Gehlke Family 2004 Southern Vacation travelogue -- Day 12

This is the pool area at our Clarion Hotel in San Antonio. Our room isn't visible in this shot, but we were staying off to the right on this floor. Photo by Glenn.

So, what do you think? This is the end result of impatience, a high curb and a car that can't make tight turns. Nothing some touch-up paint won't repair. Photo by Glenn.

The Riverwalk is San Antonio's most endearing feature. It allows pedestrians to stroll along tree-lined banks and tour the city's commercial district below street level. See what we mean? Photo by Glenn.

This is looking down on the Riverwalk from street level. That water sure is green. Photo by Glenn.

The skyscrapers in San Antonio are as interesting as they are tall. No idea what this building is, but it is impressive. Photo by Glenn.

Ben adjusts his sweatshirt around his waist while negotiating the curb at Travis Park. We advised him against dressing too warmly for our walk, but he insisted. The weather warmed up considerably once we'd been out for a while. Photo by Glenn.

Another of San Antonio's skyscrapers, surrounded at its base by palm trees. Photo by Glenn.

This place is called The Buckhorn. Giant animal heads are mounted on the exterior walls, and according to our tour book this is home to the world's largest collection of animal heads. We didn't venture inside to verify this claim. Photo by Glenn.

We are on the Presa Street bridge near the Starbucks café where we ate breakfast. It's the ivy-covered building behind Roni. The Casino Club building is visible in the distance. More on that in a moment. Photo by Glenn.

We weren't the only ones interested in breakfast at Starbucks. Encouraged by Ben, this aggressive pigeon waited for his moment to pounce on our food. Eventually he hopped onto Ben's head. Photo by Glenn.

This is the Casino Club, which is designated as a historical landmark. The Casino Club dates to 1854, when it was founded by San Antonio's German population. This building was built in 1927 and included club and casino rooms, a dining area and ballroom. It became a downtown landmark and still is a distinctive part of the modern landscape. Photo by Glenn.

We get our first look at the Alamo, and boy is it an impressive one. The Alamo, of course, is the smaller building at right. A lot of construction took place around it before it became park of the park system. Today it is one of just two buildings that remain from the compound that existed during the Texas Revolution. Photo by Glenn.

Here's a closer look at the front of the Alamo. It is near impossible to get a shot unobstructed by tourists or barricades. There are chains around the plaza to keep people off the grass. Photo by Glenn.

This impressive facade is the entrance to the Alamo's gift shop. It was built in 1936, not 1836. Photo by Glenn.

Most folks today think Six Flags Over Texas refers to a theme park, but in fact it refers to the flags of the various governments that have controlled the state through its modern history. From right to left we have Spain, France, Mexico, the Confederacy, the Republic of Texas and the United States. Photo by Glenn.

Ben keeps a cannon warm while we listen to a docent recount the history of the Alamo. Photo by Glenn.

This is one of the Alamo's resident cats. He was playing hard to get. Photo by Glenn.

The Alamo has a small canal stocked with some very large koi. Photo by Glenn.

Having a camera with a timer is a great thing. This is our only group shot from this trip, taken on a bench just behind the Alamo. You don't realize the benefits of a real vacation until you see how relaxed everyone gets while you're on it. Yes, there were moments when we drove each other crazy, but the overall experience was very positive, and we were all having a great time when this was taken. Photo by Glenn.

In front of the Alamo is this statue, dedicated to the revolutionaries who fought for the Alamo in 1836. If you look carefully you can see the bird perched atop Davy Crockett's head. How undignified! Photo by Glenn.

There was no escaping the Rivercenter Mall without checking out the Cats, Cats, Cats gift shop for Ben. Photo by Glenn.

Here is the tour boat we took for a look at the Riverwalk from the canals. They're waiting for us to finish buying our tickets so we can come aboard. Photo by Glenn.

A view of the bank from the river. That boat is like the one we are riding on. What a view. Photo by Roni.

A statue of St. Anthony, for whom San Antonio is named, is one of the first things you see from the river cruise. Photo by Roni.

One of the many interesting bridges one can see on the river cruise. Photo by Roni.

The former Smith-Young Tower, built in 1929, is distinguished by its gargoyles. It is one of several buildings in San Antonio designed in the Gothic tradition. Photo by Roni.

The Nix Professional Building creates an optical illusion from the river, as it looks like a two-dimensional wall rather than the 3D structure it really is. Photo by Roni.

Here is our river tour guide, who did an excellent job describing San Antonio's features. (And yes, he got a tip.) Photo by Roni.

