My love affair with San Antonio began in 1968 when my parents took one of my brothers and me to the World’s Fair, HemisFair, to soak up the region’s confluence of civilizations and celebrate San Antonio’s 250th birthday. Forty-six years later, there’s even more reason to love San Antonio. Name another place where can you enjoy a $5 glass of wine at the top of the city’s tallest building with a breathtaking 360-degree view. I thought so.

Happy Hour at the Tower of the Americas, Mondays through Fridays from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., has been on my to-do list for years. Over the holiday break, a good friend and I finally made the trek. We parked just off of Cesar Chavez Boulevard and walked to the tower, which is surrounded by a lovely water garden.

If you are headed up to the Happy Hour, make sure you get in the elevator line for the Chart House Restaurant. Another queue is for the observation deck. Standing in line, I enjoyed seeing a portrait of Mr. HemisFair himself, Bill Sinkin, who turned 100 on May 19, 2013. Sinkin, the president of HemisFair, went on to become a tireless proponent of solar energy, which resulted in San Antonio being named a Solar America City. For those who want to learn more about renewable energy, check out the Opportunities in Resilience Conference that will place in February 2014.

On the way to the top of the tower, which was designed by architect O’Neil Ford, who also designed Trinity University, I noticed that construction is underway to the east of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center all the way to the McAllister Freeway. A little research revealed that a $325 million expansion is taking place.

When we arrived at the top, we found a place to sit at the bar. My friend settled on the Pomegranate Tini, and I chose the Cabernet. We also ordered the Spinach and Artichoke Dip and some Calamari. The waitstaff was attentive, and our order was ready in no time. We dug in, and we didn’t leave a speck on the plates. The people sitting next to us said that they do the Tower HH quite often, and they recommended the Prime Rib Sliders on our next visit. And, yes, there will be a next visit. Cheers to that!

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been home ever since. For even more ideas of fun things to do and see in San Antonio, visit Barnes & Noble, The Twig or Whole Earth Provision Co. to purchase Denise’s book, “100 Things To Do in San Antonio Before You Die” . Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to design/lead a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!