'Tis the Season to Shop

Find one-of-a-kind treasures by shopping San Marcos' specialty boutiques

You might already associate San Marcos with its outstanding outlet shopping, but there's more to this Central Texas spot than big-name brands at steep discounts.

Dig a little deeper, and you'll discover one-of-a-kind treasures, amazing artisan finds, and superb gifts. Here's your guide to shopping off the beaten path in San Marcos:

Specialty shopping
Soap and body products are always a hit, so hit up Douglas Smith Artisan Soap Co. for plant-based, handcrafted soap and shave products with heavenly scents. There's even a collection dedicated to those with sensitive skin.

Truly Pure Refillery lets you bring your own containers (or you can purchase some there) to take home non-toxic, all-natural, organic, vegan, and cruelty-free products.

In that same vein, San Marcos is home to several apothecaries that carry herbs, teas, crystals, essential oils, meditation essentials, and more. Atypical Apothecary, Herbs & Oddities, Everyday Zen Gifts & Tea, and Solidago-Wade Vetiver's Apothecary & Esoterica will surely have what you're seeking.

Bring nature into your home with a visit to Daughter of the Wild, a cool little shop which stocks house plants, succulents, handmade stone jewelry, and adorable home goods.

Music-lovers should seek out Sundance Record Lagoon for new and used vinyl records, posters, incense, and other music memorabilia.

Games and toys
Wow the kids — and kids-at-heart — in your life with a trip to Got Toys. Just as its name suggests, you'll find novelty toys, retro games, arts and crafts kits, puzzles, and countless other fun discoveries here.

Ecclectic knick knacks and one-of-a-kind items can be found throughout the city's boutique shops.

Photo courtesy of Visit San Marcos

Eclectic knick knacks and one-of-a-kind items can be found throughout the city's boutique shops.

Gamers will be right at home at Alpha Strike Games, which not only carries vintage video games but also popular card games, board games, and so much more.

Art for all
Locate local artists at the San Marcos Art Center, which is packed with works created by the city's own budding Picassos.

Head one block over to explore the Price Center, which combines art with antiques in its in-store Shop 1893.

Enjoy the gorgeous fall weather while browsing al fresco art markets like Art Squared, which happens on the second Saturday of the month (plus a bonus on November 25 for Small Business Saturday), Martian Culture at Zelicks on the second Sunday of the month, and the Full Moon Makers Market at Stonebound Treasures on the fourth Sunday of each month.

Stumped about what to get the host with the most or the person who already has it all? Make their holiday season with a colorful glass creation. Wimberley Glassworks lets you see the artists at work during glass-blowing demonstrations, and then you can purchase completed pieces from the gallery.

Silo Glass, just down Ranch Road 121, is the largest purpose-built, warm glass studio in Central Texas. Take your pick from works made by more than two dozen Texas artists specializing in 3-D art forms.

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See all there is to do in San Marcos by visiting here.

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Holiday Travel News

American Airlines briefly halts flights nationwide for technical issue

Photo courtesy of American Airlines

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American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday due to a technical issue just as the Christmas travel season kicks into high gear.

American flights were cleared to fly by federal regulators about one hour after a national ground stop order was issued by federal regulators.

Just before 8 am Dallas time, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered all American Airlines flights grounded in the U.S. at the airline’s request. American had reported a technical issue affecting its entire system with millions traveling for the holiday.
The ground stop, according to the time stamps on the FAA's orders, lasted exactly one hour.

American has not expanded on what technical issue grounded the flights and the airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The groundings couldn't come at a worse time for the millions of travelers expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers over the holidays and through January 2.

Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up.

In December 2022, Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike.

Southwest was ordered to pay a $35 million fine as part of a $140 million settlement to resolve a federal investigation into the Christmas debacle of 2022.

Excluding the settlement, the nation’s fourth-biggest airline by revenue said the meltdown cost it more than $1.1 billion in refunds and reimbursements, extra costs and lost ticket sales over several months.

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