San Antonio

Picture a river walk below street level, lined with cypress trees, lush with plant life, adorned with arched bridges and filled with romance. Imagine river cruisers carrying happy passengers along this waterway whose walkways link shops, restaurants and cafes. Well, this is San Antonio, the twelfth stop on our Fall Adventure - and by far, one of the most enchanting spots we have visited. It is truly a blend of cultures. As mentioned in the Visit San Antonio website, "Native Americans, Colonial Spain, the Canary Islands, Old Mexico, Germans, the Wild West, and the Deep South cross paths in San Antonio." Everywhere we went we saw evidence of all that richness. 

Mission San Juan

Cathedral of San Fernando

Once again, so much to take in and with just three days to do it in. Setting priorities is important when you are limited by time. When the heat hovers around 95, those priorities and any itinerary has to be flexible. Add to that a government shut-down affecting the National Park System. So, be prepared to be unable to visit certain destinations and to share that disappointment with scores of other tourists who express their displeasure, if not their politics.One of the plans our party of four had made was to see all four of the missions on the Mission Trail. Unfortunately, we could not enter them because of the previously mentioned government shutdown. We were relegated to photographing the exterior as close as we could get.  However, at one of the missions, someone left a chapel door open and we were able to get a look inside(sneak in, that is); it was truly beautiful. Even with limited access, I learned what a vital role these missions played in the life of the early settlements in Texas and what place the Catholic church played in it. The remnants of that influence exist even to this day. Note the Cathedral of San Fernando, seat of a diocese with 139 parishes.

We were able to tour The Alamo, originally known as Mission San Antonio De Valero. (It is not part of the National Park System.) What an experience - to be standing in that spot where part of the Texas Rebellion took place and where, in the last siege,  the defenders of the Alamo were slaughtered. I recall growing up reading about the West and loving Western movies - hearing the phrase, "Remember the Alamo". Well, now I have witnessed, first-hand, how the San Antonions do remember and have such a deep reverence for those brave soldiers who included Tejanos and Anglo-Texians as well as men from many states and Europe. (There was even one soldier from Connecticut -56 year-old Gordon Jennings.) 

On the more mundane gastronomic side, San Antonio has such a plethora of dining choices. Our restaurant experiences included everything from the exquisite Biga to the Iron Cactus on the River Walk, to great pizza at Paisano's to the tried and true at the Hard Rock. We sipped drinks at the Esquire, the longest wooden bar in Texas, went to Waxy O'Connor's for an Irish Coffee (San Antonio isn't all Tex-Mex.) and enjoyed a brew at the Faust Hotel in nearby New Braunfels. Life is good. (People seem to say that as a punctuation to a positive experience. Ergo...)  

In the realm of the totally unexpected and a truly OMG moment: having breakfast at our hotel and a tap on the shoulder. I look up and see before me a dear friend, Tina, whom I have not seen in almost five years! As we are hugging hello (in complete surprise) her husband Dick joined the greetings. It wasn't long ago that I said to Terry we should get together with Dick & Tina; it's been too long. Never thought it would be in San Antonio, Texas. The term "small world" comes to mind.

Before leaving San Antonio, we accompanied my brother-in-law Frank to Lackland Air Force Base; his last time there was in the late 60's during his training as an airman. This was a nostalgic trip for him and we were glad to be part of it. Despite the fact that he could only get as far as the front gate, he was a man filled with emotion, reflecting on that time prior to his deployment to Vietnam.

Our final stop on the way out of town was to Penners, a wonderful clothing store in existence since 1916. Assisted by David, a salesman there for 50 years, (Who works anywhere for 50 years these days?) Terry received a mini wardrobe makeover. He was even willing to give up wearing his American Pickers T-shirt! I couldn't resist a purchase myself, who could at this store? The place is a throwback to an era when service and style went hand-in-hand. And...they have a website to be able to order online!

We left San Antonio happy to have spent time in this vibrant city. Gracias. Adios.