Denise Barkis Richter is a tenured professor of Journalism/Mass Communication at Palo Alto College in San Antonio, Texas. She received her Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin in 1998, her M.A. in Communication Arts from The University of the Incarnate Word in 1990, and her B.A. in Journalism, Radio and Television from Trinity University in 1983. Before teaching full-time, Richter worked as a writer/field producer for PBS, a public relations professional and fund-raising executive for a children’s hospital, and documentary film screenwriter. Richter has lived and studied in Mexico, Spain, and Guatemala, and she has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Mexico.
Family Travel Tips
- Always pack a deck of cards and at least one book.
- If it’s a stay-in-one-place vacation, pack some arts & crafts items (watercolors/brush/postcard-
sized cardstock and beads, wire and/or cord).
Favorite Things To Do With Kids In San Antonio
1. Big Lou’s Pizza – 2048 South W.W. White, SAT 78222
I’d never seen pizza stalked by paparazzi until I visited Big Lou’s Pizza at 2048 South W.W. White Road. Cameras come out when pizza is brought to your table because Big Lou’s pizza is 42 inches in diameter. That’s right. Three and a half feet across equaling 1,385 square inches of pizza. For comparison, a 14-inch pizza is only 153 square inches. If 42 inches isn’t big enough for you, go ahead and order their 62-inch pizza…5 feet, 2 inches in diameter equaling 3,019 square inches…but you’ll have to make a reservation.
2. San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 West Jones, SAT 78215
The San Antonio Museum of Art may not be as big as New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, but I believe that SAMA gives the Met a run for its money with the breadth of its collection: Asian, Pre-Columbian, Ancient Mediterranean, European, Islamic, Oceanic, American, Contemporary and Latin American Art, not to mention numerous visiting exhibitions, like the current Aphrodite and the Gods of Love up through February 17.
3. McNay Art Museum, 6000 North New Braunfels, SAT 78209
What really draws me to the McNay is the setting and the art. San Antonio is blessed to have such a gorgeous museum in its midst. Marion Koogler McNay was an oil heiress who made San Antonio her adopted home. She was an artist who also collected art. When she died in 1950, she gave her home, the 23 acres it sits on, her extensive art collection and an endowment to create the first modern art museum in Texas.
4. Half Price Books, 3207 Broadway, SAT 78209
I have friends from out of town who plan their San Antonio vacations around Half Price Books with its four Alamo City locations. If you’re a bookophile, you’ll be in heaven. Where else can you buy a coffee table book of the Taj Mahal for $1? A book of cowboy songs sheet music for $2? A two-CD “Best of Scott Joplin” collection for $3? Plus, HPB has a fantastic YA (Young Adult) section.
5. Buffalo Exchange, 145 West Olmos, SAT 78212
Buffalo Exchange is a nationwide chain of new and recycled fashion for middle school through college-aged bargain-hunters with a keen fashion sense. The shop caters to both males and females. T-shirts, pants, skirts, shoes, purses, hats, scarves, jewelry and more may all be found at Buffalo Exchange, which is very easy on the pocketbook.
Connect with Denise!
Blog: sanantoniotourist.wordpress.
Twitter: twitter.com/dbrsat
Facebook: facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist
Pinterest: pinterest.com/dbrsat/
