San Antonio

Despite the inclement weather, Lee and I decided to go into downtown San Antonio to stroll along the River Walk. The San Antonio River Walk (also known as Paseo del Río) is a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath the streets of Downtown San Antonio. There are lots of beautiful foliage, water falls, shopping, and restaurants.

There is even an outdoor theater where patrons can enjoy productions surrounded by such a serene setting.

We walked up to the La Villita which is set up like a little village in Mexico with restaurants and shopping. The village was preparing for the upcoming 75th Fiesta And Texas Cavaliers River Parade.

One of the shopkeepers at La Villita recommended Rosario's restaurant for authentic Mexican food when we were ready for dinner. Speaking of food, we were getting quite thirsty so we stopped at a little spot (which turned out to be The Hilton Hotel's Tex Cafe on the Riverwalk) where we enjoyed a fabulous margarita and people watched for a little while.

One of the main features in San Antonio is the famous Alamo. The original Alamo mission was founded near the headwaters of San Pedro Creek in 1718. In 1719 the mission was relocated a short distance to the south of where it is located today. A 1724 storm destroyed structures at the new site prompting Spanish officials to relocate the mission to its present spot. It was the mission compound constructed here that later gained fame as the Alamo. The battle of the Alamo (a 13 day siege) was the pivotal event in the Texas Revolution for its independence from Mexico.

Today the Alamo is a museum which commemorates the war and visitors can see artifacts, letters, and learn about the soldiers and people involved in the battles. There are beautiful gardens in the back of the mission boasting of flowering cactus plants. When it was time for dinner, we did go to Rosario's for dinner where we shared steak and shrimp fajitas and, of course, margaritas!