A premier haunt in the corniest part of San Antonio (near the Riverwalk, next door to the Alamo), The Menger Hotel is the only place on earth where you could encounter the ghost of Davy Crockett and Teddy Roosevelt in the same room. Other ghosts include murdered maids, the Alamo martyrs, and almost every historical figure that has set foot in its quarters. I highly recommend booking the Oscar Wilde suite in the Victorian Wing. It smells like bleach, but you can literally feel the luxe gay energy emanating from the walls. If an overnight stay at the most haunted hotel in Texas is not to your liking, you can always grab a post-Alamo Lonestar at the Menger Bar. Sit on the stool where Carrie Nation (famous historical crone) smashed the bar with a hatchet to further the cause of the temperance movement. Or, you can sit at one of the tables where Teddy Roosevelt recruited his Rough Riders. When youâve gobbled that Lonestar down, make sure to tour the lobby, where you can find Frank Lewis Van Nessâs âVenting Cattle on the Frisco Systemâ, a massive Western painting featured in the 1956 epic âGiantâ (James Deanâs last film). Finally, you can grab a mango ice cream at the Colonial Room Restaurant. As Bill Clinton said, âmango ice cream at the Menger Hotel is one of the greatest treasures of American life.â
