Three Days in San Antonio - Day 3 - End of the Mission Trail
/After two days of warm, sunny weather, the temperature plummeted and our third day on the trail was a very chilly one. We parked the car at Mission Concepción and walked the rest of the distance downtown to the end of the Mission Trail (the Alamo - 2.7 miles). It was rather nippy walking and we bundled up in layers and a jacket, gloves, and hat. Compared to the t-shirt weather of the last couple of days, it was a mighty big contrast.
There were few people on the trail this day. As we neared the city, there was a distinct change in our surroundings. From riparian reeds and abundant water fowl, we passed first into old, established neighborhoods like the classy King William District with its mansions along the river. Mexican sycamores, cypress trees, and cultivated flower beds lined the trail. Then, we moved into the industrial and commercial complexes, not as scenic, but at least it afforded us the chance to stop at a local coffee shop for a hot brew and a warm-up.
The 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas, built in 1968 for the Hemisfair World's Fair celebrating San Antonio's 250th anniversary, popped into view and dominated the city’s Skyline.. The structure is very reminiscent of the Seattle Space Needle.
We were still chilly and our pace was brisk. We came upon Dolorosa Street and it surprised us. The bridge was absolutely covered in love locks. It seemed an odd place to profess love since ‘dolorosa’ translates to painful in English. Hmm…
The Dolorosa Street Bridge
A lot of love, locks and pain in San Antonio
Since we’d already visited the Alamo, we quickly touched bases (been there, done that), then reversed direction and retraced our steps back to Mission Concepción to pick up the car. The return walk was a quick one. We were cold and hungry.
Warmed up a bit by the car ride back to the city, we decided on a lunch spot at historic Market Square. Market Square or El Mercado, the largest Mexican market in the United States, is a 3-block outdoor plaza with lots of shops and restaurants. It’s definitely touristy and commercial, but quite colorful. Unfortunately, several of the shops were closed, but lucky for us, the restaurants were open and margaritas were on the menu.
Warm and nourished, we continued to the River Walk to find the beginning (or the end) of the River Walk Trail. The 0.0 mile marker wasn’t as easy to find as you might imagine. A circuitous route through a maze of paths, up and down staircases and round corners and bends were required to find it… but we prevailed.
The River Walk downtown is absolutely beautiful. Lined with trees and flowers, it’s a lush setting for shops, boutiques, restaurants, and museums along the route.
Colorful boats ply the narrow canals of the San Antonio River Walk through the downtown.
We made our way to San Fernando Cathedral aka the Cathedral of Our Lady of Candelaria and Guadalupe at Plaza de Las Islas Canarias. According to the cathedral’s website, “San Fernando Cathedral was founded on March 9, 1731, by a group of 15 families who came from the Canary Islands at the invitation of King Phillip V of Spain and is the oldest, continuously functioning religious community in the State of Texas. The Cathedral building has the added distinction of being the oldest standing church building in Texas.” Several notable events have happened here. Jim Bowie was married in the cathedral to Ursula de Veramendi in 1831, and in 1836, Mexican General Santa Anna was headquartered here during the Battle of the Alamo.
San Fernando Cathedral aka the Cathedral of Our Lady of Candelaria and Guadalupe
The interior of the cathedral
The remains of the ‘heroes’ of the Battle of Alamo are also reputedly buried here in the Cathedral.
And so ends our three days in San Antonio. We have places to go and things to see and do and it’s time to move along… slowly. We’ll continue to head to Las Vegas, but we’ve got a few more stops to share with you. So join us next time for a walk to a historic fort and, hold on to your hats, a visit with ‘The Thing’.