Happy MLK Day

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. 
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


Jeff and I spent a fun weekend in San Antonio. We've been regular visitors to the city for twenty years now, so we sought out activities we haven't done before. I didn't figure there would be many, but it turns out there is quite a list, including the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, which I highly recommend.

The Alamo (Mission San Antonio de Valero) is the most famous of San Antonio's missions, because of the battle that was fought there. It's part of the "Mission Trail" of five missions along the San Antonio River and is maintained by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. The other four- Mission Concepción, Mission San José, Mission San Juan and Mission Espada- are maintained by the federal government in cooperation with the Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio. The Archdiocese maintains the churches on the grounds, as they are still used for services and ceremonies today.

The Alamo is awesome, and a must-see, but these other lesser-known sites really gave me a particular sense of connection to the past, perhaps because they are less "touristy" and not right in the middle of downtown. They were all built in the early 1700's and many of their structures exist today- some with more restoration than others, but all with a significant portion of the original buildings and walls. Many of the frescos are visible, which is so cool. These are probably the oldest buildings I've seen in the US. And beautiful- I got some amazing photos!

This has got to be the most striking architectural photo I have ever taken. It's from Mission San José. Just the way the sun was shining through the arches... such great geometry of lines and curves. Later when we were at the galleries at La Villita, we saw paintings and photos of this same area of the mission. Looks like everyone thinks this is a fantastic shot! I may have to frame this one quite honestly. I love it.

La Villita was very quaint. It's a village of art galleries and other shops selling upscale handmade items like jewelry and metal works. There are a few restaurants/cafes. Many of the shops are in historical homes. It sits just a block away from Rivercenter Mall, so if you're there, be sure to walk over and check it out.

Your Aggie Joke of the day-

I was Google mapping the restaurant we chose for dinner on Friday night, and I didn't understand why it said this place was 20 minutes away, when it looked like it was sitting right next to us. The Hill Country Hyatt is by Seaworld, and so was the restaurant! It was sending me over this long route on a freeway, but clearly the place was sitting RIGHT THERE. I was so confused. I finally showed it to Jeff.

"You're looking at us. The restaurant is that point across town on the freeway."

Don't say I never gave you anything, my Austin friends.

We had breakfast in the restaurant at the hotel Saturday morning. The staff is very attentive and cheery, and they address you by name while you're there. A couple with a very loud and overly-friendly sort of guy (one Frank and Bob would call "the frat president") was seated next to us. The hostess mispronounced their complicated last name as she sat them. The guy smiled and explained that his last name was Czech and pronounced it slowly for her a few times before asking, "Hey! How would you say that in Spanish?"

"I don't know," she said. "I'm Thai."

Yeesh. You know he's that guy asking women when their babies are due... complete with a hand to the tummy.

Best part of the weekend was the gorgeous weather! We couldn't have asked for better. Cool and sunny. I so enjoyed the getaway. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

And I am happy to report that all is going well with my dad! :)