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Weekend in San Antonio
San Antonio
Perched along the Museum Reach extension of the River Walk, the San Antonio Museum of Art occupies the old Lone Star Brewery complex

One of the largest cities in one of America’s fastest-growing states, San Antonio (visitsanantonio.com) is also a land of exciting changes. The city has long been a favorite destination thanks to its attractive downtown River Walk and sterling museums, but in recent years San Antonio has also developed an increasingly innovative, hip and progressive culinary, design and arts scene, much of it centered on the impressive former Pearl Brewery complex, now a mixed-use neighborhood with cool shopping and dining. It’s also begun to rival other major cities around the state – such as Houston, Dallas and nearby Austin – as a favorite getaway among gay and lesbian travelers.

There’s much to see in this 400-square-mile metropolis, and there are fun things to do throughout the year, from the long-running Fiesta San Antonio in late April to the up-and-coming Culinaria wine and food fest in May to San Antonio’s Pride Bigger Than Texas Festival held over July 4 weekend. Whatever time you choose to visit, here are tips on planning the ideal gay San Antonio weekend vacation.

Friday Night

On your first evening in town, stick around downtown and the River Walk, which abound with inviting restaurants, many with outdoor seating along this famed waterway. Good bets for dining include Kimura (kimurasa.com), a izakaya-style Japanese restaurant that turns out tasty pork-ginger gyoza and chashu ramen with pork belly, and trendy Ocho (havanasanantonio.com), at the LGBT-owned Hotel Havana. It serves delish pan-Latin tapas and creative cocktails and has a solarium-style dining room with lovely river views. There’s also one LGBT nightclub downtown, the long-running Bonham Exchange (bonhamexchange.com), a multilevel complex with a huge dance floor.

Saturday

In the morning, spend some more time checking out downtown attractions, shopping and also the River Walk, which looks quite different by day. Be sure to check out La Villita, a nearby complex of more than two dozen arts and crafts shops; the Alamo (of course); and the new Briscoe Western Art Museum, which opened in the handsome former San Antonio Library following an $18 million revamp late in 2013.

Then venture north along the beautiful, and relatively uncrowded, Museum Reach span of River Walk, stopping by the stellar San Antonio Museum of Art, which is renowned for its strong collections of both Asian and Latin American works. Also take note of the new Tobin Center for Performing Arts – this architectural showcase presents Broadway touring shows, music concerts and performances by Ballet San Antonio, the San Antonio Choral Society, and Opera San Antonio.

You’ll find excellent lunch options along Museum Reach, including the Luxury, whose kitchen occupies a converted freight container. Grab a seat in the large, shaded courtyard and enjoy a local beer and such downhome fare as pulled-pork and fried-chicken sandwiches, followed by fried Snickers bars with condensed milk. Just a bit farther up the River Walk, at Pearl Brewery, other great lunch spots include trendy Sandbar (sandbarsa.com), a seafood restaurant, and casual La Gloria (chefjohnnyhernandez.com), which is dedicated to interior Mexico–style street food.

As the day wears on, spend more time at what’s become one of the most intriguing creative neighborhoods in Texas, the 20-acre Pearl Brewery District (the historic neighborhood just east, along Broadway, has also seen quite a lot of notable redevelopment). Built in the 1880s, the Pearl complex has morphed into an eco-friendly, mixed-use urban village rife with fine shopping, nightlife and dining as well as a state-of-the-art campus of the Culinary Institute of America and a new Kimpton lodging, Hotel Emma.

Browse the several diverting boutiques around here, breaking for artisan coffee inside the Local (localcoffeesa.com), a hip artisan roaster with a high-ceilinged contemporary sipping room. Or come down on Saturday morning to check out the outstanding Pearl Brewery Farmers Market, which runs from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

In the early evening, pop into one of the area’s fun nightspots, such as Stay Golden Social House, a “boozeteria” with plenty of outdoor seating, run by the same team behind downtown’s hipster-approved Brooklynite; or Tuk Tuk Taproom (tuktuktaproom.com), a lively lounge specializing in Asian-style street food and craft beers (the tamarind pork belly soup is a favorite). There’s also one lovably divey gay bar in the neighborhood, the One-O-Six.

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Outstanding dinner venues abound at the Pearl, with Cured (curedatpearl.com) among the hottest dining spots in central Texas. It’s set in a modernly redesigned 1904 building and serves a tantalizing selection of charcuterie (jalapeño sausage, goat-citrus terrine, 120-day-aged pancetta), plus New Orleans-inspired meaty adventures like pork cheeks poutine and corned-beef tongue. Or consider NAO (naorestaurant.com), with its exhibition kitchen and curvy dining room. Operated by the Culinary Institute of America, this snazzy spot specializes in “new world flavors” – think mahimahi ceviche, Caribbean-spiced roasted pork belly and char-grilled octopus with cilantro pesto.

