Back to the Riverwalk

A week has gone by and we have many experiences to share, the "Freeze", the "Kahuna", the Hills and back to the Riverwalk. Yes, the freeze, we woke to frozen water one morning...where are we, in new England ?--no, we are still in San Antonio and the weather is about to break. This is the last cold morning we are supossed to have before the Big kahuna comes in and changes the weather patterns. What in the world is the big kahuna you ask, well that's what the local weather men or woman call a large rain and wind storm that is coming in from the west and it's going to drop a whole lota rain on this here Texas town. Well, did it ? Yes sir it did...it never rains this much in January in Texas they say. We had 2 days of constant rain which is really no big deal for new England but in Texas !!! the soil can't take it, no loam just limestone in most places. The rain just gathers on the surface and makes the ground look like large lakes popping up all over. The roads in a lot of lower places are shut down because the water rises, has no place to go and creates a hazard for cars. "Turn around or drown" read the signs at the barricades and detour signs, one will get charged $660.. to get pulled from the high waters if you chose to try and cross. The creeks, as they call them here, fill very quickly and most flow over the lowland roads. Matter of fact, some of the roads are built so that the creek just flows over it. "Not in Massachusetts" We will include a picture of this in this reading.

Enough of this strange happening, the weather did change, it warmed a bit and back to the city we ventured.
We find our way a bit easier each time we make the trip. "Mona" has been a big help. For those of you that do not know, Mona is our GPS...our lifesaver to say the least. We arrived again at the Riverwalk, no, there is still no water. Lots of mud and a few dead fish though the weather much better and we "walked the walk"...yes, even our spirts are better. Although a shopping and restaurant paradise, this area was transformed in order to control the San Antonio River so it wouldn't flood the town.

It’s a stretch to call the entire River Walk a neighborhood—at least it will be in just a few years. The downtown segment that most people think they know is about to be extended from 2 to thirteen miles, connecting many of San Antonio's museums and historic districts ( including the work-in-progress development at the old Pearl Brewery where there’s already a thriving school for professional chefs and another, by Aveda, for cosmeticians) with the beautifully preserved Spanish-colonial missions to the south.

River Walk Facts

• The River Walk is maintained and operated as a park by the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department.
• The source of the river’s headwaters are natural springs that are part of a vast underground lake called the Edwards Aquifer, also a source of drinking water for much of the Hill Country and San Antonio.
• The reason the River seems small is because the headwaters are very near downtown. For instance, the “Mighty Mississippi” begins with a stream that’s only five feet across.
• The San Antonio River ultimately flows for 131 miles through six counties, and empties into the Guadalupe River, a few miles inland from San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico.

The River Walk Began as Flood Control

In earlier years, the city had experience flooding along the banks of the now alluring San Antonio River. Many city fathers favored paving over the river as a means of flood control. In 1924, the San Antonio Conservation Society battled to keep the river afloat and backed a design proposed by Robert H.H. Hugman in 1929—the River Walk. The project was finished with WPA funding in 1938 and has remained a source of life and a hub of culture for the Alamo City.

Above taken from the "official San Antonio website" We had an enjoyable day exploring the sights and of course the food from this area. Next, the hills, yes hills outside of San Antonio. Will be working on this in a day or two. Thanks for reading !!!!