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Eat, Drink & Be Merry
Over fifty restaurants, bistros, cafes, clubs, bars -- most with quaint outdoor patios -- line the River Walk as it meanders its way through downtown San Antonio. There is everything from stellar Tex Mex to haute cuisine and locally-owned spots as well as popular international names like the Hard Rock Cafe. Find the right spot to eat.
Land & Art Scapes
Few visitors venture beyond the downtown River Walk but it's well worth it. Explore the Museum Reach, north of downtown, and watch for the twelve art installations on the river banks. Stop along the way at the San Antonio Museum of Art and the Southwest School of Art, then the boat ride ends at the 125-year-old Pearl Brewery complex, now home to restaurants, an outdoor amphitheater, a Saturday farmers market, eclectic shops and the Culinary Institute of America -- San Antonio. If you go south from downtown, the south fork of the river meanders through the stately King William Historic District all the way to the Blue Star arts complex, an eclectic enclave of creative souls, unusual shops and galleries, public art scattered about, and a brew pub.
Sunset Cruise
Lots of folks take a tour of the River Walk aboard a river cruiser, but few know that you can take a sunset taxi ride from downtown, along the Museum Reach, to the Pearl Brewery. Only in the dark will you be able to appreciate the full impact of the art installations that line the banks, all of which use light in creative ways. They were created by some of the most interesting names in the art world. Museums, schools, residences and commercial buildings often are lit in startling and unusual ways.
Secret Places To Shop
Don't leave without a pink cowboy hat of course -- pick one up at any of the River Walk curio shops. Less obvious but also right on the River Walk: La Villita Historic Arts Village; The Pearl Brewery, San Antonio Museum of Art Store and Southwest School of Art Gallery Shop. For major mall goers, the Rivercenter Mall -- with over 60 stores --- hugs the banks of the River Walk lagoon.
Run, Walk, Hike, Bring Your Dog
The River Walk is a long linear park, beautifully landscaped, with great sidewalks. The less congested places are perfect for serious exercising or romantic strolls. The River Walk is eight miles long. In a few years, it will be a 15-mile masterpiece that weaves the city's past and future together, starting north of the city at Brackenridge Park (San Antonio's Central Park) and traveling south all the way to the four Spanish colonial missions south of downtown.
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And Three More Things To Do
Onboard History Lessons
Learn about San Antonio's rich history aboard a San Antonio river cruiser. The boat captains take great pride in their knowledge of the city and its past, so it's a sublime way to learn more about San Antonio and its famous River Walk. Find boarding points and get tickets.
Texas' Only Lock & Dam System
As the river winds north from downtown along the Museum Reach, a lock and dam system, the only one in Texas, overcomes a 9-ft. rise in elevation. Take a river taxi and navigate right through the lock and dam or watch from a bridge overhead.
People Watching
The River Walk commercial district in downtown San Antonio teems with people from every corner of the globe. Most of the restaurants have outdoor patios which are great vantage points from which to watch passersby, but there are dozens and dozens of pocket parks and welcoming benches -- this is a public park, after all.
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