The Short Road Trip: San Antonio, Day 1

March 16-20 was AISD's spring break week, giving Amalie five days off. Carson's Montessori follows the AISD schedule, as well, so we all decided to Do Something, and an overnight trip to San Antonio seemed the best choice. It's close, and there's fun things to do.

We got out of Austin (surprisingly easily) late Monday morning, and in less than two hours were at our preferred La Quinta, on the western side of SA near Sea World (which was open, but not in our plans for this little trip; both kids have seen it recently). We hadn't made a reservation, and with much of Texas taking spring break simultaneously, no standard rooms were left. We took a suite, which the kids immediately loved -- two televisions, a tiny kitchenette, a sitting room with couch and comfy recliner. It was spacious. My only complaint was that the in-house wifi signal was almost nonexistent; I had to go to the lobby to access it. (In fairness, La Q. gave me a $20 credit when we checked out.)

Our evening plan was to head downtown for dinner and the Riverwalk, leaving a few afternoon hours open. The kids wanted to hit the pool, so Val suited them up and off they went. It turned out, though, that the water was quite cold. Only Amie enjoyed being wet (which is always a good thing, as nothing wears out a kid like swimming).

After a bit I called time, and we readied for dinner. A short highway drive brought us to the Rivercenter, and since there was still plenty of daylight, we parked and walked the few blocks to the Tower Of The Americas. Built for the 1967 World's Fair, it is still the most distinctive item of the San Antonio skyline (and, by local law, nothing can be built taller than it). A Chart House restaurant sits atop, which is on a turntable, giving about a full rotation every hour, and this was our dining destination.

We were seated quickly. The menu is excellent, primarily seafood. The prices are not quite as high as the dining room, but one does pay for the privilege of eating high in the air with a fantastic view. The ladies were facing westward as we sat, so were getting the full force of the setting sun, but half an hour later, it was Carson's and my turn to stare into it, even darker orange. The major compass points are marked on window struts, and Amalie enjoyed watching them approach and reading them off.

After dinner, we went up to the top level, the observation deck, and walked around outside. It was now dark, with comfortable and cool breezes. San Antonio glittered below us. One long elevator ride later, we decided to take a cab back to Rivercenter, which included an underpass of I-35 lit up with changing colors; very pretty.

Upon alighting from the cab, Val found a live bullet in the street. Yeesh. I pocketed it carefully and began looking for a police or security officer. We dropped off some things in the car -- items the kids had wheedled at the Tower gift shop -- and then walked into the Rivercenter proper, a shopping mall which surrounds a developed tributary of the San Antonio River, the heart of the famous Riverwalk. (Notable features include the adjoining Marriott Rivercenter, primary hotel for the 1997 WorldCon/LoneStar Con 2.)

Our goal this night was the Rio San Antonio passenger boats that traverse the tributary and an adjacent loop of the River. Tickets secured, I held our place in line while Val and the kids milled a bit, but the boats come around quickly and we were welcomed aboard before too long. Even at a late hour -- it was nearly 9:00 pm -- the boats keep going, until the tourists dry up, apparently.

The ride takes about half an hour, with the captain/tour guide providing historical notes about various features along the Riverwalk, plus some bad jokes. The weather was perfect, the ride relaxing. It was Carson's first time (Amalie had ridden the boats at age 2), and he was on his knees, looking out over the gunwales, practically the entire ride. The upper part of the loop is populated with many restaurants and night spots, and even for a Monday night, was booming. We alighted back at the Rivercenter, just down the steps from the ice cream parlor. I had kinda-sorta promised the kids ice cream in lieu of dessert at the Chart House (which would have been excellent, but high priced), so that was fulfilled. As the kids licked furiously -- the night was warm enough to encourage melting -- we returned to the car, cleaned faces, and headed back to our hotel. And, eventually, got the kids to drop off, though it took a DVD movie on the laptop to finally drain them.

The bullet? Prior to embarking on the boat, I went to use the restroom and found that the Security station was adjacent. I stopped in and dropped it off; it was nothing I wanted to keep.