All Aboard! Whoo, Whoo -- Wed., Sep. 18

I'm a kid at heart. Just ask Bob. I was so excited to go on the San Antonio Zoo Eagle Train today. $3.25 was a bargain for a 20-minute tour on the Lukey J. around Brackenridge Park in San Antonio. At 3:15 in the afternoon, the train that came in before us was almost full. Our train was about 2/3 full. Lots of families were out enjoying the 84 degree weather. The zoo train fleet has three trains, but only one was in service today. All three trains are replicas of the original 1863 C.P. Huntington #3 train.

Brackenridge Park is 355 acres close to downtown San Antonio. In Brackenridge Park are the San Antonio Zoo, Witte (pronounced witty) Museum, San Antonio River, picnic areas, Zoo Train, Sunken Garden Theater, and Japanese Garden. 

Photos from my train ride:

Our ticket taker and engineer.

Train coming into the station.

The train cars.

Oops, sorry about the blur. I asked a lady to take my photo and this is what I got.

Brackenridge Park outside the train station.

Brackenridge Park.

Our train.

Crossing a trestle.

Nice, shady picnic area.

Woods--pecan, oak, mesquite and more.

Municipal golf course.

Driving range used to be a polo field at one time.

The little engine that could.

When the train ride finished, since the Japanese Sunken Garden was next door, I paid it another visit. The entry gate says Chinese Tea Garden. From 1941-1984, the name was changed from Japanese to Chinese due to WW II and the gate pictured below was built in 1942. Finally in 1984, it was changed back to Japanese Tea Garden. This sunken garden is built in an old limestone quarry. The limestone was used to build many of San Antonio's buildings.

The Pavilion.

Stairs into the sunken garden from The Pavilion.

Steps over one of the stone bridges.

Water lily pod.

 

Grasses and side of the old quarry.

Japanese Garden pond.

The Pavilion.

Find the turtle. I did.

Lots of stonework walkways.

At the front of the Japanese Sunken Gardens, are the remains of the Portland Cement Plant which was discontinued in 1907.

The Sunken Garden Theater was also built in part of the rock quarry, has 872 permanent seats (folding chairs up the seating to 2,700) and hosts rock concerts, comedy, Shakespearean plays, Taste of New Orleans, and the Margarita Pour-Off.

The theater entrance was closed, so I could not go check it out. You can check it out, though, at City of San Antonio's Official Web Site.

And that, my friends, was my sightseeing trip for today.

Tomorrow I'll be "On a Mission."

Travel Bug out.

The Best Laid Plans -- Sat., July 21

San Antonio, TX:

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." This quote is adapted from a line in Robert Frost's poem "The Mouse," which goes like this: "The best laid plans o' mice an' men / gang aft a-gley." 

Our original plan today was to do the 13K (7.8 mi) Missions Volkswalk. However, upon researching our Volkswalk choice for tomorrow, we found out the bakery where the walk starts is closed on Sunday. OK, swapperoo. Switched gears and off we went on the Broadway Neighborhood 10K (6.2 mi) Volkswalk today. Tomorrow we will do the walk to two missions.

Our walk started at Broadway Daily Bread Bakery in San Antonio. After signing in at the start box, picking up walk instructions, and ordering and eating fruit kolaches* (yes, you heard me right, we got a treat at the bakery even after my declaration yesterday), we headed out on our walk. 

(Please note: We are not promoting any locations on our walk. We get the Volkswalk directions and follow them wherever they take us. It's a great way to get to know an area.)

First destination: University of the Incarnate Word campus. Our route took us around the Retirement Center, past the sand volleyball court, under the bleachers at the stadium (cheerleader competitions were underway in the stadium--Bob told me to take my time taking pictures), on a trail through the woods, past many of the campus buildings and out onto Broadway. 

