BudgetTravel

7. Heady drinks

Schilo's Delicatessen opened in 1917 selling schnitzels, split pea soup, and the only kind of beer that was legal during Prohibition. Although the famous root beer isn't made on-site anymore, it's still served in a frosted mug with a two-inch head (the secret is egg whites). Best of all, every order comes with a free refill. 424 E. Commerce St., 210/223-6692, root beer $1.35.

La Tuna Ice House (Eden Batki) DECEMBER 2006/JANUARY 2007 ISSUE • Table of Contents • Ambergris Cay, Belize: Beach Bum Central • Renting an Apartment in Venice • 25 Reasons We Love San Antonio • 10 Best Movie Locations • Road Trip: Florida Keys • 40 Best Vacations

8. Hotel with history

The Riverwalk Vista Inn is housed in the top two floors of a converted 1883 warehouse. Chock-full of original architectural details--including pine floors, brick walls, and high ceilings--each guest room is named for the landmarks visible from the 4-by-10-foot windows. 262 Losoya St., 866/898-4782, riverwalkvista.com, from $110.

9. Remember the Cottonwood!

Inside the Alamo's cool, dimly lit stone church--the site of hand-to-hand combat during a 13-day siege in the spring of 1836--glass cases hold personal effects of the men who died there, including Davy Crockett's buckskin vest. Docents give trivia-filled lectures twice an hour. Few visitors realize, for example, that Spanish soldiers stationed at the Mission San Antonio de Valero in the early 1800s nicknamed it Alamo, or cottonwood, for the trees that grew in abundance nearby. 300 Alamo Plaza, 210/225-1391, thealamo.org, free.

10. Meet and greet (and eat)

Linda Pace, of the Pace salsa family, opened Artpace in a former Hudson automobile showroom in 1995. Every year, the gallery accepts nine artists into a two-month residency program. Each session begins with a potluck dinner, open to all, to introduce the newcomers to the public, and ends with exhibitions of work the artists completed during their stay. 445 N. Main Ave., 210/212-4900, artpace.org.

11. Flour power

Carl Hilmar Guenther moved his Pioneer Flour Mills from Fredericksburg, Texas, to San Antonio in 1859, lured by the reliable waterpower provided by the river. Today it's the oldest family-owned and operated mill in the country. The Guenthers' former home--on the same property--has been turned into a restaurant. Naturally, all the buttermilk pancakes and gravy-covered biscuits are made with Pioneer flour. 205 E. Guenther St., 210/227-1061, guentherhouse.com, biscuits $4.

12. Teddy bar

When Spain declared war on the U.S. in April 1898, Theodore Roosevelt quit his job as Assistant Secretary of the Navy and cofounded the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry regiment, a.k.a. the Rough Riders. Roosevelt, who hardly drank, hung out at the Menger Hotel bar, where he attempted to recruit cowboys and Texas Rangers to join his charge up the San Juan Heights in Cuba. The Menger seems little changed today, save for a display case of Rough Rider uniforms by the front door and a portrait of Teddy that hangs over the bar. 204 Alamo Plaza, 210/223-4361, cocktails $5.