On April 20th we had settled down in San Antonio at the San Antonio/Alamo KOA. We woke up to bright blue skies and temperatures in the mid 70'sF (23C). It was a good day to explore and we knew we had lots to see. Ralph, Rick and I set out looking for a place to grab breakfast while Janet stayed back at her coach to sleep in.
According to Yelp (we used this app a lot to help us find local eateries), there was a highly recommended café called the Bakery Lorraine located near the restored area of the Pearl Brewery Factory which has blossomed into an eclectic mix of little shops, yummy restaurants along with the campus of the Culinary Institute of America nearby. It was a trendy, artsy gathering place for students, business professionals and tourists. We had a great breakfast then drove back to pickup Janet then headed to the San Antonio Riverwalk area. Wow, was this a gorgeous place! No wonder it was recommended as the number one tourist point of interest during my online searches.
Just one level below the city streets of downtown San Antonio, the Riverwalk is a network of walkways along the San Antonio River lined with casual restaurants, bars, shops hotels, an amphitheater and even an art museum. The landscaping just breathes color and healthy greenery. Boat rides are available (at a cost) if your choice was to see the approximately two mile long "American Venice" by water.
It was Fiesta Week (called the "Mardi Gras of Texas") and evidence was hanging in the many restaurants and bars.
Along the historic La Villita area, there were many very large Cyprus trees that formed a shady canopy over the water. La Vallita (Little Village) was the oldest residential neighborhood and was now filled with shops and galleries.
After several hours of strolling the Riverwalk, we returned to our coaches. There Rick and Ralph sat down at the campsite to plan some routes for future stops.
The following day, we returned to Riverwalk to have lunch and see more. Food choices ranged from Mexican to cowboy size Texas steaks with sweet tooth satisfaction thrown in.
We ate at Paesanos and the food was terrific.
I was really surprised to find out that the Alamo was within walking distance from the Riverwalk...actually, it was only about one mile. I've always imagined the Alamo being in a remote area surrounded by desert, or at least that was the impression I got after seeing so many movies and television shows about it. When I actually saw the Alamo, I was surprised, again, at how small a structure it was. It wasn't a huge fort as I was expecting.
The Alamo was initially built in 1724 and served for 70 years afterwards as a home for missionaries and Indian converts. In 1836, the historic Battle of the Alamo took place. For five days the Texans fought to drive Mexican soldiers from the Alamo. Texas was successful. Then in February of 1836, General Santa Anna and his army attempted to retake the Alamo. The rest is treasured Texas and American history.
Low and behold I found the steakhouse I had read about on the Internet with my Maiden name in it - Rhein.
This was the gorgeous Arneson River Theater, an open air venue built in 1939-41. The grass covered steps on the south side seats an audience of 800. The stage is across the water on the north side. The stone bridge, named Rosita's Bridge, honors Rosita Fernandez, a pioneer of Tejano music and who performed at this venue for over 20 years. The theater still features concerts, plays, dance, music and opera. For those movie buffs: this theater was featured in the 2000 comedy Miss Congeniality featuring Sandra Bullock and Michael Caine.
Spring was in the air. Traveling this time of year was a prime time when it came to wildflowers. They were in full bloom everywhere along the roadsides and in so many colors and variety...it was inspiring to photograph. This wildflower extravaganza is so spectacular that each year Texas recognizes the season with an annual Wildflowers Days exhibit at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center located at the University of Texas in Austin. Dedicated to our former First Lady and wife of President Lyndon Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson appreciated and supported this state treasure and made sure it was preserved for future generations to share. Names like Texas Thistle, Texas Bluebonnets...
...Prairie Daisy, Pink Evening Primrose....
...Black Eyed Susan, Indian Blanket...
...Damianita and Prickly Poppy.
One of the many things that is amazing about RV'ing is the people you meet. We stopped at a rest area to stretch our legs a bit and began talking to another group of RV'ers also at the rest area. They were a family who were first timers in a new coach. One of the family members was grandfather Mr. Pugh from Pennsylvania. He and I struck up a conversation and I was shocked to learn that he was 94 years old. Way to go, Mr. Pugh. I told him I was impressed and encouraged him to keep "doing whatever it is you are doing" and we had a photo moment together. Nice man.
Back on the road and a bit surprising to see this on highway I-10...a first for me.
We arrived around 3:30 p.m. at our next destination of Fort Stockton RV Park with temperatures of 82F (27C), blue skies. Along the way, I watched noticeable changes in the landscape starting ten miles west of San Antonio from a green, shady horizon to cactus and dry, dusty, rocky soil in Fort Stockton. There were green swatches here and there but mostly arid conditions. The winds were noticeably strong and blew in gusts and it made driving a large, non-aerodynamical vehicle like a coach more stressful - we could feel the coach being pushed by the winds. Our campground did seem like an oasis against the barren land because of the trees, some lawn, and a guests only pool. We found our site and set up camp. I wondered around a bit and found some more beautiful flowers that really lent color to the mostly bland, brown surroundings.
The historic town of Fort Stockton was only four miles away from the campground but it sure didn't look that close. This land was deceivingly endless. Janet and I hammed it up a bit next to the world's largest roadrunner. Did you know the roadrunner, who is a habitant of the southwestern USA and Mexico, is a member of the Cuckoo family and can run up to twenty miles an hour? I sure didn't.
It was the last day of the annual Big Bend Open Road Race which takes place on US Highway 285 south from Fort Stockton to Sanderson and back. The race is about 59 miles each way and the 75 mph speed limit signs along U.S. 285 "come off" for this annual event. This competitive motor sports race is open to anyone 18 years of age and over, has strict rules and regulations, has multiple race divisions and whose drivers were "average Joes" in their own cars on steroids having fun. The four of us had never heard of this event until we drove right into the celebration of it all as the cars were finishing the race. After we asked a few bystanders, we learned the contestants and their teams, etc. were gathering at the local James Rooney Park. So we drove over and had a look and saw some really cool machines on four wheels.
Once back at camp, we played some ladder ball. It was a blast. The game involves tossing balls on strings with a goal of wrapping the strings around rungs on a ladder. Two ladders are placed far enough apart from each other and teams toss towards their own ladder in the distance. Each rung holds different point values and the challenge is to reach 21 points exactly and not go over that amount. It's a lot of fun and we had a great time.
The day ended with another gorgeous sunset. More adventures were to come.
Texas had more to show us...keep following: Texas - Along the Border (Part 3)
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