San Antonio embodies Texas' independent, maverick spirit—and there's no better place to feel this spirit than the city’s historic areas. At the Alamo mission, see where early Texans drew a line in the sand and declared their independence from Mexico—fighting overwhelming odds and dying for liberty.
Walk back in time to colonial Spanish days at one of San Antonio's five 18th-century missions that spread European culture and converted the native people to Christianity— forever changing the face of the Southwest. Wander the streets of La Villita, one of the first Spanish settlements, and later home to German and French pioneers. Or head to the King William neighborhood, a national historic district lined with impressive restored homes. Sit at the bar in the Menger Hotel where Teddy Roosevelt recruited his "Rough Riders" years before. See where Texas' history begins, in San Antonio.