Romantic San Antonio

Jon and I dropped the kids off at my parents' house last weekend, and escaped to romantic San Antonio! We spent the weekend feeling as if we had wondered off into another world- an older one with touches of Mexico in it. It was fabulous!

We spent our first night there exploring the famed River Walk, miles of walkways curving along the river beneath the streets of downtown San Antonio.

There are restaurants and shops lining the river. We ate Mexican on our first night; my enchiladas were the best I've ever had, and Jon really enjoyed his fajitas. During our meal, we enjoyed the sounds of live mariachi music.

I made Jon pose next to this "grotto" (as the sign said)

One of the most unexpected pleasures of this trip was us happening upon the "Fiesta Noche Riviera." It was a live music and dance show, on a stage on the river. They performed various dances from Spain, Argentina, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Texas.

Jon and I both really enjoyed watching the Flamenco and the Tango!

As the show came to an end, Mariachi was performed across the bridge.

Me posing between a couple of the dancers. They were amazing. (It's too bad it came out blurry)

The next day, we walked across downtown and saw some beautiful architecture and history. Below is a sculpture of San Antonio's namesake, San (Saint) Antonio De Padua.

Then we ran into this awe-inspiring cathedral. Isn't it gorgeous? The inside was filled with stained glass windows, archways, and ornate art.

Also located inside are the remains of the men who died defending the Alamo, according to the plaque in the below picture.

I told Jon we need a front door like this one-

And speaking of the Alamo, this is part of the courtyard leading up to it. Beautiful, no? (No picture of the front of the Alamo this time around, because I took one a few years ago, kind of kicking myself now)

Jon and I in the Alamo's courtyard. It truly felt as if we'd been transported back in time here. You can feel the history and sacred atmosphere of the grounds here.

We also made a bit of a hike to Market Square- a Mexican themed area filled with shops, restaurants, and a museum. While there, we window-shopped and admired Mexican pottery while grooving to live music. We bought a few souvenirs too.

This sculpture was right outside our hotel and is called "The Torch of Friendship," supposedly welcoming all to San Antonio.

On our second night we splurged and ate at Fogo De Chao, a scrumptious Brazilian steakhouse. They brought countless cuts of meat to our table to choose from, plus- mashed potatoes, fried bananas, and an endless salad bar. I WAS stuffed.

Aren't we the handsome couple? As a bonus for choosing to eat there on Father's Day weekend, they gave us a gift card for a free meal there anytime this summer! Score.

This is the view from our 17th floor balcony. Plenty to see. Truthfully, the balcony was only about 4 feet deep, so I didn't spend too much time out there. Jon thought I was silly.

A view of the river, lined with river tour boats, from our balcony. Also, while at our hotel, we spent part of the afternoon at the pool, which was scenically located outdoors on the 5th floor deck. We had a fun game of "hit the beach ball around the pool" with some fellow poolgoers.

And sadly, the day for our departure back to reality reared its head. But, to comfort ourselves we stopped by the San Marcus outlets on our way home to walk and shop. It just may be the largest outlet mall I've ever seen. And I happened upon this enticing bag which I snagged at 70% off for a steal! (That may have secretly been my favorite part of the trip- don't tell Jon)

Jon and I loved every minute of our trip. We played games like 20 questions and actually talked to each other, during our 4-5 hour car ride (a luxury not typical when little boys are in the backseat). We loved our hotel room, the River Walk, the restaurants, shopping, sightseeing, and in general, just the relaxed feel of the weekend. After asking Jon what his favorite part was, his answer summed it up well as he said "It was all my favorite part!" I couldn't agree more.