48 hours in San Antonio

Last weekend we decided to take a little trip to San Antonio, even though it was just for a couple of days, we were able to get a real feel for the city. Here are some must-see places to see/eat/explore from the super touristy to the more locally inclined.

First off, you gotta check out the Alamo. While it might not be too exciting for the younger crowd, it's neat to see the historical artifacts and learn a bit of American history along the way. If you want a more in depth tour, you can pay $7 for an audio tour that takes around 30-40 min. If your kids finish up in 15 min, there's a mall right next door with a Starbucks right near the River Walk on the bottom floor (you're welcome).

If you visit semi early in the day, they have reenactors outside with a bunch of cool facts and paraphernalia. I actually think this was my favorite part about the Alamo - you can hold a rifle and learn about what it was like fighting as a soldier back in the day - this guy was awesome!

Have lunch at Mad Hatter's Tea House & Cafe. This quirky cafe is the perfect place to grab a slice of apple pie and a killer sandwich. Just a miles walk from the Alamo, it gives you a change to see the city on foot and you pass some semi-famous landmarks like one of the first hotels on the Riverwalk (Hilton Palacio Del Rio), Hemisfair Park, and the Tower of the Americas (aka the San Antonio Space Needle).

I would highly recommend doing a river boat tour, it's only around $7 and you get to see the majority of the river walk along with leaarning interesting historical tidbits (and you get to check out all the restaurants for dinner). I could have walked around the river walk all day, it's so relaxing and unique to this area, it's really very beautiful.

Get a cup of coffee at The Brown Coffee Co. in what Alton Brown stated as "the best cup of coffee I've ever had in my life." Not quite sure I agree with Mr. Brown on this one, but this coffee definitely had a unique flavor to say the least.

To kill some time you can check out Market Square or El Mercado. It's one of those places that is painfully touristy but still sorta cool. There, you can find anything from hand painted pottery to sombreros, and ponchos. There are also some pretty cool food places to check out, you'll see an array of street food like grilled corn, churros, and enchiladas.

One of the more popular joints is Mi Tierra, a restaurant/bakery that's been around since 1941. We ended up just getting some pastries (I would highly recommend the empanadas).

Waco Road Trip: Magnolia Market

So lately I have been OBSESSED with the show Fixer Upper - you might recognize the HGTV show featuring the ever so talented Joanna Gaines who is the master of rustic-chic. It might come as a surprise to some viewers that her store, Magnolia Market is located in the small town of Waco, TX. Waco is pretty much smack dab in the middle of Austin and Dallas and from the looks of it, isn't home to anything of particular interest but when I found out that we were gonna be in that area I HAD to make a pit stop.

I am not ashamed to admit I was having a bit of a fan girl moment and was reallllly hoping to catch a peak of the Gaines - unfortunately I wasn't so lucky in that regard but it was still pretty cool to see all the items that had been used in the show and were available to purchase. Although the majority of the items were way beyond my price range, I ended up scoring some much needed items. The store is small but offers up a variety of goodies - everything from furniture to kitchen items and decor all with that rustic flair that looks like you spent hours scouring antique markets.

I ended up getting a wreath to fill the basket on our dining room table and a cute little cupcake stand! Tune in tomorrow to check out another hidden gem in Waco (ps it includes the best falafel I have EVER had).