HOUSTON – I’m a hopelessly homesick Houston transplant nine years removed from my beloved city of origin, San Antonio, Texas. Many of my most-cherished early memories are of the city: Images of warm spring days ambling along the River Walk with my mother, a paper Fiesta flower crown askew on my head, meld with memories of eating cheesesteak, twice-baked potatoes and cornbread at Luby’s on North Main downtown.
For better or worse, I’m a Houstonian now and what once was home is now my favorite weekend destination — for rest and relaxation, outdoor adventures and excellent food.
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Often, when I’m bored, I assemble extravagant San Antonio travel itineraries to amuse myself. It’s fun to imagine the places I’d go, the things I’d do during a “perfect” weekend away in the most beautiful city in the state. What follows is one such “wish list” weekend trip. I hope it inspires some San Antonio wanderlust.
Friday
3:30 p.m. Check-in at River Walk retreat
Schedule a stay at Hotel Emma, a 146-room boutique hotel housed in a massive former brewery at the upriver end of the River Walk. At Hotel Emma, there’s a rooftop pool, bar, market, and bistro. The hotel is part of the commercial Pearl Brewery district, which includes the Culinary Institute of America, more than a dozen boutiques and nearly 30 restaurants.
5:30 p.m. Supper at Supper
The hotel’s restaurant Supper serves an ever-changing seasonal menu showcasing the region’s farm-to-table bounty. A recent dinner menu included ricotta drop dumplings, smoked crispy quail, broiled oysters and a bone-in Berkshire pork chop. If weather permits, eat outside for a view of the River Walk.
7:30 See a show
Originally opened in 1926 as Municipal Auditorium, Tobin Center for the Performing Arts houses three venues — The H-E-B Performance Hall, with room for 1,750 seats or standing room for 2,100, the Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater, which can seat 250 to 350 people, and the River Walk Plaza, which can seat 600 and accommodate 1,600 people in all. The Tobin Center attracts big names and holds hundreds of events annually.
Ten San Antonio artistic companies call the Tobin home, including Ballet San Antonio, San Antonio Symphony, Opera San Antonio and an acting company called AtticRep.
10 p.m. Take in skyline views
In 1968, San Antonio was host to a World’s Fair, called HemisFair, and a handful of the structures from that celebration remain at HemisFair Plaza, including the 750-foot Tower of the Americas, which has become an iconic feature of the city skyline. An observation deck at the top of the tower offers a good view of the city and is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $16.
Saturday
9 a.m. Eat the flakiest empanadas
A signature San Antonio breakfast is a decadent one. At the much-lauded La Panadería, it means plates piled high with flaky empanadas filled with gooey guava, raspberry, apple or pineapple jam; sumptuously laminated kouign–amann; nuttery, brioche-style conchas; And rich tortas in as many variations as you can imagine.
10:30 a.m. Wander glorious gardens
Stroll one of the area’s most scenic gems, San Antonio Botanical Gardens, a 38-acre oasis of gardens, meadows and woodlands. The destination also features a glass conservatory complex with five exhibit rooms displaying exotic plants.
1 p.m. Admire McNay’s masterpieces
The McNay Art Museum is installed in the late Marion Koogler McNay’s manorial estate house. At her death in 1950, McNay left her collection of more than 700 works of art, along with the home, the surrounding acreage, and an endowment to establish the first modern art museum in Texas. The museum opened its door to the public in 1954 and exhibited McNay’s collection of works by European masters including Cezanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Modigliani, Chagall and Picasso. Since McNay’s original bequest in 1950, the museum’s collection has expanded to more than 22,000 works including Medieval and Renaissance art, 19th- through 21st-century European and American paintings, sculptures, and photographs and an extensive theater collection.
3 p.m. Schedule a self-care session
Hiatus Spa + Retreat is a 5,000-square-foot day spa opened at the Pearl in 2017. In addition to 13 treatment rooms, there is a nail salon, a hydrotherapy room and a relaxation lounge. The spa offers in-room services for Hotel Emma guests. A featured offering is the 80-minute $110 “The One and Only,” a mani-pedi combo that includes noise-cancelling headphones and an aromatic steam wrap. Upgrade your experience with a $15 melted cocoa and shea butter hand and foot massage.
7 p.m. Eat a memorable meal
Best Quality Daughter serves modern Asian American cuisine in a delightful and oh-so-pink dining room inside the restored historic Mueller House at the Pearl. Menu standouts include salt-and-pepper shrimp, char siu roasted pork shoulder, phat kaphrao pork fried rice and boozy boba cocktails.
9:30 p.m. Enjoy a cozy jazz club
Opened in 2016 and run by singer, pianist and bandleader Doc Watkins, Jazz, TX operates out of the basement of the Bottling Department at the historic Pearl Brewery. The intimate venue hosts shows at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Purchase tickets well in advance. In addition to the music, there is dancing and a full kitchen and bar serving South Texas cuisine, cocktails, wine and beer.
Sunday
7 a.m. Run the River Walk
Maintain a daily routine while exploring a new destination. Run along the newest section of the Riverwalk, Museum Reach, a 3.5-mile-long urban river park that weaves past several points of interest, including the Witte Museum, the San Antonio Zoo, Brackenridge Park, the Pearl, and the San Antonio Museum of Art. The Museum Reach is divided into two segments. The Urban Segment, approximately 1.3 miles in length, runs between Lexington Avenue and Josephine Street and features pedestrian overlooks, boat landings, water features, pocket parks and native landscaping. The 2.25-mile-long Park Segment stretches from Josephine Street to Hildebrand Avenue and boasts fifteen permanent art installations, including a school of 25 hand-painted, seven-foot-long sunfish suspended from the I-35 overpass and the three-story Grotto which resembles a real grotto with waterfalls, twisting passageways, and realistic stalactites and stalagmites.
10 a.m. Follow the scent of fresh-baked treats to Bakery Lorraine
Located steps away from Hotel Emma, the bright little bakery offers drop-dead delectable versions of patisserie favorites – lemon curd–filled Kouign-amann, macarons in enticing flavors such as Earl Grey and blackberry-cardamom, caramel and chocolate ganache tarts topped with toasted pecans, flaky twice-baked croissants filled with almond cream and coated in powdered sugar. Brunch items include the croissant breakfast sandwich, quiche Lorraine, croque madame and baked oatmeal.
11:30 a.m. Shop for souvenirs
Each weekend, craftspeople representing nearly 50 local businesses come with their wares to The Pearl for the weekly makers market, held Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s an ideal place to shop for souvenirs. Many of the artisans sell products that you can pack away in your suitcase, including honey, jams, nuts, hard cheeses, soap, wine and jewelry. For more opportunities to browse, try these boutiques: Feliz Modern for colorful stationery, gifts and décor; The Twig Bookshop, for books; and Adelante Boutique, for women’s apparel and accessories.
What would you include on your “perfect San Antonio weekend” itinerary? Share your San Antonio suggestions in the comment section below.