San Antonio

Royalty Universe

Your one stop shopping information center.

San Antonio
Free Travel Voucher with every free local self storage quote.

Please accept this certificate for a wonderful vacation getaway as a token of our esteem and gratitude, a very special gift to you from PhoneSmart and Royalty Universe! For a very nominal processing fee of $15 and the hotel room tax between $7 and $12 per night you will enjoy luxury accommodations for 2 at your choice of 24 fantastic resort destinations. There are no time share presentations or sales pitches of any kind connected with this offer. Just follow the instructions to make your reservations and get ready to unwind, relax and have fun!

San Antonio, TX is the gateway into the American Southwest. In 1691 a Spanish expedition stopped in the area to observe a feast day for the Italian Saint Anthony of Padua. It has grown to the second largest city in the state of Texas with a population in 2006 of 1.3 million. San Antonio was the fastest growing city in the United States from 2000 – 2006.

Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Base and Brooks City Base join Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley to form a strong hub of military power. South Texas Medical Center is the only medical research and care provider in the South Texas region.

Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind about San Antonio is the Alamo. It is also famous for the River Walk, Sea World San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas theme parks.

American Indians lived in the area along the San Antonio River before the arrival of Spanish explorers. The actual founding of the city took place in 1718 when the Mission San Antonio de Valero was established and opened the area to Spanish settlement.

The most famous event in San Antonio’s history is of course the Battle of the Alamo in 1936. The town eventually grew to encompass the area surrounding the mission. 189 defenders held the mission against 4,000 Mexican troops led by a general named Santa Anna. They held for 13 days before they were overtaken and killed. The cry “Remember the Alamo” became the rally cry to lead in the Texas Revolution against Mexico.

The city has grown vastly in population and area. Under Texas law the city exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction over much of the surrounding land and therefore is not completely surrounded by suburban growth. There is an aggressive annexation program and opposition to creation of other cities in that jurisdiction.

The Alamo today is a shine and museum located in the downtown area, surrounded by hotels and tourist attraction. The mission building is featured on the flag and seal of San Antonio.

The layout and architecture of San Antonio being a historic urban center is more traditionally urban than Dallas and Austin. These cities developed in the last century and do not own the long history of San Antonio.

Downtown is home to more than the Alamo District. There is the Alamodome, the Central Business District, Historic Civic District, Houston Street District, King William Historic District, La Villita District, Market Square District, North Downtown, North River District, River Bend, South Town and University District.

The Central Business District is occupied by River center. A large shopping area anchored by Dillard’s and Macy’s. But most visitors are drawn first to the Alamo. The jewel of the city however, is the River Walk. It meanders through the downtown area and is lined with numerous shops, bars and restaurants. There is also the Arneson River Theater which is transformed into an impressive festival of lights during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. It is suffused with the local sounds of folklorico and flamenco music during the summer for celebrations as the Fiesta Noche del Rio. The newly restored Aztec on the River is the only surviving exotic themed movie palace in Texas.

The Majestic Theatre, HemisFair Park, and the Cathedral of San Fernando are also in the downtown area. Visitors are also drawn to the San Antonio Cavalry Museum features cavalry artifacts and exhibits. It is frequented by local re-enactors. There is a wide variety of other attractions and entertainments including, the San Antonio Zoo, Japanese Tea Gardens, Brackenridge Park, the missions of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, The Witte Museum, Sea World San Antonio, The Texas Transportation Museum and Splashtown San Antonio.

Art museums and theaters are among the states finest. San Antonio’s symphony orchestra rates with the nation’s best.

The Great Country River Festival in September, the Holiday River Festival in December, the Texas Folklife Festival in August, the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo in mid February, and the Starving Artists Show during the Easter season all showcase San Antonio’s love of celebrations and showcase the diverse population of nationalities who make up the city population.

The most major celebration in San Antonio is Fiesta San Antonio spanning 10 days the third and fourth weeks of April. Attractions include art exhibitions, coronation of King Antonio, Pilgrimage to the Alamo, concerts, band festivals, Battle of Flowers Parade, King’s River Parade, Fiesta Night Parade, flower and fashion shows, musical productions, balls, street dancing, fireworks, and the fabulous series of “Nights in Old San Antonio”.

The Alamo Museum is located on the grounds surrounding the Alamo. It contains relics of the Battle of the Alamo and other artifacts.

Buckhorn Hall of Horns was formally downtown in the vintage Buckhorn Saloon which developed a large collection of animal horns. The horn and mounted animal collection is now displayed along with the Hall of Fins, Hall of Feathers, a collection devoted to famous marksman Ad Topperwien, and a superb aggregation of antique and custom firearms. The Hall of Texas History wax museum recalls Texas History events.

The Cowboy Museum and Gallery features a full size re creation of an 1870’s false front trail town. The Institute of Texan Culture is dedicated to the people who created historic events. Twenty-six ethnic and cultural groups are featured in exhibits showcasing where the came from and what they did, their food and clothing, their music and festivals. There are four other San Antonio missions which were established in the early 18th century. Mission Trail is a driving route with signage on city streets.

The Vietnam Veterans memorial depicts a scene from the Battle for Hill 881 South—a radio man calling for help for a wounded comrade. A solemn procession of visitors often shed tears at the museum at the corner of E. Martin and Jefferson Streets in front of the Municipal Auditorium.

After a day of sightseeing tourists enjoy some of the world famous Tex-Mex cuisine at the many fine restaurants. Many residents, former residents and visitors declare San Antonio to be the undisputed capitol of Tex-Mex food. While there are upscale restaurants with a more extravagant menu price in nearly all areas of town the eateries have menus that are relatively inexpensive.

San Antonio does not have a wide range of top level professional sports teams but they are proud to be home to the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association. The Spurs have made their home in San Antonio since 1973 and have won four NBA Championships. Originally the team had played in the Alamodome. That facility was built for football. In 2002 the SBC center was opened and then renamed the AT&T Center.

The San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League and the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA are both owned by the Spurs. The San Antonio Missions are a Double-A Minor League affiliate of the San Diego Padres. San Antonio also has a rugby union team. The city is host to the NCAA football Alamo Bowl in December.

Following Hurricane Katrina the New Orleans Saints set up practice facilities in San Antonio for the NFL season and played a split home schedule between the Alamodome and Tiger Stadium in Baton rouge, Louisiana. It has been reported that the city is attempting to bring in a permanent National Football League franchise. The strong attendance at the Alamodome for the Saints games there indicated that San Antonio could support an NFL franchise.

There are more than 100,000 students in 31 higher-education facilities including Trinity University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, The University of Texas health Science Center and Our Lady of the Lake University. Public School facilities are plentiful and nearly forty private and church schools operated by a wide diversity of religious organizations.

Transportation is served by the San Antonio International Airport, Amtrak, the national passenger rail service and four interstate highways. City transportation is provided by the city’s metropolitan transit system, VIA Metropolitan Transit. VIA offers 78 regular bus routes and four non rail trolley routes. Express routes from downtown to the theme parks helps to reduce traffic snarls. VLIA also offers special service to city events, including Spurs games and city parades from its Park and Ride locations.

Come to San Antonio where many cultures meet. A visit to San Antonio is a journey through Texas history.

Click here to get your free travel voucher with every free local self storage quote .