Paseo Del Rio river Walk

Whenever we mentioned that our trip included a visit to San Antonio, we were encouraged to be sure to do the River Walk.  I guess everybody has forgotten about the Alamo after all.  At least it is not the first thing they think of when you say “San Antonio”.  

The River Walk is just that—a walk along the San Antonio River as it flows through the heart of downtown.  This 2.8 mile stretch of river is bordered on each side by a walking path of cobblestone and flagstone. The river is some 20 feet below street level and is accessed at various points along the route by stairways leading to the path and the river below.  The path which was completed in 1941 never attracted much attention and was all but abandon until 1968 when the city fathers decided to allow commercial development adjacent to the walkway.  Restaurants, hotels, and boutiques drew the crowds and now it is one of the “must see” attractions for every tourist visiting the city.

We started our walk last Wednesday at the Visitor Center descending to the river by way of a stone stairway, past a waterfall, and through the Hyatt Hotel.  At first, I was somewhat disoriented as we passed through what seemed to be outdoor cafes, dodging waiters and skirting diners enjoying lunch.  Then I realized we were still on the path as it proceeds right through numerous riverside cafes.  As we distanced ourselves from this initial congested area, the walkway took on a more relaxed atmosphere.  Along the way, we occasionally took a stairway to street level to investigate a building’s architecture or to just look around at the city.  We even stopped in for some cash when we passed the Bank of America.

Casa Rio

The Southwest Craft Center was along the section we walked on last Wednesday.  We ascended the stairs to see if we could get a peek at the Center’s French frontier architecture.  The building was great and to our surprise it was open to the public and even had an exhibit for viewing.  The building had been built in 1851 as a convent and girl’s school.

We continued our walk today, again descending to the river at the Visitor Center across from the Alamo.  Turning left this time we walked along the path to it’s end then turned for the return trip along the opposite side of the river.  Last night at Rudy’s, one of the staff suggested we stop at Casa Rio for a margarita.  That we did this afternoon.  I need to say just a few words about our allowance system then I’ll tell about our Casa Rio stop.

San Antonio

Mission Concepcion

In our budget, we each get an allowance each month.  That is money we each can do with as we please.  I’m pretty good about saving mine.  There really isn’t much that I need or want that falls outside of the regular household budget.  Gene likes to spend his on coffee and ice cream.  He’s always saying to me, “I’ll buy you a cup of coffee” or “how ‘bout an ice cream.”  I always say “sure”.  That way I get the treat but it comes out of his allowance.  Occasionally, I get to feeling a little guilty about that behavior, so today, I told him I’d treat for the margaritas.  The waiter came and before I could even fully determine what I wanted, he had ordered to top shelf margaritas.  I haven’t had a top shelf in maybe 20 years and he’s never had one.  I guess he could see the look of surprise on my face so he quickly announced something like “only the best for you”.  He really should have stopped talking at that point, but he went on to say, “money is no object”.  He really should have stopped talking at that point, but, sort of as an afterthought, he adds, “especially when you’re buying”.  My only comment was to remind him that I write the blog.  I can hardly wait until he offers to buy ice cream again.

Today, we also stopped at the Mission Concepcion.  This is the best preserved of all the missions.  Again, we took the tour with a very knowledgeable ranger.

I have included photos of Mission Concepcion along with many taken both last week and today of views along the River Walk.