An aside: I don't know how many of you watch "The Amazing Race" on TV, but it's our favorite show, hands down. We've even talked about applying to go on the show. When we're out on our walks, sometimes the directions aren't crystal clear so we niggle at each other about what's the correct path. Then we say, "Just think if we were on 'The Amazing Race' we'd have TV cameras watching our every little argument." If you watch the show, you will understand what I'm about to say. Our directions were very specific about following a driveway at the University to the end and going around the back of the building. Then we were to go through a gate in the fence and pass the sand volleyball court. Bob thought we should go one way through a gate. I kept saying it wasn't right. We tried that way and, even though we could see the sand volleyball area, we couldn't get to it. So we went back around the building looking for a way across some grass and through a gate. Couldn't find it for the life of us. Finally we asked a resident retiree and they pointed at a very small gate in the fence that we had walked by twice already. On "The Amazing Race" it would be akin to walking past the clue box multiple times and not seeing it even though it's in plain sight. (Now I've really digressed, haven't I?)

Here are pics taken on campus.

Someone gave this squirrel a brownie (not me!!).

He hauled it up the tree to eat it.

Bob on red metal bridge.

Cheerleading competition at the University.

Bob says, "Take your time. Take as many photos as you want."

Nice treed pathway on campus.

See plaque inscription below.

History of the University goes back to 1881.

Carillon clock tower.

Stained glass as seen from inside the clock tower.

 

From the University we walked down Broadway past the Witte Museum. This little fellow welcomes guests to the museum. 

From the Witte Museum parking lot we entered Brackenridge Park and spent quite a bit of time in the park which features a Japanese Tea Garden and the San Antonio Zoo. 

Lunaria (money plant)?

Pretty grasses.

Water lilies.

I learned something new today...Portland Cement is a type of cement, not the place where it's made. I thought it was called that because it came from Portland, Oregon or Portland, Maine. Duh.

Into the Japanese Tea Garden we went. This sunken garden used to be the quarry for the cement company. A Japanese family built the pavilion and gardens, then handed it down to their children to care for. During WW II, the family was taken to an internment camp and the name of the garden was changed to Chinese Tea Garden. In 1981, the name was changed back to Japanese Tea Garden. Join us on our stroll through the Japanese Tea Garden and path to the San Antonio Zoo.

Here is the pavilion. Look at all that rock work! What a beautiful place.

 

Koi in the pond.

Rock work everywhere, all taken from the old quarry site.

Even a waterfall.

Mr. Turtle swam by. How do you do?

 

Bridge looks like a dragon...c'mon use your imagination.

Inside the pavilion looking out.

Another view from inside the pavilion.

The path from the tea garden to the zoo.

We did not go in the zoo, but took some photos around the entrance and captured some fierce looking beasts.

Laura, this one's for you.

Watch out...crazy animal. Those antlers might get you. Bob said, "Is it a horny beast?"

From the zoo, we continued on through Brackenridge Park and a great egret posed majestically for me.

After Brackenridge Park, our walk took us through part of Mahncke Park. And finally, here are odds and ends photos from the last part of our walk.

Entrance doors on a Chinese restaurant.

Door details.

More door details.

Bus stop on Broadway.

We completed the walk back at the bakery (but didn't buy anything else.) We are always amazed at how many interesting places/things we can see in 6.2 miles. 

Back at the 5er, we had leftover Sloppy Joes and steamed veggies. Bob is taking a nap because he plans to work this afternoon/evening to finish up the financial report before we leave. 

I have some things to return to Walmart (red food coloring and some shirts I bought but don't like). While at Walmart I am going to stock up on peaches. The peaches I bought yesterday are so juicy and flavorful. This will save me a 50+ mile drive up to the peach orchards.

Tonight one of my favorite TV shows is on: "My Cat from Hell." It's about cats with major problems and a guy who goes to peoples' residences to help them work with their cat(s). He usually succeeds, thus saving said kitty(ies) from being given away or taken to the Humane Society. (And sometimes saves marriages as well.)

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* Kolaches: Do all of you know what kolaches are? We didn't. They're sweet, round pastries with filling pressed into the top of the soft dough. Fillings this particular bakery offered were: cream cheese, fruit or bacon and cheese. I had one with raspberry puree filling and Bob chose blueberry/cream cheese.