San Antonio and the Alamo and the River Walk…
We’re staying at a 1000 Trails campground in Lakehills, TX, about 40 miles from San Antonio. The day started out cloudy and humid—100% humidity but not rain. The Texans called it “drizzle”, but it’s sure not like Seattle drizzle! When enough moisture had gathered in the trees above the trailer, and a little bit of wind blew, a lot of big drops would plop down on the roof. It sounded like rain, but it really wasn’t.
We hung around until it warmed up and cleared up, then headed to the big city. This year is the 175th anniversary of the siege of the Alamo. We’ve all seen the movies where Jim Bowie, Colonel Wm. Travis and Davy Crockett all died for the cause of Texas independence. I’ve been there before, but it always surprises me how small it actually is. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas have been responsible for the care and maintenance of it since 1905. You can’t take pictures inside, but it was a beautiful day and we wandered the museum and courtyard.
We then headed across the street to cut through the Hyatt’s Atrium Lobby and it’s water features to the River Walk. Lining both sides of a bend of the San Antonio River are shops, restaurants and bars, one level down from the street. It started as a method of flood control during 1930s and has since become a major tourist attraction.
The River Walk winds and loops under bridges on each side of the river bank. There are little canal boats that travel the length of the “Paseo del Rio” and you get the history spiel from the guides. Each little section is unique. There are restaurants all over, and you can sit on the patios or just stroll. You can cross by going up to street level and back down on the other side. I loved that all the bridges are different. There are a lot of hotels, and a lot of people who had obviously come from conferences. Lots of tourists, too—just like us. The plantings took a hard hit from cold temperatures a few weeks ago, but it looks like it’s already starting to come back. One of the signs by a bridge says “Other cities have rivers, but only San Antonio has the River Walk…”
The River Walk winds and loops under bridges on each side of the river bank. There are little canal boats that travel the length of the “Paseo del Rio” and you get the history spiel from the guides. Each little section is unique. There are restaurants all over, and you can sit on the patios or just stroll. You can cross by going up to street level and back down on the other side. I loved that all the bridges are different. There are a lot of hotels, and a lot of people who had obviously come from conferences. Lots of tourists, too—just like us. The plantings took a hard hit from cold temperatures a few weeks ago, but it looks like it’s already starting to come back. One of the signs by a bridge says “Other cities have rivers, but only San Antonio has the River Walk…”
We walked the “Bend” section, and then had Margaritas and Nachos at a Tex-Mex restaurant, watching people and just relaxing.
When we headed back to the truck, we cut through the hotel again. The Alamo was lit, and all the people were gone.
Along Alamo Plaza were horse drawn carriages, decorated with lights to look like Cinderella carriages. George, the non-romantic, thought they were silly. YOU decide!
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