San Antonio River Walk, The Alamo and More!

I never get tired of showing visiting relatives and friends the sites of the Alamo and San Antonio River Walk.  In fact, I feel pretty strongly that I cannot let any of my visiting guests leave San Antonio without visiting the River Walk and the Alamo.  I feel like it’s my duty or something!  I mean, when you visit San Antonio, then return home, your friends are going to ask you about these iconic attractions.  Can you imagine saying, “Well, I didn’t actually go to see either”?! 

The known history of the San Antonio River, and the stretch that is now called the River Walk, dates back to 1536.  Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca, who was shipwrecked and captured by Indians, visited the area and described the river.  In 1691, the first governor of the Province of Texas, Domingo Teran de los Rios, passed through the area with Father Damian Massanet.  They made camp along Yanaguana “Stream”, celebrated mass, and renamed the stream “San Antonio” in celebration of St Antony’s Day.  In 1709 on an expedition, Father Espinosa noted the river to be a good site for missions.  The first mission was established in 1718, and called Misión San Antonio de Valero, later known as the Alamo. 

Jump forward to 1921 when flooding of the San Antonio River claimed 50 lives, triggering plans for flood control.  In 1929, Robert Hugman, an architect and San Antonio native offered up plans for the River Walk.  His plan was not popular, but over the next 10 years, support for commercial enterprises along the river gained momentum.  In 1939, funding under Work Projects Administration, one of Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, kicked off construction with walkways, bridges, and plantings including the majestic bald cypress trees. 

Today you can walk along the River Walk on the concrete walkways for several miles.  The most popular portion of the River Walk is the area dense in restaurants and hotels.  You can find a wide variety of cuisines.  You can also take a boat tour. 

I have eaten at The Original Mexican Restaurant many times, and they never disappoint.  They pay homage to the restaurant across the river of the same name operated by the Farnsworth family from 1899 to 1960.  The Farnsworth’s Original Mexican Restaurant on Losoya Street was recognized as the U.S.’s oldest Mexican restaurant, and credited with defining San Antonio-style Mexican food.  When I take my mom, we usually share the fajita platter, which is more than enough for the two of us, and I have a big appetite! 

If you’re looking for Texas classics, you can try Texas Land and Cattle steakhouse, County Line barbecue, Landry’s Seafood, or Paesano’s Italian. 

I have to tell you honestly, the last two times I went to Texas Land and Cattle on the River Walk, I sent my steak back.  A filet should not have a large ribbon of unchewable gristle.  I was also disappointed with Paesano’s.  I ordered the sea bass, which tasted pretty fishy.  They tried to tell me that was the way sea bass was, as though I had not eaten it before!  It was one of my favorites in Turkey.  Their cheesecake almost made up for the fish.  At any rate, these experiences gave me pause.  I have heard a few times that some of the restaurants on the River Walk don’t appreciate the business of the locals.  The inference is that some of the restaurants serve mediocre food, because most of the clientele are tourists who will never be back again.  I was very disappointed in Texas Land and Cattle, and Paesano’s, as they are both fairly upscale restaurants. 

When it comes to barbecue, I’m a Carolina girl all the way.  So I’m not a huge fan of County Line.  My brother and sister and I went there two years ago and had ribs.  They were not as good as my absolute favorite ribs at the Gristmill in Gruene, Texas, but they were pretty darned good. 

As far as Landry’s, I had the mediocre experience at their restaurant in Galveston a few years ago.  I had a great dinner at Landry’s on the River Walk however.  The food and service were excellent. 

Looking for something a little more familiar?  You could try the Hard Rock Café, Joe’s Crab Shack, Hooter’s, or Pat O’Brien’s.  I’ve eaten at the Joe’s on the River Walk several times and always had good food and service. 

For more of an international flair there are many Mexican restaurants, a few great Italian restaurants, and an Irish Pub.  The Irish Pub has hand-cut fries that taste just like Mom’s. 

I highly recommend the River Walk boat tour.  The driver-guides are very entertaining, and you learn a lot of history of the downtown area.  The tour is 35 to 40 minutes and covers 2 ½ miles of the river.  You’ll see the mural on one of the walls of the Gonzales Convention Center.  You’ll make a loop at the “lagoon” at Rivercenter Mall outside the food mall, where a Peruvian group plays pan flutes. 

Tickets for Rio San Antonio River Cruises are $8.25 for adults, $2 for children 5 and under, and $6 for seniors, military, and Bexar County residents.  The cruises run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

They usually take photos before you get on the boat, which are ready when you get off.  I was pleased with the photos and bought them at least once. 

There is also a river taxi service that makes 39 stops, with one-way tickets starting at $5, and 3-day passes $25. 

There are plenty things to do for entertainment on the River Walk. Many of the restaurants and hotels have live music and dancing. One of my favorites used to be Ibiza’s Patio Restaurant and Bar, of the Hilton Palacio del Rio Hotel. I checked for you, and they still have a band on Friday and Saturday nights.

