San Antonio and Austin with 21 and 23 year old daughters
 

We are traveling to Texas at the end of May. We have 5 nights and thought we would see some of San Antonio and Austin. Flying into one and out of the other. We want to do and see things that will be of interest to the girls. Riverwalk will be one stop for sure! Suggestions welcome!

Boudro's on the Riverwalk is a really yummy place to eat. They have tableside guacamole and prickly pear margaritas. There's also a little boat tour that goes up and down the river that's fun. Would the Alamo interest them? It's kind of a must do in San Antonio. We also did a Segway tour that was really fun; it went through the historic King Williams district - very pretty. Guenther House is a good spot for breakfast.

South Congress in Austin is a fun area, day or night. There are lots of interesting little shops, food trucks, restaurants, and places to listen to live music.

REally, there are so many good places to eat & drink, or to enjoy nature, that I always have a hard time deciding how to pare down my to do list.

In Austin, definitely go see the bats - they fly out every night from the bridge, and it's a big event that everyone goes to watch. There are also boat tours you can take to see them. Mt. Bonnell has some gorgeous views. You can head over to Driftwood for Salt Lick BBQ.

http://saltlickbbq.com/

Between San Antonio and Austin, consider stopping in Gruene, cute town, and definitely take them to a real Texas music dance hall-- Gruene Hall. That is not to be missed.

For a quirky evening outing in Austin, we like Ester's Follies . It's hard to describe, but it is over the top and pokes fun at everything--it's bawdy, satiric and crazy. Half the fun is the people you see out on the sidewalk while the show is going on. There's a bar and you can bring your drinks/snacks into the theatre. After or before the show, you can check out the famous (or infamous) Sixth Street. Reservations a must. www.esthersfollies.com

The Oasis is a really fun spot in Austin - a huge restaurant built on a cliff overlooking the lake - great place to watch the sunset and have drinks. Sometimes they have live music.

http://oasis-austin.com/about-us-oasis/

I also really like the botanical gardens - very nice on a pretty day.

http://www.zilkergarden.org/gardens/gardens.html

I second going to Gruene. That's such a fun little town full of cute shops; you can also taste wine and get Blue Bell ice cream. The Grist Mill is a fun place to eat right on the river. Gruene is pronounced Green.

http://gristmillrestaurant.com/
http://gruenetexas.com/

Wow!! Thanks for all those great suggestions! I love the idea of stopping in the small town of Gruene! I know we will do some of the touristy things "must do's" but we like off the beaten path too! I'm pretty sure we will stay on Riverstreet in SA unless it's suggested not to. What about Austin? We will be there 2 - 3 nights. Is it best to stay downtown? Or maybe a place outside of town? Is it easy enough to get around if we are not in town.

Hi familytime26,

I stayed close to downtown in Austin and was glad that I did. I enjoyed being able to walk to Town Lake/Zilker Park/Barton Springs (very pretty), the State Capitol (the guided tour was fantastic!)and the Bullock Museum of Texas History (fascinating with well-presented displays), all of which as you might expect I would recommend to you highly... these were the highlights of my visit. I had more restaurant choices than I knew what to do with in downtown.

I think staying near the Riverwalk in San Antonio is an excellent choice. The Riverwalk is a unique gem in the USA.

Best wishes, Daniel

Barton Springs is a fantastic spot to hang out in Austin on a hot day. My favorite restaurant there is Snack Bar. To be fair, though, I've never eaten bad food in Austin!

Does anyone know anything about tubing the Guadalupe River? Is that something that might be worth doing and then staying in Gruene? Thanks!!

Yes, it's very popular. There's also a huge water park in New Braunfels called Schlitterbahn that's lots of fun. It's been there forever.

With only 5 days for both cities, I would skip tubing.

I've seen these people operating out of Gruene. You can also go out of New Braunfels.

http://www.gruenetexas.com/float.php

http://www.schlitterbahn.com/new-braunfels is a link to Shlitterbahn.

San Marcus is a good place for tubing, as the San Marcus river runs through the town and there are places to just launch on your tube ( and you can rent tubes there) and float down river and get out...

Go to tubetexas.com and search for info on tubing the San Marcus river there.

And you can tube as short a stretch as a mile in that river, so it doesnt take that long if time is an issue.

Thanks! This is what I have planned so far:

San Antonio:

Day 1 - flight arrives at 5:30 - head to Westin on Riverwalk and find a place to eat!

Day 2 - take the boat tour on the riverboat ride, explore Riverwalk, eat then maybe go to the alamo.

Day 3 - Head to Gruene and check into the Gruene Mansion Inn, explore town and have lunch / Maybe tube the short run, shower and head out to dinner. There is a music venue there... worth it??

Day 4 - Head to Austin - ???? This is where I'm stuck! Not sure where to stay or what to do..

Day 5 - Flight back home at 7pm

So far so good? Suggestions

The Gruene Hall is definitely worth it...oldest dance hall in Texas and always has someone good playing. Usually Americana music.

In Austin, stay downtown. I would pick one of the hotels on Town Lake such as the Radisson or Hyatt Regency. Definitely take a stroll around the lake, check out the shops and restaurants up and down South Congress St. Take the girls to Sixth Street. You'll hate it but they'll love it. See the Capitol Building and check out the University of Texas.

I have to say that with girls that age I would be spending most of my time in Austin and definitely not Gruene. It's a cute town but nothing really for teenagers. They are going to love Austin and you're only spending one day there.

Definitely check out the bats. It's a very Austin thing to do. I always loved eating at The Oasis when I was in college.

Hula Hut is another fun restaurant in Austin.