Fall Comes to San Antonio

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Now that fall is just around the corner (September 23rd) it’s time to get in the mood for fun fall activities! There are your typical fall favorites like apple picking, pumpkin carving, Pumpkin Spice Lattes and hay rides! All of these fall fun activities and one not so fall will get you ready for the season ahead.

Soak up our last weeks of beautiful summer weather with a rainforest adventure! Explore the Rainforest Adventure Maze at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. This maze exhibit will take visitors on an exciting tour through the lush rainforests. From the canopy down to the forest floor you can learn exciting new lessons about the ecosystems and ecology of the forests. Make sure you get there while you still can! The exhibit is only around until September 20th and then it’s flying the coop. The Botanical Gardens are only a 20 minute drive away from us at the Residences at La Cantera.

Sticking with the current theme of mazes, the next fall activity on our list is a maze of maize! The South Texas Maize in Hondo is fun for the whole family. Get lost among the 7 acres of corn mazes and try to navigate your way back out. Once you escape the maze, head over to the pumpkin patch to find yourself the biggest, orangest pumpkin in the bunch. Get tangled up and climb the spider web or slide down the Mattercorn Mountain Slide. Make sure to stop and refuel with some delicious food after all that work though! The South Texas Maize is open on weekends starting September 19th until November 15th. Open 5-9 Fridays, 10-9 Saturdays and 12-5 Sundays. The South Texas Maize is located an hour’s country drive away from San Antonio to the west. Buy your tickets online here!

Also in the Botanical Gardens this month, you can take a stroll through the Scarecrow Trail Exhibit. Decorated by community groups and individuals, the creative scarecrows will be taking up residence in the gardens from September 21st until November 15th. The exhibit is $10 for adults and $7 for children. Don’t be spooked by these goofy scarecrows!

The end of this month is going to be filled with exciting things to do but don’t miss out on them because they’re only here for a limited amount of time! All of these fun fall activities are perfect for the season and it will put you in the mood for autumn. Happy fall!

Labor Day Festivities

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Labor Day is the celebration of the hardworking citizen. Chugging along everyday, doing what they do best to earn a living. These days, we celebrate Labor Day by not laboring at all. All the hardworking folks who spend every other day powering through get their day of relaxation to kick back and not think about work. San Antonio celebrates with a festival.

Between the Lines Entertainment is putting on the 4th Annual Laborfest where you will do everything but work! This two-day festival includes live musical acts and some amazing food! The festival will take place at the Sunken Gardens Amphitheater, 20 minutes away from our home at the Residences at La Cantera.

Both Saturday and Sunday will have some great musical acts lined up for you to enjoy. Starting Saturday with the Bar-Kays, an American soul, R&B, and funk group with multiple chart topping hits such as Soul Finger and Boogie Body Land. Next up, you’ll see OneWay feat. Al Hudson another American R&B and funk band. Their most popular song was titled Cutie Pie. Ready for the World is an American R&B band from Michigan and they’ll also be performing Saturday for Laborfest.

On Sunday, you can catch Mint Condition, an American R&B band from Minnesota. The group has a wide range of talents from traditional jazz to mainstream R&B. They are most well known for their ballads Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) and What Kind of Man Would I Be. Finally, you can enjoy the music of Original Lakeside, with their hit song Fantastic Voyage which reached number one on the R&B charts and even made it onto the pop charts! You’ll definitely enjoy all of these musical acts available at LaborFest.

Laborfest will be a weekend long celebration starting Saturday the 5th and ending the 6th. Tickets are available for purchase here. Tickets can be purchased from multiple locations around San Antonio. You can get them at House of Royal T, Fadeaways or Beacons. Check here for information on what is okay to bring into the festival. With all the delicious food for your choosing and musical acts, this is really not an event you want to miss out on.

Back to School for Grown Ups

It’s back to school time for the younger ones! Some are excited and some are not too thrilled (like this little boy). But if you’ve gone through the paces of school and now you’ve graduated, that doesn’t mean you have to be done learning! There are plenty of opportunities to continue your education whether it be with something fun like salsa dancing or gardening or even painting. Just because you’ve finished school, doesn’t mean you should stop learning! If you want to have that back to school feeling again, you can!

If you’re a music lover and want to get down and cut a rug, come to Azuca Nuevo Latino. For only $10 you can join in on group Salsa lessons! If you’re feeling shy or would prefer private lessons you can call and book a series of private lessons with a teacher. Each of the lessons always starts off with a warm up for those who need a brush up on their most basic steps. The San Antonio dance company has been teaching for 12 years so they definitely know what they’re doing! Azuca is located only 20 minutes away from the Residences at La Cantera.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

You might get a little messy but it will be worth it at Painting With A Twist. Tie on your aprons, pour yourself a glass of wine and make sure you have all your brushes close by because you’ll need them to create a masterpiece. A skilled teacher will take you step by step through the picture of your choice. Even if you’ve never picked up a paintbrush before in your life, you will come out with a beautiful painting worthy of a place on the wall in your home. If you need a little liquid courage before getting down to business, Painting With A Twist is BYOB so make sure to bring along your own alcohol but be prepared to get a little messier with the addition of alcohol! Painting With A Twist is only a 10 minute drive away from the Residences at La Cantera.

