A Great Downtown San Antonio Museum and Restaurant

One of my co-workers recently told me about a Saturday that he and his wife spent downtown playing tourist, and he reminded me about a great museum I haven’t been to in several years, as well as one of my favorite downtown restaurants. I asked him to contribute a guest post to my Blog, and here it is:

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Submitted by Richard House (Guest Blogger)

My wife and I recently decided to spend a day downtown playing tourist, and we ended up spending half of it at the Institute of Texan Cultures. The museum was originally part of HemisFair ’68 as the Texas Pavilion, and is one of the few exhibits from the 1968 fair that has remained as a permanent fixture on the former fair grounds. When I think of Texan Cultures, I recall my middle school Texas history class and think of the six national flags that have flown over what is now the state of Texas, but this museum reminds me that there is a lot more cultural diversity in the state than just the familiar “Six Flags Over Texas”.

The main exhibits of the museum are all on one floor, which is divided into sections for the various cultures that have influenced the development of the state. Each area is filled with artifacts, photographs and narrative discussions of the history of the immigrations and contributions of the various cultures and individuals.

The first exhibit you encounter on entering covers prehistoric humans that are thought to have inhabited various parts of what is now Texas, followed by the several Native American tribes that were encountered by the first European settlers. Other exhibits describe the many cultures that have come together to make Texas what it is today, including: English, Irish, Scotch, Hungarian, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, African-American, Jewish, Czech, German, Wendish, Italian, Swiss, Japanese, Chinese, Polish, Belgian, Dutch, Greek, French, Lebanese and Tejano.

After several hours at the museum, it was time for lunch so we took a 10-minute walk to Schilo’s Delicatessen at the corner of Commerce and S. Alamo St. If you are a visitor to San Antonio and have had your fill of our famous Mexican Food and Bar-B-Que, give Schilo’s a try. I had a cup of split pea soup, wiener-schnitzel and German potato salad, and my wife had a pastrami sandwich. Shilo’s is also famous for its homemade root beer. Everything was freshly made and delicious, and a great example of the influence of German immigrants in Texas.

 

 

Scott Myers

Broker/Owner of Century 21 Scott Myers

(210) 479-1222 or Toll-Free (888) 868-1222

email: Scott.Myers@Century21.com

Another Great Weekend at South Padre

Over the weekend of September 21-24, my wife, Joan, and I went to South Padre Island. We had gone in June, and because the wireless connection in our hotel had been nearly unusable, they had given us two nights free. Because of it being off season, the 3rd night was only $99.00. The wireless connection in our room was no better this time, but at least the computers in the business center were working this time, so if I could not connect in the room, I was able to use those in the business center.

 

I feel this time in September is a wonderful time to go to South Padre. The crowds are thinner, although there are still plenty of visitors. The beach temperature was perfect, in the high 80s or low 90s. The water was warm – like bathwater and most soothing.

 

We went to our usual delicious restaurants, all within five minutes of the hotel. The first night we went to D’ Pizza Joint. This is consistently among the best pizza my wife and I have ever had. This is a small place and in the height of the summer always requires a long wait unless we are willing to cram in with other diners at the other end of their table. This time we got a table right away. They have a terrific singer/pianist that started playing shortly after we walked in. He plays a lot classic oldies and a good variety. He is a typical island 50-something-year-old, long-haired hippie sort of guy. My wife said she saw him in his truck smoking a pipe as we were walking in from the parking lot. I have not seen anyone smoke a pipe with tobacco in some years, so I imagine his way of preparing for his gig is to smoke his pipe filled with something else. It works for him because every time we have seen him, he has been excellent.

 

The next night, we went to an Italian place that we had heard a lot of good things about, Gabriella’s Italian Grill & Pizzeria. This was sensational, from the service to the atmosphere to the fantastic food. There is a magician that will come to your table and perform magic tricks for a tip. We had been told when we walked in that the wait would be about 45 minutes, but we were seated in five minutes. I have eaten Italian food in San Antonio, New York, and in Italy, and this was as good as I have ever had.

 

The next night we went to the Sea Ranch Restaurant and Bar, which is always a must for us each time we visit South Padre. This is highly ranked in Zagat, and rightly so. We always are able to get a table next to a window so we can see the boats coming into and leaving the small harbor. The seafood and steaks are always consistently superb. If you have room, I would highly recommend the creme brulee for dessert.

 

One of the best things about South Padre is that it is a place you can completely relax. It is a place where I can catch up on my reading, sip beer on the beach, and where the only decision that needs to be made is where to eat that night.

 

If you have a visit planned to San Antonio, and have never been to South Padre Island, you might want to add a few days to your itinerary and head south for a few days at the beach. It is about a five-hour drive, but well worth it. And once you’re back in San Antonio, drop by my office and share your South Padre experience with me. I would also be happy to answer your questions about the San Antonio real estate market and arrange for one of our agents to show you the area.

 

Scott Myers

Broker/Owner of Century 21 Scott Myers

(210) 479-1222 or Toll-Free (888) 868-1222

email: Scott.Myers@Century21.com