I returned from my trip to Texas April 2 and am very happy to be back home. My little dog seems happy to be back home as well. (He stayed with 2 doggie buddies and a cat while I was gone. I can't call the cat his pal, as I don't think Benny likes him so much :)
I arrived in San Antonio after traveling all night March 26. The weather was fairly pleasant, in the 60s on arrival. I got to my hotel, the new JW Marriott Hill Country Resort, by 10 a.m. and after checking in decided to take a nap. I don't sleep well on planes regardless of the time. A good 3-hour sleep and shower refreshed me and I ventured outside to look around. How nice it was to see green again! By this time every year I am really tired of looking at snow and bare trees. The green of the grass and trees and the various colors of the flowers really revived my senses.
The place is huge, with several different wings. It featured marble floors, very nice, comfortable rooms, an excellent restaurant, 2 golf courses and a water park with river floating and slide. Our conference area was very large.
The courtyard by the restaurant featured several waterfalls. The stone is all from a nearby quarry.
My friend Paula drove down from her home several hours north of San Antonio and took me into town for the day on Sunday. We visited the Alamo and the Riverwalk, then did a small amount of shopping. It was so good to see Paula. We used to work together and I miss having her around here. We caught up on family and other news and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her again.
I loved this old building near the Alamo.
Exterior wall of the Alamo
The Alamo was awesome. Several times when seeing something for the first - things I've learned about in school and built up in my mind - I've been disappointed. When I saw Plymouth Rock, my reaction was "is that it?" It was much smaller than I expected, as was my first glimpse of the Rio Grande. Not so with the Alamo. The place is very well preserved and I could almost feel the history pouring out its walls. I was surprised, though, at how small the windows in the chapel were and the very low height of some of the arches inside the mission's outer walls. It's nicely landscaped, and even at 11 a.m. was a bustling place with lots of visitors.
Live oak at the Alamo. The branches twist to accommodate what is in their way.
After visiting the Alamo, Paula and I headed for the Riverwalk. This area adjacent to the San Antonio River is packed full of shops and restaurants. There were lots of people enjoying the warm sunny day. We opted to take the boat ride (only $6 each) as my back doesn't allow me to enjoy long walks. We saw a number of historic buildings, birds and lovely green trees and plants on our ride. At several places, musicians set up and play while people sit around having a lunch or simply listening to the music.
Riverwalk scene
Bexar County courthouse from the river
Our conference ran from Monday through Thursday, with a lot of information presented. I had the opportunity to meet another public affairs professional with whom I've only had e-mail and Internet contact, as well as couple of other folks I'd met electronically but not personally.
All in all it was a good trip, though the weather was a bit warm for my liking. I'd sure hate to be there in the summer, when it reaches 100 degrees! The breezes did help alleviate the discomfort of 80 degrees. So now I'm back in Alaska with temperatures in the high 40s and am happy to report that the geese are coming back and break-up is here.