The Painted Plate follows along similar lines as Painting With A Twist. Come into the studio and you’ll be welcomed with an array of different ceramic pottery for you to choose from. You’ll find everything from plates and mugs to piggy banks and candy dishes to cat figures and garden gnomes. Choose your ceramic and you’ll get down to business: painting! Select your paint colors and you can decorate your new pottery however you’d like. Once you complete your masterpiece, leave it in the hands of someone experienced to fire it for you so that it’s ready for use. The Painted Plate is located only 10 minutes away from La Cantera.

Just because you’ve graduated doesn’t mean you should stop learning! There are so many opportunities to continue your education and further enrich your life. There’s something around for everyone of all levels of experience or interests. Learning new skills is fun and can even result in a brand new hobby for years to come whether it be dancing, drinking and painting or pottery painting. You’re never too old to learn something new!

The Best Burgers of San Antonio

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This Thursday, the 27th is Burger Day! San Antonio has no shortage of amazing burger places to suit your needs. Whether you’re looking for a burger so big you’ll need two hands, the juiciest burger around or the Best Burger in America, you can find it in San Antonio.

Considered the “mecca for burger lovers”, Chris Madrid’s, originally opened as Chris Madrid’s Tacos and Burgers, quickly had burgers become the favorite menu item. With a hamburger as your main course you have 6 different varieties to choose from and two sizes as well. Along with your burger you have the option of fresh cut fries, chalupas, nachos, and a 6 oz. grilled chicken sandwich if the burger isn’t what you’re feeling that day. Located in an old gas station only 15 minutes away from the Residences, Chris Madrid’s has the burgers you’re looking for.


The Whataburger logo is unmistakeable and the burgers are definitely worth the hype. Recently named the Best Burger in America by Fast Company, Whataburger has been cooking up their delicious burgers for 60 years! It started with a simple idea: to create a burger so big you’d need two hands to hold it and with the first bite the customer would exclaim, “What a burger!” They’ve certainly accomplished that goal! With 9 different kinds of burgers to choose from and multiple other (non-burger) items on the menu, Whataburger is definitely living up to their title as Best Burger in America. The nearest Whataburger location is only a 5 minute drive from the Residences at La Cantera and there are many more in the area. To find other Whataburgers check here.


Just like Chris Madrid’s, Longhorn Cafe started off with an inclination towards tacos. It was later purchased and remade into a burger joint. The kids can enjoy their kid-friendly menu as well as arcades, a sand pit and play-scapes while the adults enjoy their Big Juicy Burgers and beers. Not only do they serve burgers, there is chicken, sandwiches, chili and hot dogs, salads and so many appetizers to choose from. (We recommend the jalapeno poppers!) Longhorn Cafe is only a 9 minute drive from us at La Cantera so you can have your Big Juicy whenever you want!


Even though Whataburger was voted the best burger in the United States, we’ll leave you to be the judge! It’s hard to compete with the burgers on this list and that’s only a small sampling of the deliciousness you’ll find if you go looking for it.


What’s your favorite burger place? Let us know on Facebook & Twitter!

Sample the Best: San Antonio Restaurant Week

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From August 15 through the 29 is San Antonio’s Restaurant Week. During the week, you’ll find deals available from so many amazing restaurants throughout the city. This is your opportunity to try out restaurants that you otherwise might not have give a thought to. Each restaurant is offering a 3 course, prix-fixe lunch and dinner for the duration of Restaurant Week. Participating restaurants are organized by 2 tiers. Tier 1 restaurants offer lunches at $15 and dinners at $35. Tier 2 restaurants offer lunches at $10 and dinners at $25. For each meal purchased, restaurants will donate $1-$2 towards the Culinaria Festival.

Acenar (Tier 1) is a contemporary Mexican restaurant located along the San Antonio Riverwalk (only 20 minutes from the Residences at La Cantera). Each Texas regional Mexican dish will bring with it flavors inspired by the history and traditions of Mexico. Acenar’s lunch consists of 2 choices for each course. For the first course you can pick between their special house salad and Chicken Tinga Empanadas. For round 2 you’ll have either beef short rib tacos or a chipotle chicken dish. For the finale you can have either caramel flan or pink cake which is orange flavored with pink icing and fresh berry compote.

