Do you remember how much fun it was to go see Christmas light displays when you were a kid?

For most of us, nothing has changed. It is still a thrill to go see the millions of twinkling lights and the wondrous world they create.

If you will be in Texas this holiday season, here are ten spectacular Christmas light displays to go see…

Christmas Light Displays in Texas

1. Nature In Lights – Fort Hood

Along the shores of Belton Lake, near Fort Hood, is the Belton Lake Outdoor Recreation Area. The locals call it BLORA.

They host the annual Nature In Lights holiday lights display.

A cool thing about Nature in Lights is that visitors drive through the lights display. It stretches over 5½ miles and has more than 120 displays.

Along the way, you can stop by Santa’s Village where you can buy homemade cookies and hot chocolate.

Prices are very reasonable, ranging from $8 per car or mini-van to $60 for a big bus.

2. Trail Of Lights – Zilker Park, Austin

The Austin Trail of Lights is located in Zilker Park. It is probably one of the best Christmas light displays in Texas!

There are more than 50 light displays to enjoy. Many food vendors along the way will ensure that you don’t get hungry or thirsty.

If you’re planning to drive there, you have to buy your parking ticket before the time. A good option might be to park at the Burger Center or Republic Square Park, and then take a shuttle to Zilker Park.

While it may be a little tougher to get there, the Trail of Lights is spectacular and well worth a visit.

3. Prairie Lights – Grand Prairie (Dallas Area)

Prairie Lights is another “drive-thru” Christmas lights display in Texas. It is located in Grand Prairie, between Dallas and Arlington.

Prairie Lights has about 4 million lights set in various displays along a 2-mile path. It takes about 45 minutes to drive through.

Holiday Village is about halfway through the drive. Here you can get out of your car to buy some concessions, like hot chocolate, apple cider, funnel cakes, and more. The Holiday Village also has an indoor laser show and a walk-thru forest (for an extra fee).

Prairie Lights is in Lynn Creek Park at 5610 Lake Ridge Pkwy.

4. Zoo Lights – Houston Zoo

The Zoo Lights at the Houston Zoo has a great holiday lights display.

There are more than 2 million lights in multiple displays along the way. They have holiday music playing as well.

For those who need a little warmth in the tummy, there is hot chocolate available too.

The Zoo closes at 5 p.m. for regular visitors and then re-opens at 6 p.m. for Zoo Lights visitors.

Parking can be an issue at times. If that is the case when you go at 6 p.m., grab some dinner first and return at 8 p.m. after the first wave of visitors has left.

5. The Riverwalk – San Antonio

Whether it’s Christmas or not, the San Antonio Riverwalk is a special place.

But when it is Christmas, the Riverwalk is even more special!

The entire Riverwalk gets covered in millions of colorful lights that turn the place into a magic wonderland.

If you’ve never been to the Riverwalk over Christmas, don’t miss out on the opportunity when it comes up. You’ll love it!

6. Walkway Of Lights – Marble Falls

The Walkway of Lights is a very nice Christmas light display in the Texas Hill Country.

It is located in Marble Falls, along the shores of Lake Marble Falls.

The Walk of Lights boasts more than a million lights on 230 displays. It takes about 30 minutes to walk through. There is a concession along the way where you can buy hot chocolate, apple cider, and cookies.

The Walkway of Lights is free, although they give you the opportunity to make a donation at the entry or exit.

If you’ll be in the Marble Falls area this holiday season, go see it. We’ve been there a few times and love it.

7. Santa’s Wonderland – College Station

Santa’s Wonderland in College Station is a treat!

It consists of two parts. The first is Santa’s Town, a Christmas village that has food, music, shopping, and other activities, like a petting zoo and pony rides. The second part is the Trail of Lights.

There are two ways to see the Trail of Lights. The first is Santa’s Hayride Tour, which is a 50-person hay ride that takes you through the trail of lights. The second option is the VIP Horse & Carriage tour (make reservations for this tour).

