SAN ANTONIO

I think this was my third or fourth trip to San Antonio, but I look forward to it and love it every time.  The Riverwalk is gorgeous and sheltered and cool and just the tiniest bit damp.  For a desert girl, it's a wonderful get-away.  We arrived on Monday afternoon into San Antonio's exceptionally spacious airport.  Not many airports are a pleasure, but this one was.  Every person we talked to or asked directions from was happily helpful.  That's the way we thought of them.  Happily Helpful.  They're great ambassadors for the city which, at 1.6 million, is much larger than I thought.

Mary and I stayed at a Drury Inn and Suites which is showing its age, but again everyone there was exceptionally helpful and breakfast is included in the price.  And, before I forget, so are wine and other similar beverages along with hot hors d'oeuvres.  It's a happy place from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.  And that aging part?  Our suite was spotless and I'm more into that than the latest and greatest furniture.   

We did the obligatory River Tour, and it is interesting... Really.  I had remembered that the San Antonio River is real and empties into the Gulf of Mexico, but in the process it becomes part of San Antonio's flood control project which is pretty darned intricate.  We learned a bit of history--real and imagined, and directions to a good authentic Mexican Restaurant.  I can't really vouch for the authenticity part, but it was so good, we visited it twice! 

 On another day we walked to the Alamo.  The Drury Inn sits on the river's edge--as you exit the back door, you're at the river; and in the other direction, it's only a few blocks to the Alamo.  I remembered the Alamo, but not as much as I should have.  I forget how intricately carved and really pretty the church is, and how seriously Texans take this shrine.  Yes, it is a Texas State Shrine in honor of the brave men who defended it against the forces from Mexico.  Here you find a roll-call of the great adventurers of the early 19th century.  Unfortunately, far too many of them, Americans, Europeans and Mexicans, died here.    

This tree--a Southern Live Oak--is much more impressive in person than in a little photograph.  If my memory serves me well, it is over 200 years old, and nearly fills the courtyard surrounding it.  We planted six Southern Live Oaks around our patio last year at about this time, and I'm now resolved to keep those sweet trees under control.  The grounds of the Alamo are much bigger than I remembered.  It was a good-sized fort (now nearly covered by San Antonio downtown buildings), but we think mostly of that pretty little mission when we think Alamo.   

 Water, water everywhere--the weather performed exactly as forecast, and on Thursday the rains, wind and cold descended.  We had hoped to ride the River Taxi to the Pearl Brewery, but it would be a chilly and damp hour-long ride.  Being dainty (and old) ladies, we took a cab and ten minutes later were warm and cozy at the Local Coffee shop.  This new area, accessible from the Riverwalk if you don't mind a hike, is historic (the Brewery was founded in 1881) up-to-the-minute modern, quirky, delicious and fun.  Plan on spending an afternoon, and plan on including lunch or dinner, then kick back and relax. 

  

Margie