Day Trips® from Austin by Paris Permenter & john bigley

Author:Paris Permenter & john bigley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781493018444
Publisher: TwoDot

San Antonio Zoological Garden and Aquarium. 3903 N. St. Mary’s St.; (210) 734-7184; sazoo-aq.org. This world-class zoo features barless “habitat cages” for many of its animals. The cliffs of an abandoned quarry are home to more than 8,500 birds, fish, mammals, and other fauna, making the zoo one of the largest animal collections in North America. There’s a children’s petting area, a reptile house, and an aquarium. Open daily year-round; call for seasonal hours. Fee.

Witte Museum. 3801 Broadway; (210) 357-1900; wittemuseum.org. This excellent museum focuses on natural history, especially as it relates to the state’s Native American, Spanish, and Mexican heritage. The museum is also home to the H–E–B Body Adventure, a four-floor interactive experience that emphasizes physical health. Open daily. Fee.

far northwest

Beyond Loop 410, the city begins to give way to the Hill Country, the rolling, oak-covered land that’s still largely rural. This is also the home of San Antonio’s two theme parks.

where to go

SeaWorld San Antonio. 10500 SeaWorld Dr. (18 miles northwest of downtown, between Loop 410 and Loop 1604); (800) 700-7786; seaworldparks.com. This 250-acre, Texas-size park is one of the largest marine-life parks in the world. It’s the home of Shamu the killer whale, plus dolphins, penguins, sea otters, and more. Visitors can enjoy fast-moving roller coasters and water rides, live entertainment, and interactive encounters with dolphins, beluga whales, or California sea lions. Other tours include a chance to go behind the scenes to watch the care of SeaWorld’s animals and a petting pool with people-friendly dolphins. Open Mar through Dec with changing hours. Fee.

Six Flags Fiesta Texas. 17000 I-10 West (I-10 and Loop 1604, 15 miles northwest of downtown); (800) 473-4378 or (210) 697-5050; sixflags.com/fiestatexas. This extensive theme park located, like SeaWorld, near Loop 1604 on the northwest side of town, offers a staggering array of rides. There are over 50 in all, ranging from the tame to the terrifying. Some of these are “dry” rides, including the Iron Rattler roller coaster and the Crow’s Nest Ferris wheel, while others are wet rides designed to cool you down in the Texas heat. The park is divided into eight different sections, each featuring a different style of rides, entertainment, dining, and shopping, and each exploring the cultural diversity of San Antonio and the Southwest. Open Mar through Oct with changing hours. Fee.

where to stay

Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa. 9800 Hyatt Resort Dr.; (800) 233-1234 or (210) 647-1234; hillcountry.hyatt.com. This full-service resort offers the area’s most luxurious getaway, with 27 holes of golf and a 5-acre water park with a cascading waterfall and man-made Ramblin’ River for inner-tube floaters. The 500-room resort nestles on 300 acres of a former cattle ranch, rolling land sprinkled with prickly pear cacti, wildflower meadows, and live oaks. With its limestone architecture and Western decor, the four-story hotel captures the atmosphere of the Hill Country, from windmills to gingerbread trim featuring the Lone Star (which often decorated homes of the German pioneers who settled the area). For meetings, the resort boasts

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