River Walk San Antonio Texas

Today we explored the River Walk of San Antonio Texas by walking from the Pearl Brewery to downtown which was around a five mile round trip.  It was a beautiful sunny day with the temperature right around 81 degrees Fahrenheit, so it was not too hot or too cold and not a bug in sight.

We started our trek from the Pearl brewery where there is plenty of free parking.

Pearl Park

Looking down stream towards downtown at Pearl Park.

In 1881 the brewery was opened as the J. B. Behloradsky Brewery and the City Brewery.  It was then renamed the San Antonio Brewing Association in 1883.  In 1886 the first bottles and wooden barrels of Pearl beer are shipped.

In the year of 1916 the San Antonio Brewing Association was the largest brewery in Texas even outdoing Lone Star.  But when prohibition starts in 1919 it switches over to near beer and soda pop bottling.

When prohibition was lifted on midnight September 15, 1933 the San Antonio Brewing Association had 100 trucks and 25 railroad boxcars rolling out within minutes with their beer.

In 1952 San Antonio Brewing Association changes its name to Pearl Brewery Company.  In 1952 it is taken over by the Pabst Brewing Company and is then shut down in 2001.

Now the 22 acre site is home to many restaurants, a year round weekend farmers market, the Culinary Institute of America, and other specialty shops.

The back side of the Pearl Brewery.

Also to open in Fall 2015 is Hotel Emma which is to enhance the Pearl campus experience.

Tia, Ian, Avery, Misty, Chloe, Courtney, and Ethan with Hotel Emma in the backdrop.

Soon we were heading down stream towards downtown San Antonio on the west bank of the San Antonio River.


Along the way we stopped in a cave to rest and take some pictures.

Kids stopping at a cave to take a rest.

Dad taking a rest with the kids in the cave.

Little did we know that the cave was an evil monster that eats anyone who passes by.   Our first warning was when we saw the face of the monster deep inside of it.

The face of the monster.

We could see it drooling with anticipation of eating us for dinner.

The monster drooling.

Soon our survival instincts kicked in of fight or flight, so we chose flight.  We saw our chance to escape through a narrow opening to the right, because we all know that running out through the big opening on the left just did not make any sense.

The only logical escape path.

So up through the narrow opening we ran as fast as we could.

The monster shows itself.

Lucky for me, I made it out and just in time to get a shot of the kids getting eaten by the monster.  They will be missed.  Remember that Seinfeld episode where George pushes kids, granny, and a clown out of the way to get out of an apartment that's on fire, well it was nothing like that.  The kids were just too slow.

Ian, Ethan, Avery, Courtney, and Tia being sucked back in and eaten by the monster!

Well come to find out the kids gave the monster an upset stomach, so it spit them all back out and we continued on our way to downtown San Antonio. 


Actually this is called the Grotto by Carlos Cortes which was created in 2009.


The rest of our walk was not so adventurous as our monster encounter, but we still had fun and enjoyed the views the river walk had to offer.

Every overpass or bridge had some type of art.

Turtles basking in the Sun.

Looking to the east bank of the river.

Starting to see down town San Antonio.

Kids running down the sidewalk.

Ethan, Misty, and Chloe enjoying our Sunday stroll.

The kids taking a break on on of the many resting places along the walk.

 Entering a tropical area of the walk.

Such a beautiful place to walk through.

One of the many boat docks where you can get picked up by a river taxi.

Tia, Courtney, Ian, Avery, Ethan, and Chloe sitting on a tile couch in front of the Southwest School of Art.

By this time we were starting to get pretty hungry so decided to eat at Rita's on the River which is a Tex-Mex resturaunt.  

The food was very good, but we did not like how they only give you one complementary basket of chips and then you have to pay for any additional ones.  The chips and salsa should be free flowing in our opinion.

Waiting for our table at Rita's on the River.

After we ate we decided that we needed to walk the 2.5 miles back to Pearl Park on the east side of the river and go home.