Santa’s Wonderland offers a lot. Go see it if you can.

8. Santa Land – Tyler

Santa Land is near Tyler in East Texas. It is the original drive-thru Christmas lights display in Texas.

Santa Land boasts more than 2 million lights, with many light displays in an area of more than 20 acres.

They have a large gift shop where you can buy many Christmas creations and hot chocolate and apple cider.

You can also have pictures taken with Santa.

9. Concho Christmas Celebration – San Angelo

The Tour of Lights is part of the Concho Christmas Celebration in San Angelo.

It is also a drive-thru Christmas lights display.

The Tour of Lights features more than 3 million lights in various displays over 2½ miles along the Concho river.

There is no entry fee, but they suggest a donation of $5 per vehicle.

10. Rock ‘N Lights – Round Rock

The final Christmas lights display in our round-up is Rock ‘N Lights Holiday Light Tour.

It is a fairly new drive-thru holiday lights display in Old Settlers Park in Round Rock.

Rock ‘N Lights has more than 2 million lights in several displays along a 1½-mile path in the park.

The organisers recommend entering the park at the north entrance along Old Settlers Blvd.

After traveling through the lights display, you can stop at Christmas Towne, which has carnival rides, go-kart rides, food, and more.

There is no way that these are the only awesome Christmas light displays in Texas. If you know of any others, please share them in the comments.

There are many fun things to do in San Antonio Texas… from historic attractions all the way to fun water attractions. It is one of our favorite Texas vacation destinations.

It of course helps a lot that we live only about 100 miles away… 

So far, my family and I have visited the Alamo, the Riverwalk, Fiesta Texas (Six Flags), Sea World, and Splashtown. These are our FAVORITE things to do in San Antonio Texas – we’ve gone over and over!

If you don’t know much about San Antonio or Texas history, I can tell you that “San Antone” (as some locals call it) played a prominent part in Texas history. 

Things To Do In San Antonio Texas

The Alamo

The Alamo, where a very important battle against Mexico took place, is probably one of the most-visited historical sites in the US! It is a blast! We have been there several times, and loved it every time.

Visit The Alamo with us!

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The Riverwalk

Near the Alamo is the famous and very popular Riverwalk. The first time I went there, it was a Friday evening. For the first few minutes, it felt to me like I was in Europe. That same sense of “magic” has stayed with me ever since.

Visit the San Antonio Riverwalk with us! I think you’ll enjoy it. After you see the Riverwalk, you’ll probably also want to look at our favorite San Antonio Riverwalk hotels. I love staying there!

Fiesta Texas (Six Flags)

My kids love to have “wet” fun! As a matter of fact, they love “speed” fun too. Fiesta Six Flags have both… water rides… roller coasters. The greatest Christmas gift ever to them would be if we bought a house smack in the middle of Fiesta Six Flags. Your kids might agree!

Visit Fiesta Texas (Six Flags) with us! Your kids, especially, will have a great time.

If you’d like to stay close to Six Flags, look at our favorite hotels near Fiesta Texas in San Antonio.

Sea World

A trip to Sea World is always fun too. The nice thing about Sea World is that it not only has roller coasters and water rides, but also animal shows that the kids love so much.

Visit Sea World in San Antonio with us!

Splashtown

I’m guessing that Splashtown is the least known of the San Antonio water parks. It is certainly smaller than Sea World and Six Flags. To me, that is one of its advantages. Not so many people (shorter lines)!

It is also easier to keep an eye on your own kids at Splashtown. As a parent, that was very handy when my kids were still small.

Splashtown has several different water slides, some suitable for little kids and others are great for older kids and adults. They also have a nice wave pool. We’ve always had a good time there, and I think you will too.

Kiddie Park

My kids are a little big for it now, but if you have small kids, Kiddie Park is a nice place to take your kids to. With “small kids” I mean kids under 10, or so.

