Yes, unbeknowns to us it is Fiesta time in San Antonio! What a great time to visit this impressive and fascinating city! What is Fiesta festival? Only the most important time in San Antonio ....and TEXAS! Fiesta began in 1891 to honour the heroes from the Battle of the Alamo and San Jacinto which gave Texas its Independence from Mexico. They are honoured by an 11 day celebration (7-17 April) of food and fun, culture and entertainment! This year is the 120th anniversary and they call it the "Party with a Purpose".
So, with this "big party" mood and atmosphere surrounding us we explored this fascinating and impressive city! And there is so much to tell......
San Antonio traces her roots to 1691 and a rudimentary settlement around springs in what is now San Pedro Springs park, just north of the downtown area. Spanish missionaries and military men soon determined that a move south to the banks of the San Antonio River was a good idea. There, in 1718, they officially founded a mission - the Alamo, and a garrisoned post - today Military Plaza. The Alamo, Military Plaza, the San Antonio River and Main Plaza (Plaza de las Islas in honour of the Canary Islanders who were brought to help tame this wild frontier) - is the heart of the current day San Antonio. A stroll around this area brings alive and ties together the history and the form of this amazing city.
The first thing we did was take a bus tour to orientate us and see the main features of the city - the Convention Centre; Hemisfair Park - site of the 1968 World's fair and the 622 foot Towers of the Americas; the Institute of Texan Cultures; the Alamodome (the Dallas Cowboys come there to train); Mission San Jose -the "Queen of missions" established in 1720 and the finest example of a completely restored mission in the USA; Mission Conception - established in 1716; Market Square - the largest Mexican Market in the USA;the King William District - an elite German neighbourhood, lined with beautiful Victorian mansions, that dates back to the 1870's; San Fernando Cathedral - completed in 1750 and the oldest permanent active Cathedral Sanctuary in the USA; La Villita - San Antonio's oldest surviving neighbourhood dating from the 1750's and is now alive with artists, craftsmen, shops and restaurants; the Riverwalk; and of course the famous historic Alamo, the central feature of San Antonio!
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| The Convention Centre and Towers of the Americas |
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| MissionSan Jose |
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| Mission Conception |
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| Alamodome |
We saw "Alamo....the Price of Freedom" at the IMAX Theatre before we went and explored the site of that historic battle. Glad we did because we learnt so much and it put the whole historic event into perspective for us and we realised just how important this battle was. Must admit I shed a few tears (not hard for me being a softy!) as we stood beside the defenders of the Alamo and witnessed their courage, strength and honour - gave us an incredible visual and emotional understanding of this very important event where 189 Texians and Tejanas fought against Santa Anna's huge army and all were killed. The cry "Remember the Alamo" represents the patriotism displayed by these courageous men and their leaders as they fought for freedom.
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| Click on pic to enlarge |
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| The letter the 26 year old leader, William Travis wrote before the battle. |
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| Click to enlarge |
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| What is left of The Alamo |
What a credit to San Antonio's young architect R W Hugman, for his design for the Riverwalk along the San Antonio River that meanders its way through the city - what a marvellous concept! Everyone MUST walk this walk! Shops, boutiques, cafes and restaurants line each side of the river and are nestled amongst beautiful trees and gardens. And it all happens below street level!!! We took a narrated tour along the river on a riverboat which was most interesting and enjoyable, and afterwards we did some good "people watching" and soaked up the Fiesta atmosphere while enjoying our "happy hour" Margaritas. The Riverwalk is a one-of-a-kind urban oasis!
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| The Riverwalk and the San Antonio River |
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| Along the Riverwalk |
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| Enjoying our "Happy Hour" |
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| The river goes through the foyer of the Hyatt Hotel |
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| Restaurants along the Riverwalk |
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It was lovely strolling the cobblestone paths that meander along the river past
stone archways, fountains, foliage -and a lively collection of restaurants,nightclubs,hotels
and boutiques. |
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| A famous bar Coyote Ugly |
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| Riverwalk with red Friendship sculpture in background. |
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| Riverwalk gardens and trees |
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| A theatre along the Riverwalk |
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| A group dining on the Riverboat |
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Scene along the Riverwalk.
Towers of Americas in background. |
A fascinating day in a fascinating city!
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