{"id":663201,"date":"2026-03-18T00:31:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T00:31:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/663201\/"},"modified":"2026-03-18T00:31:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T00:31:13","slug":"san-antonio-is-the-cheapest-u-s-city-for-spring-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/663201\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio is the cheapest U.S. city for spring break"},"content":{"rendered":"

An iconic Austin barbecue joint is getting the spotlight as a must visit destination in Southern Living’s 2026 South’s Best Awards<\/a>, as well as a famous German Hill Country town, its new boutique hotel, and a caf\u00e9 in Marble Falls. <\/p>\n

Franklin Barbecue <\/strong>was <\/strong>crowned the best barbecue joint in Texas<\/a> by the publication’s readers.<\/p>\n

The annual awards are determined through third-party online surveys of Southern Living consumers from July 9 to September 9, 2025. Over 17,000 respondents rated their favorite places across the South, the report said.<\/p>\n

“Fans from around the world queue up for hours to experience the craftsmanship that has made Franklin a barbecue celebrity,” the report said. “Flawless prime-grade brisket with a sweet, tangy glaze is still the showstopper here, and it\u2019s accompanied by the quintessential Central Texas lineup of pork ribs, turkey, and jalape\u00f1o-Cheddar sausage.”<\/p>\n

We’ll add this new award to the stack<\/a> of accolades<\/a> Franklin Barbecue and its owner<\/a> have earned<\/a> over the years.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, popular Hill Country town Fredericksburg<\/strong> earned the coveted No. 3 spot in Southern Living’s Best Small Towns in the South<\/a> list. The publication noted the town’s growth and the recent addition of The Albert Hotel<\/a>, which opened in 2025. The Albert Hotel was ranked the 10th best new hotel<\/a> in 2026.<\/p>\n

“The city\u2019s premier full-service luxury hotel revives a cluster of 19th-century landmarks, from a historic saloon to a former pharmacy that is now a cafe, deli, and artisan market,” the report said. “Alongside the 105 minimalist guest rooms, a holistic spa and a limestone pool provide moments of quiet relaxation.”<\/p>\n

\"Albert We all need a relaxing day poolside at the Albert Hotel pool oasis.Photo by Chase Daniels<\/p>\n

As the Fredericksburg area grows, Southern Living said, it still maintains its cozy, small-town feel. <\/p>\n

“Fredericksburg still wears its German heritage on its sleeve, evident throughout Main Street architecture and a lively cluster of biergartens and long-running seasonal festivals,” the report’s author wrote. “Wine lovers will feel particularly at home thanks to more than 100 wineries and tasting rooms scattered throughout town and the surrounding countryside.”<\/p>\n

It’s no wonder Southern Living decided to locate its 2026 Idea House<\/a> there.<\/p>\n

Popular events like the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival<\/a> and locally focused programs like the Texas Hill Country Wineries wine passports<\/a> draw in crowds from all parts of Texas. The town is just over an hour away from San Antonio, which makes it a great weekend or spring break escape. San Antonio-area travelers might even spot small patches of bluebonnets<\/a> during their road trip through the Hill Country.<\/p>\n

No matter which route you take, travelers should book extra time for a pit stop through another small Texas town called Marble Falls<\/strong>, which is home to one of Southern Living’s most legendary Southern restaurants<\/a>: Blue Bonnet Cafe<\/strong>. According to the report, its longstanding staff members embody the idea of “southern hospitality” every day.<\/p>\n

“There\u2019s one real reason the Blue Bonnet Cafe is so widely respected: The folks who run the place have been holding this small-town diner to high standards for years,” the report said. <\/p>\n

Blue Bonnet Cafe opened in 1929 and was later bought by the Kemper family in 1981, who still own and operate it today. Southern Living recommends ordering one of the blue plate specials, and a slice of pie is a mandatory treat.<\/p>\n

“With 15 options \u2014 from luxuriously creamy to bright and fruity \u2014 you\u2019re guaranteed to find one you\u2019ll love,” the report said.<\/p>\n

\"Blue Ordering a slice of pie is a requirement, not a suggestion. Blue Bonnet Cafe – Marble Falls, TX\/Facebook<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An iconic Austin barbecue joint is getting the spotlight as a must visit destination in Southern Living’s 2026…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":663202,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5133],"tags":[8161,5229,11217,7202,7203,213240,358,1164,3187,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,33348],"class_list":["post-663201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-antonio","tag-affordability","tag-america","tag-family-friendly","tag-san-antonio","tag-sanantonio","tag-spring-break","tag-texas","tag-travel","tag-tx","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-vacations"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116247362700596458","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=663201"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/663201\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/663202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=663201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=663201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=663201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}