Gimme Shelter! - Sun., July 22

San Antonio, Texas:

Fallback to Plan B for our Volkswalk today. Our original intent was to do the 13K (7.8 mi.) Volkswalk that traversed the Riverwalk from Mission San Jose to Mission Concepcion. 

Ready to start the Mission San Jose Volkswalk--perky!

 

When we arrived at Mission San Jose, I asked the park ranger for the walk box. He told me the lady who keeps it up had just been in the other day but had not updated the box.

What that meant to us was, she didn't put the new directions for the walk in the box. The walk we wanted to go on had been closed due to construction on the bike path. However, the bike path opened up three weeks ago between the two missions. She did not put new directions the start box, in fact there were no directions for this walk at all.

Disappointed but still determined to do a Volkswalk today, we went on the only walk in the box--10K (6.2 mi.) Mission Reach walk. By the time we were ready to start the walk it was 11:20 a.m. and 90 degrees!

This walk started at Mission Concepcion so we drove 3.5 miles and parked there to start our walk. Most of the walk was on the Riverwalk where we ride our bikes, so the scenery wasn't new to us. We did go through Concepcion Park which we hadn't yet seen (except the outskirts from the bike path). It was just plain HOT.

Here are photos from the walk.

Our start point, Mission Concepcion:

Metal diorama, about 7" tall at the top of the towers.

Photo at Mission Concepcion...still somewhat perky.

Mission Concepcion

We enjoyed this sign.

Couldn't go in the mission as church was in session.

We walked around the mission thinking we'd see inside when we finished the walk.

From the Mission Concepcion, we walked to and through Concepcion Park.

Workout equipment at park.

Impressions along the Riverwalk.

 

Bob having fun.

Art inscribed in the bridges.

Love the bike path bridges.

Snowy egret and anhinga.

Hot, hot, hot; coming up on 95 degrees. Gimme shelter! The only shade on the trail was under bridges. 

We had the option of making this a 6K (3.6 mi) walk. I was so hot I really wanted to go back to the Mission, hop in the car, put on the air conditioning, grab a Dr. Pepper and have lunch. Yes, folks, I was whiny. 

Bob encouraged me to go on. I made a deal with him. I would continue if we stopped in the shade at every bridge along the way to cool off for a few minutes. "OK," he said. We continued on. Here's one of the bridges. There was a cool-ish breeze under this one!

Not so perky anymore...now full-blown whiny mode.

Great egret.

Bridge with art of a different kind.

Our walk took us to the Yturri-Edmonds House & Mill.

Mill.

Yturri-Edmonds House

 

 
From this point, we headed back to Concepcion Park and Mission Concepcion. And we walked the whole 10K! I am so happy we did not do the 7.8 mi Volkswalk today. We'll save that for when we return to San Antonio in September! Maybe it will be cooler then.

A train went right over us.

Bob is fascinated by trains. He didn't have trains in Hawaii where he grew up.

Mexican ducks?

 

Viewpoint in Concepcion Park

I couldn't wait for this walk to end. When we returned to Mission Concepcion we were going to tour the church as it had been refurbished recently. Also Bob wanted to buy "Texas" by James Michener from the Park Service AIR CONDITIONED office. However, when we returned from our walk, the office was closed with a sign saying they would return at 2:30 p.m. The church was closed as well. We think they were having lunch/siesta.

The rest of the day hadn't gone as planned, why should that change now. We did, however, stop at a convenience store and buy COLD soft drinks to recharge our by-now depleted reserves, drove back to the 5er for lunch, and rested in our nicely air-conditioned living room. 

Oh, except I vacuumed and did laundry in the RV park laundry room. Bob emptied the black water tank and put the bikes up on the ladder to start the departure process. One more day here, then we're off on our trip, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Tomorrow, my Escape pod gets its much needed detailing. I will be here in the 5er waiting for the RV repair guys to show up and finish repairs.

Everyone take care. Stay cool and stay safe.

Travel Bug out.