Remember the Alamo! January 26, 2020
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is known for a couple of things - the iconic Alamo and the much newer River Walk. That was about all we knew about this city before our visit. What we found was a city very imbued with its Hispanic heritage but also developing some of its abandoned industrial areas into hip destinations which appeal to a young demographic. We looked forward to exploring and booked an Airbnb in a high rise apartment not far from downtown.
Our San Antonio Airbnb was high up on the 7th floor
Our initial foray into the city was not impressive. Although the apartment itself was fairly upscale, it was located in a crumbling area, littered with empty storefronts, blocked off streets, a few homeless people. We wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. However, there was lots of construction going on, and, not far away, shiny new buildings reached toward the sky. Frequent historical markers explained important aspects of the city's history. As we approached the famous River Walk, things began to improve.
If we have been aware of the River Walk for many years, then others have, as well. It IS touristy. Luckily for us, this is not high tourist season, though we're not sure why. It seems like a perfect time and place to escape northern winter weather. The beauty of the River Walk was startling and unexpected. One descends from the street level life of cars and traffic lights into a rather magical ambiance down below, where the river winds its way through the city. It's a world without cars, just meandering sidewalks and occasional bridges, of sparking water reflecting its surroundings, paddling ducks leaving quiet ripples, lush vegetation, twinkling lights, lovely restos and hotels, the murmur of people sitting at outside tables, others strolling along, weighing their dining options. We were charmed.
Since we hadn't managed to have our bbq experience in Austin, we indulged ourselves at the County Line on the River Walk. Not being big meat eaters, we were nevertheless, duly impressed. Thinly sliced, smoked brisket was tender and delicious! We can see why Texans love their bbq!
Just a couple of blocks from the River Walk sits the Alamo, an anachronism amidst the bustling city, a bit like Henry Longfellow's home on Congress Street in Portland. Its history, like so many famous sites, presents new understandings when you actually visit. We associate it with a battle in which Davy Crockett and other heroes died fighting to free Texas from Mexico. I was surprised to learn that it had begun in 1724 as a church, known as the Mission San Antonio de Valera, an enclave for Spanish priests who served both as religious leaders and colonizers/converters of the indigenous peoples. By the time that the renowned battle took place in 1836, it had been abandoned by the church and was being used as a military post with the name El Alamo. Sort of a reverse version of beating swords into plowshares, it seems.
We hear that it will soon undergo extensive restoration and expansion of its grounds to the original footprint. This most beloved of all Texas symbols, recognized worldwide, was pretty cool to see up close.
Since it was MLK day, we decided to honor this civil rights hero by attending the movie Just Mercy. It's based on the work of Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer who has spent years defending prisoners on death row, most of whom are African-American and many of whom are wrongly incarcerated. Along the way, he developed the Equal Rights Initiative, based in Montgomery, Alabama, and is a candidate for sainthood, IMHO. The movie follows the book closely. Both are highly recommended.
Another day we endured a two hour sales presentation by the folks at Wyndham Resorts - in exchange for some "gifts". Our last experience of this sort, 45 years ago in Puerto Rico, had been so painful that we had avoided anything like it for all of this time. I can only say that the giddyness of a tourist mind-set must have enveloped us when we agreed to be pawns in their hands. Actually, we had thought it over and decided that it was a pretty good deal for us - IF we could get through it. It turned out to be hard work to resist all the aspects of salesmanship that were foisted upon us, so nicely and convincingly, as they tried to sell what is, essentially, the same type of time-share as had been hawked all those years ago. Granted, it was dressed up but still, the same. We did come out of it with tickets for a boat tour on the river, among other things - and felt that we had earned every single gift!
Such a pleasant diversion after our pitched sales pitch.
One of our best experiences, on the only day featuring blue blue sky, was a bike ride along the river. Those of you who know me well are aware that I love biking! On this gorgeous day, Bruce and I rented bicycles and took off to explore the other four missions in San Antonio, known as Mission Reach. Yes, there are a total of 5 missions, including the Alamo, in a string which stretches out all along the river! Who knew? (To be honest, my friend, Jeannette, knew and she had told me about them.) They are actually a World Heritage Site, the largest collection of Spanish colonial architecture in the world! Only about three miles separate each mission, easy to do on bikes. What with our usual late morning start and then some technical difficulties with the online rental of the bikes, we made it to two of the missions. Both Mission Concepcion and Mission San Jose were beautiful pieces of architecture. I love the colors, muted by age, and the use of arches in row after row.
