San Antonio Botanical Garden

A couple of weeks ago, we ventured over to the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Let me say, I am so sad we have been missing out on this place since we moved here over four years ago. A low ticket cost of $10 provided us with a chance to explore the amazing gardens on a lovely Sunday. Read on to see some of the beauty we encountered.

We first explored the Fountain Plaza and Japanese Garden. Both were peaceful, scenic spaces perfect for journaling, sketching, or simply enjoying the scenery. The fountains and trickling water created such a relaxing vibe.

Next, we journeyed past the Overlook to spend some time in the various pavilions. Every path we took had no shortage of interesting plants and wildlife to observe.

The first room we explored was the Northrup Tropical Room. It was packed wall-to-ceiling with lush vegetation and colorful plants. It truly provided the sensation of walking through a rainforest.

As you can see, this room was literally overflowing with things to admire.

As native Houstonians, the humidity in the Tropical Room felt familiar, and the dry heat of Kleberg Desert Pavilion felt more like San Antonio. This pavilion held cacti, succulents, and even a tiny, growing pineapple pictured below.


It felt nice to escape the warm Desert Pavilion, and head into the breezy Palm & Cycad Pavilion. This amazing structure housed so many different palms and truly felt like a tropical destination. 

Our final stop in the pavilion area was the Fern Grotto, and we may have saved the best for last! The lush green plants, impressive waterfall, and winding stone path provided a calm oasis that we spent a long time exploring.

We finally stepped outside to admire the Orangerie, where we resisted the urge to harvest some freshly grown limes. It was educational to see how many of the different fruits we enjoy are grown.

We used this shaded path to travel up past the Overlook again to peruse the Cactus and Succulent Garden. This expansive area was a landscape full of so many versions of cacti…some were even purple!

Near the end of the Cactus and Succulent Garden we happened upon the South Texas trail. Here we found this adorable adobe house, more cacti, and an excellent area for bird watching. I have never seen so many cardinals in one spot!

The East Texas Pineywoods section of the gardens welcomed us with the amazing sculpture below. It was made in San Antonio specifically for the Botanical Garden, and it looked stunning reflecting all of the greenery and nature surrounding it. This section of the garden had a lake full of ducks, several tall trees, and a quaint log cabin with light streaming in.

The final section of the garden we visited was the Hill Country. It was wonderful to see signs of spring starting to pop up here and there. I cannot wait to visit again in the springtime when I’m sure this section will be brimming with wildflowers! Our walk through the Schumacher House confirmed that Louis would have been considered a giant in the past. 🙂

We journeyed back towards the front of the garden, pausing to enjoy the tranquil Sacred Garden.

As you can see, the San Antonio Botanical Garden was already full of blooming tulips, colorful succulents, and more plants. I can only imagine how beautiful it will be in a few weeks when spring is in full swing!

If you’re looking for a fun, relaxing way to spend a day, I can’t recommend the San Antonio Botanical Garden enough! Have you ever visited? Did we miss any of your favorite parts?

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Night Al Migrations: Texas Pride BBQ

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Summer in Texas means BBQ! Scratch that…Texas means BBQ. In our new quest to explore more, Louis and I remembered hearing about Texas Pride BBQ awhile ago. One morning, we woke up craving BBQ (like every other day), so we made the 40-minute drive from West San Antonio out to Texas Pride BBQ on a beautiful, sunny Saturday.

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As soon as we pulled up, I knew I was going to love this place. The entrance is covered with amazing antiques (I almost typed “old antiques”…redundant much? Hah.) mostly centering around a Texan gas station theme (MUCH cooler than it sounds). We strolled past the rusty gas pumps and vintage Coca Cola bottles, through the screen door, and up the wooden ramp.

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At the end of the ramp is a signed photo of Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. His show is actually how we first heard about Texas Pride BBQ, so shout out to you for that one, Guy. The rustic, vintage decor continued inside with all sorts of Texas artifacts but more exciting at that point was the smell of delicious BBQ.

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We were greeted by a friendly worker who walked us through the menu and gave us his recommendations. We decided on sliced brisket and ribs for our meats, but they also have sausage (so dumb that we didn’t try this!), chopped brisket, pork tenderloin, and turkey. Everything looked and smelled amazing!

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Louis ordered fresh cut fries for his side, and they don’t fry them until you order them, so they were fresh and delicious when they came out! I went with mac n’ cheese and green beans, which were both super yummy. We carried our tray of food to the indoor seating area, where they have tons of delicious BBQ sauce (original or spicy), pickles, onions, and all the fixin’s for a delicious meal. Below is a little snapshot of what we enjoyed.

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If you’re not stuffed after your meal, they also have hand-scooped Bluebell, Pecan Cobbler, and a delicious looking Peach Cobbler I was begging my stomach to find room for somewhere…next time for sure. After we enjoyed our DELICIOUS BBQ, we strolled out the back of the restaurant to the amazing outdoor area.

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We climbed up to the huge rooftop deck that would be so perfect to sit on during a crisp October night enjoying some BBQ and live music. That’s definitely on my To Do List! I bet it is so fun at night with all of the colored lights lit. From the upstairs patio there is a great view of the seating, game room, and stage below.

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Texas Pride BBQ is really the gift that keeps on giving. Outside they have a stage where they have live concerts, a precious antique store, a game room full of arcade games, a playground for the kids, tons of unique photo ops, and plenty of seating for your entire group.

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We loved wandering around in the antique store. We spent a long time talking with the owner, who told us about several of the pieces she acquired, and her love for seeking out Texas specific antiques. She was so kind, and we had a blast exploring all of the neat stuff she had for sale!

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One funny find was a Texas vs. Rice football program from October 1948 with an ad for Camel Cigarettes on the back! Can you imagine seeing a cigarette ad in a college football program today?? I guess a lot’s changed in 65 years.

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My personal favorite find was this cute Dr. Pepper wood crate. If I thought we had a spot for it in our apartment, it definitely would have come home with us. Dr. Pepper is my fave!  Can’t you picture it full of some bud vases and baby’s-breath?? Love. Also, baby’s-breath…what a creepy name.

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We went on Saturday afternoon, but it would be fun to plan a trip out to Texas Pride when they’re having one of their weekly events going on. Thursday is Bike Night, and apparently tons of motorcyclists come and park their bikes under the awning to enjoy BBQ. On Friday, they have a big Fish Fry at their back bar and live music on stage. Saturday evenings also have live music, and on Sundays, they have Classic Car Night. Apparently several of the car owners come dressed to match the decades of their cars…so fun! I’d love to go back one Sunday and see that!

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Texas Pride BBQ totally has something for everyone! ….Except for vegetarians maybe? Sorry, y’all. We spent a couple of hours just enjoying the atmosphere and admiring all of the neat items they’ve gathered. It is a really unique place, and it reminded me how much I love Texas. 🙂 If you’re heading to San Antonio anytime soon or you live close by, I’d definitely recommend a trip to Texas Pride! It’s going to be our new spot to take visitors!

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