Sunset, Kailua-Kona, The Big Island, Hawaii, March 11, 2024

Sunset, Kailua-Kona, The Big Island, Hawaii, March 11, 2024
Sunset, Kailua-Kona, The Big Island, Hawaii, March 11, 2024

Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Best Laid Plans -- Sat., July 21

San Antonio, TX:

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry." This quote is adapted from a line in Robert Frost's poem "The Mouse," which goes like this: "The best laid plans o' mice an' men / gang aft a-gley." 

Our original plan today was to do the 13K (7.8 mi) Missions Volkswalk. However, upon researching our Volkswalk choice for tomorrow, we found out the bakery where the walk starts is closed on Sunday. OK, swapperoo. Switched gears and off we went on the Broadway Neighborhood 10K (6.2 mi) Volkswalk today. Tomorrow we will do the walk to two missions.

Our walk started at Broadway Daily Bread Bakery in San Antonio. After signing in at the start box, picking up walk instructions, and ordering and eating fruit kolaches* (yes, you heard me right, we got a treat at the bakery even after my declaration yesterday), we headed out on our walk. 

(Please note: We are not promoting any locations on our walk. We get the Volkswalk directions and follow them wherever they take us. It's a great way to get to know an area.)

First destination: University of the Incarnate Word campus. Our route took us around the Retirement Center, past the sand volleyball court, under the bleachers at the stadium (cheerleader competitions were underway in the stadium--Bob told me to take my time taking pictures), on a trail through the woods, past many of the campus buildings and out onto Broadway. 

An aside: I don't know how many of you watch "The Amazing Race" on TV, but it's our favorite show, hands down. We've even talked about applying to go on the show. When we're out on our walks, sometimes the directions aren't crystal clear so we niggle at each other about what's the correct path. Then we say, "Just think if we were on 'The Amazing Race' we'd have TV cameras watching our every little argument." If you watch the show, you will understand what I'm about to say. Our directions were very specific about following a driveway at the University to the end and going around the back of the building. Then we were to go through a gate in the fence and pass the sand volleyball court. Bob thought we should go one way through a gate. I kept saying it wasn't right. We tried that way and, even though we could see the sand volleyball area, we couldn't get to it. So we went back around the building looking for a way across some grass and through a gate. Couldn't find it for the life of us. Finally we asked a resident retiree and they pointed at a very small gate in the fence that we had walked by twice already. On "The Amazing Race" it would be akin to walking past the clue box multiple times and not seeing it even though it's in plain sight. (Now I've really digressed, haven't I?)

Here are pics taken on campus.
Someone gave this squirrel a brownie (not me!!).

He hauled it up the tree to eat it.
Bob on red metal bridge.
Cheerleading competition at the University.

Bob says, "Take your time. Take as many photos as you want."


Nice treed pathway on campus.

See plaque inscription below.
History of the University goes back to 1881.
Carillon clock tower.
Stained glass as seen from inside the clock tower.
 



From the University we walked down Broadway past the Witte Museum. This little fellow welcomes guests to the museum. 


From the Witte Museum parking lot we entered Brackenridge Park and spent quite a bit of time in the park which features a Japanese Tea Garden and the San Antonio Zoo. 



Lunaria (money plant)?
Pretty grasses.
Water lilies.
I learned something new today...Portland Cement is a type of cement, not the place where it's made. I thought it was called that because it came from Portland, Oregon or Portland, Maine. Duh.


Into the Japanese Tea Garden we went. This sunken garden used to be the quarry for the cement company. A Japanese family built the pavilion and gardens, then handed it down to their children to care for. During WW II, the family was taken to an internment camp and the name of the garden was changed to Chinese Tea Garden. In 1981, the name was changed back to Japanese Tea Garden. Join us on our stroll through the Japanese Tea Garden and path to the San Antonio Zoo.

Here is the pavilion. Look at all that rock work! What a beautiful place.


 
Koi in the pond.

Rock work everywhere, all taken from the old quarry site.

Even a waterfall.


Mr. Turtle swam by. How do you do?
 

Bridge looks like a dragon...c'mon use your imagination.

Inside the pavilion looking out.
Another view from inside the pavilion.


