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It's San Antonio for family fun! For kids of all ages,
America's ninth largest city is one giant playground
deep in the heart of Texas
Kevin Moore
Whether your brood is in the mood for thrill rides or a
carefree day in the park, San Antonio delivers. With its
distinct personality and festive flair, this metropolis
with a Mexican accent is unlike any other. In fact, Mark
Twain named San Antonio one of America's four unique
cities, the others being New Orleans, Boston, and San
Francisco.
Much of the tourist action is right in the middle of
downtown, where Texas' most hallowed shrine and most
popular historic site makes a logical starting point for
sightseeing. The
Alamo, located next to the three-level shopping
and entertainment complex called River-center Mall, was
a Spanish mission that became permanently etched in the
annals of history when 189 Texans fighting for
independence from Mexico--including Davy Crockett and
James Bowie--turned it into a fortress and held off some
4,000 troops for 13 days. The cry "Remember the Alamo"
became the rallying call of the Texas revolution.
Across Alamo Plaza, the 1836 battle comes alive at The
Texas Adventure, a multi-media show with special
effects. The IMAX
Theatre Rivercenter presents the film Alamo ...
The Price of Freedom on a six-story-tall screen
complemented by six-track stereo sound.
Other family favorites on Alamo Plaza include
Ripley's Believe It or Not, a museum that
intrigues kids with oddities from around the world. In
the same building, Plaza Theatre of Wax houses 225
life-like characters in four themed sections--Hollywood,
Horror, History, and Religion. The Cowboy Museum, also
on Alamo Plaza, has replicas of a saloon, saddle shop,
jail, and general store.
Not far from the Alamo is River Walk, the city's most
beloved asset. Its cobblestone and flagstone paths
border both sides of the San Antonio River, 20 feet
below street level, winding through quiet, park-like
stretches and areas bustling with sidewalk cafes and
specialty shops. Brightly colored boats operated by
Yanaguana Cruises offer guided tours of the scenic
waterway, an urban masterpiece in the heart of the
business district.
The Buckhorn
Saloon & Museum, one of San Antonio's classic
attractions, abounds with wildlife exhibits from around
the world and reminders of the Old West. The 1881
saloon, just two blocks from the Alamo and 50 yards from
the River Walk, displays the world's largest collection
of animal horns, plus many preserved specimens of fish
and birds.
In HemisFair Park, near the
River
Walk, the Downtown All-Around Playground
contains a massive wooden play area, a space tunnel,
castle, and tire tunnel. Also in the park are Tower of
the Americas, with an observation platform that soars
579 feet above the city, and the Institute of Texan
Cultures, a museum that spotlights the many ethnic
groups that settled the Lone Star State. Hemis-Fair Park
was the site of the 1968 World's Fair in San Antonio.
Market Square (El Mercado), the largest Mexican market
outside of Mexico, bursts with colorful imports and
offers weekend fiestas, mariachi serenades, and other
special events. Kids can choose their own birthday
pinata to take back home for their party. Across the
street, they can work off excess energy on the colorful
playground equipment at Milam Park.
Magik
Children's Theatre, in the growing downtown arts
district, presents fairy tales and "Phantom of the
Alamo," performed by a professional repertory company.
Also downtown is the
San Antonio Children's Museum, which offers more
than 80 hands-on exhibits aimed at kids ages 2-10. They
can role play different careers at the museum's teddy
bear hospital, grocery store, bank, and airport. Other
activities: operating a real front end loader on a
construction site, creating crafts from recycled trash,
and being enclosed in a bubble at the Hill Country
Bubble Ranch.
The
Hertzberg Circus Collection and Museum brims
with more than 20,000 pieces of antique circus
memorabilia, one of the largest assortments of circus
artifacts in the world. For kids, there are fun mirrors,
a clown dress-up zone, computer games, and special
programs.
Brackenridge Park, a
343-acre refuge, can provide a full day of family fun.
At the San Antonio Zoo, where more than 3,500 animals
live in natural-habitat environments, rare species
include white rhinos, snow leopards, and whooping
cranes. A children's area features a tropical boat tour
of animal and plant exhibits; elephant and camel rides
are available in summer.
At the Japanese Tea Garden, next to the zoo, kids like
the ponds of giant goldfish, and parents treasure the
tranquil setting. An aerial skyride gives a bird's-eye
view of the grounds.
Witte Museum,
also in Brackenridge Park,
spotlights Texas' ecological diversity. Highlights
include an Ecolab with live animals and an outdoor
butterfly and hummingbird area. The H-E-B Science
Treehouse is a magical world of inventions and zany
contraptions. The park also is home to Kiddie Park, an
old-time amusement mecca with carnival games, a Ferris
wheel, Little Dipper roller coaster, and old-fashioned
carousel.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas, nestled against dramatic
100-foot cliffs in an old limestone quarry, is San
Antonio's big-time fun park, offering rides and shows
that reflect the history, culture, and architecture of
Texas and the Southwest. Themed areas are Los Festivales
(Mexican), Spassburg (German), Crackaxle Canyon
(Western), Rockville (1950s rock 'n' roll), and Fiesta
Bay Boardwalk. Superman Krypton Coaster, one of several
white-knuckle roller coasters, takes riders on a "flying
chair" through six inversions at speeds up to 70 m.p.h.
Armadillo Beach, the water park at Fiesta Texas,
features a Texas-shaped wave pool and the Texas
Treehouse, a five-story structure topped by a cowboy hat
that dumps more than 1,000 gallons of water on everyone
below.
San Antonio's other all-day attraction is SeaWorld, best
known for its splashy shows starring Shamu the killer
whale and sea lions Clyde and Seamore. Guests can view
more than 200 penguins in Penguin Encounter, feed
playful dolphins at Dolphin Cove, and visit with the
majestic Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale horses in Clydesdale
Hamlet. SeaWorld also has state-of-the-art roller
coasters, wild water rides, and Lost Lagoon Water Park.
Younger kids enjoy tamer rides and Shamu's Happy Harbor
play area. Both SeaWorld and Fiesta Texas are open
weekends in spring and fall and operate daily in summer.
Other pockets of fun around San Antonio are
Splashtown water
park; Jungle Jim's Playland, an indoor
entertainment center; and
Malibu Grand Prix, where kids and adults can
experience the thrill of driving a race car, enjoy video
games, and play miniature golf. For exciting minor
league baseball in a stadium that caters to families,
head to the Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium, home of the
San Antonio Missions, a farm club of the Los Angeles
Dodgers.
The 54rd San Antonio
Stock Show and Rodeo, set for February 1-18
2007, is one of the nation's top rodeos and a hit with
families. The Family Fair has loads of entertaining and
educational activities. The show's Hall of Heritage
takes visitors on a trip through the Old West, while the
World of Agriculture lets guests sample the best from
the state's top cooks and craftspeople. The World of
Animals allows children to pet and hold cuddly animals.
Young people from all over Texas exhibit their animals
at America's largest junior livestock show.
Of course, the event's main draw are the champion
cowboys and cowgirls who demonstrate their skills in
bull riding, calf roping, and barrel racing. Concerts
showcase top stars in Tejano, country western, and rock
music. The midway offers carnival rides.
If you're in town in April 20-29,
2007, don't miss
Fiesta San Antonio,
a citywide celebration with carnivals, fireworks, ethnic
feasts, and parades that glide down the river and
streets.
Tourist information, including the "Kid's Guide"
brochure, are available from the San Antonio Convention
& Visitors Bureau, (800) THE-ALAMO. The web site is
www.San AntonioCVB.com.
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