San Antonio Walking Tour

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Having

never been to the Alamo.... Well it's a thought.

 

 

San Antonio (Walking Tours)

 

One of downtown San Antonio's great gifts to visitors on foot is its

wonderfully meandering early pathways -- not laid out by drunken cattle

drivers as has been wryly suggested, but formed by the course of the San

Antonio River and the various settlements that grew up around it. Turn any

corner in this area and you'll come across some fascinating testament to the

city's historically rich past.

 

*Walking Tour -- Downtown*

 

*Start*: The Alamo.

 

*Finish*: Market Square.

 

*Time*: Approximately 1 1/2 hours, not including stops at shops,

restaurants, or attractions.

 

*Best Times*: Early morning during the week, when the streets and

attractions are less crowded. If you're willing to tour the Alamo museums

and shrine another time, consider starting out before they open (9am).

 

*Worst Times*: Weekend afternoons, especially in summer, when the crowds and

the heat render this long stroll uncomfortable. (If you do get tired, you

can always pick up a streetcar within a block or two of most parts of this

route.)

 

Built to be within easy reach of each other, San Antonio's earliest

military, religious, and civil settlements are concentrated in the downtown

area. The city spread out quite a bit in the subsequent 2 1/2 centuries, but

downtown still functions as the seat of the municipal and county government,

as well as the hub of tourist activities.

 

Start your tour at Alamo Plaza (bounded by E. Houston St. on the north); at

the plaza's northeast corner, you'll come to the entrance for:

 

*1. The Alamo*

 

Originally established in 1718 as the Mission San Antonio de Valero, the

first of the city's five missions, the Alamo was moved twice before settling

at this site. The heavy limestone walls of the church and its adjacent

compound later proved to make an excellent fortress. In 1836, fighters for

Texas's independence from Mexico took a heroic, if ultimately unsuccessful,

stand against Mexican general Santa Anna here.

 

When you leave the walled complex, walk south along the plaza to:

 

*2. The Menger Hotel*

 

German immigrant William Menger built this hotel in 1859 on the site of

Texas's first brewery, which he had opened with partner Charles Deegan in

1855. Legend has it that Menger wanted a place to lodge hard-drinking

friends who used to spend the night sleeping on his long bar. Far more

prestigious guests -- presidents, Civil War generals, writers, stage actors,

you name it -- stayed here over the years, and the hotel turns up in several

short stories by frequent guest William Sidney Porter (O. Henry). The Menger

has been much expanded since it first opened, but retains its gorgeous,

three-tiered Victorian lobby.

 

On the south side of the hotel, Alamo Plaza turns back into North Alamo

Street. Take it south 1 block until you reach Commerce Street, where you'll

spot:

 

*3. Joske's (now Dillard's)*

 

This is San Antonio's oldest department store. The more modest retail

emporium opened by the Joske Brothers in 1889 was swallowed up in 1939 by

the huge modernist building you see now, distinctive for its intricate

Spanish Renaissance-style details; look for the miniaturized versions of

Mission San José's sacristy window on the building's ground-floor shadow

boxes.

 

Walk a short way along the Commerce Street side of the building to:

 

*4. St. Joseph's Catholic Church*

 

This church was built for San Antonio's German community in 1876. The Gothic

revival-style house of worship is as notable for the intransigence of its

congregation as it is for its beautiful stained-glass windows. The

worshipers' refusal to move from the site when Joske's department store was

rising up all around it earned the church the affectionate moniker " St.

Joske's. "

 

Head back to Alamo Street and continue south 2 blocks past the San Antonio

Convention Center to reach:

 

*5. La Villita*

 

Once the site of a Coahuiltecan Indian village, La Villita was settled over

the centuries by Spanish, Germans, and, in the 1930s and '40s, a community

of artists. A number of the buildings have been continuously occupied for

more than 200 years. The " Little Village " on the river was restored by a

joint effort of the city and the San Antonio Conservation Society, and now

hosts a number of crafts shops and two upscale restaurants in addition to

the historic General Cós House and the Arneson River Theatre.

 

Just south of La Villita, you'll see HemisFair Way and the large iron gates

of:

 

*6. HemisFair Park*

 

This park was built for the 1968 exposition held to celebrate the 250th

anniversary of San Antonio's founding. The expansive former fairgrounds are

home to two museums, a German heritage park, and an observation tower -- the

tallest structure in the city and a great reference point if you get lost

downtown. The plaza is too large to explore even superficially on this tour,

so come back another time.

 

Retrace your steps to Paseo de la Villita and walk 1 block west to Presa

Street. Take it north for about half a block until you see the Presa Street

Bridge, and descend from it to:

 

*7. The River Walk*

 

You'll find yourself on a quiet section of the 2.6-mile paved walkway that

lines the banks of the San Antonio River through a large part of downtown

and the King William Historic District. The bustling cafe, restaurant, and

hotel action is just behind you, on the stretch of the river that winds

north of La Villita.

