Stay-cations in San Antonio

Taking vacations is getting harder to do nowadays.  Gas and airline prices, hotel prices, and food prices are all on the rise.  Planning a family vacation is no easy task, either!  Packing up the family for a week long getaway is a difficult endeavor.  If you live in the San Antonio area, however, you can have a great stay-cation!   Staying close to home means you won’t have to endure hours of driving or flying, you can pack your own food, and yet still have a day full of memories!  Some attractions even have “Free days” where you can enjoy their amenities for free!

If you’re looking to spend a day out in the downtown area of San Antonio, The River Walk offers a respite from the heat.  Full of beautiful shops and galleries, you can even tour this national treasure by boat!  You can listen to free music, watch glass blowers, and take in the surroundings.

Sea World and Six Flags are both amusements parks that you can visit in the San Antonio area.  Full of rides and fun, these two parks would be a great destination for any family.

The McNay Art Museum has free admission Thursday nights and is also free the first Sunday of the month.  This museum has post-impressionist and modern pieces, theater-centered works, medieval offerings, Native American art and more.

San Antonio Children's Museum lets you bring four children free with a paid adult admission on the third Thursday of the month, 5-8 pm.   This incredible museum has over 80 interactive exhibits for you and your family to enjoy!

San Antonio Museum of Art has free admission Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.  The San Antonio Museum of Art is housed in a castle-like building that was formerly the Lone Star Brewery. It is known for antiquities collections and the 30,000 square-foot Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art.

Witte Museum has free admission Tuesdays 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. This museum is San Antonio's premiere museum of South Texas history, culture and natural science. Located on the banks of the San Antonio River, the Witte offers permanent exhibits that include dinosaur skeletons, cave drawings, wildlife dioramas and even several historic homes.

If you’re looking to get outside the San Antonio area, there are quite a few sights to see within a 90 minute drive.  Castroville is a beautiful, historic town 30 minutes away.  This town has walking trails, historic tours, and wonderful shopping galleries.

Cibolo Nature Center, about 30 minutes away, is where families can learn hands-on about the Texas landscape and its unique climate at the center’s 100 acres of Hill Country wilderness.

Canyon Lake is a wonderful spot for a day trip.  A 45 minute drive will take you to the banks of a beautiful lake, surrounded by shops, wonderful restaurants, and breathtaking viewpoints.

Bandera would be a wonderful place to go to indulge your inner cowboy!  The city of Bandera is just an hour away, and offers daily horseback riding and trail hikes through the beautiful Hill Country and rodeo shows every night.  You can spend the day on a working dude ranch and eat off the chuck wagon!

Staycations can be a great way to get away from the everyday, discover new and interesting attractions in your area, and save your hard earned money!

Megan Wilson, a California girl gone country, lives in (Very) Rural Kentucky with her husband, daughter, and myriad of cats, dogs, cattle, horses, and chickens.  She’s worked as an administrative assistant for a Kinetico Water Systems retailer, environmental consulting firm, and now is a stay-at-home mommy and blogger!