Bummin’ Around Texas (11-19-14)

San Antonio was next on our list of places to visit. The weather has not been all that pleasant, with some rain and temperatures dipping into the 30s so we keep moving, hoping for something better.  Whenever the weather did cooperate, we took advantage and spent the time outside.








A couple of the old missions, built in the 1700s, are within walking distance of the RV Park we were staying in, which has been handy- it’s nice to have a destination in mind when we go for a walk.



Some parts of the missions are still in ruins, and some have been restored, like this chapel at Mission Concepcion.


 

Of course no visit to San Antonio is complete without a trip to the Riverwalk. 

In between all the history lessons and walking, the 4 of us have just been…..bummin’ around, hanging out and trying not to eat too much!

When we looked at the weather forecast, our plans for Thanksgiving week changed.  We realized we are not far enough south and in an attempt to outrun the cold weather, we decided to head to Big Bend National Park next week.



 
That still left us with a few days to bum around so we headed next to San Marcos, a good jumping off point for visiting numerous hill country towns.

One of those towns is Gruene (pronounced “Green”).  With a historic downtown full of eating and drinking establishments, it was our kind of place! 

When you add in some decent weather, wine and beer tasting and a great outdoor venue for live music,  it makes for an awesome day.

Intermingled with the fun, there are always chores to do.  Mike and Paul took the time to load up both trucks with firewood.  Most of our time over the next 3 months will be spent in the desert, without much opportunity for firewood purchasing, so we took advantage while we can.

Tomorrow we start the 3 day trek to Big Bend National Park- one of my favorite places!

 

 

One Awesome day in San Antonio (12-3-11)



The Tamale Tent

      Of course, we were actually in San Antonio for a few days, but only one was awesome.  The first day we got there it rained most of the day so we did things like buy groceries, return cell phones and surf the web.  My new phone doesn’t work very well at all, so I returned it and have gone back to my old one for now. 


listening to music on the river



   Saturday was the day of our planned excursion to the Riverwalk with Julie and Mike. The weather forecast wasn’t the best, but the rain did hold off for us and the temperature was  perfect for being outside.  Julie and Mike are staying in a campground outside the city so they got a hotel room on the Riverwalk and we met them there.  Our first stop was to the newest section of the Riverwalk, called Museum Reach. On the way there we passed by the local VFW where we were invited to partake of the $2 bottles of Dos Equis they were serving.   We assured them we’d stop in after we’d had our fill of tamales.  We were headed towards the 2nd annual Tamale Festival at the Pearl Brewery.  There were venders all lined up in a huge tent, selling tamales for $1.00, as well as other tasty dishes.  The price was such that we could graze and were able to try several different kinds of tamales and other Mexican dishes.   In addition to the food (and drink) there were several venues providing live music with performers that changed every hour or so, and a row of booths with people selling crafts. 

holiday lights on the Riverwalk

                                                                     

After listening to music for a bit, we took advantage of the free riverboat rides that were being offered and got a waterside view of the Holiday lights.  The boat drivers were tour guides to an extent and shared information about  the river, the locks and the art that we encountered along the way.  Our driver was kind enough to drop us off at the VFW



Paul and Mike investigate the art



on the way back, and we joined the ongoing party.  On any other night we would have loved to have just stayed there and listened to the live band that started playing while we were there.  But not tonight.  We wanted to get to the other end of the river to see the luminarias, the lights and the Christmas Carolers.

                              Along the way we decided we were hungry for dinner and chose La Paloma Restaurant. The only good thing about the restaurant was the outdoor seating along the waterfront. I only mention the name of the restaurant so everyone can avoid it if they go to San Antonio! We elected to pass on dessert, but stopped later in the night to get something.  We never did make it to hear the caroling, but it was such a fun and full day, I think we would have been hard pressed to add anything else to it!

