 The
day began before sunrise with a 4-and- a-half hour drive from
Mission to San Antonio. Our first stop was the Rivercenter Mall
where Vicki did some shopping - a lot of shopping - and I wandered
around taking pictures. Luciano's looked like an outstanding
restaurant with a complete menu and reasonable prices.
|
 There
were indoor tables as well as these sitting on the mezzanine
overlooking the river center where musicians perform and river boats
begin the tour of the River Walk.
We didn't eat here because we ran out of time, but next time, for sure. |
 Here a river boatman listens to a very relaxing performance of Andean musicians while waiting for passengers to board his boat.
|
 From
the Rivercenter Mall we walked a block to visit the Alamo. On the
way we passed some of San Antonio's historic landmarks such as the
Crockett Hotel...
|
 ...the Menger Hotel where legendary cattleman, Richard King, stayed overnight while taking cattle to markets in the north. |
 There are dozens of very interesting unnamed buildings done in architectural styles from the early 20th century.
|
 This
string of buildings stand directrly across from the Alamo, probably on
ground Santa Anna used as a staging area for the seige of the Alamo in
February and March, 1836.
|
 This
was my first view of the Alamo. Unpretentious, it was even more
so in 1836. The building was never finished as a church.
During the seige it didn't even have a roof. For years
after the seige the building was little more than a pile of
rubble. After Texas statehood, the city leased the buildings and
grounds to the U.S. Military in 1848. The Army added doors and a
roof and then used the mission as a storage depot.
The parapet above the front doors was added in 1858. |
 Prior to the seige, Native Americans and immigrants lived within the walls of the Alamo grounds and farmed the lands around it.
|
 Archways from the Long Barracks open into the court yard where early settlers had dug a well.
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 The courtyard, while beautiful now, was a dirt floor expanse where inhabitants kept their animals.
An
irrigation canal ran through the property, but the people were afraid
that attackers might cut off their water supply. For that reason
they dug the well in the courtyard. |
 Although,
it's difficult to understand why they went to the trouble of digging a
well when they had a perfectly good water fountain within the protected
area.
|
 An outside wall to the compound leads to the streets and surrounding city of San Antonio.
|
 The
Long Barracks is where Jim Bowie may have died. It was his
headquarters, and the place where he had been suffering with what has
been described as pneumonia.
|
 The Alamo Museum and store are relatively recent additions to the compound.
|
 If
only Colonel Travis had placed spotters on the roofs of some these
surrounding buildings, the defenders may have had sufficient time to
prepare for Sanat Anna's advancing Army.
|
 My last shot of the day is from an angle similar to my first view of the Alamo.
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 From our self-guided tour of the Alamo, we went on a very short self-guided tour of the River Walk.
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 There are beautiful gardens all along the walkway.
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 |
 I was setting up to take a picture of the pattern of the palm frond when I saw the Green Anole sitting there.
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 Beautiful walk ways on both sides of the river.
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 Along the natural river bank, restaurants of nearly every cuisine line the walk way.
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 Many have inviting, colorful tables and umbrellas.
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 |
 We stopped here for a drink and light lunch. I don't even know the name of it.
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 The lunch was as good as it looked and the Margaritas even better.
|
 A
little farther down the path, it was time to stop for a little rest. I
had a martini at Jim Cullum's Landing, which at first tasted a little
weak. When we got up to leave, I could barely walk.
|
 It was particularly refreshing to note that some people actually walk to work.
|
 There
are marvelous looking places to dine, both at river level and street
level, but all overlooking the river and the interesting parade of
people.
|
 |
 There were many spots along the way where I noticed interesting reflections in the river.
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 |
 |
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 Tuesday was a wonderful day to be outside in San Antonio.
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 The Riverwalk is beautiful, exciting and worthy of a visit of several days.
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 |
 |
 Vicki spent hours on the phone calling all her friends and family back in Michigan to say, "Guess where we are."
|
 We didn't get to the tower, or the art museums and only four of the restaurants and one shopping mall.
There will be many more visits. |
|
...the Menger Hotel where legendary cattleman, Richard King, stayed overnight while taking cattle to markets in the north.
