The San Antonio Riverwalk is another reason why this city has won a spot in my heart.  It felt like a happy little underworld where one could enjoy a nice meal, pick up a few souvenirs and do a little people watching.  As you can see, you can also take a ride on the river or even dine on one of these boats.  We had a nice dinner at a table right by the water on a thankfully cooler and windier night.   The Riverwalk is also lined with a variety of hotels so you can just hop on down and walk through the city and enjoy a nice view.
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This may look like a man made tourist destination but in fact the River has a long and interesting history.  In 1536, the Spanish explorer Alvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca  first described what we now call the San Antonio River.  I remember reading Cabeza de Vaca in graduate school and let me tell you this guy is mega descriptive, down to the blades of grass.  At first I found it annoying as I was trying to get though his writings but in retrospect it is really fascinating since you couldn't just capture the image with your iphone.  His descriptions are very detailed. For more on the history of the River click here.
My friend Nicolle said the Riverwalk was magical at night and she was absolutely right. Unlike Cabeza de Vaca, I don't have the perfect description but "magical" just about covers it for me.
Have you visited any magical places?