The path from the tea garden to the zoo.
We did not go in the zoo, but took some photos around the entrance and captured some fierce looking beasts.
Laura, this one's for you.

Watch out...crazy animal. Those antlers might get you. Bob said, "Is it a horny beast?"

From the zoo, we continued on through Brackenridge Park and a great egret posed majestically for me.

After Brackenridge Park, our walk took us through part of Mahncke Park. And finally, here are odds and ends photos from the last part of our walk.

Entrance doors on a Chinese restaurant.
Door details.
More door details.
Bus stop on Broadway.
We completed the walk back at the bakery (but didn't buy anything else.) We are always amazed at how many interesting places/things we can see in 6.2 miles. 

Back at the 5er, we had leftover Sloppy Joes and steamed veggies. Bob is taking a nap because he plans to work this afternoon/evening to finish up the financial report before we leave. 

I have some things to return to Walmart (red food coloring and some shirts I bought but don't like). While at Walmart I am going to stock up on peaches. The peaches I bought yesterday are so juicy and flavorful. This will save me a 50+ mile drive up to the peach orchards.

Tonight one of my favorite TV shows is on: "My Cat from Hell." It's about cats with major problems and a guy who goes to peoples' residences to help them work with their cat(s). He usually succeeds, thus saving said kitty(ies) from being given away or taken to the Humane Society. (And sometimes saves marriages as well.)

Welcome to Karen and Al of RV Travels with Karen and Al. Thanks for subscribing to our ongoing journey.

* Kolaches: Do all of you know what kolaches are? We didn't. They're sweet, round pastries with filling pressed into the top of the soft dough. Fillings this particular bakery offered were: cream cheese, fruit or bacon and cheese. I had one with raspberry puree filling and Bob chose blueberry/cream cheese.

4 comments:

  1. Lovely, lovely - a wonderful taste of my native Texas in your post! Been to the Tea Garden, the museum, the zoo and I definitely know about kolaches 'cause I'm a Texan gal! Thanks so much for a delightful "visit home" through your post!

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    Replies
    1. You're most welcome. We LOVE San Antonio and the Hill Country. Can't wait to see more.

      Susan

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  2. You have seen more of San Antonio than I. For 20+ years, we lived in Corpus Christi and visited family in the San Antonio area. We will be back in the area by October 15th for our winter work amp gig. It certainly sounds like Volkswalking will be something I will do.
    Not sure how long you guys are planning on sticking in San Antonio. Be sure to take trip to Corpus Christi. Best beaches in Texas and a pretty coo marina area downtown. Port Aransas is the Gulf Beach town to visit. Perhaps you can make a trip there when the Parks/Wildlife folks do a Ridley Turtle release on the beach.

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    Replies
    1. Jerry & Carol,
      We will be back in San Antonio from Sept. to Oct. then we're off to Portland, Hawaii, Australia for two months. Coming back to San Antonio in late December, if all goes according to plan. : )

      Corpus Christi is on our list for our Sept. to Oct. stint. There is a Volkswalk there we will do. Here is description: The walk goes through Heritage Park, past the Watergarden, Convention Center, Selena Auditorium, and several museums, including a replica of the Nina, one of Columbus' ships, and along the shoreline for a nice view of the bay. Corpus Christi was founded in 1839 by Colonel Henry Lawrence Kinney as Kinney's Trading Post, or Kinney's Ranch, a small trading post to sell supplies to a Mexican revolutionary army camped about 25 miles (40km) to the west. In July 1845, U.S. troops under General Zachary Taylor set up camp there in preparation for war with Mexico, where they remained until March 1846. About a year later, the city was named Corpus Christi and was incorporated on September 9, 1852. The Port of Corpus Christi was opened in 1926 and the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station was commissioned in 1941. The historic USS Lexington was part of the set for the 2000 film "Pearl Harbor". Nearby is Corpus Christi's museum district with the Museum of Asian Cultures, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, the South Texas Institute for the Arts, and the Harbor Playhouse Theatre, one of the oldest continually operating community theatres in the State. Heritage Park is also in the museum district, where a number of older restored houses can be found. Corpus Christi was also home to Selena, a local Tejano star who crossed over into pop shortly before her untimely death. Movies have been made about her since her death.

      If you'd like we could all get together and walk.

      Susan & Bob

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