My Three Favorite Things I Did in San Antonio

From where I live, San Antonio is about a five hour drive, which I deemed the perfect distance for a tiny babymoon getaway. After our long journey to pregnancy, and the fact that we're not exactly rich, our trip was short, sweet, and budget, but we still had a fantastic time! We spent a day and a half in San Antonio and filled those days with activity. Three things stood out to me, and I hope they're not super obvious to everyone. Of course we saw the Alamo and the Riverwalk, but these three things were surprise hits!

1. The Original Donut Shop

I neglected to take any pictures of the building or of our food here, but rest assured, it was delicious! Located at 3307 Fredericksburg Rd, it's a little out of the way, nowhere near the more touristy spots along the Riverwalk or downtown, but in my opinion it was worth the drive. They have their own parking lot, so you don't have to struggle to find somewhere to park nor do you have to pay a parking fee, which is a major plus! The name of the restaurant is a bit misleading. Yes, they do sell donuts, and pretty good ones at that. But the main draw and showstopper for us were the breakfast tacos! I ordered a potato and egg taco and added cheese. My husband got a asado taco and added egg. These tacos were the best bites of our trip, and we ate at some "famous" places in the city. I highly recommend checking this place out for a delicious and quick breakfast.

2. The Japanese Tea Garden

Again, this isn't located near the Riverwalk, but it's a little closer to some more traditional tourist spots than the Donut Shop. For instance, it's right across the street from the San Antonio Zoo. The Tea Garden is a great place to spend 30 minutes to an hour, and admission is free. There's a lot of verticality to the garden, with sort of uneven stone stairs, so it's not the best place to take grandma or anyone with mobility issues. But it's gorgeous. It feels like an escape. We went quite early in the morning, so it wasn't crowded. I'm sure it's even more beautiful once spring is in full swing and all the plants are green and lucious. It's a great place to take photographs. I imagine engagement, maternity, or sweet sixteen photo shoots would go well here.

There's a cafe near the entrance to the garden which seems fairly new. They have some unique Japanese themed drinks, and I think they're planning to expand their menu to include food. It was pricey, but since admission to the Garden itself is free, it doesn't feel like a bad deal.

3. The Briscoe Western Art Museum

We almost skipped this one and I'm so glad we didn't! This was a definite highlight of the trip for us, and we hadn't even decided that we were going to visit it until the night before we left. This museum is $14 for adults, but is free for children under 12, active military, members, and SNAP, WIC, or MAP recipients. We receive WIC, so our admission was free and for that price, it was obviously totally worth the trip! This is located toward the end of the Riverwalk, so it's right in the middle of the action, but when we were there in the early afternoon on a Friday, it wasn't crowded at all. The statue garden outside is also free for all to enjoy. The inside is really well-themed. I'm not that enthusiastic about "Western Art" but the collection was well-curated and included historical artifacts in addition to sculpture and paintings. On the top floor, there were cushy leather arm chairs that were great to take a breather in, as well. It was just a very peaceful and serene museum.

They had several pieces by artist Kim Wiggins, like the piece here, and I think they were my favorites, but there was a ton of beautiful, vibrant art featured. I'd highly recommend to any and all who want to spend an hour or two relaxing in a stunning museum with a very purposeful collection.

Those were my top three things in San Antonio! We had a jam packed weekend trip, but still managed to get some rest in the midst of all the fun. I was surprised by San Antonio. It definitely has a touristy vibe, but unlike a lot of touristy places in the US, it didn't feel "cheap" or kitschy. For a weekend trip destination, I find San Antonio to be quite commendable!