The Scoop on San Antonio

I promised I'd blog more on San Antonio, since a bunch of moms have expressed curiousity about it as a family travel destination, so here goes.

Let me start by saying I would highly recommend it.

From what I hear, places like Orlando get super crowded, especially during school breaks. Many don't realize that San Antonio also has a lot of offerings for kids as well.

If you have a busy boy, like I do, you'll be all the busier. Looking back on our trip, we did so much, it's hard to believe....and we were only there five full days.

Here's a quick breakdown....

(2) boat rides on the River Walk
Trolley rides around town.
Horse 'n buggy ride at night, with the carriage all lit up..so festive.
Lunch at the top of Tower of the Americas....great view.
Lunch at Rainforest Cafe....cool place. Could never get in in NY, so this was fun. Though, my son got scared during the simulated tropical rain storm.
Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe....my son is a little rocker, so he had a blast watching the videos and checking out the celebrity guitars on display. Good appetizers!
A visit to the Witte Museum -- great place! Wish they had one in NY. Cool outside treehouse for kids and loads of indoor science-related things to explore, including a weather center. Outstanding mechanical dinosaur exhibit!
Visit to the local firehouse....Seth can never get enough of this. I think my next book will be a family guide to firehouses in the U.S. (just kidding...but we do visit one wherever we go.)
Seth rode a mechanical bull (for kids) at a streetfair, and rode a real horse.
Visit to the San Antonio Children's Museum -- also great! Could spend hours...let's make that days.
The Botanic Gardens -- had a Diego/Dora Exhibit. Didn't love this, but Seth had fun.
Fiesta Texas (Six Flags)- was open at night this time of year, and gorgeous with spectacular holiday lights! Pricey, but Seth enjoyed the rides. The water park end was closed now.
Trip to Sea World -- yes there is a Shamu show! (How many Shamus are there anyway??)
Trip to the oldest amusement Kiddie Park in America (80 years....and it kinda looked it...but very nostaligic!)

And there's more we didn't do.....such as the San Antonio Zoo....water parks....African Safari park....etc.

.......Not to mention just walking the streets....shopping....etc. It's a haven for Mexican imports, if that's your style.

You might want to consider it as a future vacation spot. Where have you vacationed with your kids and enjoyed? Would love to hear.

Real R&R

We returned Monday from vacation in San Antonio. How great...and exhausting it was to get away.

I really needed a break from home, but travel with a four year old isn't the easiest. We wound up changing hotels after the first night, since the bed was too hard for me. We had gotten a room with two Queens, and Marc was sleeping with Seth. That proved to be a challenge since Seth enjoyed kicking and rolling all over him. So, we switched from the Sheraton to the Hyatt, where we got a King and a rollaway bed for Seth. This was a better choice.

But, life (six nights) in a smallish hotel room with a busy boy is far from R&R. Not to mention that it was lights out most nights by 9PM, on the early side for me...a natural night owl.

Seth was so hyped up the first couple of days due to the excitement of being away that even getting him to sleep took considerable energy.

I need some real R&R. It got me thinking back to my single days when you could go on a trip and your time was your own. Now it mostly revolves around making sure Seth is entertained on some level.

On one hand, it was cozy and a nice bonding experience as a family....and I do miss having that undistracted time away.

I'll Blog more about San Antonio and the trip itself later in the week, as I do think it's a cool place for families to visit...and a nice alternative to Orlando.