Spring of 2023 gave me my first opportunity to visit Texas: the National Art Education Association conference was happening in San Antonio! While spring in Alaska can be beautiful, it is also frequently met with impatience on my part. It’s a great time to enjoy the snow in the sunshine, but while most other areas around the country are seeing blooms and hints of green, we’ve got break-up season and a lot of dirty snow, maybe even a spring blizzard to temporarily hide the yuck. (Which honestly, is that even better? Just melt already!) San Antonio was a welcome change of pace and a chance to enjoy a little spring sun!
My flights left amidst a spring blizzard on a Wednesday morning, and it took me most of the day to make my way through Seattle to San Antonio. Upon arrival I snagged the last bus leaving the airport and made my way to my AirBNB downtown.
The following day was mostly spent taking in all the goings on of the conference, but the Henry B. González Convention Center where the conference was held is right at the base of the Tower of the Americas and also along the edge of the River Walk. I got to sneak away between sessions and enjoy the warmth and beautiful outdoor spaces. The emphasis on creating green spaces within the heart of the city was amazing and super appreciated!
After a long day of art education talk, a few art teacher friends and I headed to Fogo de Chão for dinner. I had never heard of it, but there are multiple locations throughout the US and one of the members of our group has been multiple times and loves it. I thought it was definitely good, but be prepared! It’s a lot of food! Most of the members of our group headed to do a boat cruise after dinner, but I was so stuffed I opted to walk around a bit and explore the neighborhood around downtown on my way back to my AirBNB.
Day two of the conference I snuck off during lunch to explore La Villita, which I had discovered on my walk home the night before. La Villita has existed for almost 300 years, and when the Alamo was Mission San Antonio de Valero La Villita in the 18th century La Villita was part of the mission’s lower farmlands. La Villita later joined with Villa de San Fernando, the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar, and surrounding missions in 1809 to form what would become present-day San Antonio. Currently, the buildings are home to an artistic and cultural district.
After my mini lunch adventure I headed back to the convention center for the afternoon and contemplated dinner. My AirBNB hosts had left a slew of recommendations, and one was tapas at Azúca Nuevo Latino for happy hour. I stopped by for their appetizer sampler and for the most part it was delicious. When I saw that there was a dessert sampler as well, I dove right in and ordered it! The waitress looked at me with huge eyes, and asked if I was sure I wanted all of that to myself. She had responded similarly whenI asked for the appetizer sampler, so I didn’t think much of it. Oh what a mistake that was! She brought out a a tray with not just samples of desserts, but multiple slices of each type!
Needless to say my night again ended with walking off a large meal. This time my wanderings brought me to San Fernando Cathedral, which was founded in 1731 and is the oldest continuously functioning religious community in the state of Texas. There is a 24-minute-long light show Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 9pm, 9:30pm, and 10pm that I stumbled upon on my walk. The light show was beautiful, and it was fun to see the outpouring of people camped out in the plaza to enjoy it.
Saturday was the final conference day, and after attending sessions in the morning I finally made it to the Alamo! There is a free ticketed entry system in place with the option of an audio tour. I opted to just walk through, taking in the building and gardens. The building itself is pretty sparse, with a few plaques and flags in the interior but not much else. Visitors are limited to walking through the main nave and transept area, with most other spaces blocked off. That being said, the chapel is only one of a few buildings that make up the site, nestled amidst gardens with a large plaza out front. The long barrack building offered a movie and historical information panels and there was a timeline in the garden near the gift shop as well. There are huge plans for a visitor center and museum slated for a grand opening in 2026.
After exploring the Alamo and its surroundings, I made my way back to La Villita for some lunch and shopping. There are so many small, artsy shops that I hadn’t had enough time to look at all of them on my previous visit, plus I wanted to check out the cafe. La Villita Cafe was not quite what I was expecting, but the staff was friendly and the food was good, even if they were out of brisket. (Isn’t that a sin or something in Texas?) I’d highly recommend an iced Mexican Hot Chocolate and the Santa Ana Rancheros Plate!
After lunch I caught a few final conference sessions before making my way to a southern staple: Whataburger. I needed quick food so that I could get back to exploring San Antonio and figured why not do as the locals do? I snagged a burger, headed back to enjoy it on the patio at my AirBNB, and then polished off a few more pieces of the cake platter from Azúca Nuevo Latino because obviously I had leftovers still!
My evening plans included a Go Rio River Cruise, so I purchased tickets online and made my way to a loading point. The mall loading dock was crazy crowded, and I opted for the location right off of Market St. I boarded right around sunset and loved listening to the history of the area as we skimmed along the river and watched the night life come alive. I really enjoyed the narrated cruise, and then spent most of the evening exploring various sections of the riverwalk on foot at a slower more thorough pace.
The next morning I had no conference commitments and set out for the Japanese Tea Garden. The Tea Garden is part of Brackenridge Park, and is about three and a half miles from downtown San Antonio. That felt like a bit much on foot, so I grabbed a bus and headed in that direction. Along the way I happened upon The Art of Donut and stopped for a quick breakfast. I ordered a blueberry passionfruit donut and it was amazing. Plus it was an easy “to-go” breakfast as I continued on my way.
The Japanese Gardens were smaller than I imagined they would be, but absolutely stunning. There were multiple paths you could take to pick your way through the gardens and along the koi ponds. I walked through the gardens but ultimately wasn’t there very long because I was short on time, but you could easily spend an entire peaceful afternoon here.
My final San Antonio stop was the San Antonio Museum of Art. The museum is housed in an old brewery, and I especially enjoyed the local representation of artists. It was a great way to end my trip before I headed to the airport, although I feel like there’s still so much to see on my next visit! I have a few recommendations from a friend who lived in San Antonio that I didn’t make it to, plus they were decorating for Fiesta as I left. Who knows, we’ll see what next spring holds!