San Antonio: Feb 24-25
It is about 65 miles from Johnson City to San Antonio, straight down US-281. We stopped on the square in Blanco, then again for gas just south of that town. Not long after that, we passed Bulverde and the road to Guadalupe River State Park, where we camped for a few days two years ago (see “Guadalupe River State Park,” if you’re interested).
It was Saturday, and there was no hope of getting a site at a state park anywhere close to a big city. There were no Harvest Hosts around San Antonio either, but iOverlander.com lists some “informal” camping spots in the city. The most attractive was street parking right next to a River Walk access point that cost only $3.00 for the day and was free overnight. Our friends, the crew of Slow Sally, had camped there successfully just a month earlier (see “Vanlife Adventure in San Antonio“). So that’s where we were headed.
Our GPS got a little confused in the tight tangle of streets under the elevated I-10/I-35 interchange, but we managed to go around a block, find the right street, and grab a parking space immediately across from a little park and the steps down to the Walk.
The San Antonio River, which winds through the center of the city, is, like many rivers in Texas, naturally prone to flooding. After heavy rains upriver put downtown streets under nine feet of water, killing 51 people, in September 1921, the city and state decided to do something. A dam was built upriver and a channel constructed to bypass the river’s loop through the downtown core.
In 1929, an architect named Robert Hugman proposed that the river through the city be turned into a park, a level down from the streets, with walkways on each side. He suggested that this extended parkway should become the focus of commercial development in the city core. This plan was adopted in the late 1930s, with Hugman named project architect, and work started in 1939.
The initial stage was completed by 1941, and the system, now known as River Walk, was extended over the next several decades, with a canal extended out to the east from the original loop. Hotels and other properties along the route opened restaurants and shops at river level, and stairs up to street level were constructed to provide access to museums and other attractions. A new convention center, a shopping mall, and numerous hotels and other attractions were constructed to take advantage of River Walk.
On our 2012 trip, we visited San Antonio for just long enough to have lunch at a restaurant on River Walk and to determine that we didn’t care enough about the Alamo to put up with the crowds and the long line-up. This time, we thought we’d invest a bit more time in the place. So as soon as we’d got the van parked, we descended the steps to the river and headed towards the main loop, where most of the action is. It was lovely to get away from the bustle and heat of the streets and stroll beside the river.
I’d identified a couple of restaurants that weren’t too far away as possibilities for lunch. At the first one, all of the tables on the patio overlooking the river were occupied, so we moseyed along to the next one, Domingo, where we were able to get a table for two on the river-level terrace. We ordered guacamole and chips for an appetizer, Sande had a Quinoa Chili Bowl and a Clean Wave (non-alcoholic) cocktail with a passion flower blossom in it, and I had Short Rib Quesadillas and a local IPA. It was a very pleasant lunch, with lots of interesting people to watch.
We then continued our walk around the main loop through downtown San Antonio. We went up to street level to check out the sculpture garden at the Briscoe Western Art Museum and the San Fernando Cathedral on the Main Plaza, the heart of old, historical San Antonio. Otherwise, we just moseyed along, enjoying the ambiance and taking photos. Tour boats ply the river in both directions, their guides describing people and buildings, but they were remarkably quiet and not at all disruptive to the laid-back vibe.
When we got back to Convent Street, we rose to the surface again and relaxed in the van for awhile. At some point, Sande realized there was a shadier and more level parking space overlooking the river-side park, right on the bridge over the river, so we moved the van across the road.
A few hours later, as the sun was going down, we noticed that we were getting hungry again. We Googled restaurants nearby, and the one we found most interesting was the place we’d rejected at lunch time, Acenar Mexican. We walked there at street level, along the way walking by some of the buildings we’d earlier admired from down below. We were able to get a good table on the patio. I ordered Oyster Tacos and a beer; Sande had the Ensalada de la Casa and sangria.
It was dark when we finished, and we walked back to the van along the river. Some of the trees were filled with birds, filling the air with their chatter. There were fairy lights hanging from some of the trees, as well as other interesting lighting effects along the way, and we passed a number of other couples walking hand-in-hand in and out of the shadows. All very romantic.
Bonds Rock Bar was just up at the corner of the street on which we were parked, and we were worried that it might get raucous when the band started playing and the patrons got drinking. All we heard were a bunch of Harleys arriving and parking across the street around 9:30 and leaving a half hour later, then a gaggle of people making a lot of noise while waiting for a taxi when the bar closed at 2 AM. Otherwise, it was quiet and we slept soundly.
Until 6:30, when a loud SUV pulled in just in front of us and sat with its engine rumbling, then another vehicle came by and blasted what sounded like an air horn, and we heard some men in loud conversation. I didn’t like the vibe, so we quickly got dressed. When we opened the curtains on the windshield, we saw that it was just a bunch of workers coming on shift, perhaps to clean the streets. But by then we were up and ready to go, so we went.
We hoped to find some coffee and maybe pastries around the Historic Market Square, but the whole area was a mess with road works and nothing seemed to be open, so we headed down to South Town. There, we found the Blush Bakery, where we got cappuccinos, a chocolate croissant, and a cinnamon bun, which we enjoyed on their lovely patio while the restaurant staff got ready to open for brunch.
After breakfast, we walked around a bit, admiring the blocks of lovely little cottages south of Alamo St, then got in the van and drove over to the King William Historic District. There we were blown away by the extravagant mansions of the early city’s wealthy citizens (many with plaques out front outlining their histories), as well as the (literally) towering buildings of the Pioneer Milling Company just across the river.
When we’d had enough of all that elegance, we got in the van and headed east across the city and onto I-10 eastbound. Our next stop would be Brazos Bend State Park, southwest of Houston, where we had a campsite booked for two nights.
Travels without Pinot 
Sounds like you guys had a pretty successful night of boondocking!… even if it did end a bit abruptly 😉