Following dinner, it’s a short drive west to the cluster of gay bars in Tobin Hill. Here, just a few steps from one another, are several very popular gay bars, including the high-energy dance clubs Heat (heatsa.com) and Pegasus (pegasussanantonio.com), and the more laid-back Sparky’s Pub (sparkyspub.com), which has a couple of patios and serves pub food too. In the same vicinity, check out Essence, a roadhouse-style bar known for its sultry male dancers; the Saint, which puts on some pretty fun and campy drag shows; and the Annex (theannex-satx.com), a low-keyed gay neighborhood bar with a strong leather-and-Levi’s following.

Sunday

This is a good day to head in the opposite direction along the river from yesterday’s explorations, toward hip Southtown and historic King William, two eclectic neighborhoods just south of downtown, and then continuing on – by car or, better yet, bicycle – the Museum Reach stretch of River Walk to visit the string of San Antonio missions.

These neighborhoods have some terrific brunch options, including Fruteria (chefjohnnyhernandez.com), the Southtown outpost of the small empire of superb modern Mexican restaurants run by charismatic chef Johnny Hernandez. Grab a seat on the patio and enjoy one of the delicious tortas, or seasonal fruit blends. At night, the restaurant serves wonderful cocktails, premium tequilas, and creative botanas (snacks), from gorditas to crab-jalapeño–stuffed chile rellenos. Also consider Feast (feastsa.com), located in a natty Southwest-meets-Deco building and serving terrific contemporary American fare with Mediterranean influences (for brunch try the “eggs in hell” – three baked eggs in a spicy tomato sauce with grilled bread and charred-lemon polenta).

Over the past several years, the River Walk has been extended from three to 15 miles, with Museum Reach added in 2009 – and the Mission Reach opened in fall 2013 – and providing access to the city’s four Spanish Colonial missions. Collectively operated as San Antonio Missions National Historic Park (nps.gov/saan), this string of religious structures created in the 18th century begins with the iconic Alamo, downtown. As you continue south, you’ll come to Mission Conception, the especially picturesque Mission San Jose (also home to the park’s official visitor center), Mission San Juan and Mission Espada. From downtown, it’s about a 10-mile car or bike ride – you can rent from the B-cycle program (see sanantonio.bcycle.com for a map of stations) or Blue Star bike rentals in Southtown.

In the evening, return to Southtown for dinner and drinks at one of the hip venues in these parts, such as the convivial Friendly Spot (thefriendlyspot.com), with its large pet-friendly outdoor seating area and encyclopedic selection of beer. Hot Joy (hotjoysa.com), a sister to the also excellent Monterey (themontereysa.com) bar and restaurant, specializes in pan-Asian made-for-sharing fare, such as smoked-brisket ramen and migas-fried rice with tortilla chips, tomatillo jaew, egg, cheddar and cilantro.

If you have a little time or are staying in San Antonio more than a couple of days, keep in mind the many other outstanding attractions in the city. Highlights include the McNay Art Museum, the San Antonio Botanical Garden and Brackenridge Park, which is also home to the San Antonio Zoo, Japanese Tea Gardens and Witte Museum.

Where to Stay

The Pearl Brewery District receives its first hotel in spring 2015: the 146-room Hotel Emma (thehotelemma.com), a snazzy boutique property operated by LGBT-popular hotelier Kimpton that’s been created inside the 1880s brew house (it’s named for Pearl Brewery founder Otto Koehler’s wife, Emma). The historic St. Anthony Hotel (thestanthonyhotel.com), part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection following a $25 million restoration, is another hot spot. This 1909 beauty on downtown’s Travis Park has contemporary, art-filled rooms and a new restaurant created by the LGBT restaurateur behind Southtown’s Feast, Andrew Goodman.

Hotel Contessa (thehotelcontessa.com) is notable for its handsome, spacious rooms with floor-to-ceiling river views and 12-story atrium lobby. The rooftop pool is a lovely place for a swim or a soak in the hot tub while admiring downtown skyline views. Set inside a former saddlery on the River Walk, the Mokara Hotel (hmokarahotels.com) occupies a former saddlery and has 99 of the most luxurious in the state, as well as a cushy spa and fantastic dining in its Ostra restaurant.

A hip, intimate hotel set inside a 1914 Mediterranean Revival former boarding school, the 28-room Havana Riverwalk Inn (havanasanantonio.com), opened by Austin-based lesbian design maven and hotelier Liz Lambert, is on a gorgeous stretch of River Walk, right beside the new Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, and it’s home of the sceney restaurant and bar Ocho.

Excellent, gay-friendly smaller options include the Arbor House (arborhouse.com), run by innkeepers Ron Stinson and Adolph Garcia, which has seven spacious suites (including a large Jacuzzi suite) and a great location near La Villita and the River Walk, and Eva’s Escape at Gardenia Inn (evasescape.com), a stately white-columned mansion with a double veranda and stunningly appointed rooms. It’s on a quiet residential street in historic King William, near several lively restaurants along South Alamo Street. The stupendous breakfasts served each morning, such as baked French toast with praline topping, have earned this elegant hideaway plenty of fans.