San Antonio Getaway: Day 1

Monday, 12 March 2018
Best Western Plus Roland Inn & Suites — San Antonio, Texas
Temps: 70F (21C) / 51F (11C)

Brrrrrr ... woke up to a cold day in Houston.  The front from the north had obviously put in an appearance.  No matter.  The day was going to warm up nicely and we’d have plenty of sunshine on the road.  We made quick work of breakfast and off we went.  Although our destination today was San Antonio, Texas, the day started at the cardiac rehab clinic Mui frequents thrice weekly in Pearland.  No sense missing two sessions when a one-hour delay getting on the road would allow him to complete today’s workout.

It was after noon when we reached Schulenburg.  Mui was making noises about getting a bite to eat.  I suggested we kill three birds with one stone … by also stopping at the post-office to mail the claims package for our canceled travel plans and saying hello to friends who are work-camping at the RV park.  Our reunion with the Sweets was brief … just a prelude to our lunch date tomorrow.

It was 2:30p by the time we got back on the road.  We were sailing along just fine until we hit traffic about 80 miles (128 km) outside of San Antonio.  Then we began inching along for a bit.  Luckily, it didn’t take long to get back up to speed.  We arrived at our hotel on the outskirts of downtown San Antonio around 4:30p.

With Spring Break in full swing, I’d been unable to find a place in the city for a reasonable price.  So, when I found the Best Western Plus Roland Inn & Suites less than 5 miles (8 km) from the River Walk, I jumped on it.  This is a new property, right off the freeway ... but you barely hear a whisper of traffic noise inside the rooms — probably not at all if in a room on the other side of the building.  Brand-spankin’-new furnishings ... simple but modern décor ... definitely deserving of the good reviews the place has been given by previous guests.  Not many amenities in the area ... but that didn’t matter on this trip.

Our two-night home … Room 210.

Once we settled into room 210, we left to check out the area.  We didn’t have much time before our dinner engagement, but were hoping to find someplace where we could go for a walk to stretch our legs.  Mui turned to the GPS to see what was nearby … and that’s how we ended up at Mission Concepcíon.

The National Park Service visitor center was closed by the time we arrived.  And so was the mission church.  But the sunlight on the front of the building was perfect for photography, so we got out for a short stroll.  Concepcíon — or more formally, Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepcíon de Acuña — is one of four missions under the umbrella of the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park.  We’ll be visiting the Mission Trail that runs through the area before we return to Houston.  Our happenstance find this afternoon gave us a jumpstart on those plans.

The Mission was moved here from East Texas in 1731.  the church was dedicated in 1755.

By the time we walked around, took photos, and finished admiring the mission church, we didn’t have much time left before our dinner date.  But first, we made a quickie detour to photograph a mural depicting the Tejano culture prevalent in the area.

I can never pass a colorful mural without stopping to photograph it.

Our date tonight was with Bob and Susan (of Travel Bug fame).  I found Susan in the blogosphere in 2012 when I came across her posts about their overland trip to Australia.  Since then, we’ve met once in person — a few years ago when we stayed in San Antonio before a road trip that took us to West Texas.  As it often happens with fellow-bloggers, the camaraderie was instant.  We picked up tonight right where we left off last time and enjoyed plenty of conversation and laughter, and a meal at the Little Red Barn Steakhouse.

Blame the blur on the photographer … not us.

Part of the impetus behind our getaway to San Antonio is to run a few errands.  Specifically, to take advantage of our military health care benefit to pick up a couple of free prescriptions from the Lackland base pharmacy.  How much I write about this trip depends on how quickly we accomplish our errands … and how tomorrow and Wednesday shape up as a result.

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