They have quite a big variety of different rides for the little kiddos, and rides fairly cheap too. Kiddie Park has been open since the 1920s and many of the rides are from an era when we and our parents were kids. So it’s something special that your kids won’t see everyday.

As I said, the rides are from a bygone era, so don’t expect Disney World here, but I nevertheless think the little guys will enjoy it.

Natural Bridge Caverns

If you’re looking for something really cool with some adventure on the side, Natural Bridge Caverns is the place to go. As the name says, these are caves, which makes it a great place for boys in particular.

They have several tours and attractions. My favorite is probably the Discovery Tour, which takes you into a cave with some spectacular formations. It can be warm and humid inside, so taking some water along can be helpful. Also take some good walking shoes along.

Other tours include the Hidden Passages Tour and Lantern Tour. And then there is the Watchtower Challenge, which is a huge outdoor climbing wall with zip lines to slide down.

Another thing I like about Natural Bridge Caverns is that Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is right next door. So it’s quite easy to visit both!

San Antonio is a great Texas city to visit. With a little planning, San Antonio can provide you with a memorable vacation!

I know that Six Flags San Antonio (a.k.a Fiesta Texas) is a blast! I know because every summer my kids nag me, “C’mon Dad, let’s go to Six Flags”… again… and again… and again.

If you don’t know what Six Flags San Antonio is, it is a really cool amusement park with many roller coasters and water rides of varying thrill-levels, a nice wave pool, and several other fun things… all-in-all, a kids’ paradise!

I don’t mind going at all. Yes, it can be somewhat costly, and it can be a tiring day, but we all have so much fun that it is certainly worth it. 

I want to tell you about things we learnt when preparing to go to Six Flags San Antonio. It doesn’t help much if you plan to go, but you don’t know how to get there, so I’ll tell you about getting there. To get in, you’re going to need tickets, and we’ve discovered that there are different ways to go about getting tickets to Six Flags.

Once we’re in the park, we usually do things in a particular way that makes sense to us, and I think it will help you too. We head towards the Water Park first, but on our way there, we often go on one of the many Rides.

Sometimes we go to Six Flags Fiesta Texas for the whole weekend. In such cases we like to stay in one of the hotels near Six Flags.

Visiting Six Flags San Antonio

Preparing to go

Since you’ll typically go to Six Flags San Antonio in the summer and this is Texas, you could expect it to be quite hot. So prepare around that.

Take plenty of sunscreen. (If you forget sunscreen, you can buy it in the park.) It’s also a good idea to take hats for everyone, especially for the smaller kids. Also take river shoes (water shoes) with you. The pathways between rides and pools can get very hot.

Six Flags doesn’t allow you to take a cooler inside, so you’ll have buy all your food and drinks inside. The food and drinks are fairly pricey.

To save a little, we make sure we eat something before arriving at the park. 

Getting There

Getting to Six Flags San Antonio is quite easy. Six Flags is located north-west of downtown San Antonio. Going north from downtown San Antonio on Hwy 87, take the Fiesta Texas exit immediately after Loop 1604. At that point the park will be on your left.

I’m sure by then the kids would’ve spotted it and announced their discovery quite excitedly!

Getting Tickets

The easiest way to get tickets is by simply buying them at the ticket booth… this is also the most expensive way, as we’ve discovered!

Since then I noticed discount coupons on Diet Coke cans. I seem to recall seeing people in line at the ticket booth with discount coupons clipped from local newspapers. Hotel lobbies often have brochures for local attractions that contains coupons. My kids like rummaging through those!

If you think you might be going to Six Flags San Antonio more than once in the season, I think a season pass is definitely worth it! A weekend pass may also be a good option if you anticipate going two days in a row over a weekend.

You can also buy tickets online at the Six Flags San Antonio website – a cool way to avoid long lines at the ticket booths!

Once You’re In The Park

Once we’re in the park, the kids are chomping at the bit, ready to go.

So our first step is to find a spot that will have shade throughout the day. This acts as our “home base”. If the kids run off to go ride something, they know where to return to. If you have smaller kids, I’d suggest you pick a spot in the water park at the Texas pool.

