You Can Always Go...Downtown

San Antonio Texas

Day 18

We headed downtown after a forced march, by one of the entrances to Sea World, open only on weekends here this time of year.

Note to self:  Forgo the forced marches on days that you visit a walking tour city!

Last time we were here, two years ago, it was hot, we sought out shade.  Today, much cooler and overcast, made it easier to walk, and walk, and walk.  We parked at a $10/day lot about a block from the Alamo.  The tourist area ends abruptly somewhere during that block and turns a little scary.  The car was empty (took TomTom with us) and we looked around the lots thinking that a thief would want several of the other less gas guzzling vehicles more that ours.  So we weren't overly concerned...

First we stopped at the Alamo (mandatory in S.A.) and the surrounding buildings where we viewed a segment of a History Channel segment about what actually happened there. 

Next, on to the mall and Riverwalk.   Always lovely, this place.  What they have created with an aging section of the city, and a 'creek' is amazing.  We walked most of it, having done the boat ride a couple of times in the past.  Then we stopped for lunch...

I am always a little leery of touristy restaurants, they know you won't be back any time soon.  But we wanted to be part of the al fresco crowd so we stopped at one of the seven million TexMex places.  I was a little surprised Jim chose this, because we'd just had Mexican the night before.  The beef in my chimichanga tasted old, at first bite.  Then a few bites later I bit onto something tough.  On closer examination I discovered it was a TWIG!  Okay, if I'd been eating, say....spinach, I could understand how a 2 inch twig could end up in that.  But a beef chimichanga?  The only good thing about our lunch was that I didn't eat enough to gain weight!  Jim's meal wasn't much better.  Putting this one on on my 'Do Not Enter' list for my visit with friends in 2011. 

While we were 'enjoying' our lunch, we were watching a Japanese film crew filming a scene directly across the river.  I would guess it was a travel show, but there were six young people involved, obviously talking with each other...maybe a TV show.  Either way, we'll never know if we were in the background of their scenes, having lunch at the restaurant from Hell...don't watch a lot of Japanese TV!




On the way back out of Riverwalk, I spotted a Marble Slab (actually I remembered exactly where it was from the 2008 visit) and we both sat by the river and enjoyed a cup of ice cream.  I didn't feel too guilty, after that 'lunch'.  But something about a cup of ice cream being almost $6 is wrong...you know?

From the lobby of a Riverwalk hotel, the Hyatt, I think

By the time we got back to the car (no shattered windows) we were beat.  Stopped briefly on the way so Jim could buy an identical shirt to one he got a week or so ago (guy thing) because he loves it so much.  We both were exhausted so we decided to have a 'short nap'...which lasted almost TWO HOURS.  I guess we both really needed it, maybe it staved off the ptomaine poisoning... 

The weather isn't looking very good for tomorrow...it wasn't good today.  See a pattern here?