Alamo City: River Walks and shops
When I published a children’s book about my two rescue Boxers last fall, I envisioned a grand multi-city book tour with them.
Alas. Traveling with large dogs is nothing like having a cute little pooch you pop into a tote bag. Everything is super-sized, from the bed to the poop. So when I scheduled a few book events in San Antonio recently, I challenged myself with the task of a road trip with my dogs. Well, actually just one — I figured two would be too much for a first road trip, so I took sociable Ava while more introverted Prince remained in Houston in the comfy confines of a local pet spa.
Mapping out lodging, parks, restaurants and more ahead of time made for a stress-free, fun trip. Here are my recommendations for a pet-friendly weekend in San Antonio.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Hotel Havana, located downtown on the River Walk’s northern tip, is a sweet, cozy Cuban-style hotel that takes big dogs in all shapes and sizes for just $25 per stay. All of the rooms are pet friendly; mine included a large fluffy dog bed, bowl, treats and even a ball to play with. Ava shyly entered the hotel, smelling everything. When she got to the room’s plush dog bed, she settled in like at home. (Rates from $185; 1015 Navarro, 210-222-2008, havana sanantonio.com).
PARK
Travis Park, one of the oldest municipal parks in the country, is a fiveminute stroll from Hotel Havana. The 2.6-acre park in the middle of downtown hosts concerts and other fun events. It was an easy walk for Ava, and there were plenty of waste bags and trash cans for when nature called (301 E. Travis, 210-2073677, travisparksa.com).
SHOPS
Neiman Marcus San Antonio (15900 La Cantera Parkway, 210-558-8000, theshopsatlacantera.com) has welcomed furry friends of all sizes since it opened in 2006. Xitlalt Herrera-Salazar, the store’s public relations manager, has even spotted customers and their dogs wearing matching outfits. “If you can shop with your best human friend, you should be able to shop with your best pet friend. It’s part of the experience,” she said. The store also partners with Fashionable Adoptions, a San Antonio nonprofit that helps animals in local shelters find homes. In December, some 18 pets were adopted from the Neiman Marcus windows.
For bookworms, the Twig Book Shop (306 Pearl Parkway, No. 106, 210-826-6411, thetwig.com) is paradise, with an array of children’s books as well as fiction and nonfiction best-sellers. The Twig is also a stop for both local and national poets and authors. My book was featured in the store’s popular Miss Anastasia’s Story Time, and Ava was a hit with the audience of infants and toddlers. In the Pearl development, Twig is surrounded by an assortment of cool restaurants and pet-friendly shops. At the weekend Farmer’s Market at the Pearl, I encountered many shoppers with their dogs looking for fresh local produce or just taking in the area’s vibe.
RESTAURANTS
San Antonio has plentiful pooch-welcoming restaurants. For breakfast, I took Ava to Ocho on the ground floor of Hotel Havana. Housed in a glass conservatory overlooking the River Walk, it’s a gorgeous perch. For lunch, we trotted around the Shops at La Cantera, where I found most eateries with patios welcome canine companions. I enjoyed a delicious Mediterranean salad at Luciano’s, one of three fullservice restaurants in the shopping district, for just under $12 (15900 La Cantera Parkway, Suite 6698, shopsatlacantera.com).
PET DAYCARE
If you find yourself wanting to explore San Antonio without your pup for a spell, Lucy’s Doggy Daycare and Spa ( 937 S. Laredo, 210-495-3647, lucysdoggydaycare) has playground equipment and toys for active dogs. Reservations must be made prior to arrival and require current vet records and a personality assessment upon arrival. Initially, Ava strolled into the play area containing about 50 other dogs with ease, then a bigger dog sniffed her butt one too many times. Let’s just say she was moved to her own special kennel for the remainder of the day.