Glenn enjoys the view during the river tour. Photo by Roni.

The stop for the river tour is located inside the Rivercenter Mall, which is where we had our lunch. Here is the food court. Photo by Glenn.

We're on the walk back to the hotel. Roni and Ben rest on one of the benches on the Riverwalk. Ben is showing off his new "cat," Snoozer. Photo by Glenn.

This tile mosaic depicts the famous "Sniper Tree," which legend says is where a Mexican sniper hid out to pick off Texas colonists who came to the river for water. Photo by Glenn.

And here is the Sniper Tree itself. There are buildings nearby today that are significantly taller. Photo by Glenn.

An empty tour boat makes its way through one of the canals. Photo by Glenn.

A mosaic of Jose Antonio Navarro, who served as a senator in the Republic of Texas in 1838 and was instrumental in the state's transition through four of its six governments. Such mosaics are a common sight along the Riverwalk. Photo by Glenn.

We are back at the Clarion. Roni and Ben are dwarfed by the front of the huge structure. One of San Antonio's trolleys waits near the entrance, but we were glad to have taken the Riverwalk. Photo by Glenn.

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San Antonio rose

Tuesday, September 28 (Day 12) — It is always a treat to find that something is better than you expected it to be, and I would have to say that is true of San Antonio. We had the whole day to explore, thanks to the fact that we allowed ourselves two nights at the Clarion hotel we are staying in. One advantage to staying at a hotel in the heart of a big city is that you don't have to fight traffic to see the sights, and in San Antonio, it turns out, there are many sights to see.

We started our day before 10 a.m. by looking around the hotel. We had arrived so late yesterday and I was so flustered after scraping up the Dodge that there was no time to see the magnificence of the Clarion. It's a six-story building and we are on the second floor, in room 2031 overlooking the swimming pool. I guess you could say it is sort of a rooftop garden area, because the other four floors above ours form sort of a fortress around the pool, walling off the rest of the city. Some of the rooms have views of the Riverwalk, which is perhaps the best known feature of this city aside from the Alamo. We decided to start our exploration there. But first it was downstairs to the car to retrieve some fresh batteries for the camera and to survey the damage done to our rental car. I guess on the one hand it could have been worse -- there is no physical damage to the bumper (and I use the word bumper here lightly), just some cosmetic damage to the paint job. On the other hand, it could have been much better -- the scrape is at least eight inches long and quite visible if you are looking directly at the front of the car. There is a quarter-size abrasion just to the side of the left front bumper, which is the most noticeable defect. What to do? I considered trying to find an auto body place to do a quick buff and touch-up job, but that might be impossible with short notice and because the car is a rental. I have also thought about sanding out the roughest scrapes and just spray painting the ding in hopes they won't give us grief about it. Am I kidding myself? Probably. Roni tells me that's what our AAA insurance is for and we should just let them handle it. Pay the deductible and write it off as one of life's little unpleasantries. I'll revisit this some more tomorrow.

Actually, I revisited it many times during the course of the day, which did distract me from enjoying our visit to San Antonio. I tried my best to not let it get me down, but I don't let go of stuff like this easily. I wish I could be less obsessive about small problems, but it's in my nature. Still, I managed to have a good time with the things we fit into our few hours of sightseeing. We never got a parking pass last night when we checked in, so Roni asked the desk clerk if we needed one. She assured us we didn't and that the car wouldn't be towed just because we didn't have one. "Don't worry, nothing will happen to your car," she reassured us. I thought, if only she really knew.

I felt safer leaving the car parked as we began our walking tour of San Antonio right outside our hotel. That is where the San Antonio River passes beneath Lexington Street and you can walk down a flight of stairs to pick up the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is truly a fascinating achievement. The city constructed it for the 1968 World Fair, and it consists of several miles of canals lined by pathways, restaurants, shops, hotels and apartment complexes. It is open to the public around the clock, and police patrol the walk 24 hours a day. We followed the walkway south for a little way until we reached St. Mary's Street and resurfaced at street level. We were in search of a café for breakfast and this area seemed like a possibility. We walked along St. Mary's through what must have been part of the city's financial district, although you'd never guess it by the lack of traffic. This is supposed to be a city of 1.2 million people, but where were they all on a Tuesday? There was barely any traffic at all. After passing the Greyhound bus station we turned east on Pecan Street and south on Jefferson past Travis Park. Eventually we arrived at Presa Street where we found a Starbucks coffee shop to get our breakfast. Roni had a scone while Ben and I got blueberry muffins. He had more fun feeding his to the pigeons than eating, despite us telling him not to feed the birds. He persisted, naturally, and soon the most aggressive of the pigeons was standing inches away from him with eyes on our breakfast sitting on the outdoor table. Suddenly, the bird hopped off the rail and right onto the top of Ben's head. I so dearly wish that I'd had the camera ready for that moment. He was yelling at the bird to get off of his head while some of the other patrons (including Roni and I) laughed at his predicament. Lest you think he learned a lesson from this, guess again.

