This summer, I planned a trip to San Antonio! I’ve been wanting to go visit Texas for a while, and after talking to a foodie friend, I booked a ticket and got to crash at her place for a few days.
This was my first time traveling alone and I was SO nervous!! I already hate flying, so doing it alone made my a lil scared. However, everything went by smoothly! I spent the majority of my time in San Antonio, however, I did spent a day in Austin, Texas too.
Everything in Austin/San Antonio was delicious, and they are a very eco-conscious area. I was so happy to be able to find local areas and bigger chains that carried delicious food. There were also SO many beautiful places I got to visit, as well as a few grocery stores too.
I left Texas with a lighter wallet and fuller stomach. Here’s a guide of everything I did, saw, and ate in Austin + San Antonio, Texas.
Pearl Farmer’s Market:
The first place I went to after getting off the airplane was a farmer’s market. I was HUNGRY and there are sooo many food vendors here! Everything local, and I saw people selling kombucha, mexican food, caramel, and more. It’s definitely unlike any farmer’s market I’ve been to, and it was SO much bigger! I tried out a vegan empanada from one vendor and a steak taco on an organic blue corn tortilla from another. So good.
Central Market:
Another San Antonio based store! A healthy foodie’s DREAM! I was so surprised how affordable their produce was, and they had so many different brands and products. I picked up a few things for breakfast and airplane snacks. I also got to try Culina yogurt (my favorite dairy-free yogurt by FAR) and HU Kitchen chocolate!
Revolucion Coffee + Juice
We stopped here for coffee and lunch before heading to Austin, Texas. If I lived nearby, I know I would be here every day to study! They had so many elixirs, superfoods, to-go food, drinks, and more! It was the cutest plant-based coffee place, and I got a falafel wrap to-go and an Iced Americano in my own cup.
Shopping
We spend the day in Austin doing some shopping! We went thrifting and stopped by an Outdoor Voices too. I went to Buffalo Exchange for the first time and ended up buying a rain jacket, skirt, and fanny pack! I wore the skirt the next day, it’s a new favorite. I love thrifting because it helps support the community directly, plus its super cheap and sustainable.
Picnik
I had an Austin meet-up and held it at Picnik! I’ve heard of their butter coffee, so I had to try out the restaurant itself. They offer a little bit of everything, but I settled on their Harvest Hash bowl! I didn’t get a chance to try their coffee (it was too late for me!) but this place was so tasty. A little expensive, but sometimes it be like that!
Voodoo Doughnuts
We ended our Austin trip with some dessert. Just looking at these donuts hurts my stomach but they were SO worth it. They have typical donuts, but also more fun ones, like the ones we got. They are big, super sweet, and the perfect way to end the night. I got the Dirt donut!
Japanese Tea Garden
Absolutely gorgeous. We started our day at a public Japanese garden, and which also has a small cafe. I’ve never seen so much greenery in one area, it was so beautiful to look at! Free to enter, and it’s a quick walk to see it all.
The Alamo
How could I not come here? A classic touristy place, but we just stopped by real quick to take a few photos! I sent them to my dad, who’s a big history buff, and he thought it was so cool!
San Antonio River Walk
We went super early so it was empty but felt so serene. At night, it must be so active and busy, so I was glad I could get there to get a few photos before it came to life. There were a lot of restaurants and gift shops, but we just walked up and down to take a look.
Market Square
It’s a large Mexican market, and it was so fun to see all the different souvenirs! There are so many shops here. Again, we got there early so we had time to see it before the event made the area busier that night. Everyone was super friendly, and it felt really cool to see something from my own background here in San Antonio.
Sanchos Cocina y Cantina
More Mexican food!! All local, but the amount of styrofoam and plastic made me #sad 😦 Not all local places are eco-conscious, this is a good thing to keep in mind! The food was delicious, and they did offer some vegan options. It’s a bar as well, so there was a place for live music. It was a suuuuper spicy lunch, but full of flavor! There known for their nachos, but we got the lunch special so we decided to get the chips and salsa that came with our meals instead. Some of the best tacos I’ve had, I got steak tacos, rice, and beans.
Earth Burger
Plant-based fast food??? Yes please! This was the coolest fast food place I’ve been to, and there were so many options! We each got something different, I got the Roasted Quinoa Burger with fries. I would 100% eat here again (if only they weren’t local ugh)
Amy’s Ice Cream
Dessert was some ice cream! They’re known for their Mexican Vanilla ice cream, so I got two scoops in a waffle cone. A super fun place, and they had interesting flavors (one had donuts and coffee!), and they had plant-based options too!
Mama Margie’s
Annnnd more tacos! My last spot of the night. This was Beth’s favorite taco place, so we stopped through the drive-thru so I can try them for myself. Super cheap tacos, I got a beans and cheese taco and a steak taco, I think they were less than $2 each. Not the best, it didn’t have a lot of flavor but it’s still a taco, so it was still pretty good!
Texas was
A very good experience for me. I think this trip happened at the perfect time in my life. This summer was mentally very difficult to handle, and I felt very stuck in where I was. My anxiety was the worst it’s been for years, and some days I didn’t even want to be alive. I needed something to get me out of this cycle I was in, and I knew I couldn’t do that in the environment I was in. This trip was the break I needed. It was very refreshing to kind of hit pause and experience something new. I met so many new people and went to a lot of new places. I also challenged my eating disorder, and I was able to eat what I wanted without guilt. After my trip, I started to see what I was going through as a transition period to something better. With the new school year coming up, I feel ready to take it on.
There was so much more I wanted to do and see in San Antonio, especially Austin, so I already know I’ll be back. Hopefully this guide helps you in case you’re planning a trip of your own:)
Learning From Balance 