The Old Spanish Trail, Six Flags, and My Birthday, Part 2 - November 12-24

Continued from Part 1...

Friday, November 15 (continued): Our Houston Street Historic Walk led by David L. Peche started in the shadow of the new Frost Bank Tower in downtown San Antonio. However, our walk today will focus only on the buildings that were here at the time of the 1919 OST Convention.

The modern Frost Bank Tower
opened in 2019.

David Peche loves the history of San Antonio. He has published two books of historical photographs: "Downtown San Antonio," and "San Antonio's Historic Hotels."

A reference book.

Photo from the book above of 110 Rand
Bldg. (the Wolff and Marx Company
Department Store) in 1913.

110 Rand Building - the old Wolff and
Marx Department Store - as seen
on today's walk. 

Savoy Hotel built in 1910 was a stop for the OST
travelers in San Antonio.

Savoy Hotel detail.

The Book Building (1906)
has beautiful lines.

Gunter Hotel was one of the early hotels on the Old Spanish Trail to cater to travelers. Below you can see a photo of a keepsake medallion that advertised "Gunter Girls."

Along Houston Street are historical markers. Below, members of our group read the history on one of the markers.

A historical marker on Houston Street.

Central Trust Company (1919)

Key for the Bexar Hotel.

Below is the stunning Texas Theatre. It was not built until 1926, so it was not in San Antonio during the 1919 OST Convention. The Texas Theatre was a grand building in its heyday; however, all that is left of the building is its facade. The rest was torn down by developers after a long legal battle with preservationists. This was quite a loss for San Antonio when you consider the outstanding restoration done on The Majestic Theatre.

Texas Theatre (1926)

The Majestic Theatre (1929) which also was not
here in 1919.

Hertzberg Clock (1878).

History of the Hertzberg Clock.

Bob and I had to cut our walking tour short because Bob had a doctor's appointment. On our walk back to El Tropicano we had a nice view of the tile mural on the side of the building. 

El Tropicano Hotel.

Saturday, November 16, Bob had things to do so I went with the OST to Boerne and Comfort, Texas. A number of people took a paid, guided van tour along the Old Spanish Trail, some drove in a 50-mile motorcade from San Antonio to our destinations, and some of us drove independently. 

Our first stop was the Kendall County Courthouse and Historic Jail where we had presentations in a courtroom by members of the Kendall County Historical Commission and Genealogical Society, followed by a brief tour of the courthouse. 

Model As and Model Ts were part of the motorcade.

Tour of courthouse archives.

The vault housing the archives.

Historic Kendall County Courthouse.

On the back of the courthouse,
there are steel "windows" to
protect the archival vault.

The first jail in Boerne, Texas. 

This was the second jail in Boerne, Texas.
We toured this one.

The tour of this jail was unique in that last week they had a community haunted house in here. There are some props remaining. In the first photo below, you can see the thick walls and curved metal ceiling. The ceiling is designed this way because an arch shape can hold a lot more weight than a straight ceiling or wall. A strong ceiling is needed because the rock blocks which make up the jail are VERY heavy. 

Susan Medlin is a very happy
 corpse (in one of the props). LOL.

 We had photo opportunities when the owners of the cars hammed it up.

I wouldn't want to mess with his car!

When our tours were finished, a buffet lunch was provided by Kendall County businesses, organizations, and individuals. Sandwiches, fruit, chips, veggies, and cookies were set up in the historic county courthouse. 

After lunch, we headed off to Comfort, Texas, for a welcome at the Comfort Heritage Foundation. Then we had free time to explore the town of Comfort, visit a private museum, and hear history at the Treue der Union monument.

Charlotte Kahl's gorgeous quilt vest of the OST.

Inside the Comfort State Bank (now the
Comfort Heritage Foundation).

We were welcomed to Comfort, Texas.

The small museum inside the Comfort
Heritage Foundation.

An armadillo lamp on display in the
Comfort Heritage Foundation (circa 1920).

A display of old playing cards in the
private museum.

This is a Vapo Cresolene lamp.

After the museum, I caught the shuttle to the Treue der Union Monument. At the monument, Mike and Anne Stewart told us the history of Union soldiers who were trying to cross South Texas to join the Union forces in Mexico. However, Texas Confederate forces tracked them down and killed them all. You can read all the historic markers for the full story. The Treue der Union Monument is one of the few places in the U.S. where the U.S. flag is flown at half-staff 24/7.

Treue der Union Monument

"Loyalty to the Union" historical marker.

Texas history recommended reading.

More Treue der Union history.

One more history marker.

 That concluded our OST weekend. 

On Sunday, November 17, Bob went with me to Six Flags Fiesta Texas to start my birthday celebration week. I'm a Season Pass holder and a friend could enter free with me today. Bob is a true trooper for hitting Six Flags with me. He doesn't care for rollercoasters at all. But, for my birthday, he accompanied me around the park and waited while I rode as many coasters as I could. 

