S a n A n t o n i o
has been added to my “favorite cities” list.
Happy/helpful people, beautiful buildings and waterways, delicious food, historical
and cultural venues, plus timely public transportation.
The River Walk is operated as a park; the San Antonio River
flows for 131 miles.
The river is home to many ducks and this egret.
Yes, this tree is growing out of the Bella Restaurant building--at the end of the day, we enjoyed a delish dinner at Bella's along side the river, while waiting for a River Taxi to go to Pearl Brewery.
The architect of the medical building on the left succeeded in creating
the optical illusion of a narrow building.
This historic mosaic atop the Lila Cockrell Theatre is impressive.
An artist complements this overpass with visual enhancements.
During our evening cruise, we saw this public art display of
25 illuminated sunfish suspended by wires from another overpass.
Sunfish |
The Alamo has been at its present site since 1724.
It served as a home to Spanish missionaries and their Native American converts before being used in1803 as a Spanish fort; it became famous because of the 1836 Battle for Texas Independence.
Alamo |
The city of San Antonio has literally grown up around the Alamo--a relatively small structure that attracts 2.5
million visitors a year.
Friars Christianized the Indians at Mission Concepción which
was built in 1731.
Mission Concepción is considered the oldest unrestored church in
the United States.
A blending of Christian, Spanish and Native art elements appear in restored ceiling frescos
.
Mission San José was established in 1720 and is the best
example of a restored mission in the United States with it’s Rose Window,
flying buttresses, and inner courtyard.
Rose Window |
This “Rose Window” sculpted in 1775 is possibly dedicated to
Saint Rose, no one knows for sure. It is considered one of the finest examples
of baroque architecture in North America.
It opened in 1941 and
is open 24 hours a day – my favorite bakery purchase was a yellow cake bun with
cream filling covered with caramel and topped with pecans (only made at this
bakery).
King William’s opulent and impressive neighborhood includes Steves Homestead house (on right) —displaying lavish Victorian architecture.
Land was divided into large plots in the late 1800s on which grand homes were built for families of some means—many of then the city’s new German immigrants.
Two other mansions within King William Historic District.
Guenther, the founder of Pioneer Flour Mills, built
this elegant home (on right) in 1859 at the foot of the King William area. It now includes a museum, restaurant, and retail
store.
Folk art at the Museum: crane lacquered and painted gourd, wood from the Rockefeller Mexican Folk Art Collection.
San Antonio is a wonderful city to visit...
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