When Visit San Antonio first sent me the invite by way of Out Traveler to join them for their third annual River Pride Parade hosted by Bud Light, I had a number of reservations.

That said, however, I found that none of that actually applied. Don’t get me wrong, Texas is still full of anti-LGBTQ+ people. San Antonio, however, is full of queer representation and is a welcoming space cloaked in a hip, upbeat, and very clean city.

Keep reading to hear a little more about my experience.

The Bend Ale Trail is a no-joke way to check out the city’s incredible, famous beer scene. This trail comes with its own “passport” including 22 breweries with a little reward after you visit five.

I knew there was no way I’d make it to 22, so I ventured out with a goal of seven breweries, putting my maximum goal at 10 beers on the Bend Ale Trail.

After beer two, a friend bet I wouldn’t make it past number four.

I cannot get enough of the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon.

I’ll be honest, I usually struggle a bit in zoo-like environments. As an adult, with some of the places I’ve visited, I’ve felt that the animals were sad. Sometimes malnourished. Other times seemingly mistreated.

Not here, under any circumstance, in any case.