No idea of what this is about.

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts.

A picture of a picture.

Kids resting in an arch way of faux trees.

Courtney and Tia at the locks.

San Antonio Museum of Art.

Another reason to walk back on the east side of the river was to avoid the Grotto monster on the other side.  Even though the kids put a bad taste in its mouth, why take a chance

The Grotto or monster's lair.

Finally after walking a good five miles or so, we made it back to Pearl Park just in time for them to turn on the lights behind the sign for the Culinary Institute of America.

The Culinary Institute of America.

All in all it was a great day of discovery and exercise.  The kids may need counseling for their near death experience with the Grotto monster, but if it wasn't for that then they would need it for something else.

We are so blessed to be able to live such a life and see all that we can while traveling America.  We take for granted the little things and complain about the stuff that just does not matter.

We are healthy and get to see the glory of God everyday in all that He has made, but sometimes only see what is inconvenient to us, which would be a blessing to others.

I pray that me and my family get closer to God and do more for Him than we do now.  If you tithed your time the same way you tithed your ten percent for money than that would mean that you would give God 2.4 hours a day.  I know we are coming up short.

God bless everyone and safe travels to those who are traveling.

God is great!

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Don, Misty, & Kids... 

States visited so far.

Freedom Park Joint Base San Antonio Texas

Over the weekend we drove over to the Warrior and Family Support Center Freedom Park that is located near the hospital, across the railroad tracks from the Fort Sam Houston RV Park, on Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.

It is a very peaceful spot on post for our recovering heroes to relax with their families after being wounded.  It provides six acres with exercise stations, a one mile running track, ball field, and amphitheater that can seat 300.

Freedom Park on Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston Texas.

I am not exactly sure what each exercise is called in the park, but will caption them the best I can.  I really did not pay great attention to the signs explaining the exercises at each location.

One of the many exercise areas in the park.

Courtney trying out the rail jump.

Of course each child had to try their hand at each exercise station and wanted to do better than their siblings.

Avery showing us how it is done.

I was having Tia do inverted sit-ups at this exercise station.

Starting position move.

Ready exercise.  One.  (Actually she is not in proper form, so this one would not count, but she did not know that.)

Finally Courtney, who read the directions, showed us how to use this particular exercise station.  I would say that either way still works the stomach muscles pretty good though.

Courtney showing us how to do it correctly.

Tia trying the jump rail.

Avery, Ian, and Ethan trying out another exercise station in the park.

I, of course, had to make sure the hammocks were up to standard and comfortable.  I actually preferred to lay on it as pictured rather than the traditional way, which puts too much strain on my back.

Dad trying out one of the many hammocks in the park.

Tia, Courtney, and Chloe relaxing in a hammock.

A view from the hammock.

Ethan trying to do a chin-up.

Tia, Avery, and Ian doing the rope climb.

Tia, Ethan, and Avery on the rope climb.

Courtney, Avery, Tia, Misty, Chloe, Ian and Ethan.

Courtney, Avery, Tia, Chloe, Don, Ian and Ethan.

Avery, Chloe, Ian, Courtney, Ethan, and Tia posing for the camera.

Ethan, Courtney, Avery, Chloe, Tia, and Ian acting up for the camera.

Tia and Courtney climbing the cargo net.

Tia was the first one to make it to the top.

Avery with his pet Roly Poly bug he caught.

Ian showing off his climbing skills.

Tia and Avery climbing on the cargo net.

View of the amphitheater in the park.

Misty taking a break.

So that was our weekend while staying on Joint Base San Antonio - Fort Sam Houston.  

Freedom Park is a very peaceful place for our heroes to recuperate and try to get back to some type of normalcy in their lives.

Both Misty and I are proud that we served our nation, but the true heroes are the ones who gave more than us with some giving all.  I wish all Americans felt this way.

God bless them all and you and yours!  May God be with you, no matter how tough the time or issue and guide you safely through it.

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Don, Misty, and Kids...