After that, buy a few bottles of water. Make sure the kids drink water regularly. We always have to remind our kids to drink water. We usually get a “but Mom…”, but it only takes one crying, dehydrated kid at the end of a long day to avoid that mistake forever!

Six Flags also has great lockers – at a fee of course . I don’t mind spending the $7 if it means I can also have fun without worrying about our valuables.

The Water Park

The Water Park usually opens an hour after the rest of Six Flags. Since we usually get there about 15 to 30 minutes after opening time anyway, we don’t have to wait long for the Water Park to open. Just enough time for one or two roller coaster rides!

Once we get in, we head for the Texas pool and set up our “home base”. Then the kids take off!

If you have smaller kids, they can have lots of fun in the Texas pool. There is also a “little kids” section right at the entrance to the Water Park.

Other than several great water-slides, the Water Park also has a “river” that you could just go round-‘n-round on a tube… wonderful if you’re just looking to relax and cool down!

If you go up the stairs to behind the water-slides, there is a great “water playscape” that my kids simply love!

The Rides

Six Flags has many roller coasters of varying thrill-level. I’m not going to attempt to describe all of them to you.

I can however tell you that there are rides ranging from mild ones that will delight little kids, all the way to roller coasters and other rides that will freak out the greatest thrill-seekers!

My elder son is now in the latter category… 

I have to admit that I’m a little weary when it comes to roller coasters, but recently my elder son managed to drag me onto the Superman. Whoa! What a ride that was! We got right back into the line and rode it a second time!

Hotels Near Six Flags

There are several hotels near Six Flags San Antonio Texas. Instead of squeezing it in here, I decided to tell you more about that on a separate page covering hotels. This way I can give you a fairly decent idea on what to expect at each of them. Read about the hotels near Six Flags in San Antonio.

SeaWorld San Antonio has a great variety of different activities ranging from their famous animal shows and exhibits to water rides and roller coasters.

If you’re hot, you can cool off in the wave pool or do some water rides.

If you want a little action, the rollercoasters will give it to you.

If you’re getting tired and want to sit down for a while, an animal show will keep you entertained.

All of this makes SeaWorld one of our FAVORITE San Antonio family attractions! 

Our Favorite Activities

We usually drive to SeaWorld San Antonio for a day. By the time we get there, at least one of us needs to go to the restroom. So we turn to the left immediately after going through the gates, where there are restrooms about 50 yards further.

Since we’re just about there after the restroom stop, we then continue to the left to Dolphin Cove, where there are several Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins in a pool where they van be viewed from close-up.

Behind Dolphin Cove are the Sharks. The shark tank is very cool and my kids love this exhibit.

After the sharks we head back towards the main gate and on to the rest of Sea World’s fun stuff…

Lost Lagoon

The Lost Lagoon is all about water fun. It’s a great place to hang out on a hot day.

The Wave Pool is a great place to stay cool, but there are also several other water rides to keep the kids happy.

We hang out here for about an hour before we hit the rollercoasters and shows.

Shamu Show

Along with the late Keiko (Free Willy), Shamu has to be one of the most famous Orcas in the world!

Shamu, along with a handful of other Orcas, play with their trainers in a show that delights everyone. It is very obvious that the trainers have a very close bond with the whales.

The Shamu Shows are amazing. My kids always sit in the splash zone! They love to get wet! We see Shamu every time we visit Sea World.

(Hint: Try to see the evening show if you can. It is even more stunning than the day shows.)

Great White Rollercoaster

The Great White rollercoaster is by far my favorite rollercoaster at SeaWorld San Antonio!

The seats are suspended below the rails, so your feet hang free. This thing twists and turns and make you feel like you’re a fighter pilot on a serious mission!

Unfortunately the height requirement to ride the Great White is 54″ and my youngest son can’t ride it yet. (There are usually a few tears over this…) He has one more inch to go, and he can’t wait!

