Day 33 - Austin Rest Day 1: San Antonio

Knowing that Jerry, Michele and Andrew would be picking me up to go to San Antonio today I got up at a reasonable time so I could to a little exploring on campus.

First stop: the LBJ Presidential Library. I was really looking forward to this, but unfortunately the museum is undergoing renovation so most of the exhibits are closed. I was able to watch some short videos on LBJs life and check out the Oval Office replica. The exhibit on Ladybird was also still open. Just as well, I was pressed for time anyway.

I walked across campus and had enough time for a bagel and some coffee before my ride arrived. I had wanted to check out the Les Amis Cafe on Cris' suggestion, but it no longer exists. Very sad, it was an Austin institution. Wasn't able to survive gentrification I suppose. I'm sure Starbucks was involved somehow.

It's about an hour and a half down to San Antonio, but the time passed quickly enough. A little strange being in a car, but it sure was comfy.

We stopped for lunch at Los Barrios for puffy tacos, a San Antonio delicacy made with a puffed tortilla. I had mine with a margarita (or two).

We then hit the mission trail, a complex of five closely spaced Spanish missions, including the Alamo.

The missions are, from south to north:
San Francisco de la Espada
San Juan de Capistrano
San Jose
Concepcion
San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo)

We had to skip Concepcion because it was getting late and we didn't want to miss seeing the Alamo.

Interesting thing about visiting the Alamo: most of the fighting and dying in the battle took place in what is now the street in front of the Alamo and the north wall, the site of Santa Ana's troops' first breach, is where the federal court house now stands. I guess it's lucky anything was saved at all.

I took a ton of photos of the missions so maybe I'll throw them up with a mission photo dump later.

After our mission tour we meet up with Les and Cindy for a visit to the river walk and the La Villita neighborhood. Th river walk was much larger than I expected. I'd always heard that it was only a couple of blocks long, but that's not the case. It's actually quite large. Is older than I thought too, the restaurant we ate at had been there since 1946. it's been upgraded tho' I suspect.

In La Villita preparations were underway for La Fiesta, a week long party in San Antonio. I'm sorry we missed that, it starts next week.

We headed back to Mountain City for cheesecake and port. Les was kind enough to give me a ride back to Austin after that, about half an hour each way. And on his birthday too.