We started the day at the Wonder Woman Golden Lasso Coaster. Because it was right after the park opened and the ride is in the back of the park, there was almost no line when I got there. I was able to ride five times in a row and three of those times I didn't even have to get off the coaster because there was no line. I sat in the front seat three times in a row. Awesome! Bob was prepared to sit and wait. He had his cell phone and listened to podcasts. 

Next, I went to Batman: the Ride coaster and went on it twice in a row. No line there either. Then Bob and I went to the SkyScreamer swings. We waited in line, got on the swings. Waited. Then the ride went down and we had to exit. 

Batman: the Ride.

Batman: the Ride.

SkyScreamer

Next door was the Superman Krypton Coaster. I headed into that line only to be told that that roller coaster was also currently out of order.

I wanted to go on a ride with Bob, so we got on Hustler which are spinning cars shaped like billiard balls. The car we got in didn't spin very well. Usually, we can get them going really fast.  Bob also went on the carousel, pirate ride, and the park train.

Bob on the carousel.

Sea serpent on the carousel.

The park train.

Selfie on the train. Bob's getting good
at taking selfies.

 We had lunch and I hit a few more coasters before I hit the wall at about 3:00 p.m. Then I said, "I'm tired and ready to go home."

It was a really fun day. 

It looks like it will take me one more blog to finish up what I originally wanted to accomplish in one blog. Thanks for sticking with me.

To be continued in Part 3.

Joshua Springs Park & Preseve - Sunday, April 5, 2015

Today we reconnected with Hans and Lisa of Metamorphosis Road blog fame. Our destination was Joshua Springs Park and Preserve to do a long walk. When we arrived at 9:30 am, it was cool and cloudy/misty, 54 degrees with about 94% humidity. We could barely see the top of Ring Mountain.

I had a debate with myself about whether or not to wear a light jacket. The jacket choice won because it wasn't quite warm. Our walk started along Joshua Springs Lake, then we branched off to walk through meadows hoping to see birds, deer, armadillos, something!

Joshua Springs consists of over 400 acres and is run by Kendall County Parks. Within the park are trails for walking, biking, jogging and hiking, bird blinds, Joshua Springs Lake for fishing, canoeing and kayaking (no swimming), open air picnic pavilions, and a 3,000 square foot event center at the top of Ring Mountain.

As we walked through multiple fields on our hike, our shoes and socks became waterlogged. The grass was just tall enough that the dew or residual drops from recent rain permeated the breathe-able hiking boots. Squishy socks accompanied us as we walked.

Young cypress tree growing in the lake

Fire ant nest (we saw a few of these in the meadows)

Fishing pier next to the lake

Lisa, Bob and Hans on the South Bank Loop trail

We did see a number of wildflowers!

Sand verbena

Spanish bayonet yucca

 In the photo below, you can see what our weather was like...foggy, humid, cool-ish.

On Ring Mountain looking down on Joshua Springs Lake

Indian paintbrush

Spanish dagger yucca flowers

I love bluebonnets!

New oak tree leaves

Woolly Mullein (Verbascum thapsus)

Following a road

Too cool for snakes today

Ring Mountain (event center at top)

Lisa

A turkey in one of the meadows

Picnic time

After our hike and lunch at Joshua Springs Park, we went to Comfort, an Antique Town. Because of the Easter holiday most of the stores were closed, but not all. Our goal was to show Hans and Lisa the historic town.

Comfort State Bank

Bird sculptures along the roof line in Comfort.

What you can find in Comfort

Beautiful flowers

Comfortable Pizza station

Bikes

Must be mesquite for wood-fired pizza

Cute place

A Texas longhorn

Find Comfort on the porch of The Tinsmith's Wife

Hans, Bob, Lisa in front of Comfort State Bank

We then drove over to the Treue der Union Monument. Enlarge the signs to read the Civil War history that led to the building of the monument.

Treue der Union Monument

Next, we went along Cypress Creek and that completed our day in Comfort. Hans spotted black squirrels along the bank. Their thick black fur sets them apart from their cousins with gray or brown coats.

A black squirrel

An old bridge

Cypress Creek

We said our good-byes to Hans and Lisa until the next time our paths cross.

Back at Travelers World RV Park, we walked around the park in the evening and found a couple of interesting rigs.

Minimalist camping!

The trailer is not much bigger than the picnic table!

 Does anyone else see the incongruity and irony of the small tow vehicle below?

Big foot with small tow. LOL.

Check out the following two photos of Bowie. Is he sleeping with his eyes open or giving me stink eye? It all depends on how you look at it.

Sleeping with eyes half open?

Or stink eye?

Travel Bug out.