Journey To Atlantis

Journey To Atlantis rollercoaster is one of SeaWorld San Antonio’s newest rollercoasters and is a lot of fun too.

You sit in a single boat-like car that makes a steep climb, rotates through 360+° in such a way that you go backwards through the next stage. Then you rotate through another 360+° to face forward for the final downhill and through water to arrive quite wet at your destination!

Luckily my youngest can ride this one. He likes the part where you go backwards because it feels like your stomach stays behind.

Sea Lion Show

The Sea Lion shows are a lot of fun and delight young and old.

The show we saw is called The Cannery Row Caper. It’s a very funny show featuring two “detective” sea lions investigating the disappearance of fish from the cannery.

My wife, in particular, enjoyed the sea lion show a lot.

Steel Eel Rollercoaster

The Steel Eel is a rollercoaster that doesn’t go upside-down and doesn’t twist, but it goes up and down at incredible speeds. It’s a high-energy ride that leaves you quite pumped by the time it finishes.

This is the fastest ride that my youngest can ride, and he loves it. I let him go one or two extra times to make up for him missing out on the Great White.

Other things we like to do in SeaWorld San Antonio are watching the Ski Show ang going through the Penguin Encounter. The Penguin Encounter is very well done. They created an Antarctic habitat behind a glass wall where the penguins live. You can see them swim underwater in their pool. These little suckers can swim!

If you have smaller kids, Shamu’s Happy Harbor is a great place for them to play!

SeaWorld San Antonio Tickets

I bought our last SeaWorld San Antonio tickets from their website. It’s a little cheaper than at the gates, and you avoid standing in line. I also upgraded our day tickets to season passes once we were there and knew we’d like to come back regularly. It only cost a few dollars extra.

SeaWorld San Antonio certainly has something for young and old. It truly makes for a great day of fun!

My family and I like to stay in one of the San Antonio Riverwalk hotels when we go to the Riverwalk. To me it seems pointless to stay “out there somewhere” and miss out on the Riverwalk-buzz in the evenings.

Fortunately the hotel owners have also figured out that people would want to sleep in or very near to the Riverwalk. There are now several San Antonio Riverwalk hotels to choose from.

I choose our hotel to stay in based on what the purpose of our trip is, and whether the kids go along or not.

If it is only my wife and I, I like to pick a more romantic hotel that has a balcony with a view over the Riverwalk. If we take the kids along, I’ll pick a hotel that works better for my whole family.

Here are my favorite… 

San Antonio Riverwalk Hotels

Drury Inn and Suites Riverwalk

The Drury Inn and Suites Riverwalk is a wonderful hotel right on the Riverwalk! We try to get a room overlooking the Riverwalk.

The kids love the rooftop pool and my wife and I like to relax in the hot tub. Every evening they also have free food and drinks in the lobby.

This is one hotel that lets us stay right on the Riverwalk without breaking the bank!

Riverwalk Vista

The Riverwalk Vista is a charming little hotel right by the Riverwalk.

I like it particularly for romantic trips, like celebrating an anniversary or a honeymoon.

That means we don’t take the kids along…

It is slightly more expensive, but still well under $200 per night. I think it is well worth it!

Homewood Suites Riverwalk

The Homewood Suites Riverwalk has suites only. It is on a quieter section of the Riverwalk, but still provides easy access to everything we like on the Riverwalk.

The suites are very spacious. I think this makes it ideal for families with kids, or even groups of friends. (The added space also means you’ll pay slightly more, but not much more.)

The Homewood Suites Riverwalk also has a small rooftop pool and a hot tub. If your kids love swimming as much as mine, any pool is a handy feature!

Holiday Inn Express San Antonio North

My kids think the Holiday Inn Express San Antonio North (formerly Comfort Inn Alamo Riverwalk) is very cool!

Why?… It used to be the Bexar county jail! So it has character and history!

It has everything my family and I need… comfortable rooms… pool… nice complimentary breakfast.

