San Antonio: Time to Par-tay!

~This is the last set of pictures from last week’s trip to San Antonio, Texas:

^ We were in San Antonio to celebrate my paternal grandmother’s birthday.  Happy 80, grandma!

^ Grandma and her great-granddaughter (my niece…yeah, I’m an uncle, it’s kind of scary). And of course, the cake…

^ ...what cake?? OM NOM NOM.

^ Dad, my nephew, and my sister.  Nice vest & tie, little guy!

^ The cake lid somehow turned into an improvised bongo drum.  I may have had something to do with that.

^ My aunt Hannah, with her cookie-cake and gift: a wine monkey (yes, we’re a strange family).

^ The cookie-cake was discounted at the store.  I wonder why?

San Antonio: Remember the Alamo

~Here’s part two of pictures from my recent family trip to San Antonio, Texas.  Naturally, a top tourist attraction, and the heart of the city, is the Alamo.  Here it is in all of its beat-up glory:

 

^ The area that is now Texas was once part of Mexico, and many Americans immigrated there to build farms and ranches.  They brought their slaves with them, but unfortunately for them, Mexico outlawed slavery when it became independent from Spain in 1821.  The first solution to this problem was for the settlers to declare their slaves (~5,000 by 1836) indentured servants for life.  The second solution (and for numerous other reasons) was to declare independence from Mexico, launching the Texas War for Independence in 1836.

Just before full independence was declared, soldiers from the Provisional Government of Texas seized the Alamo, which at the time was a large compound surrounded by an outer wall that would today occupy a significant chunk of downtown San Antonio (the Alamo is smack in the middle of the city).  We all know the rest of the story, immortalized as it is in American mythology: the Texans, led by Davy Crockett, temporarily hold the Alamo against a much larger Mexican army, fighting to the last man against impossible odds.  “Remember the Alamo!”

Inside, the Alamo isn’t really a museum; there are only a few artifacts (such as Crockett’s rifle) and a diorama of what the Alamo compound originally looked like.  Just outside, however, is the Museum of the Alamo, which, from what I could tell, consisted of a gigantic gift shop.  I guess it’s not history unless you commercialize it.

Interesting fact: a Hyatt hotel in downtown San Antonio near the Alamo was originally planned to be much taller than it is today, but had to be scaled back after it was determined that the hotel would cast a shadow over the Alamo.

 

^ Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t seek out the nearest library wherever I go.  This is The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, build near the Alamo in 1950.

 

^ The library from the front.  Inside it holds an impressive collection of historical documents & maps relating to the history of Texas from its years as an independent nation, including one of the original signed copies of the Texas Declaration of Independence.  The library staff and volunteers were very pleasant and helpful.

 

^ Dad again, relaxing on a bench in the pleasant garden outside of the library.  He’s a cool guy, isn’t he?

 

^ Both of my adorable parents, in front of a statue of a giant rooster.  The area in the background is an artists’ workshop in the La Villeta Historic Arts Village.

 

^ A sign on the Fig Tree Restaurant in La Villeta.

 

^ A Predator taking a break from hunting to mingle among the lowly humans.  Actually, this is a wax sculpture displayed at the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Plaza Wax Museum near the Alamo.  I wonder how the Texan (and Mexican) soldiers during the battle would have reacted to this fellow, using his invisibility shield and plasma cannon, hunting among them?  Gotta sell that idea to Hollywood…

 

^ A river tour by night.  Clearly not as popular as the daytime tours.

Pictures from both birthday celebrations to follow!~

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!