San Antonio Sites to Explore on Your Trip

Photos taken during my recent trip to San Antonio, Texas.

 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Yes, I did travel by Amtrak in a roomette that had seen better days. New equipment please Amtrak!

The Texas Eagle is one of the few Amtrak trains that doesn’t have WiFi, and some areas we passed through had little-to-no cell reception. My solution was to use my I-phone as a hot spot, and I enjoyed cell reception and was able to use it with my I-pad. Phew!

You will need an I-pad or similar device because long-distance trains are great when they run properly, but delays can be tough to avoid. Amtrak mostly operates on freight railroad lines, which means you’re often at the mercy of those dispatchers. To make matters worse, some lines run on a single track. So, if there’s an oncoming train, you have to wait on a track siding until it clears. Freight rules!

 

 

This is where I called home for 31 hours. New equipment pretty please!

 

Fast forward to some sightseeing.

The Alamo

 

The shrine Texans call “The Alamo”. Not very big, but has a heroic, heart-breaking story behind it. A 13-day siege that left 200 Americans dead. Its museum is a must see. The names of Alamo defenders James Bowie, William B. Travis along with Davy Crockett are etched into Texas folklore and American history. Do visit it if you can.

 

 

 

The Alamo’s statue lists all the men who died defending it.

 

The San Antonio River Walk

The San Antonio River Walk, also known as the “Paseo del Rio,” is a stunning 15-mile urban waterway that weaves through the very heart of San Antonio. Also, every mile is walkable.

While the downtown section is famous for its lively restaurants, unique shops, and exciting nightlife, the River Walk offers a diverse range of experiences across its entire length.

 

 

The River Walk is San Antonio’s biggest draw. You will discover the best Tex-Mex food anywhere along its banks. They even serve food or drinks on the river boats. So, you can walk it or ride on it.

 

The San Antonio Botanical Garden

The San Antonio Botanical Garden is a refreshing venue for someone used to cold and snow this time of year at home.

 

To see a bed of flowers growing so well in February that I came to question why I loved Chicago so much! It was 84 degrees and ok, somewhat warmer than usual but still, Veggies and flowers in February?

 

 

Warm enough to grow cabbage.

 

Hippeastrum

 

Peacock Plant

 

And this, that I first thought was a plant from outer space:

My phone states that it’s a Red Alga, but I can’t find it described anywhere else. So, outer space?

 

Vietnam Memorial

As a member of that particular group, this statue was poignant.

 

I also carried the radio in my platoon as does the figure.  San Antonio is a very veteran welcoming city. Also. many veteran retirees live there.

All good things…

So ends my mini. It’s back to snow and cold because the groundhog saw his shadow. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Have you ever visited San Antonio? I think it’s must-see.

The Ugly

Oh, wait.  The story doesn’t end there.  It continues with an Amtrak nightmare story.  Long story short, The Texas Eagle has a tradition of breaking down enroute.  This is what my taxi driver told me when I arrived (on time).  The previous day it was 10 hours late arriving.

My story concerns its departure to Chicago.  I won’t tell you how many times my engine broke down, but I will tell you that it was 12 hours late arriving at Chicago.  I was able to get an Uber at 2:00 a.m. thankfully.  And Amtrak did refund the return trip. 

I love train trips however, the next trip to San Antonio may well be by United.