What do you do when your best travel buddy, who’s a C.P.A., can’t wait to get out of town after tax season and says, “I want to use my timeshare points to go to San Antonio. Will you drive to Texas with me?” I don’t know about you, but I say, “Yes, I’d love to drive to Texas with you!”
Why San Antonio? It’s one of her timeshare locations and she’s a serious 1800s history buff so she wanted to check out The Alamo. Being a photo nerd, I wanted to document the trip. So in May, we packed the car and headed down to Texas from Colorado.
The 1st thing I loved about Texas was…
The speed limit! Wow! The speed limit on the interstate and highways was 75 mph.
Texas is a big state. Being able to go 75 mph was helpful, though a little scary at times. It was a two day drive to San Antonio, coming from the south western corner of Colorado. The Texas speed limit cut down our driving time for sure. Plus, it made it easier to take some time to explore some of the towns and sights along the way.
The 2nd thing I loved about visiting Texas was downtown San Antonio and the River Walk.
Downtown San Antonio, especially around the River Walk, is colorful, historical and there’s plenty to see and do. Our hotel was located on the River Walk and it was easier to leave the car in the parking lot and walk everywhere, the Alamo included.
I loved the River Walk.
Is it a tourist trap? Yes, but as tourist traps go, it’s a nice place to be trapped. The River Walk is lined with shops, restaurants, bars, museums, and the river itself has played a big part in the history of San Antonio.
Foot bridges cross the river so it’s easy to access the walkways that line both sides of the river as well as being picturesque. Take one of the river cruises and learn the history of the area and the engineering of the river system as you cruise.
The historic Market Square (El Mercado) is also downtown and easy to walk to. About a mile from the River Walk, the Market Square is festive and alive with music, dancing, shops, cafes, and artisans with their goods.
There were strings of colorful flags hung across the width of the square and it felt like we had arrived at a big block party celebration.
The 3rd and best thing I loved in Texas was the people.
Hands down, the people of Texas are great! Overall, they were friendly, kind, courteous, often humorous, and made us feel welcome. That was true pretty consistently everywhere we went in the State. One young man, about the age of 10, opened the door for me. When even the children are kind, I’m impressed.
Some of them love to tease or spin a tall tale. One of the River Walk guides tried his best to convince me that one of the shops there, the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, had originated right there in San Antonio. (Not true!)
He stuck to his guns in the face of two ladies from Colorado, the Rocky Mountain State, disagreeing with him. He finally had to admit he was making up his story when confronted with a tax accountant who had actually done some business with the company! Honestly, he was so sincere, for a moment he had me questioning our favorite chocolate company’s origins.
You Should Visit Texas
If you’ve never been to Texas you should go if you get the chance. There are a lot of great things to do and see. It’s a State rich in heritage, culture, cuisine, and some unique things to experience and do with your family. Best of all, the people of Texas are amazing! And that inspires me to go back for another visit someday.
How about you? What is something you love about Texas? Let me know in the comments below.
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