The Holiday Inn Express San Antonio North isn’t right on the Riverwalk, but it is only about 5 blocks away. It also has a price that I like if I want to save a little money, but still be close to the Riverwalk.

I think you will have a great time at any of our favorite San Antonio Riverwalk hotels!

If my favorite San Antonio Riverwalk hotels are not suitable or have no available rooms, here is a complete list of hotels in San Antonio to consider.

Bon Voyage!

The San Antonio Riverwalk is a special place. I love going there, and I know my wife loves it too!

The San Antonio Riverwalk is in downtown San Antonio. It consists of a network of walkways on the banks of the San Antonio River.

The walkways, one level below street level, are lined with many restaurants, shops, and hotels. They connect many of downtown San Antonio’s attractions.

When I first went to the Riverwalk with my family and a few friends several years ago, it felt to me like I was in Venice, Italy.

It was a Friday evening. We arrived after dark and the subdued lighting created a special atmosphere. There was a buzz in the Riverwalk that I had not experienced anywhere else in Texas before.

That special memory has stayed with me ever since! 

How To Get There

We usually come from north of downtown San Antonio, going south on I-37 (Hwy 281). I take Exit 141-A and turn right onto E. Commerce Street. This takes us past the Rivercenter Mall, and the San Antonio Riverwalk is right there. There are a few “pay” parking lots in the area.

Once I’ve parked, we make our way to the Rivercenter Mall’s Food Court where there is access to the Riverwalk.

If my family and I go to The Alamo first, we cross the street in front of the main entrance to The Alamo, go down some stairs that lead to a hotel, walk through the hotel, and voila!

What To Do There

I find it fun to simply walk along the San Antonio Riverwalk and enjoy the ambiance.

My kids, however, feel constantly drawn to the water! (See the little guy with the “3” on his back?)

So I tend to keep an eye on them just in case the urge for a quick swim becomes overwhelming!

Lunch!

All the walking becomes tiring, and there’s nothing like stopping off at one of the many restaurants along the way for something good to eat and drink.

One of my favorite lunch restaurants is the Mad Dogs pub. It’s an English pub that serves traditional pub-fare. My favorite is Bangers & Mash, and my wife and kids love the Fish & Chips!

If English pub-fare is not your thing, there are many other choices!

A Boat Ride

When my kids start to get antsy, the best way to restore their excitement is to take them on a boat ride!

There are inexpensive 35-minute boat tours on the Riverwalk every day from about 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. They are great fun! The tour leaders give lots of information on the history of the Riverwalk. I like taking our out-of-state guests on this tour and everyone loves it!

We also sometimes take the river taxi. These boats are similar to the boats used for the tours. They stop at almost 40 places along the San Antonio Riverwalk.

The company who operates the boats works with some of the San Antonio Riverwalk restaurants to do dinner or cocktail cruises. I like this a lot. It makes for a very nice romantic cruise!

The ticket stations for a boat cruise can be tough to find if you just start wandering around the Riverwalk like my family and I did. Since then I discovered that there are ticket stations at the Rivercenter Mall, Market St. Bridge, and at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk.

Dinner

I like dining at the Riverwalk. There is a special atmosphere in the Riverwalk in the evenings.

My favorite restaurants are Biga on the Banks, Acenar, Texas Land & Cattle Steakhouse, and Landry’s Seafood House.

Biga on the Banks is a great restaurant for a romantic meal, like an anniversary dinner! It has outdoor seating with very nice views of the Riverwalk. It is a bit more expensive, but the great variety of food and the service makes it worth it for our special occasions.

Acenar is a popular Mexican restaurant with great food and a very nice atmosphere. It has outside tables with a nice view of the river.

The Texas Land & Cattle Steakhouse is an old family-favorite. We have one near our house and eat there regularly. My kids love going there, especially for the deserts. The TXLC in the Riverwalk is no different. Great food for a reasonable price!

Landry’s Seafood House is a child-friendly restaurant with a nice, casual atmosphere. My kids like it a lot. I do too!

