Grand Hyatt San Antonio Texas

So, this time while in San Antonio, we stayed at the Grand Hyatt.  I am getting used to staying at Grand Hyatts (here I mention my stay last year at the one in New York City)- they are nice.

Last year, we had a room at the OTHER Hyatt right across from the Alamo, and we liked that one a lot too.

This one had a lot going for it, and we were very lucky to have access to their Grand Club which offered a nice breakfast in the morning, snacks through the day, and bottled waters and drinks!

In the grand club, there were plenty of places to hang out and relax.  Out one window you could see the Tower of the Americas which was very nice.  They also had one of those cool self serve coffee machines where you just press a button, and your Americano comes right out!

THIS was a very nice value.  In fact, we ended up spending a good amount of time hanging out in the Grand Club, as it was roomy and comfortable.  We would go in in the mornings, and have breakfast.  We would take bottled waters with us for the road.  We would come back in the afternoon and evening for light snacks.  There were a couple of very sweet ladies in there in the mornings (Judy and Jen) who gave us some trail mix on our way out too!

There was a very nice and modern bar at the hotel too, and we had a couple of meals there.  I LOVED their brisket tacos.

Check out my photos!

San Antonio River Walk Boat Ride

We did the boat ride up and down the River Walk again....  And I am certain that we will do it again next time we go to San Antonio.

This town is so pretty along the walk, and there is so much to take in.

We did notice on Monday morning the boats weren't nearly as full as they were during the weekend, but we had a lot of fun on our boat tour, even with a bunch of strangers.

Here are some photos I took on our ride.....

Double Decker Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour San Antonio Texas

This time while we were in San Antonio, we did the City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off double decker bus tour.

Last year, we did the Alamo Trolley Tour.

I don't want to compare the two (I would rank both companies as excellent, and say that they are both good values).  The differences in the two mostly involved a couple of stops.  The Alamo Trolley Tour DOES stop at a couple of the Missions a little bit out of downtown.  That was important to us on our first visit to San Antonio.

The City Sightseeing bus does not cover the Missions but it does get you to the Pearl Brewery area.

There are a few other differences here too, but, for the most part, both companies get ya to the Alamo, Market Square, and the other main attractions.

We bought a 2 day pass with some tickets to three other attractions and it all ended up being a great deal for us.  We were happy that we got the pass and tickets.

We had a couple of great drivers/guides too, in Robert and TC.  Both had warm and friendly vibes, and we really loved both of these guys.  Robert was a bit of a prankster and you could tell that he enjoys having fun at his job.  He literally had me in tears a couple of times I was laughing so hard!

TC had the voice and enthusiasm of a radio DJ.  You know he loves the town as he told us about various places to see... his voice filled with excitement.

Buses did come by every 20 minutes or so, as advertised, and the whole processes was easy.

River Walk at Night- San Antonio Texas

Walking around the River Walk is so pleasant, especially when it is darkew photos I took while walking back to our hotel one evening.  The lights looked so nice this night.

AND...  here are a few photos of San Antonio at night from last year......

Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery- San Antonio Texas

A LOT of people said we had to make it to Mi Tierra at some point while in San Antonio. 

Well, we went on a very busy Saturday and there was a long line.  We decided to give it a try maybe Sunday morning.  Well, there was still a line Sunday morning but it moved fast.  This is a very popular place.

Mi Tierra has a very authentic Mexican feel to it.  We took a number and went through the bakery line to get some treats.  We all picked up various items and ate them outside in the fresh air of Market Square.

I honestly can't say exactly what we had, but I had something with pumpkin in it that I loved.  I tried one of my friends cinnamon items that I also enjoyed.  I had a Mexican hot chocolate too.  I am not sure of exactly what made it "Mexican" but it was very good.


There is a restaurant here too, but we did not try that.  Next time.

Market Square- San Antonio Texas

Here are just a few more photos to go along with my photos from last year of Market Square in San Antonio Texas.

The place is colorful, vibrant, playful, and very much alive.  It feels like a Mexican mall/flea market/art fair and we loved every bit of it!

San Antonio- The Saga Light Show

Several nights a week in Antonio they have 3 showings of "San Antonio- The Saga" which is a very cool light/music show with scenes from history projected onto San Fernando Cathedral.

The show was created by Xavier De Richemont.  It covers the history of San Antonio (and Texas, and the US) in a psychedelic show that is really amazing.  The images and light change and move into other images.

I love the fact that this nearly 300 year old church is used in a modern art installation about history.

Check out my photos...  Some aren't perfectly in focus put I wanted to get a good mix up on the site.....

San Fernando Cathedral- San Antonio Texas

For more on San Fernando Cathedral, see my photos and brief mention on this blog from last year.  This place is so spectacular though, we knew we had to spend some more time here again this year.

Here are a few photos from the church (and a few from the museum/gift shop right by the church).

I am not an expert on etiquette at a Catholic church, but this place seemed welcoming and pleasant.  No one seemed to mind our exploring the place and taking photos.  A man did ask us if we knew where candles were sold, and my wife told him about the gift shop.  I do like the whole candle thing, and I think its very sweet.

I do like the statues around the place too, and all of the tradition that goes along with the faith, and with an older church like this.

AND I LOVE this church's very direction connections to the famous Battle that happened in 1836.

Rosarios Mexican Restaurant in San Antonio Texas

Rosario's was recommended by everyone in San Antonio, so we stopped by.  This was the best meal we had while in town, and we really liked this place!  The service was great and quick, and we really enjoyed their salsa.

For the record, we ate at a few other Mexican places in town- they were OK, but not worth mentioning here.  One place served salsa that was comparable to hot tomato soup.


BUT, Rosario's was that one great Mexican restaurant we hoped to find while in town.  Check out my photos!