Playing tourist on the San Antonio Riverwalk

Visit the Alamo at night to see it illuminated under soft white lights. Pam LeBlanc photo

​Now and then, it’s fun to play tourist in your home state. I zipped down to San Antonio last week with my husband for an overnight stay on the Riverwalk.

Touristy? Sure. But also, enjoyable. From Austin, it takes less than two hours to get to San Antonio.

The Westin Riverwalk is located on a quiet stretch of the San Antonio Riverwalk. Pam LeBlanc photo

We checked into a sweet corner suite at the Westin Riverwalk San Antonio that overlooked a quiet stretch of the river, flung down our bags and headed out to reacquaint ourselves with the Alamo City.

Visit the Riverwalk

A tour boat putters along the San Antonio Riverwalk. Pam LeBlanc photo

Sure, you can walk the Riverwalk – and you should. Some of the original stone bridges that arch over the river date to 1941, and people have been eating Mexican food beneath umbrellas and floating the waterway in colorful tour boats for decades. But on weekends, you can also kayak the passage with Mission Adventure Tours. I tried it a few years ago (read more here) and loved the new perspective.

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Vendors sell aguas frescas at Historic Market Square in San Antonio. Pam LeBlanc

Stroll the market

From the Westin Riverwalk, it takes about 15 minutes to walk to Historic Market Square, where venders sell everything from glassware to trinkets and musicians perform on indoor and outdoor stages. Twenty years ago, I bought a hand-made nativity scene that I still display every Christmas.

Grab a margarita

Mi Tierra, 218 Produce Row, first swung open its doors to serve workers and farmers at the San Antonio Mercado back in 1941. I love sipping margaritas in the bar, where mariachis serenade couples beneath twinkling lights, then lining up in front of the pastry case in the adjoining bakery to pick out pig-shaped cinnamon cookies and coconut bars in the colors of a Mexican flag.

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Walk to Alamo

Visitors stroll Historic Market Square in San Antonio. Pam LeBlanc photo

We skipped the guided tour ($45 adults, $35 children) and self-guided audio tour ($20 adults, $18 children), but still wanted to visit the iconic site. You can walk through the church for free (but book a ticket online here to make sure you get in) during the day, or drop by at night like we did to see it from the outside, glowing in white lights. 

Shop at La Villita

Just above the main Riverwalk, you can visit higher-end boutiques in La Villita Historic Arts Village, 418 Villita Street. The “Little Village” is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and markers provide information about the history of its buildings.

Check out the Briscoe Western Art Museum

Don’t miss the Briscoe Western Art Museum, located a 3-minute walk from the Westin. Exhibits at the museum, housed in what once served as the city’s original public library, include a replica of a Wells Fargo stagecoach, a life-size metal sculpture depicting John Wayne as Marshall Rooster Cogburn, and a collection of saddles, bridles and spurs.

Try Italian for dinner

We know San Antonio is know for Tex-Mex, but we opted for Italian at the Westin’s in-house eatery, Zocca Cuisine D’Italia. One highlight? The antipasti tray, featuring a beautiful array of sliced meats and cheese. The braised mushroom ravioli hit the spot, too, as did the lemon ricotta cake – and you can watch people stroll past outside as you dine.

Sleep in

We headed back to our suite, with a king bed and a separate sitting room, and sacked out. The next morning, we put on robes and tiptoed out onto the balcony for breakfast – leftovers from the antipasti tray, plus coffee and tea, all consumed while watching the Riverwalk come alive.