Taking a trip to San Antonio Suggestions?

GolfingDuo said:
I know I will enjoy it. The wife will go I am sure. We are taking MIL so she will have to tag along as well. I will look it up.
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On second thought, the big Golfsmith I was thinking of is basically in Austin (further from SA than I remembered). There's a Golfsmith in SA, but it's just an ordinary golf store...
 
JakeBrake said:
Don't forget SAS Shoes (San Antonio Shoes) These are my favorite shoes. I don't think SAS makes cowboy boots which are my first preference.

Paris Hatters specializes in custom fitted cowboy hats. Authentic cowboy hats (felt) are stiff and heavy. If the hat is not fitted properly, it is very uncomfortable and will not stay on your head.
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And there is nothing better than an Authentic Cowboy/girl hat. It will be the one thing we will splurge on while there. Eat out. Visit Sea World. See Hill Country Retreat. Golf? Maybe (crossed fingers yes). Walk the River walk and one or two more special things. Mainly it is to drive around and put miles on a rental. I dont mind doing that.
 
Here's where I'd go (and yes it's a long list). Many of these would be great retirement options if you don't need a retirement community (like Del Webb). Personally, I'd live in the Hill Country and travel into SA, when I needed. Obviously that's a personal choice

Austin - 6th Street etc. if you want 'bigger' city nightlife/music.
New Braunfels - Nice German town.
Fredericksburg & Enchanted Rock. Wonderful, but expensive town. Wish we had my grandmother's house to sell all over again.
LBJ Ranch - I don't care what your politics are, I found the tour to be quite interesting.
Wimberley - Another nice small town. I know a few retirees here.
Kerrville - A bit bigger town, but again nice. More shopping etc. than the smaller towns.
Comfort - Closer to SA, nice place.
Boerne - Cowboy capital of Texas or something like that. Again - closer to SA.

Wineries throughout the region, if that's your thing.

I'd do a two day road trip out of SA. Boerne, Comfort, then spend the night in Fredericksburg or Kerrville. Then LBJ Ranch, Wimberley, maybe Austin and back to SA.

I'd stay off of Interstate 35 between Dallas and San Antonio. It's just awful with congestion. A side road that takes longer is easier on the nerves.

Enjoy - Wish I was going.
 
REWahoo said:
Sorry, we're full up - no vacancies.
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Wow and I even took a shower :LOL:



lark_L said:
Here's where I'd go (and yes it's a long list). Many of these would be great retirement options if you don't need a retirement community (like Del Webb). Personally, I'd live in the Hill Country and travel into SA, when I needed. Obviously that's a personal choice

Austin - 6th Street etc. if you want 'bigger' city nightlife/music.
New Braunfels - Nice German town.
Fredericksburg & Enchanted Rock. Wonderful, but expensive town. Wish we had my grandmother's house to sell all over again.
LBJ Ranch - I don't care what your politics are, I found the tour to be quite interesting.
Wimberley - Another nice small town. I know a few retirees here.
Kerrville - A bit bigger town, but again nice. More shopping etc. than the smaller towns.
Comfort - Closer to SA, nice place.
Boerne - Cowboy capital of Texas or something like that. Again - closer to SA.

Wineries throughout the region, if that's your thing.

I'd do a two day road trip out of SA. Boerne, Comfort, then spend the night in Fredericksburg or Kerrville. Then LBJ Ranch, Wimberley, maybe Austin and back to SA.

I'd stay off of Interstate 35 between Dallas and San Antonio. It's just awful with congestion. A side road that takes longer is easier on the nerves.

Enjoy - Wish I was going.
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Let's start with the night life. Not interested so that will probably be out. Plus taking MIL (mother-in-law).

New Braunfels - maybe but we are focusing this trip to San Antonio and scoping out roads and neighborhoods. Probably more site seeing than anything else. When we get closer and put more energy into making TX as our new home we will go with a longer horizon to visiting and home searching. Unlike some here that think I have actually fully made up my mind on TX they should think again. I haven't.

LBJ Ranch - Is that up in Stonewall? I mapped it on Google and it tells me it is about 45 miles north of metro SA. Maybe along with a winery trip? You are right. I am not one party or the other. I will not register for either party since I hate both. Now back to LBJ I grew up with him as POTUS. It is historical. If it don't work out I know that this will not be my only trip to SA.