I definitely suggest that you make reservations. The Riverwalk is very popular, especially over weekends, and wait-times can get longer than your stomach would prefer!

Nearby Attractions

There are several attractions near the San Antonio Riverwalk that I like to go to.

The Alamo is one of my favorites. My wife loves shopping at the Rivercenter Mall and we all like the movies. I have also taken the kids to the IMAX theater inside the Rivercenter Mall. My kids think the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not and Guiness Book of World Records stores across the road from The Alamo’s main entrance are very cool. So do I!

Special Events

Every year around the second week of January is the Mud Festival. This is when the Riverwalk is drained and cleaned. I think it’s quite stunning how different the Riverwalk looks with no water!

Where To Stay

We enjoy staying in a hotel near the Riverwalk, or even on the Riverwalk. I will tell you about our favorite San Antonio Riverwalk hotels on a separate page.

As I said in the beginning, I love the San Antonio Riverwalk, and my family does too!

My kids love staying in hotels, and if we’re talking about hotels near Fiesta Texas in San Antonio, even better!

As you can probably imagine, there are several hotels near Fiesta Texas.

It is afterall one of the biggest attractions for families in San Antonio.

Our favorites are… 

Best Western Fiesta Inn

The Best Western Fiesta Inn is my favorite of the hotels near Six Flags in San Antonio.

This is a 2-star hotel that I think is great for families with children. It is only 2 miles away from Six Flags, so if the kids start nagging, “C’mon, let’s go…”, you know relief is only 2 miles away!

If you get back to the hotel after a long day at Six Flags and the kids want to swim some more, the Best Western has a very nice pool.

When it’s time for dinner, there are several nice restaurants nearby, like Chili’s and Carrabba’s.

This Best Western was a TripAdvisor “Certificate of Excellence” winner in 2013.

Hampton Inn San Antonio/Six Flags

The Hampton Inn San Antonio/Six Flags is another hotel near Fiesta Texas that I like.

It is also a 2-star hotel that is about 4 miles away from Six Flags, which is still close enough in my mind.

It also has a nice pool. I like the comfortable beds a lot!

Super 8 Motel Six Flags San Antonio

The last hotel I want to point you to is the Super 8 Motel Six Flags San Antonio, especially if you are slightly more budget-conscious.

It is a 2-star hotel with a pool, and is about 2 miles away from Six Flags.

The nice thing about these hotels is that it is quite easy to get from them to Six Flags. Simply go north on Hwy 87 (I-10) and take the Fiesta Texas/Six Flags exit immediately after Loop 1604.

When looking at hotels, I like to keep the old saying, “you get what you pay for”, in mind. I don’t like spending $300 per night, but I also know that I probably won’t get much for $20 per night either. I think somewhere around $50 to $120 per night is reasonable for hotels near Fiesta Texas in San Antonio.

I think you and your family will have a great time at any of these hotels!

If my favorite hotels near Fiesta Texas are not suitable or have no available rooms, here is a complete list of hotels in San Antonio.

The Battle of the Alamo is the event where many men fought bravely against overwhelming odds and died for their freedom!

The Alamo is where Texas liberty was born!

Because of this distinction, I can’t help but feel a sense of respect when my family and I visit the Alamo.

This is one historical site that we love to visit! 

The Battle of The Alamo

To help me better appreciate historical sites, I like to have at least some basic knowledge of its history.

If you don’t know much about the Alamo and the battle of the Alamo, here’s a brief overview…

Also in those days, Anglo-Americans in Texas were called “Texians” and Hispanic-Americans were called “Tejanos”. I’m going to call both “Texans” to keep it simple.

Can you imagine being in such a situation?

When I first heard this story, I wondered why the battle of the Alamo was so important if all the Texan defenders were killed and Mexico won.

Then it dawned on me… These people made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom that they believed in so strongly.

The brave men of the Alamo had not died in vain. From their sacrifice emerged Sam Houston’s battle-cry, “Remember The Alamo!” that led to Texas liberty.

