San Antonio 2004

Zach was in San Antonio for business 15 years ago. He thought it so nice he always wanted to take Cathy there for a visit. Last weekend was that time. We left on a Thursday morning using our Delta Sky Miles. Arriving in San Antonio before noon, we picked up a rental car, checked into our Marriott hotel, and headed downtown. Of course, our first stop was at the Alamo also known as the Mission San Antonio de Valero. It’s a remarkable tribute to the defenders killed in the battle against the Mexicans in1836. The Alamo is just a minute away from the River Walk on the San Antonio River, which is lined with restaurants, hotels, and shops and is the highlight of the city. It’s not a very big river but big enough to have boats which hold about 40 people give a half hour ride with guides that share information about the history of the city.

Another nice thing about San Antonio is that most of the places of interest are just a short walk from the River Walk. After our riverboat ride we walked to Hemisfair Park, sight of the World Fair of 1986 or thereabout. We took the elevator to the top of the Tower of the Americas which was built for the World’s Fair and is still the focal point of the park. It can be seen from almost anywhere in the city and consequently, offers a panoramic view of the entire city. After the ride down from the top, we walked across the street to La Villita, an ethnic shopping and dining area on the River Walk. We then had tex-mex food and a really good margarita on the River Walk. After dinner we strolled on the River Walk and through River Center, the big mall on the river. Yes, everything is on the River Walk.

On day two we were back downtown near the River Walk. We visited San Fernando Cathedral, the Spanish Governor’s Palace, from pre-Alamo days, and El Mercado (Market Square), which is the largest Mexican market north of the boarder. From there it was a short walk to the King William area, also along the river, where all the “rich“people lived in the late 1800s. Lots of big old houses, one we toured was called the Steves Homestead. It was the home of a local lumber baron. This area fell out of favor for many years, but recently it has become the place to live and almost all of the old homes have either been renovated or are in the process of being renovated.

 We spent that afternoon on the Mission Trail. It starts with the Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo. The four other missions are in a southerly line a few miles away from each other. The one closest to the Alamo, Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion de Acuna has mostly been destroyed except for the church itself. A few miles south of there is the Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo, which is the most intact of all the missions and includes the entire original wall and most of the buildings. The next one on the trail is Mission San Juan Capistrano which except for the church is all but gone. The last one Mission Sam Francisco de la Espada’s church and immediate buildings are still in good order and the outlines of the wall and other buildings are still apparent. All of these missions are active catholic churches still run by Franciscan priests just as they were hundreds of years ago and are maintained by the National Park Service. Of course, we had to return to the River Walk that night for another tex-mex meal.

 

Saturday we visited other sights in the area. We started the day at the Botanical Gardens and learned a lot about “waterless” gardens. The conservatories there are as nice as we have seen. From there we went to Natural Bridge Caverns not knowing what to expect since the last couple of caves we visited were rather disappointing. We were pleasantly surprised. The caverns were spectacular with huge columns, flows, stalactites, and stalagmites and rooms as big as football fields. From there we went to historic Gruene, a shopping and eating area in buildings from the late 1800s. It is home of Gruene Hall, the oldest dance hall in Texas, which look like it would blow over in a strong wind, but has seen the likes of entertainers such as Lyle Lovett, George Strait, Jerry Lee Lewis, Garth Brooks, and Willie Nelson. We had dinner in a refurbished Grist Mill overlooking the Guadalupe River.

 

 Our last day started out with lots of rain but had pretty much stopped by the time church was over. Because it was that kind of day we decided to do indoor things so we went to the Institute of Texas Culture which highlights the 21 ethnic groups that have helped make Texas the great state it is. We finished the day at the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. We were expecting something hokey but it turned into a very interesting museum of the old west. After an early dinner we went to the airport and flew home.