Although
Tim and I had driven to San Antonio several times while staying at Buckhorn
Lake Resort, our visits were for shopping or running to the airport. We had decided that commuting through rush
hour traffic to visit the city highlights would feel too much like work. So, after leaving Buckhorn we planned to move
to an RV park inside the city. Even with
a GPS, driving through construction zones on multiple interstate highways was a
challenge, and we were relieved to finally arrive at the San Antonio KOA.
It was
a beautiful day when we settled into our site, and we enjoyed an afternoon
outdoors. The next few days, however,
were cold, rainy and windy, so we huddled inside the RV and extended our stay so
we could do our touring on pretty days. We
used the yucky days to take care of an oil change for the Subaru, as well as
other necessary errands.
When we
awoke to a beautiful morning, we made our way to San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, an amazing collection of missions built along the San Antonio
River in the 1700s. The missions, established
by Spain in an attempt to push its empire northward from present-day Mexico,
form the largest concentration of Catholic missions in North America.
While
touring the four missions that comprise the park, we learned the difference
between the Texas and California missions that we had visited several years ago.
The Texas missions were established not
only to spread the Catholic faith, but also to make Spanish citizens of the Indians
in an effort to colonize this portion of Texas.
The mission communities were located just three miles apart and provided
to the Indians a sanctuary from their enemies.
It was interesting to discover that the Indians came to live in the
missions by choice, not force or persuasion.
Mission
Concepción is the best preserved of the four missions. A very helpful volunteer told us about the
original murals for which this mission is known. Although the church looks much as it did in
the mid-1700s, it was somewhat surprising to find out that the weathered stone walls
were once decorated with colorful geometric designs.
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Mission Concepcion |
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Original Murals |
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Interior of Mission Conception |
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Imagine the Church Painted in Colorful Geometric Designs |
Mission
San José is the most well-known of the missions and has been called the “Queen
of the Missions.” The park’s visitor
center is located here, and ranger-led tours are offered on a regular basis. We were able to participate in one of the
tours and came away with a much better understanding of the mission community,
where more than 300 residents lived and worked. Thanks to the reconstruction efforts of the
Civilian Conservation Corps, as well as a multi-million dollar restoration in
2011, Mission San José gives the most realistic look into what the original
complex must have looked like. The architecture
of the complex is magnificent, especially the elaborately carved entranceway to
the church.
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Mission San Jose |
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A Beautiful Entrance to the Church |
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The Mission Resembled a Small City |
The
rural setting of Mission San Juan Capistrano lends itself to interpreting the
agricultural heritage of the mission communities. San Juan was known for its fertile farmlands,
and this self-sustaining community supplied goods to the surrounding regions.
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Mission San Juan Capistrano |
Mission
Espada is the southernmost mission in the park, and it was here that we fully
understood the role of these churches as the heart of their small communities. The churches are active parishes, and mission
descendants continue to worship here. We
arrived at Mission Espada to find a wedding about to start. Although we were unable to visit the interior
of the church, it was very special to watch the bridesmaids as they lined up outside
the church. After a long wait the beautiful
bride finally emerged from her pickup truck and proudly walked through the door
of this historic site.
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"Here Comes the Bride" at Mission Espada |
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Broken Arch Over the Entrance to the Church |
Our
final stop on the mission trail was the Espada Aqueduct. The success of the agricultural operations at
the missions depended on acequias, or gravity flow ditch systems. Dams and aqueducts along the San Antonio River
ensured the flow of water into the system, and the Espada Dam still performs its
original function. Water is carried by
the Espada Aqueduct, the oldest Spanish aqueduct in the United States. Amazing!
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Espada Aqueduct |
On another
lovely day, we drove downtown to explore the San Antonio River Walk, the city’s
signature attraction. What a wonderful
resource for the city! Although Tim and
I had both visited the River Walk many years ago, we were even more impressed this
time. For a new experience, we took a barge
ride which offered a different perspective of the bridges and surrounding
buildings. We stayed for lunch and
enjoyed great barbeque while watching the activity along the river.
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Enjoying the San Antonio River Walk |
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Scenes of the River Walk |
Tim and
I decided that we couldn’t leave San Antonio without visiting the Alamo. Although the Alamo was one of the original
missions, it is known primarily for its role in Texas independence. The Alamo is a beautiful building, but I was
not too impressed with the exhibits inside the original church. I can appreciate historic firearm displays,
but why did they decide to feature this exhibit inside the church? To me it was very odd. The Alamo is definitely a shrine in the true
sense of the word, and visiting seems to be an almost religious experience for
Texans. Although I would love to make a
return visit to the San Antonio missions, one visit to the Alamo was enough for
me.
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"Remember the Alamo" |
After
two months, Tim and I finally left the Texas Hill Country on January 27 and
began to make our way west. We really
enjoyed our time there, but it was time to move on. Tim and I split up as we left San Antonio. I made a detour back to Kerrville to pick up
our mail at Buckhorn Lake Resort, and he drove directly to Amistad National
Recreation Area. Located right on the
Rio Grande and the United States-Mexico border, Amistad is best known for its
water sports and fishing opportunities. We camped at the park, where we overlooked the
reservoir.
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Fishing Boat at Sunset at Amistad National Recreation Area |
The
next morning we stopped at the visitor center where we watched the movie and learned
about the rock art that is a significant resource at Amistad. Unfortunately, the rock art can only be
visited by boat, so we missed seeing the sites in person. We then left Amistad to begin our long drive
across west Texas, a very desolate area indeed. A border patrol stop and a short break at the Pecos
River High Bridge helped to break up the long (for us) journey.
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Pecos River High Bridge |
We finally arrived in Fort Davis, Texas, and made our way to Davis Mountains State Park, a truly wonderful park. I had read so many good things about the park, and all were true. We found a lovely, huge shaded site with full hookups, including cable, and settled in for a few days. It was so nice to be back in the mountains.
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A Great Campsite at Davis Mountains State Park |
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