San Antonio

Nope

Wow that bad huh?

If you're into Mexican pinga, you'll be in heaven.

My friend lives there. There’s nothing there. Oh, OP, going in Summer is the worst, btw.

Well there's The Strip which consist of 3 gay bars and then there's Bonham which is a straight bar now but there are lots of hot straight guys ovah there...

I went a couple of years for a conference... The Alamo isn't as big as you would think and is very, very crowded. The Riverwalk is narrow and there aren't any railings along the water. A couple of nice places to eat and have a drink though.

Went to the top of the Tower of the Americas. San Antonio is just a huge flat sprawling city. Not a whole lot to see from up there. Some of the folks at the conference rented a car and I tagged along and saw a few of the old missions (Concepcion and San Jose, I think)... not very touristy, but bigger, kind of like how I thought the Alamo would be. The Japanese Sunken Garden was nice, but after 15-20 minutes, you've seen it. It's pretty, but not worth lingering.

On my free day, I did a tour to see the LBJ Ranch and then to the town of Fredericksburg. LBJ Ranch was OK... like a timewarp into the 1960s. Fredericksburg is a small touristy town settled by Germans so there are a few German restaurants. I ate at one and it was basically a diner that happened to have schnitzel and sauerbraten on the menu... nothing special. Went to the National Museum of the Pacific War which was kind of cool if you're into military history.

10 days there seems like a really long time. I spent most of my time by the Riverwalk Area or Market Square. If there is a gay scene, it wasn't in that area.

r6 Thank you! I know 10 days is a long time. I spent 10 days in Minneapolis last year expecting I would hate it and I absolutely fell in love with it I hope I’m surprised by San Antonio I’m sure the Mexican food is phenomenal

There is NOTHING there but horrendous traffic, heat, and the Alamo, which is boring as fuck and once you've seen it you never have to again.

Although, there is a Ripley's Believe it or Not! across the street, so go see that I guess. But that's it!!#

I grew up there. There's nothing to do.

Make sure to check out the basement at the Alamo. And the Pedro and Inez exhibit.

[quote]If you're into Mexican pinga, you'll be in heaven.

Mexicans say "verga," not pinga.

Lol .. You guys are cracking me up. I thought Austin was an overrated piece of crap so San Antonio must be really bad

Downtown has 6 old time movie palaces from the 1920s and there is the beautiful old Governor's mansion from colonial times.

It is crawling with military dick.

Of course you can meet them online.

Been there twice for work. Three day trips filled with work responsibilities. But felt in the few hours I had free I covered the city.

San Antonio is notorious among Texans for being deadly dull for single adults but quite nice for family fun (Alamo, Sea World, Six Flags). The main blame has been put on the overbearing influence of the military population. A lot of retirees have settled there. The Mexican culture can be vibrant, however, but may not offer much for Anglos who don't speak the language.

Overall, San Antonio is an attractive green city, especially by Texas standards. As far as adult adventures, it pales in comparison to Houston, Austin and even Dallas.

It has a bad rep on datalounge because its police have a history of virulent homophobia. Fix that, and we will party on down there.

R6, you went out to Fredricksburg, but DIDN'T go to Enchanted Rock, just 15 minutes north of there? SHAME! Enchanted Rock is amazing, and you can spend HOURS there... provided you can get in. For environmental reasons, they close the park when there are a certain number of people in there, and don't open it again until late afternoon or evening. It's best to get there early on a weekday if you can.

Not much of a gay scene but by Texas standards it's very pro-gay. The city council approved a rainbow crosswalk last week. OP not much to do here yes do check out some of the eating places on the Riverwalk.

Definitely worth checking out "Natural Bridge Caverns" just north of the city in New Braunfels.

The Bonham is STRAIGHT now?!? Damn.

I lived there nearly 20 years ago... for just two years.

For my first year, the gay scene was HOT. The strip had nearly-nude dancers, and there was tons of fun to be had. Bonham was an amazing dance club. Then there were police raids (things got a bit too frisky I guess), and everything instantly died. I remember going out Friday and Saturday nights, and ALL the bars were dead. There were also more than just the 3 on the strip and the Bonham. There were several others that were lots of fun. I guess they closed down. Seriously, for the second year I lived there, there was almost zero gay bar scene.

There was a nice wine/café/bar place called "Candlelight Coffeehouse" that was nice, and quiet, and friendly, and had good food. I'd hang there a lot as well.

Sad that the bar scene and gay scene apparently never recovered.

Get yourself killed at Buck & Doe's

OP They're building an IKEA

Go to a dude ranch.

Have yourself a Chester's Green Chili Cheeseburger (410 and I10 northwest). I miss those. I hope that place is still around.

