Ring in the New Year

Thanksgiving is long gone, Hanukkah has passed, Christmas has come and gone the only thing left is New Year’s Eve! One of the biggest nights of the year, there are always exciting things happening on the last night of the year and the final night of 2015 is no different.

One of the best places in all of San Antonio is the beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk. There are always exciting events going on along the river and the holiday season is no exception. New Year’s Eve brings with it a celebration that you won’t want to miss out on. The Hotel Valencia wants to party with you this New Year’s Eve.

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The New Year’s Eve Dinner Package includes luxurious accommodations for two where you’ll rest on custom made Hotel Valencia beds wrapped in 7 layers of designer made Egyptian cotton. It doesn’t get any more luxurious than that!

Enjoy a buffet dinner for the two of you from 8 PM until 10 PM including multiple carving stations, half shell oysters, shrimp and crab claws. Once you’ve filled up on enough of that deliciousness, make sure you’ve saved enough room for more because you’ll be able to move onto the dessert extravaganza part of the meal. You’ll need all of that fuel for dancing the night away!

Once you’ve had your fill of the buffet, head to the bar to receive your complimentary Vbar specialty cocktails. Those will get you revved up for the real party.

Your New Year’s Eve Package gains you access to the coolest party in San Antonio. Dance the night away to the DJ and sip on your cocktails. You’ll countdown to midnight with a glass of champagne and at midnight you’ll be bombarded by a balloon release! Continue to party the night away and make sure to sneak over and get some late night snacks at the late night buffet.

Before you retire to your room for the night, make sure you receive your complimentary party favor and hangover kit. With those tasty cocktails from the bar flowing all night, you’ll probably be in desperate need of that hangover kit!

New Year’s Eve at the Hotel Valencia on the Riverwalk is bound to be an amazing experience that you won’t regret attending. For information on how to reserve your spot, check here.


How are you spending New Year’s Eve? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.

Spend Christmas Eve Out and About

Christmas is a time for gathering together with your family and showing your appreciation for one another. Some people tend to stay in on Christmas Eve though. This year is time for a new tradition. Many restaurants are opening their doors and welcoming you in for Christmas Eve dinner this year. See where you should be dining this Thursday evening.

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Boiler House Texas Grill and Wine Garden is opening its doors this year for Christmas Eve to you and your family. They’ll be open for seating from 11 AM until 10 PM. House chicharrones and hot sauce, herb and feta marinated olives and Texas whiskey bacon caramel kettle corn are just a few options to start your meal with. For your main course you can have anything from braised Kurobuta pork belly, smoked rabbit porchetta and jumbo shrimp bacon. There’s nothing on this dinner menu that will disappoint you. To round out your meal, you can choose a mason jar mousse, dulce de leche sea salt Semifreddo or a pistachio pound cake. There are so many options at Boiler House Texas Grill that your head will spin. To see their expansive menu in full, check here. Luckily for us, Boiler House is only a 20 minute drive away from the Residences at La Cantera so we don’t have far to travel on Christmas Eve.

The Melting Pot in San Antonio will be welcoming you in on Christmas Eve with their regular menu which is never a disappointment. Cheese fondue to start off with is a great choice. Take your pick from cheddar, classic alpine, and spinach artichoke to dip your treats into. In addition to salads, there’s a delicious individual entree selection that’ll have you wishing you hadn’t filled up on so much cheese fondue. Try teriyaki sirloin, honey orange duck breast or sesame-crusted ahi tuna are all excellent choices from the Melting Pot’s entree menu. If you’ve got enough room left in your belly after all of that deliciousness, the dessert will knock your socks off. Chocolate fondue with tons of little treats to dip in it. Take your brownies, blondies, pineapples, strawberries, pound cake and marshmallow treats and dip them in milk, white or dark chocolate, flaming turtle chocolate and chocolate s’mores. For a look at the full offering from the Melting Pot head here. The Melting Pot is only a short 15 minute drive down the road from us at La Cantera.

If you typically find yourself at home on Christmas Eve without any plans, you should make yourself a reservation at one of these delicious restaurants!


Where do you usually spend Christmas Eve? At home with family or out to dinner? Tell us on Facebook and Twitter.

Holiday Party The Right Way

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With all of the holidays coming up, you might be considering hosting a party! Hosting a huge party of people might seem daunting but you can tackle it with some help. Taking your guests out to the beautiful rooftop garden for a little entertaining and a scenic view will make them want to come back immediately! You might never get rid of your guests! Here are some tips for throwing the best holiday party.

