On November 28th, 2008, the Christmas season officially begins on the river walk. At 7:00 pm. all 122,000 lights will go on! There will be a parade on the river with colorful and beautiful boats. When the parade ends, it's the perfect opportunity to hop into a boat, and take a ride down the river, with the sun down and the lights twinkling and reflecting from the water below, it makes the perfect romantic get a way!

Christmas time is also the time for caroling and the river walk has that too! On November 29th- December 21st the river walk will be lined with more than 185 schools, churches and other groups singing their hearts out to the cruising boats. It's the perfect ending to a long day of shopping!

Along with the Christmas carols and beautiful lights twinkling above the river, the banks will be glowing beginning December 5th until December 21st with what's called “Fiesta de las Luminarias.” There will be sand bags with glowing candles inside lighting the walk ways. It's a beautiful site and a long tradition of the river walk. For hundreds of years this has been going on and it is truly a site to see. It begins at dusk each night, Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, during the fiesta.

If you just can't stand the site of another mall this holiday season, why not try shopping at the Holiday Arts & Crafts Show that goes on along the river walk each holiday season beginning December 12th and running through December 14th. The venders all have different and unique gifts ranging from handmade jewelry to furniture. You are sure to find something special for that hard to buy for person.

Want to make a weekend get away at the river walk? There are many beautiful hotels over looking the river and wonderful dinning experiences.

For those who don't mind shopping at the mall, The San Antonio River Mall is the place to shop! Built right on the river, it hosts many shops and restaurants, all with a beautiful view.

The river walk also has a good night life for those who don't mind staying up late and enjoying live music and drinks. Take a boat ride right up to your favorite bar or restaurant.

The San Antonio River Walk has something for every member of the family, young or old. Why not celebrate the holiday season on the river.

For more information on the river walk you can find them on the internet. They have maps available as well as prices for all the boat rides and lists of all the events they have planned for the season ahead. You can also check out some of the hotels available as well as restaurants and bars in the area.

Owner Rene' Guerrero brings to us a bit of whimsy in a face-paced world. Stepping into the establishment one feels the pressures of life slipping away amid the colorful interior and warm confines. Madhatters offers an eclectic array of fine teas, wonderful food and an awesome atmosphere to enjoy it all in. The upbeat personality of Guerrero brings a good feeling to all who stop by.
“I don't know if I ever thought I would have my dream job. This is my dream job,” says Guerrero in a tone full of enthusiasm. This effervescent quality permeates through the whole cafe. It's hard to enter the confines of Madhatters and not feel the warmth and happiness of the place.
Of course, tea is a staple on the menu. Guerrero opines, “Tea is all about slowing down.” With an amazing array of teas to choose from everyone will find a favorite to enjoy.
The menu at Madhatters features fare that is both diverse, as well as delicious. Featuring breakfast, lunch and dinner and open seven days a week, the cafe serves a varied clientele. “75% of our customer's are regulars,” states Guerrero. Keeping the menu appealing is quite a chore when so much of your business is repeat customers. Sandwiches and salads are the main fare for lunch and dinner with Eggs Benedict, French toast and English muffins some of the staples for breakfast or brunch. Wine and beer are also served. No matter your taste in food Madhatters will have something for you to sink your teeth into.
The sundry clientele of Madhatters attests to the fact that Guerrero really loves his customers. “If you get people to feel something when they come into your place then you got "em,” Guerrero muses. From the looks of things and the success of the business people must feel a lot when they visit!
A great feature of Madhatters is tea parties. Whether for bridal showers or baby showers these parties are wonderful events. Guerrero related a story about a kid"s tea party where the little girl's all dressed as their favorite princesses. They were pulled around the neighborhood by a horse drawn carriage. Guerrero clearly likes hosting tea parties.
Madhatters Tea House and Cafe is a bona fide San Antonio institution. Great food, service, tea and atmosphere combine to make a trip to this cafe a most pleasurable experience. Fueled by the wonderful personality of owner Rene' Guerrero, Madhatters is truly an experience worth enjoying. Just remember back to your child days. Madhatters will let you reclaim some of that feeling.

The reason why the Alamo is so important is because of the history behind it. A war between America and Mexico was fought at the Alamo over a hundred years ago. In 1744, the Alamo was constructed as a church; however, it was converted to a fort in 1793. A few decades later, this fort was besieged by Mexican troops.

The Mexican troops won the battle and killed all of the fighters that were at the Alamo. However, the sacrifice that the fighters of the Alamo made emboldened other American troops to fight back with greater tenacity. Without this tenacity, south Texas might still belong to Mexico.

General Information

Like I mentioned above, the Alamo is located in San Antonio. More specifically, it is located in downtown San Antonio. Parking can be a little difficult to come by, so you may want to arrive early. As for hours of operation, the Alamo is open year round with the exception of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

You can't beat the price, though. It's completely free thanks to private donations, the gift shop; etc. So be sure you buy something at the gift shop to help keep this tourist attraction free to the public. For more information about the hours of operation, click here.

What to Expect

If you decide to visit the Alamo then be prepared for the crowds. Going early might help a bit but you should just prepare yourself to deal with a lot of people. After all, the Alamo is a fairly popular tourist attraction. It's also near the Riverwalk and other popular areas. As for the Alamo itself, it has been restored a bit over the years.

But you can still get a feel for what it must have been like in the past. Bring your camera because you'll want to have a couple of pictures of this place. Just so you know, there are no tour guides at the Alamo due to the number of people who visit.

