Some restaurants will also have music in the evening for everyone to enjoy. On cool nights many will also place heaters at strategic points to keep diners warm while they enjoy their dinner. There is definitely a Mexican influence in this part of the United States. There are many Mexican restaurants and so we had our first Mexican meal of the trip. Very enjoyable! You can stroll along both sides of the canal for perhaps half a mile review the restaurants and then decide which one you want to return to for your dinner or lunch. There is not much open for breakfast.
The Alamo
You cannot visit San Antonio, without visiting the Alamo. The Hampton Inn downtown is about two blocks from the River Walk and also two blocks from the Alamo, one of the most historic places in Texas. On past trips we have toured the Alamo and seen the movie that depicts the story of the last stand at the Alamo as the Texans tried to with stand Santa Anna’s Mexican armies onslaught! It is a really moving piece and well worth seeing by everyone!
You can picture yourself being there facing over whelming odds knowing that help is not going to get to you in time. Every man is willing to fight to the last man standing because Santa Anna has promised the sword to every Texan in the fort. The story is compelling and exciting and memorable. It brought tears to our eyes as we pictured how patriotic these frontiersman were. Although Sam Houston did not reach the fort in time to save the Texans, he did defeat the Mexican army and retake the Alamo from the Mexicans, setting up the situation for Texas to become a US state.
Historic District
On the morning of our second day we went for a long walk into the historic district of downtown San Antonio. This is an area were homes were built-in the late 1800’s and most are mansions with grand pillars supporting upstairs balconies on grounds that are well manicured. There is a historical society which authenticates and ensure standards are followed in the maintenance of the homes along with any changes that may be considered by the owners. Some are open for tours, although on Sunday when we visited they were all closed. There are also a few that operate as bed and breakfast accommodations, which would be really neat to stay at.
Chilli’s on the River Walk
We ended up at Chilli’s for supper on our second night and it turned out that it was happy hour. Happy hour in Chillis is for patrons sitting at the bar
This last picture on the left was included to show how beautiful the area is. It is not related to Chillis.
A warning about San Antonio. While it is a safe place to walk around, the city applies a hefty tax on rooms. For a room that cost me $116 at the Hampton Inn, there was tax of $18 added to the cost, which I find pretty hefty and much more than many other cities we have stayed in. I guess the money is used to fund the River Walk maintenance etc.
For more places to visit in the US as snow birds, click here.