Category: downtown

A Peaceful Morning

Last Friday, I packed up and drove up to San Antonio. I had plans to explore around Brackenridge Park and one day and visit the zoo the next.

I got up and over to the gas station around seven for some gas and a little breakfast. After about a two and a half hour ride, I parked by the zoo and walked into the park. My goal for today was to walk from the park to the Pearl Brewery. From maps I had seen, it looked like it was possible. They are only a few miles from each other and it looked like if I followed the river I would make it.

I took the foot path behind part of the river on the right side of the zoo and followed the river toward the golf course. I didn’t stay of the sidewalked path, but took the trail along the river bank. It wasn’t a real path, but one that had been worn away by traffic. There were a few places to park back there with a few cars, but mostly no one else was back there.

It was a beautiful day. The temperature was in the low 80s and there was a lovely breeze. Because I was on the bank, I was in the shade most of the time. I stopped and watched a couple of squirrels do their squirrel thing, one even watched me back. I saw ducks swimming and napping and a turtle snacking on some nice green algae. It was a peaceful way to spend a morning; quiet, fragrant, pleasant temperature.

I tried to keep the river at my side and with the help of Google Maps I was able to, until I hit a residential area. I could see the highway on the other side of the houses. I turned back here. I could have continued on but I would have had to walk on the street. I didn’t make it today. I won’t say its not possible, I might have followed the wrong street after I crossed the railroad tracks. I may not have made it to the Pearl, but I enjoyed my morning, getting a little glimpse into the way of the river.

I ended up back tracking toward St. Mary’s Street. There were several school buses, but so far I hadn’t run into any kids yet so I kept going. Later I found out the students were in San Antonio for a band and choir competition and they were mostly in the zoo and the open area of the park, not where I was spending time. I decided instead to go to the Japanese Tea Garden.

I had been there before, but hadn’t spent much time. The gardens were breath taking. The whole time I kept thinking it was like what being in Alice’s Wonderland garden must look like. I trekked up and down before deciding I was thirsty and wanted a snack. I went over to their restaurant and ordered a bubble tea and a brownie. I’d never had a bubble tea before. I like black tea, but I accidently sucked up a couple of the bubbles (not really certain what they were made of), but they didn’t really sit well and I only drank half the tea. I really enjoyed the brownie. It was big, but not sickeningly sweet.

It was only about one p.m. and still too early to check into the hotel, but I was getting tired. The only thing to do was to take a ride on the San Antonio Zoo Eagle Train. The train was not inside the zoo, so I only had to walk up to the train station, buy a ticket and wait for the next engine. I got there right as the train was pulling out so I had to wait on the next one. It was fine with me, I sat on the bench and enjoyed the peace of the day as others came up to wait for the train as well.

I was joined by about 20 members of the Deer Park Choir. They sang for about half the trip around the park. They kids could sing so it wasn’t bad, but they did put a damper on my good time when they saw some of their friends that weren’t on the train. Their friends kept running up to the train to give the riders high fives. While it might have been fun, it was very dangerous. The chaperones didn’t stop it. I hope they said something to the kids when they got of the train.

After the I got off the train, it was still a little early to check in, but I called and they said I could come over a little early. I know there isn’t much parking downtown San Antonio. I had read on the hotel’s website that they had valet parking, but I had no idea where to park while I was checking in or where the valet area was. I went around the hotel block twice before I just found a spot. I checked in and went up to my room. It was a small room, barely enough room to walk between the bed and desk, but it had a nice large window facing Travis Park and a good sized bathroom. The bathroom only had a shower, I would have liked a tub to soak, but you can’t have everything.

After resting a bit, I walked over to the Alamo and then to the river walk to get some dinner. I hadn’t been to the Alamo in years and was a little disappointed. They did have some nice actors showing what life was like then, but the barracks museum was closed for restoration. But the Alamo was free and a beautiful green space. After a quick dinner on the river walk, I was back in the hotel and showered by 7:30. I was pooped so I watched a little Walking Dead on Netflix and went to bed because the next day I was off to have breakfast with the hippos at the zoo.

A New Perspective

Lately our weather has been very hit and miss, gray and ugly one day, clear and pleasant the next. This past Saturday was one of those clear and pleasant days. The temperature was right with just the lightest breeze and a clear sunny sky. I decided to visit Artesian Park in downtown Corpus Christi. I’d driven by this park many times and always wanted to stop, but never took the chance.

I drove downtown and since it was such it was such a nice day, I parked several blocks away from the park. I thought I would have a nice walk too. I parked across the street from the Executive Surf Club, a restaurant and bar sometimes with a live band playing in the courtyard, and started walking down the street. There weren’t a lot of shops open, but still had a few people out. I realized that I didn’t think I had been out and about downtown during the day much or at all. I had gone out downtown to meet friends at restaurants, bars or clubs, but otherwise I’d never spent much time there. To me downtown was always just a run down, shuttered place with nothing to offer, just bars, restaurants and a tattoo shop. While this is mostly true, there is an obvious attempt to change that. And when I took the time to look around, there was a beauty there too.

On the way to Artesian Park, I passed alley ways and storefronts (mostly closed on the weekend) and cross streets. Yes, I did have a destination but I also didn’t want to be so concerned with seeing everything or getting where I was going that I saw or experienced nothing. I had the time so I didn’t limit my trek so while I did continue on to the park but I stopped and checked out what I could along the way.

I finally made it to Artesian Park. Its supposed to be the first park in Corpus Christi created when Corpus Christi’s founder, Henry Kinney, donated the land to the city as a park in 1854. The first thing I did when I got there was to check out the commemorative stone to General Zachary Taylor’s army, they camped here from 1845 to 1846. Then I walked into the rest of the park. It was a nice green space within the concrete, brick and glass of downtown. I sat down on a bench and listened to the birds twitter and watched the squirrels run. The tree tops were home to a handful of grackle nests. One even ran off a mocking bird.

Next to the park was a boutique. In the past, I had always thought the building was a children’s home. I was half right as it was a house, but it contained a clothing boutique. They were having a pop up fair, there were vendors on the front lawn and porch. I walked around all the vendors and wandered around inside for a while before buying some jewelry. I probably shouldn’t have bought anything, but I could afford it and I really liked the pieces.

I took a different route back to my car. There are some really cute views of downtown, who would’ve thought. I found more street art than I thought there would be. And as I was walking, almost everyone I passed was staring at their phones. I was so curious, I peeked at someone’s phone as they passed me. They were playing Pokemon Go. I thought people had stopped playing that game a year ago. Shows me. I don’t know that everyone staring at their phones was playing Pokemon, but at least a few were.

The last place I stumbled across was the World War I memorial. I guess you could say I knew it was there, I’d driven by it before, but I don’t think I would have remembered it was there. It was just a large open green space on the hill leading from downtown to uptown. In Spohn Park, a wide open space before heading back to the car.