The Riverwalk is actually pretty nice. Some very good restaurants there (and some touristy lame restaurants charging premium prices too, choose carefully). It can be very pretty, and it's usually a good 10 degrees cooler down there than at street level. Worth it to take the touristy boat-ride for the tour. Yeah, it's cheesy, but everyone needs to do it once.

Chacho's Mexican food (I think there's a couple of them, the one I knew was also near 410 and I10) is awesome. Get the fajita chicken tacos. And a margarita.

If you're into roller-coasters, both SeaWorld and SixFlags have some really good ones.

There's one bath house, and if it's anything like I remember, it's really lame. Half the cars in the parking lot are SUVs with child-seats in the back seat. Kinda sad. I wonder if it's even still open. It was called The Executive Club or something stupid like that. Closet-case central. But my information is old, I haven't been back to San Antonio in a long time.

You can go to that Dick's restaurant, if you want to be insulted by waiters and made to wear paper hats with bad nicknames on them.

Compared to a lot of places, San Antonio is an interesting city. There are a group of 3 gay bars on Main that you can go between. Better than some cities with 1 little gay bar. And I think the Riverwalk is historic, unique and pretty - especially by Texas standards. Alamo is overrated though and a little sketchy in certain neighborhoods near Riverwalk late at night. But I’ve been there many times, and enjoy it. The Tex Mex is fabulous (La Fonda was good but many others). The center around Riverwalk is more historic than any other main city in Texas. Houston is bigger and better - but I think San Antonio is more interesting than Austin or Dallas as a tourist.

You guys are awesome thanks ! Apparently there is some big gay softball tournament as well that might be fun to go to as well.

Jesus.. How many times can I say as well in one sentence. I sound British.

r27 I went to Dicks once and they took it easy on us, a little disappointed.

Austin is only an hour's drive away so I assume you will spend at least a day there as well, OP.

Schlitterbahn!

Go tubing on the Guadalupe or the Comal, the only way to cool off on a hot day

In San Antonio all seems to breathe freedom and peace and to make one forget the world and its sad turmoils.

"If you don't speak Spanish"? Fuck you, I grew up there and currently live in Austin. You do not need to know Spanish in SA. Are you the same idiot that said you need to know Spanish in El Paso? You would be surprised how many second and third generation Mexican Americans on the far Northside of SA don't speak Spanish.

r34 freedom except for the horrendous traffic, which is as bad as Houston's.

Not sure what you'd do in Austin beyond do a little bar hopping. It's not all that "touristy".

R33 That looks really fun! I’m sure it’s awesome on a hot day

r36 There's a lot of people here and what urban area doesn't have the occasional traffic jam at 8:00 am or 5:30 pm. The traffic here pales in comparison to Austin, they have traffic nightmares. If you want to make it thru Austin unscathed go at about 2 or 3 PM.

3pm is too late. It's already terrible by 3. And continues to be terrible until 7.

It looks like I’ll be spending 6 weeks. I’m taking over corporate training duties. I’m sure I’ll be able to keep myself busy. It looks like there’s tons to do.

It's pretty fun, as long as you don't have to get out in traffic. There are a few gay bars, and people seem gay friendly enough, considering it's the south.

R38, it's a blast. Rent a cooler tube, fill it with beer (or your beverage of choice), and float the day away.

R35 is correct. When I lived there (I was near I-10 and DeZavala), I was always surprised by the native Texans with Hispanic surnames who couldn't speak a bit of Spanish.

Now really, OP's question really means will he get dick?

Sounds to me like he could.

I grew up on the Northside and you don't need Spanish to get around San Antonio, but knowing Spanish means you can enjoy a lot more of what the city has to offer.

I was there for a work conference last summer. There was no obvious gay scene, but there's is a lot to do for a temporary visitor. Having never been to Texas, I was pleasantly surprised by the area. The summer is hot and humid as hell. Bring a big bottle of water wherever you go.

In terms of touristy stuff to do: 1. go inside The Alamo, of course 2. The San Antonio Missions: There are 5 (I went to 4, the ones accessible by bus), they've very unique and historical and not overrun with tourists like the The Alamo. 3. The River Walk is pretty for a nice stroll after dark or early in the morning, too hot during the day. The restaurants and bars tend to be overpriced chains. Food is better and cheaper in areas geared to locals. 4. The Market Square has some interesting shops and is open daily. 5. If you get desperately bored, there's always Sea World.

Since you'll be there for awhile, you can also explore Austin, which is an hour away and my friends say has more of a gay scene. Houston is a 3 hour drive.

Do not go to sea world. There is a boycott. San Antonio is landlock, no sea, no ocean.