I recently visited San Antonio, Texas to visit Andrew’s family and to attend a wedding (yes, it was on a ranch). We’ve been to San Antonio before and it’s always lots of fun (and hot)! I’ll always remember the bright lights, festive music and great food as we all explored the famous Riverwalk for the first time during the holidays of 2012. I can also still the sandpapery tongue of wild life animals as we fed them from our car at the Wildlife Ranch (I freaked out).
My first impressions of Texas was that it was too hot, I’m talking oven heat with no breeze hot. I literally ran from the car to be in air conditioning at every stop we made. But aside from that, it’s growing on me. There’s so much to do and it is absolutely true when they say that “Everything is bigger in Texas.” We’re talking land, trucks, cows, steaks, 3 lb cinnamon rolls, homes, etc. Anyway, similar to before, we had a blast in Texas this past April. Here are the highlights of our time in the great ol’ state of Texas:
Real Texas BBQ
We had to try it. How can you go to Texas and not try their BBQ? Even if you’re not a fan of BBQ, you should at least try it while in Texas. We went to Augie’s Barbed Wire Smoke House for the wedding’s rehearsal dinner. Let me just say that their brisket was delicious. I’m not one to comment on Augie’s authenticity because it was the first and only place in Texas that I tried BBQ, but the vibe at Augie’s was pretty Texan, if I do say so myself. We all sat in the outdoor patio which sat about 40 people, on wooden tables, with a Spurs game playing on a big screen, fans running on blast – I felt very out of place with my city girl outfit and lack of cowgirl boots.
Ranch Wedding
The main reason for this trip was to attend Andrew’s childhood best friend’s wedding. The wedding took place at the beautiful Hoffman Ranch. Other than the fact that it was an outdoor wedding and it was 90 degrees (I was dripping in sweat and sunburned by the end of the ceremony), it was beautiful! It was small and intimate as family and friends filled the white chairs along each side of the flower-covered aisle. The reception also took place outside, luckily it had cooled down by then, we were served yummy Mexican food and we all danced the night away!
Austin, TX
I was a fool to think that “Keep Portland weird” came before “Keep Austin weird.” As you may not already know, I am a huge fan of weird cities, I mean I did live in Portland, OR for four years. I was so excited to check out Austin, and I was quite impressed! From its savory food trucks to random trinkets in random stores to singing guys with a head full of dreadlocks and dogs being allowed everywhere, I loved it.
Tower of the Americas
Probably the most touristy thing we did while in Texas this time around, but it was still fun! Surrounded by flowing fountains and pretty bougainvilleas, Tower of Americas stands 750-feet tall and offers spectacular views of the Alamo City and a fancy meal or drink to go with the view at Chart House. While atop the tower we learned all about the rich history of San Antonio and tried to remember not to look down!
Family Time
Family means the world to me, so of course visiting family would make the list of Highlights from our trip. I have been blessed enough to always be warmly welcomed by Andrew’s family, and we were so happy to be able to spend time with them. We had enjoyable conversations during every meal, laughed together, prayed together and even got to celebrate Andrew’s mom’s birthday!
Have any of you been to Texas? What were the highlights of your trip there?