Yum. You can’t have a holiday party without delicious finger foods. These little stocking pizza bites are holiday appropriate and delicious! Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury™ refrigerated Crescent Dough Sheet 
• ¼ cup pizza sauce
• ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (1 oz)
• 2 tablespoons torn basil leaves

1. Heat up your oven to 350°F. Unroll your dough and press it into a 13x8 inch rectangle. 
2. Using your stocking shaped cookie cutter, cut 12 stocking out of the dough. 
3. Bake your stockings for 8 minutes.
4. Spread sauce on each of your stockings, leaving a small sliver of border around the outside. 
5. Sprinkle some mozzarella cheese at the top of each stocking for your fluffy bit.
6. Pop them back in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
7. Add some basil leaves for a little garnish after you pull them out of the oven.

For more amazing and delicious recipes, check out Pillsbury’s website.


Signature Sips. If you want to make a party truly memorable, you might want to consider having a signature cocktail at the party. You’ll really impress guests if you can make it off the top of your head without looking at a recipe! We recommend a sparkling apple cider sangria; perfect for the holidays. Here’s what you’ll need to make it happen:

• 1 750 ml bottle (standard) champagne or prosecco
• 2 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1 cup club soda
• 1/2 cup Disaronno
• 2 apples, sliced
• cinnamon sticks, for garnish

For the full concoction you can check out Pizzazzerie’s blog. A signature cocktail at a party will not only make the drink stand out in your guests minds but also the party as a whole. “Hey, remember that party we went to where they had that amazing apple cider sangria? That was a cool party!” Don’t you want people to have that reaction to your party? We thought so.

Take the party to another level with a chocolate fondue station. Melt up some chocolate and lay out some delicious holiday favorites like marshmallows, candy canes, gingerbread men, shortbread cookies and pretzels. Your guests will eat it up, literally!


When you’re planning out your holiday party, make sure you follow these tips and make sure to take your guests up to the rooftop garden! Do you have any tips and recipes for a holiday party? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.

Stellar San Antonio: Best Stargazing Locations

We're really lucky in San Antonio to have such beautiful weather almost all year round. It allows for many more opportunities to get outside and enjoy the good ole outdoors. A great way to spend time outdoors is to stargaze. Throwing down a cozy blanket, sipping a cup of hot chocolate and lying back to gaze at the universe spread out above you, it doesn't get any better than that. Here are some of the best places around San Antonio to catch a glimpse of the cosmos. Be prepared for a drive: since San Antonio is such a bright and bolstering city, the lights make it a little hard to see the sky at night.

Image courtesy of Anne Dirske

2 hours away from San Antonio, you'll find the Canyon of the Eagles Resort. The Texas Hill County resort brings you comfort and hospitality while still letting you be at home in a nature setting. They say, "Where the road ends, the adventure begins" and that's no lie at Canyon of the Eagles Resort. Staying at the resort will give you access to the beautiful Eagle Eye Observatory. Observe the stars, planets and constellations from the comfort of the observatory. You'll be able to see it all from here. Check out their website for more information.

Guadalupe River State Park is located a short 30 minute drive away from our home at the Residences at La Cantera so you don't have to travel far to be able to see the stars. Not only can you enjoy the stars from the ground but you can hop into a canoe or a tube and enjoy it from the comfort of the river too. with four miles of river in the park, there are plenty of places to put in and float while you gaze into the sky.

If you join the Austin Astronomical Society you can receive access to 2 different observation parties where you can join other skyward gazing individuals in observing the universe. You'll also receive training and certification in how to use the telescopes and operating the Eagle Eye Observatory. This Saturday, in fact, their monthly Members Only Star Party is taking place at the Eagle Eye Observatory. Find out how to join the AAS here.

Get in the Holiday Spirit

Image courtesy of Nan Palmero - Flickr

Thanksgiving has come and gone but the holiday season is just ramping up. To get yourself in the mood for the holidays, you’ll need to put some fun in your life. As the Spice Girls would say, “Spice up your life!” There are tons of activities going on throughout the month of December to get you into the holiday mood.

See the Riverwalk lit up and joyous for the Ford Fiesta de las Luminarias. Stroll the banks of the river guided by over 6,000 Luminarias. The tradition, which has been ongoing for centuries, begins Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from December 6th through the 20th. Come see the Riverwalk in its best light!

Saturday, December 5th from 12PM to 6PM at Pearl Brewery, you can eat all the tamales your belly can handle. Try tamales from over 40 different tamale makers. Don’t like one? That’s okay! There’s more to sample. Enjoy live music from local acts while you munch on your tamales. Bring the kids too because there will be tons of fun activities for children to keep them occupied while you decide on your next tamale. Don’t miss out on this holiday tradition.

This Sunday, you can participate in the Rock ‘n Roll marathon and half marathon. The course will lead you past several historical San Antonio monuments and landmarks all the while driving you on with awesome music. Along each mile of the course there will be bands playing live music for you to rock out to! There’s nothing like a real live band to motivate you to make it through that last mile. Register here!

