There is nothing -- but nothing -- to equal the goose-pimple thrill of the Grand Entrance at the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. Music blasting, cowboys on charging horses and the American flag, straight-up and flat-out in the wind. Wow! Factor in the bull riding, bareback riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing and calf roping that follow, and any red-blooded A-murr-i-kun wants to stand up and holler.

San Antonio has a small-town feeling, even though it is the second-largest city in Texas and the seventh-largest city in the United States. Yes, the theme park got it right -- six different flags have flown over San Antonio -- French, Spanish, Mexican, Republic of Texas, Confederate, and the Stars and Stripes. All-American, yes, but San Antonio still clings to its Spanish roots.

To maximize your fun there, seek out Tex-Mex food, and listen to Tejano music, a mixture of Mexican and German, on the AM radio. This is the place to buy Lucchese boots and a Stetson. Oh, and remember the Alamo.

My husband's daughter, Leslie Wolke, lives in Austin. When Bob and I visit her, we first squeeze in a few days on our own in San Antonio. The first time, we cadged seats for the rodeo, but these days, our mini-visits there are mostly about trying new restaurants and shopping. Here are some highlights from a recent trip.

Hotels are very competitive, but this one got our vote. Besides having a central location, its back door sealed the deal. It opens right onto San Antonio's world-famous River Walk, or Paseo del Rio, a 1 1/2-mile winding waterway set 20 feet below street level and flanked by landscaped stone paths and spanned by Venice-like bridges. The River Walk is a great way to amble through the city, stopping at the many cafes, restaurants, galleries or nightclubs at whim. Tree-lined footpaths are illuminated at night, creating a safe and romantic ambience. Pittsburgher alert: The river is not of Ohio River proportions; it's narrow, more like a two- or three-lane street.

Should your tootsies tire, river taxis cruise the river at 10-minute intervals. The guides who point out highlights along the way tell this story.

In the 1920s, Robert Hugman, an architect who had grown up fishing on the San Antonio River, suggested a plan to create walkways along the water's edge. Twenty years later, his dream became a reality. The River Walk, built by the W.P.A. in the Depression, is maintained by the City of San Antonio as a city park. Its masonry stairways, footbridges and lush foliage are world-famous. Hyatt Regency San Antonio, 123 Losoya St., 1-210-222-1234; www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com.

There's no better place to have the first of many Texas Margaritas than on the patio at Boudro's. We recommend the Prickly Pear 'Rita, a frozen slush of tequila with a marbled swirl of crimson prickly pear. We had seconds just to confirm its goodness. The eatery is justly famous for its definitive guacamole, made tableside.

Here's how it's done: A server uses a spoon to scoop a ripe avocado from its shell into a molcajete, and slashes the flesh into dice. A generous amount of diced red onion is added plus juice from a quarter of an orange and half a lime. Next, a ladle of fire-roasted tomatoes and serrano peppers, chopped cilantro and a good pinch of coarse salt. The mix is whomped up with a fork and served in the molcajete. Only after partaking heartily of margaritas and guac' are you ready for sightseeing. Boudro's on the River Walk, 421 E. Commerce St. 1-210-224-8484; www.boudros.com.

There's a great back story: Big Band clarinetist Jim Cullum Sr. coached high school musicians, including his son, Jim Cullum Jr., who played cornet. In 1962, father and son organized the Happy Jazz Band. The Cullums, with a group of like-minded San Antonians, launched The Landing on the River Walk jazz club in 1963. Until then, there were no businesses on the River Walk. What a good idea, thought the business leaders. Throughout the '60s, shops and restaurants were built and the modern River Walk came about. Long story short, the band changed its name to the Jim Cullum Jazz Band. Now in its 45th year, the band has played Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Lucky for Bob and me, the band was playing "at home." It was a sight to see and a sound to hear -- six middle-aged professional musicians dressed in jackets and ties playing toe-tapping traditional jazz. The younger Cullum sat down with a couple of Pittsburghers, us, and reminisced about gigs he'd played on his way up, including one-nighters in Meadville, Uniontown and Oil City. The Landing is in the Hyatt Regency. www.landing.com.

Don't miss this one. The Institute is San Antonio's cultural, educational and experience museum. Twenty-six ethnic and cultural groups have contributed to the history of Texas. They are represented in hands-on displays in this educational center, which is one of three campuses of the University of Texas at San Antonio. Outbuildings include a one-room schoolhouse, an adobe home, a windmill, and the multimedia Dome Theater, which presents images of Texas on 36 screens. That's a lot of Texas. Check the Web site below for heritage festivals and kid-friendly shows plus always changing events such as pioneer life re-enactments and holography exhibits. 801 S. Bowie St. 1-210-458-2330; www.texancultures.utsa.edu.

