San Antonio, Texas

Waking up in San Antonio this time of year reminds me of my childhood in Indiana.  The humid air and birds singing makes it feel exactly like a summer morning in the Hoosier state.  Of course this is not Indiana, and it is not the summer.  It is spring break in Texas, something we did not know when we decided to visit one of the most iconic places in Texas, The Alamo.  There was a sea of people surrounding the outside and throngs waiting in line to squeeze into the main building and look at the shrine that symbolizes the Texas spirit.  This makes for a tough time looking at the sparse exhibits and soaking up the lore of this historic place.  Needless to say, we did not stay long.

The Alamo

At The Alamo

    Afterwards we walked to the River Walk, which is a commercial district below street level with restaurants, retail shops and other businesses that skirt the San Antonio river.  It could be a very nice place to spend a couple of hours if it weren't for the masses of people vying for a seat or place to stand.

River Walk, San Antonio

River Walk, San Antonio

OK,  lesson learned.  We will have to start looking at local events and schedules a bit more closely in the future.  We decided to get away from the crowds and visit one of the missions in the area, the San Jose Mission.  Beautiful in its rustic state, this mission is part of the National Park system and there is no fee to visit.

Mission San Jose, San Antonio Texas

Mission San Jose

Mission San Jose Bell Tower

Mission San Jose