Mom travel with Suzanna Keith

Please welcome Suzanna Keith, Blogger at RevolutionaryMarketingideas.com and Brand Director, EVP of OnlineMomMedia.com.

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A family weekend exploring San Antonio

If you've never been to Texas and want to sample the flavor of the big and tasty state, San Antonio is the city to see. We had a wonderful family trip to the fun city and SeaWorld over a long holiday weekend.

Remember the AlamoWe had fun chanting "Remember the Alamo" and will always remember our interesting tour of downtown San Antonio.

Visiting the historic site of the great Battle of the Alamo is a must-do but arrive early to avoid the long lines or consider visiting at night. The areas surrounding the Alamo, The River Walk and Market Square, are absolutely beautiful in the evening when cruising in a horse-drawn carriage.

San Antonio is the perfect long weekend destination because you can blend learning about Texas's rich history with sampling excellent local cuisine (BBQ & Tex-Mex), wonderful shopping and exciting family entertainment at SeaWorld.

Lodging & parking in San Antonio

• River walk in San AntonioThe Sheraton Four points San Antonioand the Crowne Plaza - Both are nice, not outrageous and very central to the River Walk and the Alamo.
• Marriott Residence Inn - We stayed there but we would not recommend it because it's in serious need of a makeover.
• VBROorDwellable - Great options for rentals and B&Bs

Use the concierge service of any of your credit cards such as American Express or VISA to book family friendly entertainment. Parking is a bit dicey around the Alamo but the locals recommend parking in the Rivermall for $8. The best bet is booking a hotel with walking distance from the attractions you want to visit.

3 No-Fuss family friendly restaurants

• Boudro's - A wonderful Texas bistro on the River Walk with outdoor seating
• La Margarita restaurant and Oyster Bar - Tex Mex cuisine near Market street
• Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery - This landmark has graced the Market Square for the better part of 60 years with its amazing Tex Mex menu and cheery atmosphere

Unique Attraction: The Chaps & The Spurs

• San Antonio Spurs Basketball - One of the NBA's finest teams featuring Tony Parker and Tim Duncan
• San Antonio Rodeo - Every February the cowboys and the bulls hit the town
• Six Flags Fiesta Texas - Always a good time for families but save your pennies

SeaWorld San Antonio

Seaworld San Antonio ~ ShamuThe biggest park of the franchise, this is a must-do attraction. Try to visit off-season or on a Sunday and arrive at 9:45am before the park opens to avoid the long lines. We recommend that you have your big kids ride the major roller coasters first thing on empty tummies - you can thank us later.

Buy tickets in advance for online savings. The Boy Scouts also offer great discounts in their annual coupon book drive. The $65 ticket is slightly cheaper than Disney and its high quality shows and emphasis of marine animal education and habitat protection make the ticket price worthwhile.

If you want to take a tour, book it in advance. We highly recommend the Beluga whale tour for $40 per person. The tour allows you to meet the dolphins and beluga whales that star in the amazing Azul Show. It also guarantees great seats to the show and a kiss by a beluga afterwards. Our daughter has sung Raffi's "Baby Beluga" non-stop so we just had to meet one.

We also recommend the $15 per person behind the scenes tour of the One Ocean show. The kids really enjoyed feeding the stingrays and petting a bamboo reef shark. The tour also included visiting the bottle neck dolphin training pools and rare rescued animals like the monk seal, now on the endangered species list. Other shows the children loved: the Cannery Caper with the Sea Lions, Amazing Animals and the Bottleneck Dolphin feeding. Also, don't miss the baby penguin exhibit.

rides at SeaworldThe Rio Loco ranked as our favorite ride but prepare to get wet. The ride allows bystanders to take part in the soaking of unsuspecting riders for the low price of a quarter - usually a welcome addition in the Texas summer but a cruel trick off-season.

Download the free SeaWorld Texas App in advance to plan which shows to hit. The distances between the different animal pavilions are long so plan your time carefully and bring strollers for children under 7 or even for tired mom. Book private tours by calling 210-523-3608.

Compared to most amusement parks, food options are good at Sea World. We loved the ribs and BBQ at Shamu's smokehouse. For a family of four, lunch cost $43 - we split a huge sampler plate, a chicken salad and drinks.

So put on your cowboy boots and giddy-up on down to San Antonio!

Have you been to San Antonio and remembered the Alamo? We'd love to hear about it! Find us on Twitter or Facebook and let's start talking!

About Suzanna Keith

Suzanna Keith @skconceptsSuzanna Keith is an experienced marketing professional who believes in revolutionary insights and ideas to grow brands. Her expertise includes researching consumer insights and building on these insights to drive long-term strategic direction in all aspects of brand management. Prior to starting her own consulting company, Suzanna served as Brand Manager for Mitchum AP at Revlon in NY, NY. She has also worked in brand management at Sterling Withthrop and Cadbury Schweppes. Suzanna graduated from Bryn Mawr College and received her MBA in marketing from New York University.

Catch up with Suzanna online:

• OnlineMomMedia
• Revolutionarymarketingideas
• Facebook: RevolutionaryMarketingIdeas
• Twitter:@skconcepts