San Antonio – An Ideal Family Travel Destination

A few years ago my sisters and I were playing around with the idea of a big family trip. Most of my family is spread around the country these days and we often go years without seeing each other due to the cost of travel to multiple locations. We came up with the idea of all of us traveling to a central location for a family reunion kind of trip. We started brainstorming destinations and we discovered that San Antonio was central to most of us and that it is absolutely filled with family friendly activities and fun places to visit. If you take some time over at the Visit San Antonio site, I think you will be surprised just how much the city has to offer. Here is a list of the family-friendly places my family visited in San Antonio. We had such an amazing trip and I wish we could head to San Antonio every single year. I am in love with this city and I think you will be, too.

The Alamo – Remember the Alamo! Admission is free and history abounds! Be sure to take your time as you go through all of the buildings and show your kiddos the history of it all.

Sea World San Antonio – This Sea World has quite a few rides, including the Journey to Atlantis pictured below. This is the largest of the Seaworld parks, although they seem to have fewer of my favorite animals than the Sea World park in San Diego. It is a great family destination because of the large amount of activities and rides that range from kiddie rides to heart stopping roller coasters. The shows are fun and exciting, the scenery is beautiful, and the layout is easily navigated. If you go, I recommend purchasing the meal plan.

Six Flags Fiesta – This was my first Six Flags experience and I really loved it. This location includes a water park with your admission ticket. The newest ride, Batman the Ride, was too scary for me but many of my family members loved it. This park is the perfect size for a day of play and we lucked out and got a cloudy day to explore it. You will love it!

San Antonio Missions – We could not squeeze this into the family activities, even though I really wanted to. I did, however, get to see it when we took a wrong turn. Even from the road it is beautiful. This is a national historical park with free admission. (Photo from San Antonio Missions site).

The Riverwalk – Hands down,this is my favorite place in San Antonio. I grew up seeing this beautiful place in movies and on TV shows and from the moment I first saw it in Cloak and Dagger, I knew I had to go. This beautiful area is surrounded by fun stores, restaurants, ducks, vendors, musicians, and so much more. Plan to spend a day here and relax and take in the local culture. While there, you simply must take the River Tour.

Tower of the Americas – I was not sure what to expect at the Tower of the Americas, but I am so glad we went. The tower stands at 750 feet and you can ride an elevator most of the way up to the Six Flags Over Texas Observation Deck, where you will get a breathtaking view of San Antonio. While up on the observation deck, be sure to read the history of the six flags that have flown over Texas (history lesson time kids!). I also highly recommend that you buy the ticket that includes the 4D theater ride. That was too much fun!

Ripley’s Believe it or Not! – Ripley’s is located across the street from the Alamo, which you can see just over Captain America’s shoulder in the picture below. Ripley’s includes a few different attractions and we bought tickets for all three (which is a pretty good deal). The three attractions are the Odditorium, Louis Tussaud’s WaxWorks, and the 4D Moving Theater. I was not sure what to expect, especially from the wax museum, but I was pleasantly surprised. The attractions are far bigger than I expected. At first it seemed like both the Odditorium and wax museum were small, but they just kept going and getting better. We had so much fun here.

Phil Hardberger Park – We took a day to relax and chill with the family and Phil Hardberger park fit into that plan nicely. This is one massive park with two sides, so if you meet somewhere there be specific. The 311 acre park has two play areas, miles of trails, a dog park, and lots of wildlife. We saw deer while we were there and lots of beautiful birds, too.

There is so much more to do in San Antonio than what I have listed here. There is the Schlitterbahn water park, botanical gardens, a zoo, parks, and many natural wonders as well. Be sure to put San Antonio on your family’s vacation destination list.