Missions Accomplished! (San Antonio 03-03-11)

 






San Antonio has 5 missions, one of which is the Alamo (Mission San Antonio de Valero).  We didn't go to the Alamo this time around since we went there last time we were in San Antonio.  We walked to Mission San Jose a few days ago, and then on Tuesday we got out the bikes and rode to Mission Conception.  Mission Conception is missing most of the outside walls, but more of what is there, is original, which made it more interesting.  The church has been recently restored and is still in use as an active parish.  It was interesting to see the melding of the old and new.                                                                             

 

Mission Conception

                                                                                            After we left that Mission, we got a little lost.  There was road construction, with signs that said "road closed" but we thought they meant closed for cars.  But nope, they meant closed as in completely impassable, so we had to turn around and figure out another way to get to Mission San Juan.  Eventually we found it, but I am not sure it was worth the effort.   The church at this mission wasn't open, so we just wandered around a little bit and looked at empty buildings.  There had actually been  3 churches on this site, but the third one was never finished due to lack of laborers. From there, it was on to Mission Espada. There wasn't too much to see there, except some empty buildings. All in all, we rode about 20 miles, and had an enjoyable day.  Later on we took two steps backwards however. After our ride, we went out  to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant (Nicha's), so we piled back on the calories, but the food was some of the best we've had in a very long time!  Great enchiladas and sopapillas and the chips and tortillas were freshly made.
  Wednesday was a housekeeping day for the most part.  We rented a carpet cleaner and cleaned the desert out of the carpets and they look so much better!  We gathered up our tax information and realize we are still missing one piece of information, which is very annoying, so we'll have to wait to get our taxes done.



    Later in the day we felt lazy but decided since it was our last night we really should go to the Rivewalk. 

            It turned out that our RV park was in a very convenient location, overall.  Not only could we walk and bike to the missions (and downtown, if we had wanted to) but we are on the bus route.  So, we took the local bus to the Riverwalk- it's the first time either of us have been on a bus in a very long time, but it was fun.  After walking around for a couple of hours, we ate dinner at The Republic of Texas.   We pretty much just stopped at restaurants until we found one that had a table available right outside on the water.  I really love the Riverwalk.  I love all the restaurants, the atmosphere, and also the fact that the locals use the area too.  There are many walkers and joggers along the walkways.



The Riverwalk



     Today we left San Antonio and planned to stay at Lake Corpus Christi State Park, but when we got there, they didn't have a site available that is large enough to fit us, so we kept going and we're staying in an RV park in Corpus Christi.  This afternoon we waded in the Gulf of Mexico!



Mustang Island







San Antonio, TX (3-01-11)



skipping stones on the Guadalupe River



 The last time we were in San Antonio, we totally focused on the "tourist" highlights of the city.  This time, we are doing some touristy things, but we are also trying to branch out and see some other parts of the area.  To this end, we drove over to Government Canyon Natural Area, to do some hiking.  When we arrived, the volunteer was very excited to tell us about the area and which hikes she thought would be the best "first" hike, with the best scenery etc.  We settled on the "Joe Johnston" trail, which was about 6 miles long, and featured a scenic overlook and several ruins. This is where the term "everything is relative" comes to mind.  Relatively speaking, for the San Antonio urban area, this hike is probably a highlight.  Having just come from Big Bend National Park, it was just a stroll in the woods, with a cliff overlooking more trees.  The ruins were mostly fenced, and therefore inaccessible, although one ruin of a farmhouse was accessible but not restored in any way.  Along the path, we did find one geocache, which added a little interest to the day.
        Part of our plan was to slow down a little bit, which we aren't very good at, actually.  We did spend one day here just hanging out, taking care of some paperwork, and in general being lazy.  Saturday night there was a Sock Hop dance at the RV park.  We had a good time although we realized that a lot of early 50s music is too early for us and we don't know it very well.  The "DJ" also didn't seem to understand the difference between listening music and dancing music, so  a lot of what was played wasn't very danceable.  We did have a good time though, and were invited to join a table of regulars. 