At the Bavarian Brauhaus (Tier 2) you can get authentic German cuisine without straying too far from home (a 15 minute drive from La Cantera). The founders grew up in South Germany studying alongside the best German chefs so you know what you’re getting here is real and really good! For your first dinner course you can choose between 2 salads or a pea soup. For the main course you have the option of a Reuben sandwich, Maultaschen (pasta dough shell with meat filling) or Schnitzel. To round it off you have the choice between peach/raspberry strudel or bread pudding.

Both of these restaurants sound so amazing that I don’t know how anyone could possibly choose and these are only two of the many options! To see the full list of participating restaurants head here. San Antonio Restaurant Week is such a great opportunity for those who want to branch out in their tastes but aren’t willing to shell out loads of cash to try things out. Reservations aren’t required but they are definitely recommended as tables go quickly during San Antonio Restaurant Week.



Sources Cited
Acenar
Bavarian Brauhaus

Roller Coaster Day at Fiesta Texas

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

This Sunday, August 16th, is Rollercoaster Day! How else would you spend a holiday dedicated to intense thrill rides than experiencing them for yourself? San Antonio is blessed with a spectacular park right next door to our home at the Residences. Six Flags Fiesta Texas has enough roller coasters to knock your socks off, in the best way of course! Here are 3 of the most death defying coasters the park has to offer.

This one is gargantuan. Some rollercoasters are big. Some are huge. This one is Goliath. The swinging, overhead track coaster is a gut wrenching experience, not for the faint of heart. With a 360 degree flip and a 10 story climb then drop, this one will leave you a little shakey. Follow that up with a few zero-g rolls and you’ll be dizzy for days afterwards. If you want a preview of what it could be like check out this video before braving it for real.

This half-mile trip on the Poltergeist begins with one crazy fast launch that takes you from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds! That launch means you won’t have to sit through any long drags of climbing slowly up hills; you’ll be thrown right into the action! Poltergeist has been described as looking like a big bowl of spaghetti and the name really fits. This tangle of twists and turns and bends looks daunting but is definitely worth the heart stopping!

The largest roller coaster in Texas shares colors with one of the biggest super heroes in the world: Superman! Superman: Krypton is a floorless coaster that will let you experience everything the way Superman would. With the quarry walls as your backdrop you’ll soar 168 feet into the air before zipping through 4,000 feet of stomach dropping twists and turns. You will also get to experience the world’s second tallest 360 degree loop! This coaster will make you feel like the superhero you are.

Fiesta Texas is one of the greatest parks and we have all the proof to back it up. These three coasters are some of the biggest and baddest in the world and you’ll be coming back for more from each of them.

What’s your favorite roller coaster? Let us know on the Facebook or on Twitter.

International Beer Day

Image courtesy of TheNerdPatrol - Flickr

This Friday is International Beer Day, one of the MOST important holidays of the year. Whether you’re a lover of lagers or a keg connoisseur, there is a way for everyone to celebrate. International Beer Day has 3 sole purposes:

1. To gather with friends and enjoy the taste of beer.
2. To celebrate those responsible for brewing and serving beer.
3. To unite the world under the banner of beer, by celebrating the beers of all nations together on a single day.

San Antonio has an amazing selection of breweries and bars to wet your whistle. So take a brew journey with some friends and enjoy a cold one or two.

The idea for Alamo Beer Co. was taken from a brew back in 1884 by the same name. The beer has evolved since then and is now brewed by Real Ale and distributed in HEB grocery stores. They currently have 4 beers available for your tasting pleasure: a golden ale, an amber lager, German pale ale and a pilsner. The brewery is also eco-friendly, with solar panel art in the shape of the Alamo on the roof.

Freetail Brewing Company has so many different beers to choose from you’ll have to come back every weekend before you can sample them all. Their newest beer, Velocihopter IPA, is an India Pale Ale made with natural, limestone filtered water and crystal & kiln Amber malts. On top of delicious brews, Freetail also crafts amazing food. Their specialty pizzas are to die for and you can’t leave without trying some Green Chile Mac n Cheese.

The Blue Star Brewing Company has been crafting delicious beers in San Antonio since 1996. With a short but definitely sweet menu of brews on tap, you are sure to enjoy their selections. Not only do they have amazing beers for you to sip, they have a great selection of food for you to snack on. They have everything from pulled pork cheese fries to fish tacos with pico de gallo. You won’t be able to resist their BBQ Chop Brisket.

These amazing breweries can’t be missed this weekend for International Beer Day on Friday. If you want to celebrate properly, you’ll have to visit at least one of these places. All of these breweries are within 30 minutes of the Residences at La Cantera Apartments so you don't have any excuses not to check them out! Don’t forget to bring your friends, commend the beer craftsmen, unite with others under the common love of all beers.


Additional Sources: Wikipedia