Posted on by ToadMama

Downtown San Antonio

Me and Mike in front of The Alamo.

The last time Mike and I were in San Antonio (a quick work trip in 2014), we saw The Alamo, but it was too crowded to go inside and visit. Actually, it was too hot to stand in the long line required to get inside. So we skipped it. This time, we were determined to go inside, and we did. They don’t allow photos, so we have no proof of that visit. But I did get some pics outside of The Alamo and around downtown.

The building itself seems small, situated in the middle of the city as it is.

The Alamo

 

Davy Crockett statue at The Alamo.

 

Pretty doorway.
Mike walking into the gift shop.

 

“What kind of fish are these?” Mike asked. “Don’t be coy!”

 

Marker at the River Walk.

The River Walk is a series of pathways along the San Antonio river in the heart of downtown. It’s lined with shops, hotels, and restaurants. It was not created to be a tourist trap. The system of winding pathways and bridges flanking the river were actually created to harness the San Antonio river running through downtown, and to help manage the heavy seasonal rains. It’s actually a lovely place to visit, especially when it’s not at all crowded.

Mosaic spotted along the River Walk.

 

As seen along the River Walk.

 

Another view along the River Walk.

 

It’s cooler walking in the shade along the river.

We were walking along the River Walk on our way to see the San Fernando Cathedral, which was founded in 1731 and is the oldest standing church building in Texas.

San Fernando Cathedral

 

Altar at the San Fernando Cathedral.

 

Inside the cathedral.

 

Pretty statues.

 

Closer look at the gilded altar.

 

Interestingness

 

Pipe organ.

 

Interesting statue.

 

Interesting statue. (I like painted statues. I grew up going to a Baptist church and we didn’t have decorations like this!)

 

Back at street level, this horse and his carriage appeared to be waiting for the evening rush.

 

The Marriott River Center hotel (building with antenna on top) is one for which Mike designed the plumbing system back in the 1980s. It’s the tallest building in San Antonio (other than the Tower of the Americas) and is the tallest hotel in Texas outside of Dallas.

 

Random souvenir color.

 

World’s Largest Cowboy Boots!

 

World’s Largest Cowboy Boots, again, with a pick-up truck for scale.

And that was our day in downtown San Antonio. We drove a little bit north of the city center to go to Two Brothers Barbecue before we stopped to see the cowboy boots. We’ve been eating barbecue frequently. Texas is well-known for having good barbecue, and it is everywhere, much to our delight.

We left our campsite south of downtown San Antonio on Friday, January 21. From there, we went to an Army Corps of Engineers campground at Canyon Lake, northeast of San Antonio. We only stayed there for a few days. We moved to Fredericksburg, Texas, northwest of San Antonio, on January 25 to visit with some friends. We will be there for a week.

After that, it’s off to Big Bend National Park. We are both really excited about that destination. It’s been on our list of national parks to visit for a very long time.

2 Replies to “Downtown San Antonio”

  2. Shan, I think you’d like San Antonio if you dug a little deeper to see beyond the touristy stuff. There are distinct neighborhoods and lots of great food options to explore. Not just barbecue, either, although you’d probably have a ball sampling all the delicious meat delicacies at the BBQ joints.

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