Rock-Oak-Deer: Paseo del Rio

It's been a couple of years since I joined Les for his Winter Walk-Off at A Tidewater Gardener. With so many options for exploring San Antonio it's always good choice to go walking. So when my sister-in-law was in town last week we had lunch and walked a less traveled route through downtown San Antonio. With the beautiful day and our beautiful city as a backdrop it's a nice walk for sharing.

The rules are simple. Take a walk and share the photos on your blog then link back to A Tidewater Gardener. You can walk your neighborhood as I did a couple of years ago or drive or bike to your starting point. No photos of your own garden and there are prizes too. More details at A Tidewater Gardener.

We'll start our walk in an urban park at the base of the Tower of the Americas. Glass elevators take visitors to the top where they have a choice of Chart House restaurant, a bar or an observation deck for those who just want to take a look. Originally built for Hemisfair in 1968, the view from the top at night is spectacular.

So much water! We don't get much rain so water features like this are a special treat. All public water features are fed with reclaimed water processed southeast of town and pumped back into the city.

Swirling eddy drain, reminiscent of reclaimed water. Just sayin'

I always enjoy the bright colors combined with plenty of rushing water in this garden. Our massive convention center fills in the background.

Concrete aqueducts with waterfalls in the surrounding Hemisfair Park evoke ancient acequias which originally channeled water to homes and farms around the city.

Hemisfair Park renovations required a detour through the branch campus of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) or National University of Mexico. The detour revealed a public art display I had not seen before.

This sculpture was the only one with a plaque and I didn't get a photo thinking the info would be available online. Turns out I couldn't find any reference to the art at all. Looks like a Phoenix or logo maybe. Oh well, at least the top of the Tower of the Americas fits neatly in the cone.

Mesoamerican sculptures line the plaza between buildings. This Toltec warrior would have supported the roof of a temple.

Olmec head carving looking pretty authentic and pretty amazing to just happen on them with no tags.

Stele like these dot the jungles of Mexico.

These two appear to be Spanish Colonial carvings.

Put a cork in it? No, probably what remains of a flute.

A tiny float for Dia de los Niños (Children's Day) parade coming up in April?

Now to join the throngs of tourists down on the San Antonio River Walk.

¡Hola! twin girls and their brother wave to....

....passing boats of tourists plying the famous Paseo Del Rio which attracts 26 million visitors a year.

With our sun hats and cameras, I'm sure we look like tourists too. Maybe we are tourists for a day. Tourists in our own town, why not?

One of our arched stone bridges with "La Antorcha de la Amistad" or "Torch of Friendship," a gift from Mexico, in the background.

We head through the Arneson River Theater, stage right. Yes, that's real sky.

Audience seating on the other side means boats float right through the middle of the show.

Another stone bridge covered in fig ivy. Most tall buildings in the city are hotels.

The bronze sculpture of a Vaquero driving longhorns across the river in front of the Briscoe Museum of Western Art seems to be under repair with hooves and horns protected from damage.

Heading toward the red sandstone Bexar County Courthouse.

At the end of the Paseo Del Rio, a gritty bit of the river's backside shows how the river through downtown might have looked without the vision of Architect R.H.H. Hugman back in the 1920s. Most people will turn up river north toward town, we're headed south, notice the traffic signal on the bridge for boats.

Wintering Cormorants on a wire await fishing opportunities near the dam.

The Nueva Street Dam controls water levels in the San Antonio River Walk so tourists see water instead of a dry creek bed. Reclaimed water is used to fill the river unless we've had enough rain.

In a block or so we enter the mostly residential King William Historic District named in the 1870s for King Wilhelm I of Prussia.

Cypress knees are cool, Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) is common along the river but not so much in my higher and drier neighborhood. I've seen Cypress knees painted like Santa or all manner of creatures at craft shows. Cypress knees also make fascinating table legs.

Our regional grocery chain H-E-B headquarters along the river.

The River Walk continues another 10 miles south along the Mission Reach. Saving that walk for another day, we exit to street level at a small park.

Faux bois is common throughout public parks in San Antonio and I enjoy the details.

A house once stood here

Now it's preserved as green and relaxing open space.

San Antonio is smack on the line where southern charm meets the old west so we'll enjoy a few charming houses in the King William Historic District on our way back to the car.

These homes would have greeted my great-great grandparents when they moved to San Antonio from Palestine (Texas!) in the 1860s.

Generous and thoughtful touch for four-legged walkers.

One very old, very crowded Crape Myrtle puddles along the street

Oge House Inn looks welcoming.

Through the Alamo-shaped arched hedge is a rose garden.

This narrow house brings back memories of our years in a 14' wide townhouse in Alexandria, Virginia.

Bicycles are a popular way to explore the far reaches of the River Walk. Rent a bicycle here and return it at another location.

Either an artful bike rack or simply outdoor art. Truck colors may vary.

Yanaguana Garden, a new children's play area, has opened as part of the ongoing Hemisfair Park renovation. I'll explore the new park on another visit.

Almost back to the car. The round Federal Courthouse building is scheduled to be replaced with something more functional and safe.

That completes our three mile loop from the Tower of the Americas and back. San Antonio has so many walking opportunities in almost any direction and on this walk I've found several new places to come back and explore in the future.

You can join in the Winter Walk-Off 2016 by posting your own walk or follow the links in the comments section at A Tidewater Gardener.

There's no place like home for the holidays. In San Antonio, with its unique Paseo del Rio or River Walk featuring thousands of lights draped over the Bald Cypress trees lining the river, that's especially true.

We recently took a stroll along the Paseo del Rio to enjoy the holiday lights in the 100 ft. tall trees.

I've been away for a while
But it still brings a smile
When I think of the way that it goes
Now I'll sing it to you
Just so we both can do
That 'ol San Antonio Stroll

(San Antonio Stroll, Peter Noah/Tanya Tucker 1975)

Local tip: Less crowded south of Commerce Street, free parking downtown Tuesday after 5pm.

My previous holiday photos of the River Walk have been mostly from the bridges above since it was crowded down on the the river. See that little peninsula to the right of the passing barges?

This is the view from that spot. I especially enjoy the reflections on the water.

The view from the bridge framed by cypress branches and lights.

A group preparing for a dinner cruise under the lights, most restaurants with river access will cater a cruise.

Merry carolers floated by singing Feliz Navidad. The Ford Motor Company sponsors our holiday river parade the Friday after Thanksgiving, then makes the parade barges available at a reduced rate to groups during the holiday season.