, my trip to San Antonio was over and I high-tailed it back to San Antonio to catch my late flight out. Although a 2-day trip doesn’t do any town justice, it was a great highlight of the city trip and I hope if you find yourself with a short stay in this cute town, you’ll have as much fun as I did. Happy travels!

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The Lonestar State or the Longhorn State?

There is something extremely alluring about a cowboy town. Main street with stores, saloons and restaurants with flat faces. Dusty streets. Cactus dotting the horizon. Cows and bulls lowing in the distant field. Okay so maybe my idea of a cowpoke town is slightly romanticized and grossly influenced by Hallmark movies and romantic novels…but still; I love that lifestyle. It's dusty, hazy, romantic, quiet and adventurous all wrapped up in one.

I just finished up a quick trip to one of my favorite cities in Texas- Fort Worth. In this year alone, I've been to Texas three times so I'm becoming a little familiar with all the roads and some of the local restaurants. But one of the things I've never been able to do in Fort Worth is really get to explore the "old" parts; specifically the Stock Yards.

I woke up early on Sunday (thanks time zone difference), hit the gym for a quick Crossfit session, got room service, a shower and was out the door by 9 a.m. The sky was bright and blue with some wispy clouds fluttering through the air. Downtown was in a quiet lull, sleepy from the night before. So I grabbed my Jeep, rolled the windows down, put on some Tim McGraw and drove down to the Stockyards.

 On the way down to the Stock Yards I found some old little antique stores with such wonderful art work that I just had to stop. This particular place was called the One-Eyed Moose. Definitely stop and take a look if you're in Fort Worth!

Turning down Main Street of the Stock Yards, I was greeted by two gorgeous Quarter horses just meandering down the road. Now you know this horse girl was super giddy and it took everything in me not to creepily take (too) many photos. I always say, I wasn't born in a barn but I was raised in one. I was a hunter/jumper rider from the time when I was about 12-years-old. I've ridden a big ol' lazy quarter horse my whole life, first there was Kip (part quarter horse part thoroughbred) and later on Scooter. They're such gentle giants, sweet dispositions and the most understanding and searching eyes. Horses trump men any day in my book.

 After visiting the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Colorado Springs, Colorado… this hall of fame isn't nearly as big but nonetheless still fun to visit. You feel like you've stepped back in time…or at least to 1980's Footloose set.

 Two years ago I visited a friend in California and we took a day trip to Yosemite National Park (talk about God's glory in manifestation). However she surprised me with a stay in this old mining town on the way back to San Francisco. We rolled into LITERALLY a tumbleweed town. There was less than 200 people who resided in the city, there was one (blinking) light, a general store, a saloon, a bar, a hairdresser and my personal favorite the hotel. That was it. We spent the night in this deserted town and had some of the most fun hanging at the saloon, shooting pool and having a few drinks with the bartender who happened to also be our waiter, the hotel desk man, and I think even the chef?! Ha. 

Anyways, this little hotel reminded me of that town outside of Yosemite. It was old and charming and just oozed cowboy charm. 

 Keep on walking down the main street and veer towards the left and you'll find traditional Texas longhorn just hanging out. These guys are actually the longhorns they "stampede" down Main Street twice a day (11:30a and 4:00p) every day. Now don't get your hopes up, it's less of a stampede and more of a slow saunter down the road but it's still cool to see! I stood out there with them on the fence post for a long time, probably longer than a normal 5'4 blonde gal would, but I just love nature, animals and watching these gorgeous creatures.
 

After watching the livestock for a while I wondered over to the Stockyard Station which is an old train station they've converted to shops and restaurants. You can buy every "Texas" themed thing you'd ever want here: from belt buckles to hot sauce to a Texan flag- you're in the right place.

Finally, what everybody had been waiting for: The Stockyard Stampede. Cowboys on horseback guided the longhorns down the main street and back into their pen for what I presume is a lovely lunch waiting for them. Ha. I think it was worth the wait (hey its free, why not) but if you have something else pressing to do than you won't miss something earth shattering.

 I ended my afternoon at the Stockyards by stopping by the Stockyard Hotel for a quick bite to eat. Went to the bar and absolutely loved the end of my experience in the Stockyards- complete with sitting in a saddle eating my lunch and riding into the sunset….or something like that.