What To Do There

The first time I took my family to the Alamo, we started off by just strolling around the grounds.

We visited the old church where there are exhibits of items from the battle of the Alamo, like a Bowie knife and a rifle.

The Gift Shop has many items for sale, and there are some exhibits too. My experience is that the gift shop can get quite full and it’s easy to lose sight of the kids. Our youngest is the busy one, and so I tend to keep a close watch on him.

Outside the Gift Shop is the Cavalry Courtyard where Alamo staff give talks on Alamo history. This also leads to the Long Barrack Museum where there are more exhibits.

If a potty-emergency arises with one of the kids, there are decent restrooms across the lawns behind the Gift Shop.

How To Get There

My family and I like to visit the Alamo when we also plan a trip to the San Antonio Riverwalk, i.e. the Alamo is right by the Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio.

Nearby Attractions

Other than the Riverwalk, we also like the Guiness Book of World Records and Ripley’s Believe It Or Not stores that are right across the road as you exit the Shrine of the Alamo.

The Rivercenter Mall is also close by. There are regular movies and the IMAX theater that is always a hit with my kids.

Enjoy the Alamo! It is a special place!

Have you ever taken a boat ride on the Riverwalk in San Antonio?

We went to San Antonio last year and went on a boat ride on the Riverwalk. This was so much fun! It was such a nice way to see the Riverwalk.

We had to stand in line for quite a while to buy tickets, but people in the line were chatting to each other and that made it feel a lot shorter. The atmosphere in the riverwalk was so laid back anyway that it didn’t matter.

The boats a flat-bottom boats with seats on the sides and in the center. The tour guides also drive the boat and tell lots of stories about the Riverwalk, its history, and tell stories about some of the buildings along the river. I would say the tour probably lasts about 30-45 minutes.

Along the way, our guide pointed out the bridge and theater where Jennifer Lopez stood in the movie, Selena. Some scenes from the movie, Miss Congeniality, with Sandra Bullock were also filmed in the Riverwalk.

We went there about a week before Christmas and the Riverwalk was decorated in Christmas light. This created a beautiful sight and wonderful atmosphere.

The whole setting is just so nice. Here you are, cruising lazily down the river, people strolling along the pathways along the sides, the tour guide doing her bit, passing by restaurants along the way. Very pleasant.

We enjoyed the boat ride on the Riverwalk so much that I think we’ll do it again when we visit San Antonio over the holidays.

Big Lou’s Pizza is an incredible experience that we never miss!

We have visited San Antonio several times since we have family in Houston.

On our way to Fiesta Texas we were cutting through town and saw a restaurant with the line wrapping from one end of the building to the next. We decided to return the next day at a less popular hour.

Upon returning the next day we were surprised to see the place, Big Lou’s Pizza, was just as packed. We bit the bullet and stood in the line that was in the parking lot…. It was worth it!

The wait time from parking lot to the table was not bad at all. Big Lou’s Pizza is a lot bigger than it looks and your order is taken while you are in line so we were seated and eating within an hour which is basically how long you will wait at any restaurant on a Saturday back home. Had we not had the kids we could have waited at the bar.

Big Lou’s Pizza offers a variety of different sizes and toppings. We chose the 42″ half pepperoni half supreme pizza. It’s an experience simply watching two men carry the pizza out and attempt to set it on your table.

The pizza was enormous and for such a big pizza I was amazed at how good it was. I will say the only pizza I’ve ever had that was better tasting than this was in Seattle many years ago. The pizza fed nine adults no problem and we had some to take back to the hotel. With 30lbs of simply toppings all four children worked on 2 slices and didn’t put a dent in them.

The customer service was super and we enjoyed the experience as much as we enjoyed the pizza. We paid under $100 for food, drinks, desert and that’s 9 adults and 4 children in our group.

We will definitely attempt to tackle the Texas Size pizza every time we visit the Lone Star State.