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.