Gimme Shelter! - Sun., July 22

San Antonio, Texas:

Fallback to Plan B for our Volkswalk today. Our original intent was to do the 13K (7.8 mi.) Volkswalk that traversed the Riverwalk from Mission San Jose to Mission Concepcion. 

Ready to start the Mission San Jose Volkswalk--perky!

 

When we arrived at Mission San Jose, I asked the park ranger for the walk box. He told me the lady who keeps it up had just been in the other day but had not updated the box.

What that meant to us was, she didn't put the new directions for the walk in the box. The walk we wanted to go on had been closed due to construction on the bike path. However, the bike path opened up three weeks ago between the two missions. She did not put new directions the start box, in fact there were no directions for this walk at all.

Disappointed but still determined to do a Volkswalk today, we went on the only walk in the box--10K (6.2 mi.) Mission Reach walk. By the time we were ready to start the walk it was 11:20 a.m. and 90 degrees!

This walk started at Mission Concepcion so we drove 3.5 miles and parked there to start our walk. Most of the walk was on the Riverwalk where we ride our bikes, so the scenery wasn't new to us. We did go through Concepcion Park which we hadn't yet seen (except the outskirts from the bike path). It was just plain HOT.

Here are photos from the walk.

Our start point, Mission Concepcion:

Metal diorama, about 7" tall at the top of the towers.

Photo at Mission Concepcion...still somewhat perky.

Mission Concepcion

We enjoyed this sign.

Couldn't go in the mission as church was in session.

We walked around the mission thinking we'd see inside when we finished the walk.

From the Mission Concepcion, we walked to and through Concepcion Park.

Workout equipment at park.

Impressions along the Riverwalk.

 

Bob having fun.

Art inscribed in the bridges.

Love the bike path bridges.

Snowy egret and anhinga.

Hot, hot, hot; coming up on 95 degrees. Gimme shelter! The only shade on the trail was under bridges. 

We had the option of making this a 6K (3.6 mi) walk. I was so hot I really wanted to go back to the Mission, hop in the car, put on the air conditioning, grab a Dr. Pepper and have lunch. Yes, folks, I was whiny. 

Bob encouraged me to go on. I made a deal with him. I would continue if we stopped in the shade at every bridge along the way to cool off for a few minutes. "OK," he said. We continued on. Here's one of the bridges. There was a cool-ish breeze under this one!

Not so perky anymore...now full-blown whiny mode.

Great egret.

Bridge with art of a different kind.

Our walk took us to the Yturri-Edmonds House & Mill.

Mill.

Yturri-Edmonds House

 

 
From this point, we headed back to Concepcion Park and Mission Concepcion. And we walked the whole 10K! I am so happy we did not do the 7.8 mi Volkswalk today. We'll save that for when we return to San Antonio in September! Maybe it will be cooler then.

A train went right over us.

Bob is fascinated by trains. He didn't have trains in Hawaii where he grew up.

Mexican ducks?

 

Viewpoint in Concepcion Park

I couldn't wait for this walk to end. When we returned to Mission Concepcion we were going to tour the church as it had been refurbished recently. Also Bob wanted to buy "Texas" by James Michener from the Park Service AIR CONDITIONED office. However, when we returned from our walk, the office was closed with a sign saying they would return at 2:30 p.m. The church was closed as well. We think they were having lunch/siesta.

The rest of the day hadn't gone as planned, why should that change now. We did, however, stop at a convenience store and buy COLD soft drinks to recharge our by-now depleted reserves, drove back to the 5er for lunch, and rested in our nicely air-conditioned living room. 

Oh, except I vacuumed and did laundry in the RV park laundry room. Bob emptied the black water tank and put the bikes up on the ladder to start the departure process. One more day here, then we're off on our trip, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Tomorrow, my Escape pod gets its much needed detailing. I will be here in the 5er waiting for the RV repair guys to show up and finish repairs.

Everyone take care. Stay cool and stay safe.

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.)

Welcome to Karen and Al of RV Travels with Karen and Al. Thanks for subscribing to our ongoing journey.

* 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.