I’ve never understood the fascination with guacamole. I don’t hate it, just don’t love it. My dip of choice for tortilla chips tends more to salsa or bean. But on this day, at this moment, I was fascinated as our server dexterously created the green staple at our table.
If you’ve not had the pleasure, tableside guac can be a thoroughly entertaining experience. She had rolled a cart to our table and began to toss onion, cilantro, lime & orange juice, and tomatoes with the prerequisite avocados into a mortar, skillfully creating the aforementioned guacamole.
Maybe it was sitting outside on the River Walk, maybe it was the mariachi band serenading us, or maybe it was celebrating 45 years with Kathy, but when I dipped my warm tortilla chip into the mortar and took a bite, it was the most delicious guacamole I had ever tasted. Another magical moment in San Antonio.
Everything is Magical Except that Rental Car
We had landed at San Antonio International Airport 2 days prior after an easy, uneventful flight. We had chosen San Antonio on a whim to celebrate another year of marital accomplishment.
As we collected our luggage, I was notified by text that our sub-compact had been upgraded to a full-size SUV. Nice, I thought to myself. It was too, until we actually tried to drive it.
After fumbling about for the starter, I discovered it on the center console next to a gaming-size joystick that I had no idea of its use until I realized it was the gear-shift. Using two fingers (that’s all that fit) I put us in drive proceeding slowly out of the garage.
In the meantime, Kathy was fumbling with the 15′ screen mounted in the dash looking like something out of Star Wars. She was trying to lower the volume on the radio. As we stopped at the exit, she leaned over and asked the attendant if she could help.
After several seconds, they discovered the volume control. As we drove on, she continued to fiddle with the screen that obviously needed AI to manage.
At our hotel, in a final indignity, I had to ask the valet if he had any idea how to place the beast in park. Reaching through the window, he pointed to and pressed another button on the console, easily putting the monstrosity into sleep. I had reserved a simple subcompact.
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Hotel Valencia and The Back Unturned Brewery Co.
We settled into the Valencia, a 213-room hotel draped in a Spanish Colonial style accented with elegant ironwork, hand-crafted tiles, and a striking vaulted ceiling. Located on the famed River Walk, it provided easy access to the local downtown attractions.
After we had been expertly guided to our room and provided with a run-down on all of the benefits of the Valencia by Juan, we asked about a local pizza establishment. “No Tex-Mex or BBQ?” he asked.
I assured him they were on the list, but no, I smiled, pizza. Our first date was at a pizza joint, so tradition tends to outweigh local cuisine.
We headed off into the midday sun towards The Back Unturned Brewery Co. for pie and, obviously, beer. We chose to walk the mile in lieu of driving for our mental sanity.
Tony welcomed us to the long bar near the open-air kitchen. With his recommendation, we ordered the Fiesta Veza, a Mexican-style lager, and Dream Juice, a hazy IPA. Both were very refreshing and paired well with their tasty Margherita pie.
The day was looking up.
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The Alamo
You can’t leave San Antonio without visiting the Alamo, and we were no different. After satisfying our lunchtime craving, we walked over to the Shrine of Texas Liberty, The Alamo, which is steps from the River.
Originally built as the Misión San Antonio de Valero, it was one of the early Spanish missions in Texas, built to convert indigenous tribes to Christianity. Today, it is surrounded and encroached upon by the high-rises and skyscrapers of a modern city.
By 1836, the compound had been abandoned by the friars and commandeered as a pseudo fort by the Texians as they were known. It became the site of the 13-day losing battle with Mexican troops that remains a symbol of Texas defiance.
Today the only portions of the 3-acre compound that remain are the church and part of the long barracks.
As we walked across the Alamo Plaza towards the famed limestone facade it seemed so diminutive compared to the immense impact it had on the history of Texas.
Its out-sized story is told within the two-story Ralston Family Collections Center, the museum on the premises which houses an extensive collection of memorabilia and explains in detail the 13-day siege and battle.
As we walked away, I couldn’t help but wonder if the fabled shadow that it cast across the Lone Star State hadn’t outgrown the actual site.
King William District and Guenther House
The following morning, Kathy was in search of flour, San Antonio River Mill brand by Pioneer Flour Mills, to be exact. I wanted breakfast. So, off we went to the Guenther House.
Originally the home of the mill’s founder, Carl Hilmar Guenther, the restored home now contains the River Mill Store, a museum, and an award-winning restaurant.
We walked the mile-and-a-half to the King William Historic District, where the mill is located. The King William Historic District, bordered by a portion of San Antonio’s River Walk, is home to some of the most beautiful and historic homes in all of San Antonio.
The district began in the 19th century as a desirable location for the city’s largely wealthy German families who built impressive homes designed in Greek revival, Victorian, and Italianate styles. Today, most of these homes have been restored.
Arriving at our destination, we chose to sit on the patio with the early morning breeze fending off the rising temperature. The two-story limestone home is flanked by manicured lawns, colorful gardens, and sheltered beneath several mature Live Oaks.