    Yesterday we headed up to Guadalupe River State Park.  That's where we were originally going to stay, and its a beautiful river! But, we're glad we didn't stay there because it's pretty far from everything else. In the summer time this place must be packed because there is great tubing down this river.  Right now is off season though, so it was quiet.  We hiked along the river for a couple of miles, and had lunch before heading back home.  

San Antonio area (2-26-11)

    Today is our daughter's 21st birthday. Unfortunately we couldn't be with her, but a bunch of her friends came down from Michigan to Indiana for the weekend, to help her celebrate.  And of course, her fiance is there, so I am sure she is having a great time. I just wish I could be there.   This picture was taken last year in Las Vegas.  We flew her in for spring break and while at Margaritaville she had the brilliant idea of having this balloon hat made to try and get into a club.  When she got "carded", she was very disgruntled at wasting $5 on a hat.  I thought it was quite funny, since it's not like she hadn't already had a Margarita that day.  She said it was more about being able to enjoy the atmosphere of the club.
     I remember when  my son turned 21.  He was living with us at the time, so the 4 of us went out to dinner to celebrate and let him order his first "legal" drink.  The thing about my kids is that they are like Mutt and Jeff.  She is just over 5', and looks young, and he is 6'1" and has looked 21 since he was 16.  So on his birthday we were going to take him to his favorite restaurant, but he said he wanted to go to a steak house instead.  We thought that was strange, but thought he was just being nice, haha.  On the way home he admitted that the restaurant/bar that he likes so much has been serving him alcohol for months, so he didn't want to go there and make a big deal about it being his 21st birthday.  Argh, kids.
     So, anyway, San Antonio.  We're staying in a different park this time (Traveler's World RV Resort).  This one is in the city, and the bus stops right outside the park, so we don't have to drive into the city if we don't want.  We haven't been in yet, but I'm sure we will.  Yesterday we walked to one of the 4 missions in the area- Mission San Jose.  These missions were built in the 1700s by the Spanish Franciscan missionaries, who were sent to this area to convert the locals to Catholicism, and teach them skills that would financially benefit the Spanish monarchy.
So, why would the locals "fall in" with this plan?  Before the Spaniards arrived, they were hunter/gatherers, with no permanent home, living off the land, and they were quite happy that way.  However, just  around that time, the local population began suffering attacks from the Apache, who had made their way here from the north, and, contact with Europeans coming up from the south had exposed the locals to several diseases that began killing them off.  The Franciscans offered them shelter, safety, and cures for the diseases.  All they had to do is give up their way of life, their religion, and even their names (they were given Spanish names).  Everything worked out well, except they couldn't eradicate the diseases and eventually they contributed to the downfall of the missions.
  Two of our 3 packages have already arrived, so we are just waiting for the parts to fix the landing gear.
   

San Antonio, TX

After looking at the list of potential outings, we elected to go to Fort Sam Houston, which is a modern, active military base.  I have never actually been on a military base, that I can remember. Fort Sam Houston headquarters the Army's medical department and medical command, among other things.  There are two museums there- one is a medical museum, and the other houses the history of the base, along with some other information, such as the history of the army uniforms and the meaning of the "chevrons" or insignias (ie. Sargeant Stripes) and all the changes that they have been through over the years.  The stripes used to be a dull color, then years ago changed to a shiny gold color, but in Vietnam, it was determined that they were too bright and the soldiers had to have new ones made locally that were not as bright.There was a display that showed all the potential medals and ribbons that can be awarded, and where on the uniform each one would be placed. Not sure why I found that fascinating, but I did. The medical museum had army helicopters, jeeps and trains outside in the courtyard in addition to the information inside the building. I found it enlightening to see the military and warfare from  a different perspective.

After spending the day there, we rested up for a bit, hemmed and hawed about whether we really felt like going out again (it was 6 pm) and finally did go back downtown to walk the riverwalk at night. It has a whole different feel to it, and will be even more neat when the Christmas lights are turned on. We ate at another Mexican restaurant, strolled around for a bit, then called it a night.

