Wednesday, September 19, 2007 – San Antonio, TX

Carol and I were up at the crack of dawn this morning, so we folded our tent (proverbially speaking) and headed for San Antonio. We pulled out of Ft. Stockton, TX, at 6:45 am. Being on the west side of the Central Time Zone, it was still pitch black; so we got to see the sunrise!

We arrived in San Antonio during lunch rush hour. Like many big cities, several of the freeways are being repaired / upgraded, so driving was difficult. And like many big cities, everyone else was in an all-fired hurry to get where they were going. I let Carol drive and I navigated. She was a little frazzled when we finally pulled into the RV park. The rest of the trip should be a little easier.

The RV park we picked out of the book advertised itself as the closest to downtown. I can’t certify that claim, but a city bus route stops right in front and was only a 10-minute ride to the RiverWalk / downtown. At $1 each, it was cheaper than parking. Plus we didn’t have to unhitch the Saturn; one less thing to do tomorrow morning.

Today’s first photo is of Carol and the RiverWalk in San Antonio. After walking for a little bit, we stopped at Casa Rio restaurant and had a bite to eat. We then boarded one of the river tour boats and had a tour of downtown.

The weather cooperated. Other than being a little warmish in the sun, it was clear and pleasant with a nice breeze. Also, being a Wednesday afternoon, there were no crowds.

After the boat ride we walked to the Alamo. Unfortunately it was after 5:30 pm closing time so we could only look at the outside and stick our heads in the adjoining garden before they threw us out. But at least Carol got to see it in person. I was trying to remember the last time I was in town. Margaret probably remembers better than I do, but I think it was in 1966 during a trip to Denver. Margaret was pregnant with Carol on that trip, so Carol has actually been here before. But she didn’t remember any of it! Wonder why?

The second photo was taken by Carol during a walk around the RV park. It is a swing for kids made from tires and tire scraps. Very inventive. The last photo was also taken by Carol during the boat tour. The faces were on the side of a building and were put there by the builder to ensure prosperity and good fortune. The building costs $3 million dollars and was completed in August 1929. Two months later the stock market crashed. The building eventually sold for $27,000. The building also had gargoyles around the top to protect it against evil spirits. Guess they didn’t help either.