From November 27th until the end of December, you can see the San Antonio Botanical Garden in bloom. Holidays in Bloom is your chance to step away from the hectic rush of the holidays and catch an early glimpse of spring. If you were looking to take some holiday photos this year, this is the place to take them. With the vivid colors in bloom, you’ll have a perfect backdrop for some floral holiday photos.


There are so many great activities to get you geared up for the holidays. What’s your favorite December activity in San Antonio?

Friendsgiving Done Right

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Spending the holidays at home with the family is probably an annual tradition. The whole extended family packed into one home and crowding each other out to get to the wine and dessert. You might be so caught up in family time that you don’t get to spend time with your friends. Set a day aside to throw your friends a Friendsgiving feast. Show them that you care!

Delegate. Divvying up the responsibilities of the party will relieve a lot of the stress from the host or hostess. By delegating certain dishes or necessary items to other party guests, the responsibility falls on everyone rather than just one person. And with multiple people bringing different dishes, you’re bound to end up with a diverse spread of food. Everyone has a different specialty, so it’ll be interesting to see what everyone brings!

Drinks All Around. Everyone should contribute to the community beverage collection. A congregation of friends isn’t complete without some good drinks. Make sure you stop and grab a bottle of wine or something a little more serious for the group. Consider having a signature drink for the party like something from this list. Every party is more fun with a little alcohol.

Take the Party Outside. If you’d prefer to head out rather than stay in at someone’s home, you can go out on the town. You don’t even have to go far since the Residences at La Cantera is conveniently situated right in the middle of a great shopping district. There are a ton of awesome restaurants to host your Friendsgiving from. Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille has a great selection for you and your friends. Shrimp cocktails, bacon wrapped scallops to kick off the meal, filet mignon for the main course, you can’t go wrong at Perry’s. Kona’s is a solid choice if you want to have a Hawaiian Thanksgiving. Pan-seared tuna, kona calamari, grilled apple and brie flatbread: there is no wrong choice at Kona’s. If you’d like to keep the pressure of the dinner low, take everyone out instead of cramming into someone’s apartment.


Thanksgiving is a time for reflecting on the things you’re thankful for. Hopefully, you’re thankful for your friends. If you are, celebrate with them in the best possible way: with food and drinks. Do you and your friends host a Friendsgiving dinner?

Start a New Thanksgiving Tradition

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Thanksgiving brings with it a lot of holiday traditions. When thinking of Thanksgiving, most people think of turkeys and stuffing, family around the TV watching parades and football games, staying at home and spending time with family. That can be great for some families but other families would prefer to get out on the town for the holiday.

Boudro’s on the Riverwalk will be offering up a special Thanksgiving feast from 11AM all the way until 11PM. Enjoy some pumpkin bisque, perfect for the fall season, and a winter mache salad, just to kick off the meal. Good luck choosing between the Niman Ranch pork chop with the potato-Manchego gratin and the oven roasted chicken breast with stuffing, haricot vert and cranberries. In between courses, snack on their multitude of breads. This is a great alternative to dinner at home and trust us, it will be so much more delicious than dinner at home! Best of all, it’s only a 20 minute drive away from our home at the Residences at La Cantera.

Maybe you’d still like to eat in the comfort of your own home, you’d just prefer not to have to cook your own meals. Earl Abel’s is the answer to your prayers. Not only do they offer some delicious sit down Thanksgiving dinner options but they also have some amazing takeout options if you’re feeling anti-social or don’t want to cook for the hordes of family members in your house. The Traditional Turkey Order, which serves 20 people, is perfect for a Thanksgiving party filled with hungry family members. There are multiple variations with sides to add on and desserts that you won’t be able to miss out on. Or if you’d prefer to just have desserts (there’s nothing wrong with that) you can order a parade of pies: pumpkin, pecan and apple. Enjoy restaurant quality Thanksgiving dinner from the comfort of your own home.

Living in San Antonio has its perks. The Houston and Alon locations of Green Vegetarian Cuisine are closed on Thanksgiving but the San Antonio locations are open and ready to serve up some vegetarian friendly meals. For those with doubts that vegetarian food can be good, Green Vegetarian Cuisine will prove you wrong. Vegan turkey, herb mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and cranberry salad? Sign us up! For dessert you can have your pick from pumpkin or pecan pie, Thanksgiving staples. They also offer the same options up for take-out if you’d prefer to keep it at home for the holiday. Reserve your dinner spot or order yourself take-out. Green Vegetarian Cuisine is only a 13 minute drive away from the Residences at La Cantera so you won’t have far to go on Thanksgiving.


We are so thankful for these restaurants for being open on Thanksgiving and welcoming us in for a delicious feast. Do you have an alternative holiday tradition?