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San Antonio - Part 1
Written by: Dominick A. Miserandino
Photography by: Margherita Miserandino
An exploration into what makes Texans unique, the heat of Texas and the odd adventures of Mojitos and Pool Attendants.
San Antonio is uniquely Texan. The Alamo is here, they make a good steak, and it’s hot. What more says Texas than that? But what makes Texas unique? Why is it one of those states that seems to stand out with a sense of identity more so than other states. Nobody says, "That’s such a North Carolinian thing to do", or "That’s so Wisconsonian." They’re great states and all, but what about Texas makes it so... Texan. Why do we say, "Don’t mess with Texas"? Why don’t we say that about Rhode Island?
Staci had shown us how Nashville was an "All-American" city and now she was showing us how San Antonio was a typical Texan city.
We met at the airport and learned that dry heat is supposedly much better than humid heat. The thermometer registered over 106 and that was in the shade- with the air conditioning on- while drinking a cool iced tea- while doing a short rain dance sitting in a small refrigerator ( surely, I jest).
As we drove to the hotel we passed four cows that died the same instant that we passed them, right on queue... a few armadillos were sucking on ice-cubes hoping for survival... and a bunch of killer bees holding up a sign requesting early retirement up north.
We checked into the Westin Riverwalk, which is quite appropriately located along the Riverwalk. Since the hotel was named after the river it seemed like a really good idea to check out the Riverwalk, which is just what we did. The Riverwalk is also one of the city’s biggest attractions.
The Riverwalk is located along the original riverbed about one story below ground, throughout the downtown area. Somewhat fitting my original Texan theory, it’s a great way of staying cool and drinking Margaritas. Margherita also loves when I mention the drink in a story. Walking along the Riverwalk she would get giddy every time somebody had a sign saying they were selling Margaritas. Anyway, the Riverwalk winds along the downtown in a snake-like haphazard manor, which gives you the impression it’s a separate city under the regular grid like works of the city.
Along this river are ducks, fish, pretty foliage and some great restaurants and shops. We walked along the majority of the Riverwalk and back in about an hour total. It’s long but in the heat you run from shadow to shadow which speeds things up quite a bit. It’s also cooler down there.
The Riverwalk is almost like a natural Disneyland. It was built decades ago but yet looks almost naturally Disney-fied. A part of you would expect it to be created by some large mall or corporation but instead it’s the most natural, honest setting for such a thing as you could imagine.
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The Rose Emporium's Beautiful Gardens | |
As this was our first day in Texas we went out to the outskirts of San Antonio to see the Antique Rose Emporium. You know, the yellow rose of Texas and all that stuff made it seem appropriate. At the Texas Rose Emporium they take heirloom roses that have been lost to the world and revitalize them. Some roses could only be found crawling over old gravestones and abandoned houses. Clearly this is not the type of crowd that knows how to have a good time. Hanging out in graveyards and stealing flowers from the dead sounds exciting and all, but not my cup of tea.
They take snippings of the rare roses, and now sell them in their catalog. Their philosophy is that if they last a few hundred years without chemicals in the natural environment, they must be strong and good. On the other hand, my mother in law has lasted about that long and I wouldn’t force her on anybody, but I would consider selling her off via a catalog.
Anyway, it was also a great opportunity to see the natural area and surroundings of Texas, which isn’t purely desert as I had expected but instead is full of life that has adapted well to these surroundings. There was a rabbit with an air conditioner, a few birds with fans and one turtle who had his shell off in hopes of staying cool.
Back in the car and back to town to hit the sack. We were tired and it was time to recoup to start the adventure.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
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