Thread: Trip to Texas

was never a big fan of texas but when i was stationed in san antonio i loved it there. the river walk is great. dont know about shavin places but as for bars mad dogs is a great place, bunch of eating places so you should have no problem finding food

Now look - I love my state, but -

I have a pretty large professional conference that I go to every August, and most years it is in San Antonio at the Marriot Rivercenter - right on the "Riverwalk" -

This canal, this "waterway" is the supreme testament to "if you build it, they will come" - is it s murky, stinky fetid water-almost-stagnant-ditch thing - maybe twenty feet wide, with tour boats belching diesel fumes and a walk way next to it on both sides that meanders through downtown below street level. Pretty much all of the finer Mexican restaurants for tourists are along this waterway, and it is interesting to sit and watch the folks walk on the Riverwalk - while having damn good margaritas on the outside patios ling the walk, breathing in the fumes, and getting crapped on by pigeons, or watching dead fish floating by - but personally I never have seen the lure of the Riverwalk - and if you go in summer, it is a smelly, sweaty miserable shoulder to shoulder experience. But you might love it.

San An as a city, I like it alot, they have several cool theme parks just outside the place (Six Flags and Sea World) - you can catch all kinds of things at the Alamo Dome, which is very close to downtown (walking distance form Riverwalk, I would think - on the other side of freeway) - a bunch of great shopping and some really marvelous historic districts. If you have not ever seen or really read the history, go to the Alamo - it will give you a lot of insight into Texans and I think into the whole American experience, put a lot of things into perspective for me. It was a fantastic propaganda (used unapologetically by Sam Houston to obtain the support he needed to eventually defeat Santa Anna), and it still makes me proud to be a many generation Texican American. A must see, at least once. After the Alamo, stop by the Menger hotel bar for a drink (where reputedly Teddy Roosevelt recruited soldiers for his Roughrider campaign) - fine example of a nice quite old watering hole.

K

PS - then again, I might be too late - just saw the date of the original post!

The only time I was in San Antonio was in 1968, for the World's Fair. I was 7 at the time. I remember having a good time, and have always wanted to return. But having grown up 7-8 hours away driving time (yes, Texas is a big place), I never got back there. Someday...

RT