Buttermilk biscuits topped with sausage-studded cream gravy for me and fluffy, pecan-covered pancakes for Kathy were unbelievably tasty and filling. We simply could not finish the overflowing plates.
Afterwards, we climbed the stairs to the tiny store for the baking treasures that my wife was seeking. Thankfully, they provided a shipping service. I could not have carried everything home.
San Antonio Tours & Excursions
The Famed River Walk
The River Walk, San Antonio’s 15-mile riverside esplanade, which was actually developed as a flood control project, is a must-see. Meandering through the heart of downtown, the winding watery city park flows beneath a canopy of trees.
Cobblestoned pathways lined with lavish greenery provide an escape from the city sidewalks that lie one level above.
The tremendous amount of green space also offered a respite from the heat by several degrees, so every morning we took advantage of it and walked the river, enjoying the easy stroll away from traffic.
We were treated with the playful antics of a clutch of ducklings under the watchful eye of their mother. On a nearby rock, a group of turtles sunned themselves.
Strolling the walk was an activity that was embraced by many. During our time, the path was filled with Lackland Air Force Base basic-training graduates in dress whites escorting their proud families around River Walk.
Cruise the River
However, to really get a feel for the Walk, we took advantage of one of the ubiquitous boat tours. Little, colorful barges have been conveying visitors around the River Walk loop for decades. Is it touristy? You bet. Are the jokes told by the tour guides corny? Definitely. Is it worth it? Absolutely!
We boarded our colorful Go Rio Cruises riverboat which was electrically powered, making for a quiet and fume-free ride.
During the 40-minute-or-so ride in which we were followed by quite the array of waterfowl, our captain/guide pointed to various historical points of interest in between some fairly inane jokes, and peppered with character voices.
We learned about the Tower Life Building; an octagonal building built in the ’20s with several amazing gargoyle rain spouts. The Selena Bridge, a cobblestone bridge, where a poignant scene for the film “Selena” was shot.
The Briscoe Western Art Museum which conveys the fascinating history of the West, and the flood-gates which were hidden in plain sight.
In addition, we were able to get our bearings on the eclectic array of shops, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and galleries that lined the Walk, which were festooned with brightly colored banners for Fiesta.
Afterwards, we slipped into Ácenar, a local Tex-Mex establishment. We met a couple from Colorado who swore by the Jicama shrimp tacos. Turns out that Jicama is a Mexican turnip. Sliced papery thin, it provides a crunchy alternative to a flour tortilla. They were delicious!
Fiesta
Little did we know when we planned our getaway, that every year, Fiesta San Antonio is celebrated. It commemorates the Battles of the Alamo, and of San Jacinto which led to Texas’ independence and it just so happened to coincide with our visit.
The fiesta includes three major parades, including a boat parade along the San Antonio River, and festivals are held throughout the city.
Locals adopted vibrant costumes, floral crowns, and festooned their homes in colorful banners. It didn’t take long before my wife went native and donned her own floral tiara.
The night of our guacamole awakening, we were sitting riverside at Boudro’s Texas bistro relishing an anniversary dinner of excellent shrimp & grits and a flavorfully tender filet.
We were enjoying the ambiance of people and duck watching when the evening’s entertainment was enhanced by the slow-moving parade of barges filled with mariachi bands and Folklorico dancers.
Afterwards, we strolled over to the 18th-century San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest standing church building in Texas, where we joined the Fiesta celebration sprawled across its plaza.
The Pearl of San Antonio
When the final whistle blew at the 23-acre Pearl Brewery in 2001, everyone thought that it had seen its last beer brewed.
But we were sitting in the original brewhouse, now home to the Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery, savoring a seafood salad and a couple of their brews. The engine room is now the lobby of Hotel Emma. The bottling plant houses a food hall.
Everywhere, the once ghostly grounds of the old brewery, are filled with families, couples, and groups of laughing young adults.
The Pearl, as it is now known, has become a sprawling neighborhood along the north-end of the River Walk that is home to a thriving collection of restaurants, shops, and apartments.
After lunch, we roamed in and out of boutiques, like The Twig Book Shop, Dos Carolinas selling its handcrafted Guayabera shirts and, my favorite, Bakery Lorraine with its very tasty macarons that I savored as we walked back to the hotel.
A Little Magical Memory
Our last evening found us sitting at one of several picnic tables lying in front of Pinkerton’s BBQ. Overhead, dark clouds threatened rain.
While we sampled a trio of smoked meats, we were serenaded by a young soloist who strummed her guitar while singing James Taylor.
At the other end of Legacy Park that lay before us, a party went through the motions of a wedding rehearsal which included the bride in her wedding gown. Everyone smiled.
We had to smile, too. San Antonio and her River Walk had provided us with a captivating anniversary with great food, a little history, and colorful fiesta, forever.
If You Go:
San Antonio, located in south-central Texas, is on Interstate Highway 10 (east-west) and Interstate Highways 35 and 37 (north-south). The city is also served by San Antonio International Airport.
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