Today is National Walking Day - Wednesday, April 6, 2022

The American Heart Association's National Walking Day is every year on the first Wednesday in April. It was established in 2007 to promote a healthy lifestyle and get people moving. The AHA says that walking can help manage stress as well as reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

AVA: America's Walking Club wanted to encourage people to get out and walk more. In 2020, they built National Walking Week, April 1-7, around National Walking Day. Today is Day 6 of National Walking Week. 

The Texas Trail Roundup Club sponsored today's Downtown San Antonio Churches Walk. I started walking at 10 am. It was WINDY! So, I wore a windbreaker for the first four miles of the 10k walk. 

One thing is certain about walking in downtown San Antonio, there is a lot of ongoing construction of buildings, streets, and sidewalks. It seemed we were always dodging construction barrels. Although sidewalks were open, sometimes we had to cross to the other side of a street to use the open sidewalk.

Let's get this blog cranked up and look at the churches! In our first block, we came to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.

Immaculate Heart of
Mary Catholic Church.

Immaculate Heart of
Mary Catholic Church.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church.

After we walked around Urban Loop where this church was located, we got onto Cesar Chavez Blvd. which is very torn up. Construction was in full swing with equipment sometimes coming onto the sidewalk.

One of our huge festivals, Fiesta!, is going on right now. There are events all over the city for about two weeks. Events include an Oyster Bake (where they had Blue Oyster Cult playing), Cavalier River Parade, Battle of Flowers parade, Fiesta Carnival, Fiesta Gartenfest, King William Fair, Fiesta de los Reyes at Market Square, NIOSA (A Night in Old San Antonio), Taste of the North Side, Taste of the South Side, Fiesta Pooch Parade, Fiesta Flambeau Parade (at night), A Day in Old Mexico and Charreada, and Festival de Cascarones*. With that being said, it was easy to find colorful Fiesta decorations around town.

(*cascarones [pronounced kas-ka-ron-ez] are a Mexican tradition used for Easter, Fiesta, Cinco de Mayo, and other celebrations. They are empty eggshells that have been colored and filled with confetti. You crack the egg in your hand and shower confetti over someone's head.)

A few blocks later, we turned off Cesar Chavez Blvd. to go to Market Square where they are set up for Fiesta de los Reyes. There are all kinds of food and drink booths here along with multiple music stages. At 10:30 am, a couple of bands were already cranking out the tunes. 

Market Square is ready for Fiesta
de los Reyes. It was too early
for the food booths.

If you want great food or a well-stocked bakery early in the day, you could go to Mi Tierra. This is a huge, well-loved restaurant at Market Square.

Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery.

A paleta as art at
Market Square.

From Market Square, we walked through Milam Park next to the Children's Hospital of San Antonio. Milam Park has a statue of Benjamin Milam, a gazebo, a playground, and tables with checker/chess boards painted on them.

Children's Hospital.

Benjamin Milam.

Plaque at the base of the 
Benjamin Milam statue.

In a few blocks, we came to our next church, San Francesco di Paola Catholic Church. This Romanesque building with decorative stone detailing, round-arched stained glass windows, and spire was dedicated on May 1, 1927.

San Francesco di Paola
Catholic Church.

The front of San Francesco
di Paola Catholic Church.

Next to the church is the Christopher Columbus Italian Society Hall. It was built to complement the church next door. This building of the Classical form, with decorative brickwork, pilasters, and stone detailing, serves as the social and cultural center for San Antonio's Italian-American community.

Christopher Columbus Italian
Society Hall.

The cornerstone of the Italian
Society Hall.

Behind the church is San Pedro Creek Cultural Park. We walked along the portion that is complete. The birds love this oasis downtown as you will see. A brand new section is being added to this downtown park. This project also has streets and sidewalks torn up.

The new Creek Lines art installation 
and the Frost Bank tower.

The Creek Lines art poles all have a piece of San Antonio History engraved on them.

Creek Lines art installation.

In the next two photos, it looks like the cormorant is putting on a runway show!

Little Egret along
San Pedro Creek.

