We were in San Antonio for less than 24 hours and we managed to pack all the important things in without breaking a sweat! The weather was unusually pleasant for the end of September, it was cloudy and the high got around 80 degrees, maybe 85 with a cool breeze. We stayed at the Grand Hyatt on the Riverwalk. We arrived just before midnight. The girls slept the entire three hour drive. When we got into the hotel room we did the customary jumping on the bed ritual just to make sure everything was in working order. 
Ryan was able to join us for breakfast, so we went downstairs and enjoyed a delicious buffet with made to order waffles and omelets. We had great food and even better service.
After breakfast with Daddy we took an hour to do a few homeschool assignments at the hotel and then headed out on the Riverwalk.
Every inch of our walk was covered with cool and interesting places to stop and learn about San Antonio’s rich history. Every building detail, artistic wall and landscaping structure caused us to stop and enjoy the journey so much more. The girls begged to take the boat tour, but since we were driving home that afternoon I wanted them as tired as possible! Check out more information on taking a fun River boat tour here. It is a great way to expereince the Riverwalk as well as learn so many interesting facts in a short amount of time. They also offer dinner cruises which I thought would be perfect for a birthday or girls weekend getaway!
The girls loved checking the map to find our location and make sure we were on the right path. Thank you kind lady and fellow mommy for offering to take our picture with the Nikon, I appreciate you more than you know!
Just a few blocks away we made it to the Alamo, we learned about arrowheads, how people lived so long ago and the militia that helped protect the Alamo. We were surprised to have made it just in time to watch the volunteer soldiers fire their muskets. We were able to talk to them about their costumes and what a person might carry with them back then.
The grounds are so beautiful and shaded we could have stayed all day. We saw a little pond of Koi fish and also observed what seemed like hundred of bees buzzing around a beautiful flowering bush with red stick-like petals. We seemed to be more facinated with these busy workers. It had prompted us to borrow a huge book on bees from the library. What had got out attention was the single huge bee. We saw maybe one or two others that looked similair but wondered why it was so big compared to the other bees and also why there was just a few. We found out that she was a Valley Carpenter bee. Females are black and can get up to over an inch in size! The males are a little smaller and are yellow in color. They are solitary bees and make their homes by boaring holes in wood, usually under branches or wooden beams. We also learned they are friendly and curious, the males do not have stingers. Read more at the Ethogram Blog.
We had to stop for a cool treat that was just next door to the Alamo and snap a picture with the beautiful carriage horses that were lined up down the street. The girls enjoyed seeing the horses little hats and one horse’s glittery hooves. Hagen Daas we love your shakes!
We walked back through the beautiful Rivercenter Mall just in time for a little cool down. We used this as a shortcut back to the hotel. Ryan and I had visited here with the girls in October of 2014. Thre happened to be a polar vortex that blasted in unexpectedly freezing weather. Thankfully this mall provided us halls for running indoors as well as emergency cold weather shopping. Find out all that the RiverCenter Mall has to offer.
Daddy was able join us for lunch. We took a quick stop to pray and tour at the St. Joseph Parish Church built in 1898. It is a Gothic style building with beautiful stained glass, purchased from Germany and adoring both sides of the church. Today it is known as “Jewel in the heart of San Antonio.”
Just a short walk down the street we visited the oldest restaurant in San Antonio, Schilos Delicatessen serving German fare had been opened since 1917.
We enjoyed our short but very sweet time in San Antonio. Ryan doesn’t travel often but when he does, it’s nice that the freedom of homeschooling allows us to take this show on the road. Click here to read more about why we decided to homeschool.
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Love and Blessings,
The RV Adventure Family
Ryan, Venice, Mia and Madelyn
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