If you’ve lived in San Antonio for most, or all, of your life, you’re still likely to find something to do, somewhere to eat, or something to see in town that you didn’t know about before you visited Denise Richter’s blog, San Antonio Tourist. Denise is a journalism professor, a mom, and a blogger, and she also happens to be consumed by an ongoing love affair with her fair city. Tourists and locals alike turn to Denise’s insightful posts whether planning their vacations to the Alamo City or simply planning a fun Saturday morning.
How long have you been blogging and why did you start?
I’ve been blogging since 2004 (Guess this is my tenth anniversary!). I took a group of students to Spain and France for a study abroad, and I had them blog while we were there. I blogged, too, to help set the pace. I have a horrible memory, so I liked the idea of having an archive of experiences to help me remember and to share with future generations. Plus, I liked the idea of having friends and family back home being able to travel vicariously with us. I then took a group of students to Oaxaca, Mexico, in the summer of 2006, and I also had them blog. It was an extremely memorable experience! We were tear gassed by the state police. After you watch me eat a grasshopper, check out the June 14-16 posts. In 2007, I took another group of students to Spain, and we also blogged about our experiences. I received positive feedback on each of these blogs. People thanked me for bringing them along.
I started San Antonio Tourist in June 2010 because I missed writing. As a journalism professor at Palo Alto College, I spend a lot of time teaching writing and grading writing but very little time actually writing. It’s good for my students to see me reporting and writing. My blog is a creative outlet for me, and it makes me happy that people enjoy reading it. One of the sweetest comments I received was from a group of women from Illinois who used my blog to plan their trip. They wrote to thank me for my suggestions. I was extremely flattered when Google asked me to be a content provider for their free app, Field Trip, last summer. Download it right now!
Your blog is for, “folks who want to get beyond the Alamo and the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas.” How do you decide which San Antonio attractions to cover?
I truly love San Antonio, and I think that comes across in my blog. Here’s a visual archive of all my posts. I cover things I enjoy doing that I think others will enjoy, too. It makes me happy to hear from people who have lived in San Antonio all their lives who write that they didn’t know what I covered existed until they read it in my blog. I also like to focus on having fun without breaking the bank. Mendez Cafe is a great example of this.
What are your favorite lesser known (or hidden) things to do and places to visit in San Antonio?
My favorite lesser known things to do and places to visit in San Antonio are:
El Paraiso Original Ice Cream Fruit Bars
Sunken Gardens
Las Colchas
What are three of your must-read blogs?
My three must-read blogs are:
And the Pursuit of Happiness
Hyperbole and a Half
The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks
What’s next for San Antonio Tourist?
Since I’m good at organizing adventures, I’d like to offer personal tours for people who travel to San Antonio. After I retire from teaching, I would like to become a freelance travel writer and tour guide. To me, travel is the best, most wonderful education, and I love sharing my travel experiences with others.
P.S. One of my proudest accomplishments is raising a daughter, now a junior in high school, who is a reader. Since last fall, she’s been writing a weekly book review that appears on the San Antonio Public Library’s Teen Blog. Here’s a link to all of her blog posts. Seventy-three books and counting!
P.S.S. Doing this blog has opened up a whole new world of friends to me here in San Antonio. My fellow bloggers inspire me to no end.
Colleen, thanks for introducing me to Denise’s blog! I can’t wait to read about her adventures. 🙂
Amanda, you’re going to love Denise’s blog. It’s a great resource for San Antonio!
Awesome! I love being a tourist in my own city.
Julie, I’ve been loving your San Antonio posts on your blog too. Great photos and tips for places to go and things to see!
I’m always shocked by San Antonians who tell me they’ve never been to the Riverwalk. WHAT?! Get thee down there and have some fun! San Antonio is a great city to explore.
I’ve lived here for most of my life and I still haven’t seen everything there is to see in our fair city. I love that and always look forward to new adventures in San Antonio. 😉
Been reading the good Doctor for years. She has great insight and it is always a pleasure to read her thoughts. Thanks for introducing her to more folks.
My pleasure, Gene! I, too, love Denise’s writing. And she’s so knowledgeable about these undiscovered corners of our city. She is a treasure.
What a wonderful introduction! I cannot wait to read all your travel posts. 🙂
I look forward to reading the other (older) blogs Denise mentioned above. Spain and Mexico through her eyes will be definitely interesting reads.