Another fun place is Howl at the Moon Saloon, “a Rock and Roll dueling pianos bar”. As they suggest, they have two piano players at a time. You can make song requests. The players may complement each other on songs, or try to outdo each other. Drinks include X-Boyfriend, Purple Rain, and Loose Goose.

Polly Esther’s Danceplex is another popular spot on the River Walk. It occupies an old three story office building. Each floor has a different music focus- the first floor is 90s music, the 2^nd floor is 70s Disco, and the 3^rd floor is 80s music.

I went about six years ago. It was ultra crowded on all floors, and I would say some of the DJs had at least some confusion about the decade they were supposed to be playing. Overall a fun place if you’re crowd-tolerant.

Many of the hotels and restaurants on the River Walk have street access and parking. Once you on the River Walk however, Mapquest won’t help you! You’ll need a River Walk walking map, which you can download from this website.

The first of the San Antonio missions, Misión San Antonio de Valero was established along the San Antonio River in 1718. The mission moved to its second location on the east bank, near what is now Commerce Street, in 1719. Due to flooding, the mission moved again in 1724 to the current site at Alamo Plaza. The current Alamo structure was built beginning in about 1755.

Eventually five missions were established around San Antonio, to introduce native Indians from the area to Christianity. By 1793, Spanish officials ended the religious use of the missions and distributed the land to the Indians.

In the early 1800s, Spanish military cavalry troops were stationed at the former Misión San Antonio de Valero. The soldiers referred to it as “the Alamo”, Spanish for “cottonwood”, honoring their town of Alamo de Parras, Coahuila. By the time of the Battle at the Alamo in 1836, the buildings of the old mission were abandoned.

The famous battle at the Alamo was a 13 day siege, lasting from 23 February to 6 March, 1836. A group of 189 Texan volunteers made their stand against the repression of the Mexican dictator Santa Anna. Though credited with holding out for those 13 days against thousands of Mexican Army soldiers, every one of the 189 ultimately were killed, including Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William Travis.

A reenactment film of the battle of the Alamo, The Alamo:  The Price of Freedom, plays daily at the IMAX in the Rivercenter Mall on Commerce Street downtown.  The movie was filmed in 1987 on the same set as John Wayne’s classic movie The Alamo.  The movie opened in 1988, and has featured daily at the Rivercenter for over 20 years. 

The Alamo is located behind the Rivercenter Mall, and is a very short walk.  The 4.2 acre complex hosts 2 ½ million visitors each year.  You can view exhibits of Texas history and the Texas Revolution in the Shrine, the Long Barrack Museum and the Gift Museum.  The admission is free.  The complex is maintained by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas on individual donations, private foundations and Gift Museum sales. 

You can stand immediately in front of the Alamo and get great pictures.  The Alamo grounds are magnificient.  I’m sure countless engagement portraits are shot there.  There are usually live outdoor mini lectures on the grounds, often by someone in a period costume. 

Another good way to learn about the downtown area and San Antonio history is the San Antonio Trolley Tours.  The tour is about 60 minutes and covers the Alamo, Mission San José, Mission Concepción, Hemisfair Park, Tower of the Americas, Institute of Texan Cultures, the King William District, the Spanish Governor’s Palace, San Fernando Cathedral, and Market Square. 

Buy tickets across the street from the Alamo, near the ice cream shop.  Tickets are $20.  Buy the ticket with “hopper” pass for $26 and get the 2^nd day free.  You can then hop on and off at any of the locations.  This is especially handy for visiting the missions. 

Hemisfair Park and the Tower of the Americas came about because of the 1968 World’s Fair.  The Tower is a tall needle with a rotating restaurant at the top.  I had an Air Force friend 10 years ago who always dined there when her parents came to San Antonio, even though she said the food was far from fantastic.  Current menu dinner entrée prices at the Chart House Restaurant are $26 to $45.  At those prices, let’s hope it’s new and improved cuisine.  I believe Landry’s took over the restaurant a few years ago. 

I never go to the Tower of the Americas because several times the elevator to the top has broken down, leaving patrons trapped for 10 or so hours.  If you feel lucky, but don’t want to eat at the restaurant, you can still buy tickets to ride up to the observation area.  Tickets are about $11 for adults, $9 for children. 

King William District is a fun area with lots of shops, restaurants, and historic homes.  I went to a bridal shower at Mad Hatter’s restaurant.  We took a little walk in the area of the homes, which were quite impressive. 

Thanks for your support!

If you enjoyed my hub and found it helpful, please consider rating it up, commenting, tweeting, digging, or otherwise showing your hub love! 

Join HubPages

Not a member of HubPages?  Sign up and then you can make comments on hubs, follow your favorite hubbers, &/or write your own hubs.