Our 2023 began with a stay in Nacogdoches, TX, which allowed us access to Dallas and Houston, several times. We enjoyed that month so very much! We knew we would have to return to Texas at some point. Thus, we started off 2024 by remembering the Alamo and the best barbecue Ever! That’s right – two weeks in San Antonio and Austin proved a great start to our adventures this year!
Foooooood
I considered starting with the different things we saw and did, such as the San Antonio Missions or the River Walk. Let’s be honest though – what motivates my love of travel more than food? I’ll wait…yeah, I don’t know either. Might as well start with the best!
Best Barbecue Ever!
As highlighted in these posts here and here, we absolutely adore Terry Black’s Barbecue! Last year, I happened to choose it from a list I found of The Best Barbecue in Dallas/Fort Worth. Its original and second locations are actually found in Austin. Therefore, we had to get to Austin as quickly as possible, almost immediately after settling into our AirBnb. Terry Black’s 100% still holds up and reigns supreme in our eyes as to the best barbecue to be found, anywhere. We even returned to Terry Black’s a second time in two weeks to indulge in our favorite, just one more time.
I also spent roughly 45 minutes in a 2+ hour long line to attempt to try Franklin Barbecue. While this may be one of Austin’s most famous bbq joints (subtly featured in the movie Chef, btw), we just ran out of time to determine if it is actually worth it. (For the record, Frank believes it’s not, for reasons; I think I still want to try it someday.) Instead, we stopped at a Colombian food truck called Sabor Colombia and had some of the best Colombian food. So, we won either way.
Tacos
Naturally, in Texas, we had to try some tacos, and try them, we did! We wandered over to a local place once, that I can’t remember, and the tacos were not very good. Later, we ordered delivery from Velvet Taco, a chain with an unappetizing name and remarkably scrumptious tacos called “Puffy Tacos.” Definitely recommend those! The ultimate highlight of the taco world, however, was found at Naco Mexican Food Truck.
Have you ever heard of Breakfast Tacos? People urged us, repeatedly, to not miss breakfast tacos, and thank God that we listened. It might sound strange or not that special, but bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast tacos rocked our world! Perhaps it was because the cheese was melted into the tortilla? I still don’t know for sure. I also added a little verde sauce to mine, and tried one of the other types (chorizo or brisket, I believe). Frank and I still daydream about the bacon, egg, and cheese tacos though. I don’t have enough words to adequately explain their supremacy!
San Antonio River Walk
A relatively short distance from our AirBnb, we made our way to the famed San Antonio River Walk. Known as the #1 thing to do in San Antonio, I wondered at the possibility of overhype. Might it not be as special as people made it sound? Thankfully, it delivered, and then some! After finding parking, we took an elevator down to the river. It was enchanting! The San Antonio River Walk spans 15 miles in total and goes through the heart of downtown. We found this beautiful spot with colorful umbrellas and started walking. With stone bridges, plentiful trees, restaurants, and shops, and even a narrated boat tour, there is something for everyone! One of my personal favorite finds, however, was this gorgeous mural. Our sweet girl got to be a butterfly for a few minutes!
We visited the River Walk several times, as it was simply a lovely walk and easy thing to do after work. There are still many, many miles of the River Walk we never experienced; naturally, someday we will have to go back.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
Remember the Alamo!
We spent a full Saturday making our way across San Antonio and finding all of the Missions. There are five in total: Misión de San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo), Misión Nuestra Señora de la Purísma Concepción de Acuña (Mission Concepción), Misión San José y San Miguel de Aguayo (Mission San José), Misión San Juan Capistrano, and Misión San Francisco de la Espada. Each had their own beauty, their own history, and things that made them unique. The Alamo is, of course, historic in its own right, and it was fascinating exploring the church where the battle occurred. Yet, Missions Concepción and San José in particular really blew us away. Each was remarkably well preserved and/or restored. The kids had had enough after the third church, but we all held on until we achieved our goals for the day.
From the UNESCO World Heritage Centre: “The San Antonio Missions are also an example of the interweaving of Spanish and Coahuiltecan cultures, illustrated by a variety of features, including the decorative elements of churches, which combine Catholic symbols with indigenous designs inspired by nature.” This was very apparent at each of the various missions. In addition, the layouts of the missions and how they affected, altered, and in some cases improved life for the indigenous peoples in the area greatly intrigued me. The advancements in agriculture and water distribution alone dramatically changed many, many lives.
San Antonio and Austin both contain many more beautiful Catholic churches in a variety of architectural styles. I had a lovely time exploring several of them, sometimes with one of the kids. I shared highlights from them on our second Instagram, nomadcatholicfamily, along with many other gorgeous churches over the years.
World’s Largest Cowboy Boots
That’s it. Just a quirky roadside attraction found at the North Star Mall. We sought them out around sunset and enjoyed the novelty!
Final Thoughts
We only spent two weeks in the San Antonio/Austin area. I know there are many, many local gems we missed; nonetheless, I am beyond grateful. We Loved the majority of the food we tried; the River Walk truly is as captivating as we hoped; and exploring the Missions felt like an adventure in time-traveling. I do hope to revisit Austin in particular at some point, as we only barely scratched the surface of the Texas capital. Also, a repeat trip to San Antonio for a history lesson’s sake may benefit the children when they are older. I would not be surprised to find us back in the San Antonio/Austin area sooner or later!
There is still much to catch up on, so I shall wrap this up here. Next up – more Texas! Stay tuned for the tales of our unexpected most favoritest city in Texas: El Paso!
