We arrived in Laredo on Thursday December 12th.
We were just spending one night there so didn’t really plan on exploring but
wanted to give Izzy a chance to be happy. So we found Lake Casa Blanca
State Park to spend the night.
State Park to spend the night.
Our spot was next to the water so she could get her feet
wet, which of course she did. The fishing pier was nearby which pulled Steve to
it. He didn’t fish but spoke with a local fisherman who was hanging out with a
line in the water.
Izzy Love's This Place, Guess Why
Smilin' Steve
The Fishing Pier near our spot, too bad the fish weren't biting
We headed out the following morning with San Antonio as our
destination. We arrived at our new spot in the early afternoon which gave us a
chance to unwind.
On Saturday the weather was better so we headed to the
Mission San Jose which was just one mile from where we were staying. There is a lot of history with this Mission
but the building of the limestone church, with its extraordinary Spanish
colonial Baroque architecture and statuary began in 1768 – the peak of this
mission’s development. At that time there were 350 Indians residing in 84
two-room apartments. The pictures we were able to take provide a view of what
it looks like. The church of Mission San Jose came to be known as the “Queen of
the Missions.”
We enjoyed touring the Mission and the grounds which
provided us with a chance to take some pictures. Hopefully these will give you
an idea of the uniqueness of this place.
The Mission
The Church Entrance
The Original Color
The Rose Window
The Guardian
The Stairway to the Bell
Inside an Apartment
Apartment Row
The Arches
Preparing
Staying Warm
The Gate
More Apartments
The Well
The Oven
I found it interesting compared to the missions I visited in
California years ago. The walls of this Mission are actually ten feet as the apartments are within them.
As you leave the River Walk area and wander back toward the Alamo you come across a few sites worth getting their picture taken.
We had a great time seeing Ian and the area. Austin is a
busy place and has a lot to offer if you end up here one day.
From here we ventured down to the Alamo. For the history
buffs out there The Alamo had thirteen fateful days in 1836. Originally named
Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and
their Indian converts for nearly seventy years.
In the early 1800s, the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the
former mission. The soldiers referred to the old mission as the Alamo in honor
of their hometown Alamo de Parras, Coahuila. The rest is history as they say.
Since we were there on a Saturday it was quite busy so it
did not lend itself to taking pictures quite like the Mission San Jose did, but
for those of you that have not been here you should get the flavor of it. Also
the original Alamo structure is mostly gone unfortunately so what you do see is
not what was standing in the 1800s.
The Church
The Shrine
Taking in the Sites
We wandered to the River Walk from the Alamo. Izzy hung out
in the truck so she could people watch and take a nap. The autumn colors were
coming out along with the Christmas spirit. It was quite nice wandering along
the river.
The history of the River Walk started with Robert H. H.
Hugman a San Antonio native. He conceived his river project in 1929.
Construction didn’t take place until October of 1939. Hugman was fired in 1940 but
the project was completed a year later, but went largely unused. It wasn’t
until 1961 when the city brought in the major designers of Disneyland to
determine the commercial potential of the river. The River Walk today is a
result of that transformation.
Candles for the Night
The Tour Boat
San Antonio Entertainment!
The St. Anthony Hotel
Touring via Carriage
When we finished with this River Walk Izzy and I did another
river walk from the RV park. It was a bit windy but otherwise a very nice
afternoon. She enjoyed watching the birds and sniffing every inch along the
path.
We headed out Sunday for Austin so we could visit our nephew
Ian. Ian is a chef at Max’s Wine Dive restaurant in downtown Austin. He had
the day off so we ventured downtown so he could show us the sites and of course
eat the restaurant. If you are a wine drinker this is the place for you. They
know the details of the wines and can describe their taste to a tee!
Ian, Steve and Tory
The food is unique in terms of flavor but they make some of
the old comfort foods you are used to if you are from the south. Well heck even
if you aren’t. Steve was so impressed with the chili dog he had to take a
picture!
We left today, December 17th to work our way to
Florida. We’ll cruise through Biloxi Mississippi to see what that’s all about
so be sure to come back and check out the next post!
No comments:
Post a Comment