Mission Concepcion
Mission San Jose
We learned about life enclosed by the mission walls which offered protection to the peaceful Coahuiltecan Indian tribes from the more aggressive Comanche and Apache tribes. Of course, protection came at a price: acculturation, loss of their language and lifestyle, conversion to Christianity - you know the story.
Small apartments for Indian families along the interior wall.
On the trail connecting the missions, we were protected, too - from the danger of cars and trucks. The urban city fell away; schools and playgrounds appeared, as well as housing complexes. It was peaceful and restorative, hearing and seeing the water birds in the river, enjoying others who were taking advantage of this special trail to walk and bike and run, getting some exercise ourselves after days of lounging and eating too much. We appreciated the vision of the city officials and their commitment to invest in something of this magnitude, which contributes to the health of the city dwellers as well as visitors. Just as the sun was setting at exactly 6 pm, we turned in our bikes and found a place to sit outside and sip a smooth milk stout in the Blue Star Arts Complex on the south side of the city.
I soon ditched the sweater and wished I'd had shorts.
Another of our "perks" from our endurance test with Wyndham Resorts were hop on-hop off bus tickets. On the day that it really rained, we used them to take us to the Pearl District, on the north end of the city. This area had been recommended by an enthusiastic young wait person on the River Walk. It is a cool concept in which the defunct historic Pearl Brewery, encompassing many beautiful old brick buildings, has been turned into a trendy destination. There are shops and restos, a branch of the Culinary Institute of America, a hotel, apartments - all housed in repurposed buildings and all catering to a presumably affluent young clientele. Very fun. Here's a link to a piece by a British writer about the Pearl:
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/americas/san-antonio-pearl-district-things-to-do-brewery-texas-a8393046.html
Those were the highlights of our five days in San Antonio. It's clearly a city going through an "upgrade", respecting and holding onto its impressive roots which straddle two nations - while forging ahead with creative development on both its north and south sides of town. We liked it a lot.
There's more to see there but alas, it was time to continue our travels. We hopped a Greyhound bus for an all-day ride to McAllen, close to the Mexican border, where we'll be volunteering with Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley at their Humanitarian Respite Center.
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is known for a couple of things - the iconic Alamo and the much newer River Walk. That was about all we knew about this city before our visit. What we found was a city very imbued with its Hispanic heritage but also developing some of its abandoned industrial areas into hip destinations which appeal to a young demographic. We looked forward to exploring and booked an Airbnb in a high rise apartment not far from downtown.
Our initial foray into the city was not impressive. Although the apartment itself was fairly upscale, it was located in a crumbling area, littered with empty storefronts, blocked off streets, a few homeless people. We wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. However, there was lots of construction going on, and, not far away, shiny new buildings reached toward the sky. Frequent historical markers explained important aspects of the city's history. As we approached the famous River Walk, things began to improve.
If we have been aware of the River Walk for many years, then others have, as well. It IS touristy. Luckily for us, this is not high tourist season, though we're not sure why. It seems like a perfect time and place to escape northern winter weather. The beauty of the River Walk was startling and unexpected. One descends from the street level life of cars and traffic lights into a rather magical ambiance down below, where the river winds its way through the city. It's a world without cars, just meandering sidewalks and occasional bridges, of sparking water reflecting its surroundings, paddling ducks leaving quiet ripples, lush vegetation, twinkling lights, lovely restos and hotels, the murmur of people sitting at outside tables, others strolling along, weighing their dining options. We were charmed.
Since we hadn't managed to have our bbq experience in Austin, we indulged ourselves at the County Line on the River Walk. Not being big meat eaters, we were nevertheless, duly impressed. Thinly sliced, smoked brisket was tender and delicious! We can see why Texans love their bbq!
Just a couple of blocks from the River Walk sits the Alamo, an anachronism amidst the bustling city, a bit like Henry Longfellow's home on Congress Street in Portland. Its history, like so many famous sites, presents new understandings when you actually visit. We associate it with a battle in which Davy Crockett and other heroes died fighting to free Texas from Mexico. I was surprised to learn that it had begun in 1724 as a church, known as the Mission San Antonio de Valera, an enclave for Spanish priests who served both as religious leaders and colonizers/converters of the indigenous peoples. By the time that the renowned battle took place in 1836, it had been abandoned by the church and was being used as a military post with the name El Alamo. Sort of a reverse version of beating swords into plowshares, it seems.