Sunday we spent relaxing, food shopping etc. We had things we had intended to do but really when we got up, we felt like just having a lazy day.

We are really lazy this week- today we just did some cleaning, then spent the afternoon doing errands and lazing by the pool. It is one of the only days the weather has actually been warm enough to do that! We did try to work out, but their idea of a fitness center was pretty laughable.

Tomorrow we leave for a two day drive to Big Bend National Park. We keep hearing about how remote it is, “bring food” “there are no services anywhere near there”. Yikes. We finally talked to someone today who just came from there- they said there is diesel fuel in the towns surrounding the park, and that was our only real concern, so I feel better. We can buy food before we get there. We certainly won’t starve to death anyway….

I was very excited to find out that the Leonid meteor shower will take place while we are in Big Bend, one of the most remote, least light-polluted areas in the country! Apparently there will be thousands of meteors per hour, the morning of November 18th. We will definitely get up for that one! I’ll practice taking pictures of the sky before that night, so I get a better idea of what settings to use. I did get good pictures of the lunar eclipse last year, so I should be able to do it. Apparently the Milky Way is completely visible as well. I am starting to look forward to stargazing!

ahhhh, San Antonio, TX

Two days later we arrived in San Antonio. We spent the night along the way, in Beaumont Texas. Keystone (the manufacturer of our 5th wheel) called us to ask how things were going, and make sure we were ok, which was nice. No one is convinced that the 5th wheel is really 100% ok, because it’s still flexing, but it isn’t as bad as it was- at least, so far. Paul isn’t too worried safety-wise, but if it continues to flex, then Keystone wants us to bring it in to another dealer, probably in El Paso. If it doesn’t get worse, then we can wait it out and see what happens. We arrived in San Antonio with no issues, and it was 83 degrees outside! Yay! What a beautiful day! We sat outside with brochures and made some decisions about what we want to see while we are here. There are some things that are obvious, like the Alamo, but we’re here for 5 days so we have time to do other things as well. We started off by doing some of the obvious today- we went to the Alamo. I must say I was a little apprehensive, since all I have ever heard is how out of place it is in the middle of the city, and that it isn’t worth seeing….Well, it didn’t cost anything, so that right there makes it worth it! There was more to it than I thought. There are several buildings still standing, and the courtyard is still there. I think it was one of those “expectations” situations. I expected that it wouldn’t be that good, so it exceeded my expectations very nicely. I don’t think you can grow up in this country and not know the words “remember the Alamo”, but today I learned a lot more about what made it so special, and what role it played in history. Its amazing that those 200 men were willing to take a stand and fight so hard for what they believed in, against such odds. Of course, they were hoping for reinforcements, but they did have an opportunity to get out, and chose not to take it. After the Alamo we walked down the Riverwalk, and had lunch at a Mexican restaurant, sitting outside so we could people watch and enjoy the sunshine. We’ll go back to the Riverwalk again at night to see how different it looks. Probably tomorrow night, since there is a Latin Music Festival near there all day tomorrow, so we can check that out at the same time. Our final tourist event of the day was the Tower of the America’s. It’s a tower that was built in the 1960s for the Worlds Fair that took place in San Antonio. You can take an elevator to the top, where there is an observation tower, and a lounge. I think most big cities have their version of the Tower of the Americas. This one was ok- we could actually see our truck where it was parked a few streets away. There was a 4D movie about Texas that we saw as well. An amusement park type ride, but it was fun. We specifically didn’t make plans for the evening because the RV park we are at serves dinner on Friday nights. For $3.50 per person you get Lasagna, salad, garlic bread, a drink, and dessert. More importantly, it’s a way to meet other people who are staying in the park, so we wanted to go. We met and shared stories with a nice couple from Canada who are on their way to South Padre Island for the winter. We also met today, another couple who are fulltimers- they are on the opposite trajectory from us- headed from West to East, and will spend the winter in Alabama. Really nice people- too bad we met them the night before they are leaving, but we did exchange information. We’ll see what we decide to do tomorrow!