But there's still plenty of information for you to read and see inside the fort. Videos, pictures, and articles will all be available for you to view. There is also staff members around who may be able to answer your questions. That is, if they're not already swamped with questions from other people.

As you can see, the Alamo is a wondrous sight to see. Millions of people visit the Alamo each year though, so be sure and brace for the crowds. So if you're looking for a cheap vacation then visit the Alamo and learn something interesting about the Texas culture.

Ruth’s Chris elegant fountain of water at the entrance sounds similar to the steaks you are soon to hear sizzling on the plates as you are being escorted to your throne. The Palms with its big city glitz and colorful, cartoonishly drawn characters of more of the city’s elite drawn throughout reminds you that you are eating at one of the best the city has to offer. But how do these three stacks up to each other? Come along for a journey as I try to cook up my best comparison of the three.

Let us first venture to into the Palm. This place for fine dinning, located down town San Antonio, still has that New York artsy feel to it. As you walk in you see why it is a favorite among the writers and artistic type. There are the cities news makers drawn through out in cartoon fashion on the walls. A sense of playful elegance surrounds you as you take your seat.

As always when I indulge at one of these fine places I order the filet mignon and lobster. The large (4-8 pound) Nova Scotia lobsters simply melt in your mouth. It’s hard to even dip it into the buttery sauce out of fear of losing some of the lobsters’ flavorful taste. The steak however leaves something to be desired. They sear their meat at The Palm. I find the steak to have a bit of a sour tang to it. Although good, I would prefer my steak charred. A little less New York ritz and more Texas ruggedness would suit my palette more.

Ruth’s Chris steak house is next on the royal binge. With its classy southern Louisiana charm this place is better then The Palm. It has more of a classy atmosphere with its fountains and low lighting. Simple classiness I guess you could say. It shows off none of its high class clientèle like most fine dinning establishments. Ruth’s Chris also sears its meat, however it is great.

Nothing is left to be desired here. When your fillet is served it is served sizzling. Your plate screams fresh from the broiler to the table. The taste is mouthwatering! Another of my favorites here at Ruth’s Chris is the dessert. The flourless chocolate cake is like nothing you have ever tasted before. It is a rich chocolate dish that bites at your salivary glands. If you order this dish it is a must you order the King Louis XII cognac to help cut through the mouthwatering experience. When you are eating the finest, drink the finest! For our final endeavor we are dinning at my personal favorite; Morton’s. You are sure to know who the big spenders are eating here. As you walk into this restaurant located next to the Alamo the first thing that you see are the wine lockers. Mahogany and brass shout out the names of former mayors, Spurs players, actors, high powered lawyers, the list goes on. Their personal wine is at the ready. The smell of meat charring shouts out to you 100% USDA PRIME!

This Chicago steak house has plenty of down home Texas ruggedness. The fillet here is simply unbeatable. It is charred to perfection on the outside, with a warm pink center and smothered in Bearnaise sauce. The Bearnaise sauce is a buttery sauce made with egg yoke, butter and tarragon. It brings out the flavor of the meat unparalleled in any other sauce. It is also fantastic poured over the fresh asparagus, asparagus that is colossal in size. If it is your first time eating here you must ask for “the show”. They will bring you a tray and personally show you each cut of meat and vegetable to inspect along with the lobster, still alive of course. It will be a show you surely get and a show you won’t soon forget.

For dessert I suggest you try the chocolate lava cake with a nice cold frosted glass of milk. The whole experience is regal. Simple Midwestern charm at it’s best.

My dad always told me that it only cost a little more to go first class. First class dinning is what all three of these restaurants have to offer. So depending on your style or the occasion there is something for everybody. From east coast glitz and glamor to southern charm and Midwest ruggedness it is all there to be sampled. Weather you like seafood or steak, simple or elegant you are sure to satisfy your taste and desires at one of these three fine dinning establishments. My personal favorite as I mentioned above, Morton’s “The King of Steak House’s” .

Martha's Restaurant consists of three different dining establishments. Each one is slightly different than the other. But all three of these restaurants have decent service and good food. There is always plenty of parking and the exterior and interior of the buildings is in good condition. Sometimes there is some construction work going on at the restaurants, but usually it's not too bad(or too loud).

Food Selection

Martha's Restaurant has a large selection of Mexican food and even a few types of entrees that are not such as country fried steak. But all the food has a Mexican style to it. First off, many of the food titles in the menu are in Spanish. And it's okay if you can't pronounce the words. Just point it out to your waiter, and they'll take care of it.

You can choose from tacos, burritos, flautas, chimichangas, and much more. There are also appetizers, alcoholic beverages, and some desserts. Your meal will often be served with rice and beans as a side dish. And you are also given some flour or corn tortillas with your meal.

Prices

Martha's Restaurant is a relatively cheap place to eat. The more expensive meals will cost you around twelve or so dollars, but you can find some meals for under five dollars. This is not including your waiter's tip, though. But still, the prices are very reasonable. If you order an alcoholic drink then that may actually cost more than your meal.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere may differ slightly depending on which restaurant you dine at, and when you visit. Overall, you should expect a mixture of people. If it's around noon on a weekday then you can expect to see business workers, construction workers, FedEx drivers; etc.

On weekends there may be more children and families present at the restaurant. Sometimes there is some Spanish music playing in the background, and there is usually a television set or two as well. Overall, it's a nice atmosphere. There is the occasional obnoxious individual, but usually the people are quite nice.

As you can see, Martha's Restaurant is a great place to eat out at. And it's also very reasonably priced with a nice atmosphere. So the next time you visit San Antonio and have an appetite for Mexican cuisine, try eating at Martha's.