...we got off our plane at 12:50 AM...(1:50 AM our time)...
...so we checked into an "airport hotel" for the night...or the rest of the night...haha...and crashed...it was nice to have a place to sleep as we couldn't check into our Airbnb until the afternoon...so thankful for the Man making all the arrangements...
...we checked out and headed downtown for a full day of sightseeing...this was our first glimpse of the San Antonio skyline...
...we parked in a downtown garage...and walked to
Schilo's...the oldest restaurant in San Antonio...
...that was a lot of fun...
...it was already getting pretty steamy and hot...
...so we thought it might be best to get the most touristy sightseeing done first...and we headed to
the Alamo...
...the pretty cloister walk...used for the queue...
...I spied this pretty and colourful purse while waiting in the line...so I snapped a photo in case I want to make it later...haha...
...there was a living history area...
...and lots of impressive cacti...
...an irrigation ditch...
...lots of statues...this one is
Davey Crockett...
...the old well...
...a Mission friar...
...the low barracks...
...where the final battle took place...
...the Man and the Airman's Wife in front of the Alamo - the Misión San Antonio de Valero...the word Alamo means "poplar"...
...you can't take any photos in the Mission...
...then we headed back towards the River Walk...hoping that it would be a little bit cooler there...and we passed this old bandstand...
...and these poor horses standing out in the heat...I felt sorry for them...
...past La Antorcha de la Amistad...the Torch of Friendship...which is being repainted...
...and finally to the inviting River Walk...
...it really was a little bit cooler down there...
...in the shade...lots of ducks paddling around...
...there were lots of these adorable arched bridges...
...allowing you to criss-cross back and forth across the river...
...it was shady and a little bit cooler...so it was a nice walk...we walked along for a couple of miles...the Riverwalk follows the San Antonio River for about 15 miles through the city...
...so there were lots of regular city bridges crossing over too...
...in lots of different styles...
...sometimes it was more open and sunny too...
...there was a chain link fence along the river here used for Love Locks...The Airman and his bride had taken one to Paris with them a few years ago to leave on the fence there...
A love lock or love padlock is a padlock which sweethearts lock to a bridge, fence, gate, monument, or similar public fixture to symbolize their love. Typically the sweethearts' names or initials, and perhaps the date, are inscribed on the padlock, and its key is thrown away (often into the nearby river) to symbolize unbreakable love. (Wikipedia)...
...then we toured the old Alamo National Bank...
...you could see the vaults...
...and some of the "state of the art" electronic equipment...
...it was really interesting...and it was air conditioned...bonus...
...then it was lunchtime...so we headed to the Hard Rock café on the Riverwalk...that was cool and refreshing...
...we wanted to at least find the base before we checked into our AirBnB...so we drove by it...
...and this statue...
The Tribute the Freedom...
...almost time for checkin...so we stopped at H.E.B. to stock up on some groceries...I've never seen this type of store before...it was really nice...and really crowded...
...and finally to our sweet Airbnb...
...sadly the air conditioning was broken...
...so we had to pack up and move across the street to another house...our hosts were super nice about it...and plan to have it all fixed by tomorrow...
...we still have another full day before we can see the Airman...more sightseeing to come...
~Have a lovely day!