We hear that it will soon undergo extensive restoration and expansion of its grounds to the original footprint. This most beloved of all Texas symbols, recognized worldwide, was pretty cool to see up close.
Since it was MLK day, we decided to honor this civil rights hero by attending the movie Just Mercy. It's based on the work of Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer who has spent years defending prisoners on death row, most of whom are African-American and many of whom are wrongly incarcerated. Along the way, he developed the Equal Rights Initiative, based in Montgomery, Alabama, and is a candidate for sainthood, IMHO. The movie follows the book closely. Both are highly recommended.
Another day we endured a two hour sales presentation by the folks at Wyndham Resorts - in exchange for some "gifts". Our last experience of this sort, 45 years ago in Puerto Rico, had been so painful that we had avoided anything like it for all of this time. I can only say that the giddyness of a tourist mind-set must have enveloped us when we agreed to be pawns in their hands. Actually, we had thought it over and decided that it was a pretty good deal for us - IF we could get through it. It turned out to be hard work to resist all the aspects of salesmanship that were foisted upon us, so nicely and convincingly, as they tried to sell what is, essentially, the same type of time-share as had been hawked all those years ago. Granted, it was dressed up but still, the same. We did come out of it with tickets for a boat tour on the river, among other things - and felt that we had earned every single gift!
One of our best experiences, on the only day featuring blue blue sky, was a bike ride along the river. Those of you who know me well are aware that I love biking! On this gorgeous day, Bruce and I rented bicycles and took off to explore the other four missions in San Antonio, known as Mission Reach. Yes, there are a total of 5 missions, including the Alamo, in a string which stretches out all along the river! Who knew? (To be honest, my friend, Jeannette, knew and she had told me about them.) They are actually a World Heritage Site, the largest collection of Spanish colonial architecture in the world! Only about three miles separate each mission, easy to do on bikes. What with our usual late morning start and then some technical difficulties with the online rental of the bikes, we made it to two of the missions. Both Mission Concepcion and Mission San Jose were beautiful pieces of architecture. I love the colors, muted by age, and the use of arches in row after row.
We learned about life enclosed by the mission walls which offered protection to the peaceful Coahuiltecan Indian tribes from the more aggressive Comanche and Apache tribes. Of course, protection came at a price: acculturation, loss of their language and lifestyle, conversion to Christianity - you know the story.
On the trail connecting the missions, we were protected, too - from the danger of cars and trucks. The urban city fell away; schools and playgrounds appeared, as well as housing complexes. It was peaceful and restorative, hearing and seeing the water birds in the river, enjoying others who were taking advantage of this special trail to walk and bike and run, getting some exercise ourselves after days of lounging and eating too much. We appreciated the vision of the city officials and their commitment to invest in something of this magnitude, which contributes to the health of the city dwellers as well as visitors. Just as the sun was setting at exactly 6 pm, we turned in our bikes and found a place to sit outside and sip a smooth milk stout in the Blue Star Arts Complex on the south side of the city.
Another of our "perks" from our endurance test with Wyndham Resorts were hop on-hop off bus tickets. On the day that it really rained, we used them to take us to the Pearl District, on the north end of the city. This area had been recommended by an enthusiastic young wait person on the River Walk. It is a cool concept in which the defunct historic Pearl Brewery, encompassing many beautiful old brick buildings, has been turned into a trendy destination. There are shops and restos, a branch of the Culinary Institute of America, a hotel, apartments - all housed in repurposed buildings and all catering to a presumably affluent young clientele. Very fun. Here's a link to a piece by a British writer about the Pearl:
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/americas/san-antonio-pearl-district-things-to-do-brewery-texas-a8393046.html
Those were the highlights of our five days in San Antonio. It's clearly a city going through an "upgrade", respecting and holding onto its impressive roots which straddle two nations - while forging ahead with creative development on both its north and south sides of town. We liked it a lot.
There's more to see there but alas, it was time to continue our travels. We hopped a Greyhound bus for an all-day ride to McAllen, close to the Mexican border, where we'll be volunteering with Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley at their Humanitarian Respite Center.
