3/19/2024 – San Antonio here we come.
Today, we went to visit 2 of the Missions in San Antonio. These Missions were established in the 1700 by Franciscan Priest. First we stopped at San Juan Mission. As you can see in the pictures most of the buildings are in ruins, however, the church and and residence are in very good condition. It was also good to see that restoration is in progress. In one of the buildings, the National Park Service has details on life in the mission and flora and fauna in the area on display. We went on a short hike and met a man from Nepal and talked about one of the plants next to our path which is similar to one native to Nepal and being used to make oil and as an ingredient of some curry dishes. You never know who you meet and what you can learn from them.
The second Mission we visited was Espada about 1.5 miles south of Mission San Juan. Again, most of the buildings are in ruins, but the Church building and a residence are in good repair. In both Missions the churches are still being used and services are available in English and Spanish.
Next we ventured into San Antonio to visit Riverwalk along the San Antonio River. It’s a very touristy area with lots of restaurants, shops and Bars, however it’s a must when you visit this City. For lunch we went to a Thai Restaurant (yes, I know, we are in BBQ country, but….) and we enjoyed the great flavor of the food. After lunch was more strolling on the Riverwalk before heading back to our campground about an hour outside the city.
