San Antonio, Texas

From San Angelo, we drove about 200 miles southeast to San Antonio, Texas.  Besides thinking San Antonio sounded like a great place to visit, we had an extra incentive: Salt Lake City friends Steve and Norma moved here (temporarily) last year.

Steve and Norma's daughter, Carolyn, and SIL, Mike, are both medical residents in San Antonio. Since Carolyn and Mike also have two small children and Mike is in the military, Carolyn and Mike are about as busy as you can get.  So Steve and Norma graciously agreed to come to San Antonio and help.  S and N live in an apartment across a courtyard from Carolyn and Mike; Norma says they sometimes make 15 trips back and forth between the two places.

The first night we were here, Norma grilled burgers for us, Carolyn, Mike and the babies. Yesterday Steve and Norma took us to San Antonio's famous River Walk, and treated us to lunch at the Iron Cactus, a great Mexican restaurant.

Today S and N brought the babies to the base and we hung out.  Two-year-old Zoe loved the "cab over" bed in our motor home and also wanted to drive the rig.  We didn't let her drive, but she did find the horn all on her own.  

Top L to R:  Jim, Bev and Norma.  At the bottom is Steve. If Bradley Cooper were only with us, maybe we could have gotten all of Steve's face in the photo. Appears we are all fans of the transition lens.

A better photo of Steve's face (plus Jim and Norma), this time near the River Walk.  Steve is a retired elementary school teacher; a former student almost always approaches him whenever we are with them in Salt Lake.  Norma is on leave from her job as a human genetics research scientist.

Jim and Bev at the Alamo.  The Battle of the Alamo was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution, which freed Texas from Mexico.  Highly irritated (to say the least) that all Alamo defenders were killed, Texas settlers and other adventurers wanting revenge joined the Texas army.  They soon defeated the Mexican Army, and ended the revolution. At least that's my understanding after several glasses of wine and some internet research.

Part of the San Antonio River Walk, a two-and-a-half mile network along the San Antonio River lined with shops, hotels, bars and restaurants. A lot of the walkways and bridges were built by the WPA.  Jim had a professor at Oregon State University who worked on redevelopment plans for the River Walk; I'm assuming that was after the time frame of the WPA unless Jim is a heck of a lot older than he looks.

The Emily Morgan Hotel in San Antonio is one of many, many beautiful downtown buildings.

Our treesy camping spot at San Antonio's Lackland Air Force Base Fam Camp.

Norma and the very talkative Zoe at our motorhome.

Steve plus baby Zack, who looks like his dad.

Steve, Norma and their grand kids in front of a vintage "T-6 Texan" airplane on display at Lackland AFB.