Next we headed east up Crockett Street a couple of blocks to where it ends at Alamo Plaza. There is something stirring about the first time you see the Alamo, especially if you know anything about its history and the role it played in Texas gaining independence from Mexico. The familiar mission-style building is one of just two structures that remain from the 1836 battle that saw more than 180 colonists lose their lives. The mission is a shrine these days to the fallen fighters including Davy Crockett, and much of the historic site's grounds have been reclaimed from years past when businesses hugged the perimeter. Today there are gardens with koi ponds and cacti, and a gift shop. A museum occupies what once was one of the long barracks. We sat in a courtyard outside the gift shop listening to a docent tell the story of how Gen. Santa Ana's army defeated the Texans at the Alamo. In the background were the six flags of Texas, which contrary to modern marketing have nothing to do with amusement parks. The flags represent each of the governments that once ruled Texas -- Spain, France, Mexico, the Confederacy, the Republic of Texas, and the United States. We hung around for a long time, particularly in the gift shop where Ben spent forever trying to select tumbled rocks to fit into his tiny souvenir bag.

I can't complain about not finding postcards today. There must have been a dozen shops we visited, and every one had postcards or other trinkets. We were weighted down by bags at the end of the afternoon. One of the places we stopped was the San Antonio Visitor Center where we learned about the Rio San Antonio river cruise. The lady at the counter told Roni you can buy tickets and pick up the tour boat from the nearby Rivercenter Mall, so of course we had to do it. The tour was $6.50 for each of us, but it was an excellent value for the money. Our tour guide was well informed and pointed out a lot of things about the Riverwalk and the city's history we would have otherwise missed. For instance, there are numerous varieties of trees that were planted specifically for the World Fair, including a banana tree with actual bananas growing on it. There is the Sniper Tree, where a Mexican sharpshooter is alleged to have picked off colonists as they came to the river for water. There is a building with a tree growing out of a wall. And one of everyone's favorites, there is an optical illusion in which one of the tall brick buildings looks like it is just one wall going straight up into the sky.

We had our lunch at the Rivercenter Mall and made the mistake of taking it outdoors to eat by the water. Ben, of course, found his pigeon friends again and was enocouraging their pesky behavior around our table. We finally had to wrap up our lunch and get out of there. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a place called Cats, Cats, Cats that Ben had wanted to check out. He wanted to buy something, so I set a $6 limit on him and waited half an hour while he tried to make up his mind what to get. Kids don't do decision-making well. He bought (or rather WE bought) a curled-up kitten that he is still trying to name.

The walk back to the hotel seemed longer than the beginning of our adventure, mainly because our feet were sore once again from walking. Too close on the heels of the state fair, although I think I'm finally developing my walking stamina. We took the Riverwalk back which, while not any faster than the surface streets, was vastly more scenic. I remarked to Roni that if we lived in this city we would probably spent many hours on these river pathways.

It was around 4:30 p.m. by the time we returned to the Clarion. I made a halfhearted attempt to search the phone book for auto parts stores, but this is vacation and I'm supposed to be relaxing, not worrying about some scratches on the rental car. So instead I went down to the car with Ben and we collected all the souvenirs we have accumulated to date. We brought them all upstairs to the room along with the remaining bags from the car. I spent the next couple of hours sorting through the collection and giving Ben the postcards he purchased. Frankly, I can't remember now all the ones that were his amid mine. We are going to try to fit all the souvenirs into one bag for the flight home Friday. So far it looks as though they might fit.

We went to dinner here at the hotel at 7:30 this evening and were the only people in the huge restaurant. It felt odd, but at the same time we got prompt service. I came in with little appetite, but after I ordered "Sizzling San Antonio Fajitas" and a side salad, I had to make some room in my gut. I managed to eat a lot of the healthy portion I received, a lot more than I expected to be able to.

Tomorrow we leave San Antonio for Houston. Just a couple more days left to enjoy the Lone Star State...