 

Stroll down this tree-shaded thoroughfare until you reach the St. Mary's

Street Bridge (you'll pass only one other bridge, the Navarro St. Bridge,

along the way) and ascend here. Then walk north half a block until you come

to Market Street. Take it west 1 long block, where you'll find:

 

*8. Main Plaza (Plaza de Las Islas)*

 

This is the heart of the city established in 1731 by 15 Canary Island

families sent by King Philip V of Spain to settle his remote New World

outpost. Much of the history of San Antonio -- and of Texas -- unfolded on

this modest square. A peace treaty with the Apaches was signed (and later

broken) on the plaza in 1749. In 1835, freedom fighters battled Santa Anna's

troops here before barricading themselves in the Alamo across the river.

Much calmer these days, the plaza still sees some action as home to the

Romanesque-style Bexar County Courthouse, built out of native Texas granite

and sandstone in 1892.

 

*Take a Break* -- I know, it's not strictly in keeping with the Hispanic

history of this area, but multiculturalism is San Antonio's trademark. And

if you like Japanese food as much as I do, you'll enjoy cooling your heels

at *Zushi Sushi* in the International Center, 203 S. St. Mary's St. at

Market (tel. *210/472-2900*). You can get a quick raw fish fix at the sleek

sushi bar (they've got lots of cooked and vegetarian rolls, too), or settle

in at one of the tables for a bowl of soba noodles or some teppan grilled

beef.

 

Walk along the south side of Main Plaza to the corner of Main Avenue. Across

the street and just to the north you'll encounter:

 

*9. San Fernando Cathedral*

 

This is the oldest parish church building in Texas and site of the earliest

marked graves in San Antonio. Three walls of the original church started by

the Canary Island settlers in 1738 can still be seen in the rear of the 1868

Gothic revival cathedral, which recently underwent a massive renovation.

Among those buried within the sanctuary walls are Eugenio Navarro, brother

of José Antonio Navarro (see stop no. 13, below), and Don Manuel Muñoz,

first governor of Texas when it was a province of a newly independent

Mexico.

 

On the north side of the cathedral is Trevino Street; take it west to the

next corner and cross the street to reach:

 

*10. Military Plaza (Plaza de Armas)*

 

Once the drill ground for the Presidio San Antonio de Béxar, this garrison

-- established in 1718 to protect the Mission San Antonio de Valero -- was

moved to this nearby site 4 years later. Military Plaza was one of the

liveliest spots in Texas for the 50 years after Texas won its independence.

In the 1860s, it was the site of vigilante lynchings, and after the Civil

War it hosted a bustling outdoor market. At night, the townsfolk would come

to its open-air booths to buy chili con carne from their favorite chili

queen. The plaza remained completely open until 1889, when the ornate City

Hall was built at its center.

 

The one-story white building you'll see directly across the street from the

west side of the plaza is the:

 

*11. Spanish Governor's Palace*

 

This was the former residence and headquarters of the captain of the

Presidio de Béxar (but not of any Spanish governors). From here, the

commander could watch his troops drilling across the street. The source of

the house's misnomer is not entirely clear; as the home of the highest local

authority and thus the nicest digs in the area, the " palace " probably hosted

important Spanish officials who came through town.

 

From the front of the Governor's Palace, walk south until you come to the

crosswalk; just west across Dolorosa Street is a drainage ditch, the sad

remains of:

 

*12. San Pedro Creek*

 

The west bank of this body of water, once lovely and flowing and now usually

dry, was the original site of both Mission San Antonio de Valero and the

Presidio de Béxar. At the creek's former headwaters, approximately 2 miles

north of here, San Pedro Park was established in 1729 by a grant from the

king of Spain; it's the second-oldest municipal park in the United States

(the oldest being the Boston Common).

 

Continue west along Dolorosa Street to Laredo Street and take it south about

three-quarters of a block until you come to:

 

*13. Casa Navarro State Historic Site*

 

The life of José Antonio Navarro, for whom the park is named, traces the

history of Texas itself: He was born in Spanish territory, fought for

Mexico's independence from Spain, and then worked to achieve Texas's freedom

from Mexico. (He was one of only two Texas-born signatories to the 1836

Declaration of Independence.) In 1845, Navarro voted for Texas's annexation

to the United States, and a year later, he became a senator in the new Texas

State Legislature. He died here in 1871, at the age of 76.

 

Trace your steps back to Laredo and Dolorosa, and go west on Dolorosa

Street; when you reach Santa Rosa, you'll be facing:

 

*14. Market Square*

 

This square was home to the city's Market House at the turn of the century.

When the low, arcaded structure was converted to El Mercado in 1973, it

switched from selling household goods and personal items to crafts,

clothing, and other more tourist-oriented Mexican wares. Directly behind and

west of this lively square, the former Haymarket Plaza has become the

Farmer's Market, and now sells souvenirs instead of produce. If you haven't

already stopped for sushi, you can enjoy a well-deserved lunch here at Mi

Tierra. At the entryway to Market Square is the new Museo Americano

Smithsonian. Even if it's not open yet, look at the stainless steel screen

that fronts it. Inspired by Mexican *hojalata* (punched tin) crafts, the

30-foot-high screen consists of a series of panels that incorporate Hispanic

cultural symbols, from the Pre-Columbian headdress of the Aztec god

Quetzalcoatl to the Smithsonian sun logo.

 

 

Source: Frommer's San Antonio & Austin, 6th

Edition<http://www.frommers.com/guidebooks/0764577646.html>

 

--

Cheers!

Kathleen Petrides

The Woobey Queen

Http://www.woobeyworld.com