No visit to San Antonio is complete without a stroll along the River Walk (E. Commerce Street). Threading through downtown, the pedestrian stretch alongside the San Antonio River features cobblestone paths and garden-bedecked banks 20 feet below street level. GO RIO Cruises (315 E. Commerce St.) offers visitors an exciting addition to any trip with an overview of the canal-like waterway, though some are content to simply people watch, with a margarita in hand.

Hands-on learning — whether it involves operating a pint-size front-end loader, mining for gems, milking a cow or opening a bank account — is the name of the game at The DoSeum (2800 Broadway St.). Kids can also create art, watch themselves on a video screen and climb a tree for an awesome view of the museum's three floors.

For Macy's and other national chains, follow the mall rats to a complex on the River Walk called Rivercenter , 849 E. Commerce St., with an IMAX theater and more than 100 nearby restaurants and stores.