Wineries - Any near that ranch? Good ones that I should not miss?

I35 probably will not be on my list since I will probably stay in the SA area and north. As for the Del Webb community. We are not staying there. We will take a day pass to check it out. It sounds like a great place and it may turn out to be where we relocate to but again nothing is in stone.

Wimberly, Kerrville, Comfort and Boerne we may drive through if they are in our path.

Here is what my plan certainly will entail. I will fly into SAT and rent a nice car. Room for three and drive to the Hotel. Probably outside of SA proper and away from the downtown parking mess. One of the days will be to drive into town for Alamo and River Walk and probably that will be the day we go to Hatters. Sea World and Hill Country will probably one day. Do I dare a day at golf or do a trip to Golfsmith as Midpack suggests? That is possible so that leaves a day or two maybe. So the LBJ ranch and the wineries.

So anythoughts?
 
lark_L said:
Boerne - Cowboy capital of Texas or something like that. Again - closer to SA.
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Good list, Lark, but I believe Bandera - just a few short miles west of Boerne - is the Cowboy Capital of the World.

State Highway 16 between Medina and Kerrville is my favorite drive in the Hill Country. It's just a bit far out from San Antonio to recommend to the OP, however.

Strongly consider a straw cowboy hat over felt. The felt hats seal things up pretty tight and just aren't very comfortable much of the year in central Texas.
 
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Htown Harry said:
State Highway 16 between Medina and Kerrville is my favorite drive in the Hill Country. It's just a bit far out from San Antonio to recommend to the OP, however.
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Uh, just don't take your big rig that way! :eek:
 
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Htown Harry said:
Good list, Lark, but I believe Bandera - just a few short miles west of Boerne - is the Cowboy Capital of the World.

State Highway 16 between Medina and Kerrville is my favorite drive in the Hill Country. It's just a bit far out from San Antonio to recommend to the OP, however.

Strongly consider a straw cowboy hat over felt. The felt hats seal things up pretty tight and just aren't very comfortable much of the year in central Texas.
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Yeah the straw hat may be more practical but you need to remember there is casual cowboy and formal cowboy. I will probably look at formal since we are a few years away from full move and well we are not sure either if TX is our final retirement location.


audreyh1 said:
Uh, just don't take your big rig that way! :eek:
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So I take it that audrey here is a trucker. Well have no fear, I will probably only be driving a nice 4 door sedan with luxury written all over it. Hell if we're gonna tour San Antonio I plan on doing it in style not some Toyota Corolla or Mazda 3. If I am outside of the downtown for the hotel that should save me money on parking.

You guys probably already have guessed that I like to plan. I like to take time to consider. I settle pretty quickly on decisions but I believe much of them are reasoned out thoughtfully. I have a feeling that it is my army training that is responsible for that.
 
GolfingDuo said:
So I take it that audrey here is a trucker. Well have no fear, I will probably only be driving a nice 4 door sedan with luxury written all over it. Hell if we're gonna tour San Antonio I plan on doing it in style not some Toyota Corolla or Mazda 3. If I am outside of the downtown for the hotel that should save me money on parking.
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Not quite, LOL! Class A diesel pusher (motorhome). Best not to take any RV on that stretch of highway 16 unless it's quite small, and hope that no one else does either.
 
Htown Harry said:
....

Strongly consider a straw cowboy hat over felt. The felt hats seal things up pretty tight and just aren't very comfortable much of the year in central Texas.
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Our Texan cousin told DH that straw hats are for the summer and felt ones for the winter (and that DH should not wear either one in Texas ha ha).
 
