SAT, A surprise to me! – The View from Lajeune

San Antonio, Texas

My last mini vacation was to San Antonio, Texas which is located in south central Texas and has a population of 1.5 million. San Antonio is located 150 miles from the Mexican border, and to say the Tex-Mex influence is strong would simply be an understatement (smile). Why San Antonio? Well, since my twin nephews, Marcus and Marshall, who will be 40 this year, have lived there for over a decade and at this point, I haven’t visited them yet. Their sister and niece, Demetrika, who will be 46 this year and lives in North Carolina with her husband and son, arranged to meet me so we could share a hotel room. This was supposed to be a short trip but we planned on having lots of family fun, bonding and making up for lost time.

No fugata

Our first meal when we arrived was at a restaurant called La Fogata. Dan Finnen, husband of sales manager Jocelyn, highly recommended it. Dan was not wrong, not only was the food we ordered delicious, but the ambiance spoke of a very authentic and authentic Mexican experience.

Canopy by Hilton San Antonio Riverwalk

This is the hotel I booked for our stay of 4 days and 3 nights. I intentionally chose this hotel because it is across the street from the Riverwalk plus it is right in downtown San Antonio where all the restaurants, shops, and outdoor activities are. Plus we needed a place we could easily walk to and from. It’s amazing what you can do on a 4-day weekend trip (Fri-Mon) when you’re traveling from another coast and are given an extra hour to work with (smiles).

Means of transportation

We have noticed that there are different modes of transportation for people who do not drive. Scooter rentals, electric bike rentals, and even Segway rentals line the downtown streets. I couldn’t help but notice the very large and very noisy pickup trucks flying up and down the downtown streets adding to the traffic congestion.

I was amazed by the carriage rides that populate the downtown streets – so many of them at once and all decorated in different seasonal themes and colors! It seems like everywhere we turn we meet a family, couple or group of friends riding in a horse-drawn carriage! At night, it was very cool because the view was now brightly lit with different colored lights and music playing all the time. I looked at the cost of a horse-drawn carriage ride: $75 per person and $35 per person after that for a 20-minute ride. $100 for one person and $50 per person after that for 30 minutes. One child rides free for every paying adult.

Alamo

It is aptly described as “an 18th century Spanish mission preserved as a museum.” We can’t leave San Antonio without at least visiting The Alamo. It was exactly as I expected…

Canopy Hotel Restaurants

Another reason Dimitrika and I enjoyed staying at Hotel Canopy is that you didn’t have to leave the hotel to have a good breakfast. We had delicious breakfasts every morning at Domingo Restaurante, and for nightly cocktails, the rooftop deck at Otro was the place to hang out and relax after a busy, fun-filled day.

Riverwalk

We discovered the San Antonio Riverwalk on our second day. It became a source of conversation for me from a lot of people the moment I mentioned that I was visiting my family in San Antonio. The Riverwalk is just as it sounds. It is a miles-long footpath with a river running through it. It’s actually underground so you have to get to it by going down the street. The river is surrounded by restaurants, cafes, bistros, shops, retail clothing stores, boutique hotels and the like. Every time we walked down the stairs to the Riverwalk, (for shortcuts or to find a new store) we would see crowds of people walking around, shopping, eating and/or sightseeing.

Go Rio

As we walked around the river walk, we kept seeing the river boat trips full of tourists passing us by. The hotel staff told us that if we decided to take a river cruise, we should take a cruise at night because the temperature is cooler, the boat is well lit and decorated and music is played throughout the park. We finally ate it on day 3 of day 4 – the 35 minute guided tour was so much fun and festive and the cost was a small $14.00 per person!

La Cantera Resort & Spa

We purchased a resort pass for $65 (Marshall’s great idea) to La Cantera Resort and Spa. This luxury resort and spa is known for its private villas, fine restaurants, spas, championship golf and celebrity sightings. By purchasing a resort pass, we were able to access the pool side. So, on day three, we spent half the day poolside enjoying the infinity pool, eating a delicious lunch and lounging on the deck chairs. We also took advantage of the hot tub where we met a loud and boisterous middle-aged man who was very accurate in guessing our personality traits (smile). In the lazy river pool we played pool with the floats and then rode what were children’s slides just for her.

Pandora Bookstore & Coffee Bar/Pure Aloha Bath & Beauty

Marshall (our unofficial tour guide) told us about an African-American-owned bookstore downtown that collaborated the space with a natural plant-based beauty, cosmetics and personal care store. We were very impressed when we walked into this cute shop which had a great selection of goods and a real positive vibe. I enjoyed meeting the owners of these two shops (who are now good friends) as they complement each other in the best way. Make sure to check them out if you visit San Antonio as you will not be disappointed.

Bohannan

Bohanan’s (another Marshall’s choice) was a place Demetrika and I passed during our daily leisure walks around downtown. The storefront didn’t really do it justice, as when we entered the jazz club and restaurant, we were pleasantly surprised by the piano bar and funky atmosphere. I ordered a mocktail garnished with jalapenos and Marshall and Dee each had a specialty martini.

Marcos family home

My nephew Marcus, his wife Asuka, and their children live in a house on the outskirts of San Antonio. His wife was gracious enough to provide a traditional Japanese meal made from scratch. We had the best time at their house that day. It rained for a while, so we stayed inside and ate sushi, sashimi, handmade tofu salad with sesame seed sauce, and deliciously chopped beef and chicken ribs. I ate two dishes and then I understood why Marcus said he doesn’t eat in restaurants anymore (smiles). We also played games with the kids in the game room which had Street Fighters gaming chairs, a basketball net, and more.

Historic Market Square

Ironically, in the evening Dimitrika and I decided to walk to this group of restaurants and shops in an indoor space, and all the shops were mostly closed. It wasn’t too surprising since it was a Sunday night and it was around 10pm… However, there was much talk about Mi Tierra Café & Bakery still being open much to the delight of Demetrika, who was looking for authentic Mexican hot chocolate and a delicious dessert to eat – she. The lively decor featured live Mexican music, mariachi dancers, a fun atmosphere, costumed staff, and Instagram-worthy photo backdrops! Oh and Dimitrika said the hot chocolate was delicious!

Centro San Antonio

One of the most interesting things I discovered during my quick trip to San Antonio is that there is a group of uniformed ambassadors called Centro San Antonio, who are stationed in downtown and work to keep it clean, safe, and welcoming for merchants as well as visitors to the city. . Whether you’re looking for directions to somewhere or need help or information, they’re trained to help you. As it turns out, there are a number of homeless people in this large city who live downtown, so another very important part of Centro’s mission is to offer them a safe place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, a drug-free program if needed and a safe space where They feel welcome. Sixto, or “Six,” as he is referred to on the street, was a welcome source of information for my niece and me as we strolled downtown.

News station

I work in local sales at an ABC affiliate news station in New Haven, Connecticut called WTNH News 8, so when I travel, I always look forward to seeing what the morning news looks and feels like. Here’s a snapshot of what I saw in San Antonio:

Finally, if you’re looking for an affordable place to live and work, my nephews tell me San Antonio is for you. Housing is cheaper, jobs are available, ethnic foods are plentiful, there is plenty to see and do, and the residents are friendly. I’m so glad I finally made the trip.

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