San Antonio, TX.

This was not our first rodeo in San Antonio. We visited the city last April at about the same time and fell in love with the city. This trip we were determined to explore another part of the city and attractions we missed the last go around. Check out our previous stay here: San Antonio

We decided to revisit the Traveler World RV Resort once again. The location is perfect for exploring the city and surrounding area. I’ve updated the review to reflect our latest visit.

There are a couple of priorities for us when we visit any city. Where do the locals eat, we love a good food find. Are there any gardens, museums or other historic points of interest we should visit. San Antonio has an endless supply it seems in each of these categories. Our first stop of the day was Brackenridge Park.

Attractions

Brackenridge Park – 3700 N St Mary’s St, San Antonio, TX 78212 is a 343-acre public park in San Antonio, Texas, USA, on the city’s Broadway Corridor just north of downtown San Antonio. It was created in 1899 from land donated to the city by George Washington Brackenridge. Brackenridge Park also refers to the district of the city where the park is located. Here you will find the Botanical Gardens, Japanese Tea Garden, Zoo, and Witte Museum. Each of these is a must see. We spent the entire day at the Gardens and went back the next to visit the Witte. If you have children, head to the Botanical Gardens, they have an entire portion of the park dedicated to them.  MAP     

Web Site Brackenridge Park

Do You Have Children

We spent much of the afternoon exploring all 38 acres of this park. If you have young children this would be a fantastic place to bring them. The Family Adventure Garden has a small creek, tiny houses, and plenty of areas to explore to keep them occupied for hours. If that isn’t enough head over to the Children’s Vegetable garden for a hands-on garden experience

You Have To Eat

Here are a couple of new finds for us during our visit this spring. Both would be on our go-to list during any visit to San Antonio.

Smoke Shack Smokehouse and Catering -3714 Broadway St, San Antonio, TX 78209 We stumbled onto this place as we made our way over to the Witte. I thought when in Texas get yourself some brisket and we did. Here is a review by Texas Monthly that says it all. MAP

Great lunch, get there early the place gets hopping with military right around noon. Jump in line order up, take a seat and your order comes to you rather quickly. They also have a great to go menu if you’re looking to take some with you.

Nicha’s Comida Mexican – 3119 Roosevelt Ave. San Antonio, TX 78214 – Southside – Traditional TexMex and delicious. Just mins away from Travelers World RV resort this is our new go-to for a quick meal near the park. The service is fantastic, the food even better. Ginny had the Spinach Enchiladas and for me Chile Relleno. Both were very good, in my mind a true test of any Mexican restaurant is their Chile Relleno’s. The beers are ice cold and Ginny tells me the Mohito’s are first rate.    MAP

Tucson, Arizona

This city deserved more than the weekend visit we gave it this April. The weather could not have been better for us. During our visit to this part of the country spring of 2018, the wind was howling, it was hot but not this time. Pleasant mid 70’s with a light breeze during the day and very cool in the evening and morning.

The draw for us was Saguaro National Park and we had heard that the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was worth a stop. Little did we know that there was so much more to discover and explore in and around this city. Mt Lemmon to the north, Mission San Xavier, Cactus Forest Drive to the east where all places we would have visited if we had more time.

As I mentioned we came into town late Friday evening and departed on Monday morning. We choose to stay close to I-10 for a quick turnaround as we made our final run toward Vegas. Sentinel Peak RV park fit the bill for that reason. I have reviewed the park and you can read all about it below or just click the link.

Attractions

Saguaro National Park – West in the Tucson Mountain Park is home to the nation’s largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. You have to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset. I would highly recommend you go in early spring. Not only is it cooler during a hike but you avoid the monsoon season that starts in mid-June. MAP

Hiking

Ginny is not an avid hiker, but she loves a good walk through the woods on a relatively easy or moderate trail. This park offers a wide variety of hikes for every skill level. Be sure to pick up a Hiking Guide at Red Hills visitor center to help with your decision. We choose the Wild Dog and Valley View on the Bajada Scenic Loop as our first hike. The views and cacti we encountered during the walk were amazing.

There is so much to explore in this park it would take days just to cover the west park, leaving you the east for another day. Plan to spend at least a day hiking the trails.

A Walk In The Desert

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum The Desert Museum is ranked on TripAdvisor.com as one of the Top 10 Museums in the country and the #1 Tucson attraction. Unlike most museums, about 85% of the experience is outdoors!

The 98 acre Desert Museum is a fusion experience: zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, natural history museum, and aquarium.

Here is what you will find, one of the world’s most comprehensive regional mineral collections, 242 animal species, plants from 1,200 taxa — 56,000 individual specimens. 21 interpreted acres with two miles of walking paths through various desert habitats.

Visiting the park on the weekend does have its downside, it is packed with tourists and locals. We would suggest you come during the week when crowds are less and you can enjoy the park at a leisurely pace. We did notice that a number of folks were parking their RV’s on site while visiting as an FYI. You will also want to visit this park during the spring or fall. I would caution you about summer visits, as they say, 85% of the experience is outdoors and it is hot. MAP

Sunday Brunch

Five Points Market and Restaurant – 756 S Stone Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701 Basically everything is right about this place. The room is attractive, comfortable and there’s plenty of room between tables. Service is efficient and unobtrusive. The food is uniformly excellent with obvious care and attention made to details. The salad I had featured a light dressing and the salmon benedict was perfectly poached. Ginny had the breakfast salad and loved every bite. The bread is high quality and the desserts looked delicious. Even the ice tea I had was excellent as is the coffee both hot or cold. MAP