San Antonio's Riverwalk Review

It was my first trip to San Antonio, and I was looking forward to seeing the famed "Riverwalk" that I had heard so much about.  The thing that probably keeps me from raving about the Riverwalk, is we went in December, and the temperature was 27 degrees.  I figured it possibly wouldn't be as warm as I would have liked, I just didn't expect it to be Arctic-like.  Nonetheless, even while fighting off hypothermia, I still really enjoyed myself in this very unique portion of the surprisingly art deco laden city of San Antonio, Texas.

I found the Riverwalk to be lined with shops, hotels, bars and restaurants, with a plethora of outdoor dining facilities which restaurateurs stock with space heaters, blankets, and ponchos for those hardy enough, or foolish enough, to sit outside by the river and enjoy the frigid sunshine.  Summertime has got to be a lot more comfortable, but people still lined the paths on either side of the river, enjoying the shops and the atmosphere.  As it was close to Christmastime during our visit, the river was lined with candles contained within paper bags which were lit by the boat operators  and their laborer staff at dusk.  This combined with the significant amount of "mood lighting" draped from trees and adorning shops and eateries, was really quite beautiful. 

Many sights and more shopping and eating are just off of the Riverwalk, with the Alamo being the most famous destination thereof, and just a short walk from the wandering paths following the river.  Boatloads, literally boatloads, of wayfaring tourists float down the river in what seems to be non stop fashion during daytime and evening hours.  While the Riverwalk is below the surrounding street level, there are stairs everywhere leading down to the walk, some hotels have elevators with underground tunnels leading under the street to the walk, and public elevators abound for those wishing to, or needing, this descending form of transport.  

There are many hotels to choose from right on, or just across the street from the Riverwalk, ranging from moderately expensive, to really expensive, to really, really expensive, and many with their own riverside dining facilities as well.  With Tex-Mex and Margarita venues sprinkled about the landscape, how can you say no to the Riverwalk?

I look forward to my next trip back to San Antonio, but with warmer weather this time.  I give the Riverwalk a healthy 4 Stars.