This week between Christmas and New Years went by quickly. We didn’t do much the day after Christmas, but Tuesday was the day to get all the tree lot equipment packed up & returned to the warehouse. I spent most of the morning washing out the plastic bowls used to hold water in the tree stands. I started by bending over, then went to squatting down, & finally had to sit on the curb as my back kept hurting more & more. Whew, if we do this again next year, we’ll be having any employees not currently busy at the end of the season washing out those bowls. I could barely move Wednesday.
By Thursday evening, Jeff & I both felt
rested enough to finally make it downtown San Antonio to see The Alamo & the River Walk. We needed to get to & see The Alamo before it closed at 5:30pm & hang around long enough to see the Christmas lights along the River Walk.
Pictures weren’t allowed inside The Alamo, but I didn’t really see much that I felt like photographing anyway. Everyone entered thru the front entrance & exited out a side door. To the left of this picture is a gorgeous little courtyard (part of the original compound) with this humungous tree, probably a Live Oak.
We wandered west from The Alamo (thanks to the map on my cell phone which also got us to Downtown to begin with), down a bunch of steps past various water falls & pools, until suddenly — we were at
the river.
OK, I’m not sure what rock I’ve lived under, but 1) this isn’t a
river but simply a canal, & 2) it’s way below street level (like where the drainage is under cities). I’m not saying it wasn’t gorgeous & unique — it just wasn’t anything like I was expecting.
There were mostly restaurants with outside seating along the River but a huge mall is at the East end. We got to the west edge of this circle about sunset, & as
recessed as the
river is, it didn’t take long for the area to get really dark. THEN the lights really showed up (and off).
Although this week was nicely warm during the day, the nights were still getting
coat-wearing cool — so I was wearing my coat. Between the warm water, below grade level, and hundreds of bodies moving around, it was 70º and too warm for a coat! By the time we drove back to the trailer at the tent on the west side of San Antonio, the temperature dropped 15 decrees!
There were barges traveling along the River all evening & we kept thinking we’d get on one. . .when we saw one boarding. However, people seemed to come out of the woodwork after sunset, & there were suddenly long lines to get on the barges. So. . .we just kept walking & finally climbed back up to street level at this mall entrance.
As we walked to the truck, we saw lots of
lighted carriage rides. They were so surreal.
And the trees in front of The Alamo were all lit up too!
Amazingly, we were home by 7pm. . .and not feeling bad from those couple of miles we walked. In fact, we can both tell our time spent selling Christmas trees was a major
toning experience.
Friday is
Departure Day.
Great pictures. I have not been to the River Walk in San Anton, now I have thru you. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt amazed me to see how small the Alamo was when we were there. Even though it is mainly restaurants and shops we enjoyed the Riverwalk. The lights look beautiful, we weren't there for that. Thanks for sharing the photos.
ReplyDeleteVery nice pictures of Riverwalk. I'm wishing you the best for 2012.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you (sort of?) enjoyed The Riverwalk. Actually it is a river, the San Antonio River. Did you get any Mexican food? Casa Rio is a dining experience on The Riverwalk and has been around since 1946. I remember dining there as a kid. It really is "the" place to eat. The Riverwalk is probably more enjoyable during times of fewer tourists, and the barge rides are very pleasant during warmer months. You can walk the river path past all the shops and stuff; it is a quieter walk that goes for quite a distance. Happy New Year to you both!
ReplyDelete