500 years ago nobody wanted the stretch of land known today as California. No Europeans, anyway. For hundreds of years the Spanish knew of the area but didn’t care to settle there. It wasn’t until King Carlos III learned that Russian seal hunters were operating on the Pacific Coast that he felt compelled to claim for Spain what it had never previously desired.
At street level San Antonio looks like any other American city. One story lower, the River Walk transforms five miles of downtown into canals and bridges befitting the best of Amsterdam and Venice. The Paseo del Rio (walk of the river, in Spanish) is a public park lined with bars, restaurants, hotels and even an outdoor theater. There is no shortage of things to do, day and night, 365 days per year. Just walking and taking in the atmosphere is wonderful, though, and free.
Everywhere Once 