This huge mural is by Adriana Garcia, 
"De Todos Caminos Somos Todos Uno"
Uno" (From all roads we are all one).

Beautiful tile work on the bench!

A yellow-crowned night heron.

Another yellow-crowned
night heron.

I caught up with Scott and Paulette and walked with them for a while. Criss-crossing downtown San Antonio, we passed the Southwest School of Arts, the Central Branch of the Public Library whose color has been described as "enchilada sauce," murals, the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, the old AT&T Building, and the Veterans Memorial Plaza. There is so much to see downtown!

Fiesta decorations if you want to 
take a colorful selfie.

A mural-filled alley.

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

The old AT&T Building is covered in ornate concrete carvings. 

The old AT&T Building.

Veterans Memorial 
Plaza.

Now we'll be passing a lot more churches, including the one at the Alamo. We'll also see the Hotel Emily Morgan, and the old Post Office and Court House.

St. Mark's Episcopal Church.

First Church of Christ Scientist.

Grace Lutheran Church.

Emily Morgan Hotel.

Scottish Rite Cathedral.

Interesting history marker
in front of the old Court House.

Post Office and Old Court House.

The Alamo Long Barracks.

The Cenotaph at Alamo Plaza.

The Church or "Shrine" at The Alamo.

This is right in the heart of downtown San Antonio. Across the street from The Alamo is the famous Menger Hotel. The Menger is where Teddy Roosevelt recruited his Rough Riders. Looking for history? You will definitely find it around the Alamo Plaza!

At. St. Joseph's Catholic Church, I noticed a man holding walking directions taking photos of the church. I asked if he was doing the 10k walk and he was. That's how I met Charlie from Gonzalez, Texas. We walked together for the last two miles or so.

St. Joseph's 
Catholic Church.

Little Church of La Villita (partially
blocked by food booths).

La Villita is where NIOSA (Night in Old San Antonio) takes place. Food, drink, cascarone, and souvenir booths line the streets of La Villita, San Antonio's first neighborhood. During the festival, this place is a total zoo. If you love being in massive crowds of people so thick you can't move, then this festival is for you. 

Booths are set up for NIOSA.

Very colorful Fiesta booths.

Gorgeous storage shed. I wouldn't mind
a she-shed that looked like this!

Covered wagon booths.

Leaving La Villita, we headed back to the downtown core. We passed the Buckhorn Museum and St. Mary's Catholic Church.

I love this philosophical art. 

St. Mary's Catholic Church.

The beautiful interior of
St. Mary's Catholic Church.

The beautiful interior of
St. Mary's Catholic Church.

The beautiful interior of
St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Charlie wondered if the George Witte building below belonged to the same family that started The Witte Museum. So I looked it up. The answer is "Yes." Alfred Witte donated $65,000 to start the museum in honor of his parents. His father was real estate broker George Witte. George Witte financed the building we saw and over the years, it housed a jeweler, retail shops, a museum, bars, and restaurants.

George Witte Building, c. 1894.

Over the ten years that we have lived in San Antonio, I have walked past Main Plaza but I never noticed the plaque below until today! It seems like every time I walk downtown I see something new, or "old" as the case may be.

Site of Governor Musquiz Residence - 
Here the women and children survivors
of the Alamo massacre were brought
on March 6, 1836.

San Fernando Cathedral.

The distinctive Bexar County 
Courthouse.

Lady Justice Fountain.

The Love Lock Bridge.

Our route passed by the Love Lock Bridge. When we went by, a wedding party was standing next to the bridge. The bride was out in her wedding dress. I don't know if they were doing a photoshoot or if someone was actually getting married there. We didn't stick around to see.

We only had about one-half mile left, so Charlie and I were like horses back to the barn. When I got back to my car, the temperature was 79 degrees. There was so much to see on the walk that my usual two-hour 10k turned out to be three hours today!

I spent the rest of the afternoon at home relaxing. Tomorrow, I will do a 5k walk at Leon Creek on the Northwest side of town. From a temperature of 82 degrees this afternoon, our morning temperature will plummet to 49 degrees! I'll be dressing warmly in the morning!

Good night, all.