San Antonio: The River Walk

~Last weekend, I went on a voyage to San Antonio, Texas, to meet some of my relatives, in honor of my paternal grandmother's 80th birthday.  Here are some pictures from the trip:

^ The River Walk of San Antonio.  Constructed by the WPA in 1939, this is one of the city's most scenic attractions: a series of walkways and canals along the San Antonio river.  It's lined with bald cypress trees, flowers, restaurants, shops, hotels, and other attractions.  

In the above picture, the river is only three feet deep; once a year for a week, the entire system is drained and cleaned out of the debris that has accumulated over the past year.  Apparently, riverfront hotel rooms are very cheap that week.

^ Flowers along the River Walk.

^ One thing you must do in San Antonio is take a boat tour of the River Walk.  It's relatively short and a fun way to learn more about the history and attractions of the river.  The people in the above image are all members of my extended family... 

^ ...but who's that fellow with the awesome hat?

^ This bird was eying us as we were waiting for the boat tour to begin.  I imagine he lives off of the largess of tourists.

^ One of the many pedestrian bridges that go over the river.

^ The Aztec Theater, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

^ A mural on the wall of the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center (click on it for a closer look).  It represents the meeting of cultures of America and Europe, with America on the left and Europe on the right, and the child in the middle being, of course, San Antonio.  The motto Libertatis Cunabula is Latin for "Cradle of Liberty" and appears on the San Antonio coat of arms.

^ The Rivercenter mall.  Not the largest shopping mall in San Antonio, but probably the best-looking.

^ The sign of the Rainforest Cafe along the River Walk.  What a great sculpture!

^ Right outside of the hotel we stayed at, there's a small, heart-shaped island along one side of the river, connected by a small footbridge.  Appropriately named "Marriage Island", It's among the most popular places to get married in the city, with around 300 weddings held here annually.  The above picture shows a sculpture on the island.

 ^ A sculpture of Saint Anthony along the River Walk.  "San Antonio" is Spanish for "Saint Anthony", and the city and river were named such because a Spanish expedition stopped to rest in the area in 1691 on the 13th of June, which is the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua in the Catholic Church.

^ A historical marker on a wall next to the River Walk.  "Old Mill Crossing -- Last Known Place Where Horses Drank And Forded The River.  Dedicated to the memory of our fathers.  Erected by the daughters of Texas Trail Drivers."

^ Another example of the lush foliage found along the River Walk.  Maintaining this is a lot of work: city gardeners periodically ride boats along the river and water the plants by pumping river water through hoses.

^ One of the many fountains along the River Walk.  To keep the canals from becoming stagnant, the water is continuously recirculated through fountains and artificial waterfalls.  As a result, the water does not stink, and there are very few mosquitoes (since they lay eggs in stagnant water).

^ One of the many colorful restaurants along the River Walk.

Next: more photos from San Antonio, including the Alamo and the birthday party.  Stay tuned!