Uncle Gene Lichter, longtime Goodwill Ambassador at Benkovitz Seafoods here in the 'Burgh, relocated to San Antonio a few years ago. Uncle Gene insisted that we "go, go, must go." He discovered Le Reve and became good friends with the young chef, San Antonio native Andrew Weissman and his Costa Rican wife, Maureen. There are only 12 tables. Service is seamless, the wine list is gasp-worthy and the food, contemporary and seasonal French, is superb. We allowed three hours for dinner and did not want to leave. Good thing for taxis, because we drained every drop of our wines.

That's no exaggeration. Texas Monthly calls this restaurant the Best in Texas. Gourmet Magazine ranks it sixth-best in the country. The James Beard Association nominated it Best Restaurant in the Southwest. President Emeritus Ferdinand Metz of the Culinary Institute of America visited San Antonio during the setup of the new Southwestern branch of the CIA, which is housed on the site of the former Pearl Brewery, near downtown San Antonio. When Metz called to make a dinner reservation, he was turned away. "Full," they said. "We cannot accommodate you. No exceptions." That's how good this restaurant is! Le Reve, 152 E. Pecan St., 1-210-212-2221; www.restaurantlereve.com.

Pick up a map or take a walking tour, and you can disguise a shopping foray as an exercise in history and sightseeing. San Antonio's first neighborhood, La Villita, was originally a settlement of huts for Spanish soldiers. After a flood in 1819, adobe houses replaced the primitive huts. Today the restored district, a registered national historic landmark, is paved with cobblestone walkways and is home to an arts and crafts community. Its artisan shops and galleries are located right off the River Walk. A good place to start: Sutler Country Store, in the 1854 Florian House. The shop sells handmade jewelry, sculpture and books. Chamade Jewelers keeps the authentic spirit of La Villita, offering an assortment of jewelry from the Hopi, Navajo and Zuni reservations. We especially liked Villita Stained Glass, which makes its home inside the 1873 Bower-Kirchner House, a caliche block, or rammed earth, construction. 1-210-207-8610; www.lavillita.com.

Walk, repeat walk, do not taxi, to El Mercado, site of San Antonio's old market square. You will need to burn every available calorie before you set foot in this gastronomic fantasy of old Mexico. The restaurant is over-the-top hokey and touristy, but so what? It's a hoot. String lights, paper banners, flags, murals and you-pay-we-play musicians add to the fun. Service is friendly, and the food is both authentic and plentiful. You may want to add hot sauce to the tamed-down-for-tourists dishes. Our breakfast of huevos rancheros with three salsas, chorizo, pork tamales, refried beans, tortillas and coffee didn't keep us from stopping at the bakery for a to-go bag of pan dulce -- gooey, chewy, sugary sweet rolls. 218 Produce Row, in the Mercado, 1-210-225-1262; www.mitierracafe.com.

Hope you remembered to leave room in your suitcase. This is the largest Mexican marketplace outside Mexico, with 32 shops built after the original design of Mexican marketplaces. In wildly colored shops and booths, bargain shop for authentic Southwestern and Mexican clothes and crafts not found at Macy's. (We bought a hand-painted ceramic sink for our powder room and had it shipped.) Cool off with an agua fresca, a drink made with fresh fruit, water and sugar. We bypassed strawberry and lime for watermelon and hibiscus. If you're still standing, browse through 80 specialty shops in the Farmers Market Plaza. 514 W. Commerce; 1-210-207-8600.

I almost forgot. This famous site is where 189 defenders of Texas Independence from Mexico fought some 4,000 Mexican troops for 13 days. It was the battle (1836) in which Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were killed. Although the Mexican army won, many Texans believe this battle brought Texas its ultimate independence.

The Alamo is the heart of San Antonio and is revered by locals as a sacred shrine. The chapel is said to be one of the most photographed facades in the nation. One hotel was denied its building plans when it was discovered that its shadow might fall across the Alamo at certain times of day.

But be prepared to be underwhelmed by the site. The Long Barracks are all that remain of the original fort, making the Alamo much smaller than you might expect. Much. 300 Alamo Plaza; 1-210-225-1391; www.thealamo.org.