 |
Kids Korner |
|
Did You Know?
- People around the world remember the siege of the Alamo as a struggle against overwhelming odds. The 189 defenders, fighting for Texas independence, held out against the Mexican Army for 13 days before they were defeated on March 6, 1836. Visit the Alamo (www.thealamo.org) and watch Alamo-The Price of Freedom at the San Antonio IMAX Theatre Rivercenter (www.imax-sa.com).
- You can visit the Smithsonian in San Antonio. That’s right. The Museo Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture, set to open this April, will tell the story of the Latino experience in America. San Antonio is one of the country’s most Latino cities, with a Hispanic population exceeding 55 percent. Visit www.thealameda.org.
- You can run around as much as you like in the middle of San Antonio. That’s because gigantic Brackenridge Park (www.brackenridgepark.com) is smack in the middle of the city with the San Antonio Zoo and Aquarium. Little ones will love the zoo’s new Tiny Tot Nature Sport, where they can have plenty of hands-on encounters. Check out the Whooping Cranes at www.sazoo-aq.org.
- You can go tubing or white-water rafting not far from San Antonio on the Guadalupe River. Go to www.traveltex.com for lots of fun places to go in Texas.
- 27 different cultures have come together in San Antonio—Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, and German among them. See how the cowboys cooked on the range and find out more about early Texans at The University of Texas Institute of Texan Cultures. Visit www.texancultures.utsa.edu/museum/siteMap.html.
- Native Americans who first lived along the San Antonio River dubbed the area Yanaguana, which means clear waters. Later, a band of Spanish explorers came upon the river and because it was the feast day of St. Anthony, named the river San Antonio. Today, San Antonio’s RiverWalk borders both sides of the river for three miles! You can take a river cruise or a water taxi, see a free special effects movie at The Aztec On the River (www.aztecontheriver.com). Come here for dinner or lunch. Taco anybody? Visit www.sanantonioriverwalk.com.
- San Antonio is home to two big theme parks—SeaWorld San Antonio (www.seaworld.com) and Six Flags Fiesta Texas (www.sixflags.com ). You’ll find new attractions at both parks this summer. Check out the combination water ride and roller coaster, Journey to Atlantis at SeaWorld and at Six Flags, Tony Hawk’s Big Spin rollercoaster.
- There’s a toilet seat museum in San Antonio. Come see 745 decorated toilet seats displayed in the garage of master plumber Barney Smith. Admission is free. Visit www.unusualmuseums.org/toilet.
- You can shop till you drop at the biggest Mexican market outside of Mexico in San Antonio at Market Square where there are many Hispanic festivals, musicians, and good food. Buy everything from key chains to shirts, hot sauce, or sterling silver earrings (www.marketsquaresa.com). Also check out La Villita, where you might be able to meet some working artists (www.lavillita.com).
- You can go horseback riding, help on a cattle drive, and see a rodeo less than hour outside San Antonio. Bandera, TX is home to nearly a dozen ranches that welcome cowboys and cowgirls from around the world (www.banderacowboycapital.com).
- You can zoom 750 feet up in the air—at The San Antonio Tower of the Americas—and see all of San Antonio. Ride the new Skies Over Texas and you’ll feel like you’re flying over the entire Lone Star State! Visit www.toweroftheamericas.com.
What Other Kids Say You Should Do While In San Antonio, TX . . .
|
Kids, Tell Your Parents . . .
- San Antonio is that rare city where you can combine learning with a lot of fun. It’s got everything adults and kids want on vacation—good kid-friendly restaurants, a first-class zoo, theme parks, big city parks, and you-can-only-see-it-here attractions like the Alamo and the new National Center for Latino Arts and Culture. The only drawback: If you’re visiting in summer, it will be very hot! Plan on plenty of pool (and water park) time. Plan a few days outside the city, staying in a Hill Country Resort like Hyatt Hill Country Resort and Spa (www.hillcountry.hyatt.com) with its big water play ground and youth spa called the “SPAhhht” or at a dude ranch in Bandera (www.banderacowboycapital.com). Take the kids tubing or white river rafting. Come in February and you can see the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo—one of the city’s biggest annual events. Don’t miss Fiesta San Antonio in April! Come during basketball season and you can see both the NBA Spurs and the WNBA San Antonio Stars. Come in summer and see the San Antonio Missions play baseball.
- To plan your trip, start at www.sanantoniovisit.com and www.traveltex.com, the official Texas tourism website. Let everyone in the family choose at least one activity. If the kids are old enough, let them plan a day’s itinerary. You’ll be amazed!
Other Attractions Include:
- The Arneson River Theater on The River Walk where you can sit on the grass and watch the performance on the stage on the other side of the river. Visit lavillita.com/arneson/index.htm.
- Splashtown Water Park (www.splashtownsa.com).
- San Antonio Children’s Museum (www.sakids.org) where children can explore a “mini” San Antonio.
- Kids love the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum across the street from the Children’s Museum. Visit www.buckhornmuseum.com.
- Magik Children’s Theatre offers professional and affordable children’s theater right downtown—and afterward, play on the Texas-sized playground in HemisFair Park. Visit www.magiktheatre.org.
- The San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, which includes historic missions that were among the oldest established in Texas by Franciscan friars. Stop by the visitor’s center adjacent to Mission San Jose. Visit www.nps.gov/saan.
- San Antonio Zoo Eagle, the miniature railway that crosses the San Antonio River twice. The zoo has a terrific mini-zoo for children under five. Visit www.sazoo-aq.org.
- Davy Crockett’s Tall Tales Ride, along with the Guinness World Records Museum and Ripley’s Haunted Adventure. Visit www.haunted-guinness-crockett.com.
See Past Editions of Kids Korner.
By: Eileen Ogintz, Author of Taking the Kids™
