WINTER/SPRING 2020 DREAMSCAPES
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chorizo on a slab of toasted birote bread.
Pick up a few almond-tequila croissants
or strawberry empanadas to go. Esquire
Tavern is a local favourite with a new
patio on the River Walk. The gastropub
claims to have the longest wooden bar
top in Texas. Mi Tierra, a landmark Mex-
ican café-bakery situated at the Historic
Market Square, serves traditional Tex-Mex
and handmade margaritas 24/7. Waiters
in traditional dress, mariachi performers,
a huge mural depicting Latino celebrities
and a shrine to the late Tejano singer
Selena create a unique ambiance. See
lapanaderia.com, esquiretavern-sa.com
and mitierracafe.com.
• For a deeper dive into the culinary scene,
join "Food Chick" Julia Celeste for a small
group or personalized tour. Options range
from Tex-Mex to Anything But Tex-Mex to
a Southtown Brunch Stroll and more. See
foodchicktours.com.
• Even the San Antonio Botanical Garden
is food focused. It has a children's veg-
etable garden, a culinary garden and an
outdoor teaching kitchen. Fun foodie
events include Vinyasa and Vino (yoga
and wine tasting) and Date Night
cooking classes such as the Honeybunch
Brunch. See sabot.org.
MISSION POSSIBLE
Thanks to films and television, no visitor to
San Antonio is likely to forget the Alamo.
With some 3 million visitors per year, the
site of the famous 1836 Battle of the Alamo
is a top attraction. While the Alamo is cer-
tainly worth visiting, it's only part of the
larger San Antonio story.
In all, five Spanish colonial missions—
Mission San Antonio de Valero (a.k.a. the
Alamo), Mission Concepción, Mission San
José, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Mission
San Francisco de la Espada—dot the banks
of the San Antonio River. Together they
form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Established by Franciscan missionaries
in the early 1700s, these frontier fortresses
are lasting remnants of Spain's efforts to
settle and defend New Spain. They also
represent the first examples of cultural
mingling between Spanish and Indige-
nous cultures.
Today, except for the Alamo, Catholic
masses are still held regularly at the mis-
sions. The Mission Reach connects them,
allowing visitors to hike, bike or even kayak
from mission to mission. Entry is free and
tours are available. See thealamo.org and
sara-tx.org.
DS
TRAVEL PLANNER
For more information on visiting San Antonio, go to visitsanantonio.com.
Located on the River Walk steps from many attractions, the all-suite Hotel Contessa has a restau-
rant, an outdoor patio, a rooftop swimming pool and a spa. See thehotelcontessa.com.
