Local San Antonio knowledge wanted

[alteran]

I'm going to San Antonio in less than two weeks for a sons graduation from Air Force boot camp.
I'll have a Thursday to entertain him and me. Any ideas on something to do, where to eat etc. Close to the Lacklund AFB would be nice but not required. I'll rent a car, wouldn't mind driving out 60 miles or so to a old town with a cowboy bar or oil well museum or anything else two guys would like to see.

Any ideas? Thanks, Al.

[Leon m]

AAhhhh San Antone ....my old stomping grounds.
Food first: for Mexican you want to eat at
the Blanco Cafe (Blanco rd.),it don't look special,but the food is!and Chris Madrids kicks
butt too.If you want the biggest tastiest stake
you ever had in your life go to the Hungry Farmer
and try the Chicken Fried steak ,you aint had
real man food till you've slid one of them babbies
down your gullet,it aint at all like the stuff
they call CF steak up hear...You won't be sorry !

If you want that REAL Texas feel you should stop
in the saloon at the Pearl Brewery all kinds of
Texas things going on in there.Of course there is the usual tourist traps like the river walk and
the Alamo.But if you wan't to see what Texas is really
like you got to go "HONKY TONKIN" ! My favorite
Was the Blue Bonnet Palace , But you wont have
any trouble finding a Honky Tonk near by ,just
ask around.If its that dusty weathered old country
bar your after you should go to "Flore's Country
Store" in Halotis (sp?),Its where Willie Nelson
got his start.and there is a very nice old Spanish
mission on the edge of town.And the hill country
just out of town is very pretty too.

Well there are just too many good things to list
but these are some of my favorites.

Have a great time !

[ 10-04-2004, 01:31 PM: Message edited by: Leon m ]

[Jon Etheredge]

If you want that REAL Texas feel you should stop
in the saloon at the Pearl Brewery all kinds of
Texas things going on in there.
I think the Pearl Brewery closed down in 2001. All of the assets were auctioned off a few years ago.

I am not much of a partier myself but I do like museums. Here are a few suggestions along those lines:

You can always make a tour of the 5 Spanish missions: San Jose, San Juan, Concepcion, Espada, and of course, the Alamo.

The Witte Museum (http://www.wittemuseum.org/) is pretty good.

The Texas Transportation Museum (http://www.txtransportationmuseum.org/) looks like it might be interesting if you like trains and things. It is on my list of places to visit the next time I am in San Antonio but I haven't made it there yet.

There is the Institute of Texan Cultures (http://www.texancultures.utsa.edu/public/). It was built for Hemisfair '68 which was the last time I was there so I'm not sure what it is like now. I tried to revisit it a couple of months ago but there was a festival going on at the time and I didn't want to fight the crowds. Next time.

If you make it up to Austin (about 35 miles north), the Bob BUllock Texas State History Museum is good. The renovated state capitol is also impressive. There is some pretty good Tex-Mex food also.

And as Gary P. Nunn wrote and Jerry Jeff Walker sang:

"The friendliest people and the prettiest women you've ever seen." especially in Austin smile.gif

[Eric Villarreal]

San Antonio is my hometown, and it is a great place to explore. Here is the list of resaurants to try:

1) Blanco Cafe (awesome mexican food) located on Blanco Rd just south of Hildebrand. Good pick Leon!
2) Rudy's BBQ located in Leon Springs just north of San Antonio on IH-10. They have picknic tables outside and it is located in purty countryside. I think there may be one closer to Lackland near Sea World. The drive may not be as nice.
3) Mi Tierra's Mex Resaurant (dowtown S.A.) this place is very lively and you can go there if you are in the city, maybe after the Alamo. It is located off of Durango Blvd.

For interesting sites go to:

1) Hall of Horns located on Houston St in dowtown. These used to be on display at the Lone Star brewery which I think closed down some years ago.
2) The Alamo is about a 5 minute walk from the Hall of Horns.
3) The measeums Leon mentioned are all a worthy visit.

When I think of others I will post.

Have fun.....

[Leon m]

Hey Eric

You know that big oil painting of the Mayans
making the harvest offerings to the Gods...the
one that hangs in the Blanco Cafe?...My father
painted that (James H Moore).He was a well known
artist in San Antonio.

[Leon m]

Originally posted by Eric Villarreal:
1) Hall of Horns located on Houston St in dowtown. These used to be on display at the Lone Star brewery which I think closed down some years ago.

That was what I was thinking about when I mentioned the pearl brewery.
.
3) The measeums Leon mentioned are all a worthy visit.

That credit goes to Jon ,but I agree. ;)

.....Hey Eric is the bubble room still around ?
That place served a pretty good burger...and
the atmosphere was a riot.

I here they closed the stock yards too...Man
did they ever make an awesome chicken fried steak!

[ 10-05-2004, 02:12 PM: Message edited by: Leon m ]

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Taco Cabana for good mexican food and Fudruckers for a great burger and a cold beer ina long neck bottle. ;)

Pick someplace close to the base or you'll waste alot of time in traffic. Worst traffic I've ever seen.

Most guys coming out of basic will settle for the nearest fast food joint you can find. :D

[Meerkat]

The Riverwalk is nice, at least the boat ride. Otherwise, it's an expensive mall.

[Leon m]

Originally posted by Mr. Know It All:
Taco Cabana for good mexican ;)

I'll second that ! I highly recomend the Carne Gasada plate.

Pick someplace close to the base or you'll waste alot of time in traffic. Worst traffic I've ever seen.

Don't drive through town...Use the 410 loop.

:D

[alteran]

Thank you all for the help. I'm sure we will have fun.

[cs]

I haven't been back to Texas since I gradutaed from Air Base Ground Defense school back in 86. What I do remember enjoying was the Riverwalk.

Chad

ps it is Lackland and not Lacklund.

[Steve Lansdowne]

Austin is about 90 minutes (75 miles or so) north of San Antonio, not 35 miles. Still, if you're there for 2 weeks come to visit us! In San Antonio there is/was a public library branch just off the RiverWalk that holds the Hertzberg collection of circus memorabilia, such as Tom Thumb's carriage, as I recall. Worth a visit if it is open while you are there. Also check out La Villita, a Mexican market that might hold some interest. Once you park near the RiverWalk, the Hemisphere, Alamo, La Villita, Institute of Texan Cultures (which is much more exciting a place to visit than it's name implies) and circus collection are all fairly close.

While you're driving you might visit Gruene (pronounced "green"), a tourist town where Gruene Hall is located. I think it lays claim to the oldest continually operated dance hall in Texas. It is north of town. There is also a Fiesta Texas and Sea World in San Antonio, not to mention the Brackenridge Zoo and associated gardens. You'll not soon run out of things to do!

[ 10-06-2004, 08:00 PM: Message edited by: Steve Lansdowne ]

[Jon Etheredge]

Oops, I spaced on that mileage to Austin didn't I Steve smile.gif I'm not sure what I was thinking. Thanks for the correction.

Unfortunately, the Hertzberg Collection closed. I visited the museum in the past but when I tried to go back a few months ago I discovered that it closed in 2001 because of the poor condition of the building.

[paladin]

Ahhhh...Lackland Airplane Patch.....last saw the place in '57-58.......there wuz a place where you could get a 5 lb. steak fer free if'n you could eat it in an hour......only know one guy to do it...then of course the second one is fer free also.........wuz adjacent to Hensley naval air reserve base...got my jet link time there...instructor said I flew the most perfect course ever...too bad the last half dozen miles wuz 20 feet under ground........