Bestwifeever said:
Our Texan cousin told DH that straw hats are for the summer and felt ones for the winter (and that DH should not wear either one in Texas ha ha).
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I rarely see anyone other than some Texas LEOs (sheriff, hwy patrol, TX Ranger) wearing a cowboy hat here. I saw Tommy Lee Jones shopping at Lowe's a while back and he didn't have one on... :)
 
If you consider our conversation an argument, you may have a real challenge adjusting to the culture down here in Northern Mexico... :)
 
REWahoo said:
I rarely see anyone other than some Texas LEOs (sheriff, hwy patrol, TX Ranger) wearing a cowboy hat here. I saw Tommy Lee Jones shopping at Lowe's a while back and he didn't have one on... :)
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Cowboy hats and huge pickup trucks everywhere down here in way south Texas, whether you speak English or Spanish.
 
audreyh1 said:
Cowboy hats and huge pickup trucks everywhere down here in way south Texas, whether you speak English or Spanish.
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+1 for DFW, though the ones in Fort Worth may actually be cowboys. Dallas, not so much...
 
"I see by your outfit that you are a cowboy."
img_1288758_0_b84e8c8390ecfc53c990d3cf38b6c6e8.jpg
 
If you want to do LBJ and a winery tour, I'd hit the ranch (between Stonewall and Johnson City). Then on toward Fredericksburg area for wineries. There's quite a few in the Stonewall, Johnson City, Fredereicksburg area. I haven't been to most of them, so I can't make a recommendation. The climate is nice for grapes (hot and dry with rocky soil).

Directions - Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park

Fredericksburg, Texas - Wineries Find Wineries in Fredericksburg, Texas

Fredericksburg Winery ..Since 1978

As for some of the other comments (ie - no vacancies), I ABSOLUTELY understand. Austin will never be the same as it was in the late 70s when I lived there. Fredericksburg was dead, dead, dead when I was growing up. I guess you take the good with the bad, like the rest of life.
 
lark_L said:
If you want to do LBJ and a winery tour, I'd hit the ranch (between Stonewall and Johnson City). Then on toward Fredericksburg area for wineries. There's quite a few in the Stonewall, Johnson City, Fredereicksburg area. I haven't been to most of them, so I can't make a recommendation. The climate is nice for grapes (hot and dry with rocky soil).

Directions - Lyndon B Johnson National Historical Park

Fredericksburg, Texas - Wineries Find Wineries in Fredericksburg, Texas

Fredericksburg Winery ..Since 1978

As for some of the other comments (ie - no vacancies), I ABSOLUTELY understand. Austin will never be the same as it was in the late 70s when I lived there. Fredericksburg was dead, dead, dead when I was growing up. I guess you take the good with the bad, like the rest of life.
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Awesome information. I will certainly not miss LBJ and the winery road. I told the wife it will be a fairly early start in the morning so we can spend time at the ranch and at one winery then drive back through the countryside. I am sure we will have a great trip all thanks to everyone here.
 
San Antonio

Ok, I live in new braunfels. Took a job 7 yrs ago in San Antonio but chose new braunfels to live as it has much more of a small city feel, has the 2 rivers and gruene Texas, and schlitterbahn and WURSTFEST!!!!! Halfway between San Antonio and Austin, but we rarely go to either as there is plenty to do here and traffic in both cities is awful. NB Has a small city golf course. You may also want to look at cibolo canyons with the new Marriott and TPC. Just went to parade of homes yesterday in CC, huge homes 4-5000 sq ft under 800,000 if you are interested in that price range .
My little neighborhood has garden homes, right by the new HEB, lovely houses 215-400,000. There is a good YMCA in town plenty of bars and restaurants
I just love it here.

No state income tax, our property tax runs about 4500 annual. Let me know when you come in and we can go toobing!
 
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Throwdownmyaceinthehole said:
Ok, I live in new braunfels. Took a job 7 yrs ago in San Antonio but chose new braunfels to live as it has much more of a small city feel, has the 2 rivers and gruene Texas, and schlitterbahn and WURSTFEST!!!!! Halfway between San Antonio and Austin, but we rarely go to either as there is plenty to do here and traffic in both cities is awful. NB Has a small city golf course. You may also want to look at cibolo canyons with the new Marriott and TPC. Just went to parade of homes yesterday in CC, huge homes 4-5000 sq ft under 800,000 if you are interested in that price range .
My little neighborhood has garden homes, right by the new HEB, lovely houses 215-400,000. There is a good YMCA in town plenty of bars and restaurants
I just love it here.
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You ever given any thought to the fact posts like yours ends up making traffic even worse - even on Walnut Ave?
 
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