The Trip to SA in a Nutshell

I have already mentioned that Jesse and I did not make it to midnight on New Year’s Eve. I think the drive down to SA, the walking on the River and over to the carnival on La Villita, and the huge margarita were the factors in our tiredness. We awoke refreshed and ready to hit the town New Years’ Day. Having lived most of our lives in a resort town, we assumed SA would be awake and ready for all of the tourists on a holiday. We forgot to factor in the "land of manana" thing and the "National Hangover Day." At ten AM no one was up and at ‘em in SA except Jesse, me, and the homeless folk. You might remember my post, "Odd Folk" from our visit to Corpus Christie last year. It seems that Jesse and I attract homeless people. The first person we saw on the River in SA New Year’s morning was a homeless man who pointed out a strange water bird on the River. The bird was interesting, but so was the man with his collection of used cigarettes and bits of trash. He seemed friendly and harmless. After walking for a while, we emerged from the river to find our way to the Mercado thinking we would find some place open. Jesse had done some online reading on sightseeing in SA and had read about a museum. Someone had left a comment on the museum that said, "Stink like hell." It became our saying while in SA. As we walked along the downtown area of SA, there were lots of homeless people in doorways and hanging out on the streets. It was a bit unnerving, but then Jesse and I are not typically fearful. Only one person hit us up for money. One lady walked with us for several blocks, although, we tried to get away from her – not because we were afraid or she was bothersome, but because she "stink like hell." There were several places in downtown SA that fit that description. Maybe it is the water :)

We made our way to La Villita, which is an area similar to an old village that is now an artist community with lots of artist-type shops. Only a few places were open, but one of them was Susan Carlin, a friend of my blogger friend, Jo Costillo. Susan was very friendly, and we visited for awhile there, but her electricity was not working and she closed up and went home. We finally ended up at the Mercado to find that it was also closed on New Year’s Day. Fortunately, the Mi Tierra restaurant was open. Jesse and I found the place quite wonderful with the bright decorations and atmosphere. The coffee was great – I had several cups. Plus, we had breakfast tacos that were pretty darn good. After a brief stop at our hotel, we made our way back to the River and over to the Alamo. The crowd was thickening – I guess people finally woke up. We did the Alamo tour and then went to the River Mall for some Starbuck’s coffee. We decided to see a movie, "Bedtime Stories" which was fun. Then it was back to the River where we had supper and a Corona while we did some people watching.

The next day, we did more of the same, but more shops were open. We hit the Mercado and did some major souvenir shopping. I love the bright colors of the Mercado. It reminded me of our days in McAllen, TX, when we used to shop in Reynosa, Mexico. I bought lots of little things and had to buy a big bag to carry it all in. Actually I bought the bag, because they are just great bags – I used to have one we used for the beach. We had lunch at the La Margarita – the margaritas were the best. We also went back to La Villita and then over to a King William Street where there are lots of fancy old homes with historical markers on them. We took a gazillion photos. Later it was back to the River for supper.

Saturday we headed to Fredricksburg. Jesse and I enjoyed walking around, but the shops are expensive and had nothing we really needed. Jesse took some photos of the old shops before we moved on. Taking Bob’s advice, we drove over to the Enchanted Rock State Park. I was thinking we would drive by and see a big rock and walk around and head home. But the minute Jesse saw the Enchanted Rock, she said, "We’re climbing it!" And we did. There was a line of cars waiting to enter the park, which cost six bucks a person. It was great fun, although I do wonder how I get myself into such things – like Toby wanting to climb the mountain in Banff rather than taking the gondola. The Enchanted Rock was not difficult, but after walking SA for several days, my legs were already sore. I was determined not to whine, and I wanted to keep up with Jes. It was worth the effort. Someday, I would like to take Toby there – I think he would enjoy it.

We made it back to Duncan late that evening. The temps went from 83 while at the Enchanted Rock to 33 as a cold front blew into OK. There is no place like home. I have not been able to post pics on my blog, but I will keep trying.