Broadway Volksmarch - Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Today, Susan M. and I headed out on an 11k (6.7 mile) Volksmarch that started at Broadway Daily Bread Company on Broadway in the Alamo Heights neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas.

Alamo Heights is one of the upper end neighborhoods in San Antonio. It is home to Brackenridge Park, the San Antonio Zoo, Japanese Gardens, the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, the Episcopal Diocese-West Texas, Trinity University, McNay Art Museum, and University of the Incarnate Word.

Susan was waiting for me at the bakery when I arrived, so I quickly signed in and off we went. The morning was cloudy and cool, just perfect for walking. We zig-zagged through the Alamo Heights area, seeing many lovely homes along the way.

A very old live oak tree

The walk took us through the grounds of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas. We wound our way around buildings and along paths, trying not to get lost. We actually were stymied for a while as we looked for the Chapel House. Finally a priest came out who talked to Susan and politely told us the house we had been circling was, indeed, the Chapel House. (The house had no signs on it.)

The photo below is of a lovely fountain meditation area near the Chapel House. As you can see, the roses are in bloom.

We found our way through the maze-like park surrounding the Diocese and found ourselves looking at a muddy swamp. The directions said to cross a stone bridge. Um, no stone bridge. In it's place was an incomplete new wood bridge over a very mucky, muddy area. These feet were not going there! Instead we walked the direction we would have gone, had the bridge been there to cross. The way we went converged with the trail a short time, and a couple of wet feet, later. After some more streets and hills, we took a potty break at H-E-B Central Market, simply the best grocery store in San Antonio.

From H-E-B, we entered the University of the Incarnate Word campus. Sites we passed included the Blue Hole (headwater spring of the San Antonio River, which is dry now unless there are strong rains), Lourdes Grotto, the Red Bridge, and the Cardinal statue.

When we came to a bridge, we needed to cross it to get to a trail to another part of campus. There was a cement truck ready to pour cement onto the bridge. The bridge was all rebar. We asked one of the workers if we could cross the bridge. He showed us where we could cross a small amount of rebar to get the bridge's sidewalk. He told us to cross carefully. We did and we made it across. They started pouring cement as soon as we were across. Good timing on our part!

From the Edwards Aquifer Website, I learned a very interesting factoid about Pumphouse #2 on the Brackenridge property. I had to share it with you. Photo is also from the Edwards Aquifer Website.

Pumphouse #2 near Brackenridge Park Golf Course clubhouse

"Pumphouse #2, also known as the Borglum House, still stands near the Brackenridge Park Golf Course clubhouse and has been nicely restored. After it was no longer used for pumping water, it was used for a time as an art studio. It is called the Borglum House because world famous sculptor Gutzon Borglum used it as his studio for 12 years - he completed his design and castings for Mount Rushmore here."

We finished our walk on the University of the Incarnate Word Campus, passing dorms, the Science Building, new auditorium, Bell Tower, Brackenridge Villa and the Chapel of the Incarnate Word.

Former Brackenridge Villa is now home to
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word

Steps up to Chapel of the
Incarnate Word

Chapel of the Incarnate Word

On the way back to the car I stopped at H-E-B Central Market to pick up some fresh broccoli, asparagus and cauliflower. Back at the 5th wheel, the birds were bellying up to the bar for safflower seeds. We had sparrows, house finches, cardinals, Inca doves, white-winged doves and red-winged blackbirds. At one time, I counted 30 birds either on the feeder or on the ground under it.

House finch

Popular feeding station

Tomorrow (March 11) Bob goes in for neck muscle surgery with a plastic surgery reconstruction. We have to be at the University Hospital Outpatient Surgery Unit at 11:00 am.

Travel Bug out.