"You Bring My Daddy Back?"

Bernie and I try to spend at least one long weekend alone together every year. For a variety of reasons, this didn't happen in 2014. I had been to San Antonio three previous times. It is a city I've enjoyed and wanted to share. I already had mediations scheduled there for the first week in January. Nick was still home from school and was willing to help with Jack and Vivian. Bernie decided to come with me. We extended the trip by one day and turned it into a mini-vacation with work in the middle. We had a great time. It was like having date night for three nights in a row.

Before we left, we prepared the kids as best we could. Since I travel for work, Vivi was fine with me going, but was nervous about Bernie leaving her. She asked me more than once, "you bring my Daddy back?" She seemed fine when we left and was genuinely excited about spending some time with Nick and Grandma.

Our trip to Texas was uneventful and we got in late on Monday night. We were able to rent a Camaro which Bernie dubbed "the Batmobile." It was a far cry from the minivan we parked at the airport in Hartford. We could barely fit our suitcases in the trunk.

The first stop on our agenda on Tuesday was a boat tour of the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk runs 2.5 miles through downtown; connecting hotels, restaurants, entertainment and businesses. We stayed right on the Riverwalk and there was plenty to do within walking distance. In addition to the tours, you can have dinner on a boat, and there is a 24-hour water taxi. The river is 4' at most locations but gets as deep as 18' near some of the locks. It is beautifully done and we were told it was inspired by Venice. They often drain the river for a thorough cleaning right after New Year's Day. We were lucky that cleaning wasn't necessary this year or we would have been looking at a concrete ditch all week.

 

 

Our next stop was the Alamo. Bernie was really looking forward to being there. We took the Battlefield Tour and discovered that what actually happened is not at all like what is portrayed in the movies. I also think it's interesting how differently U.S. History is taught throughout the country. When I took it, the majority of the class time was focused on the American Revolution. We didn't spend much time at all on the Alamo or or the Battle of San Jacinto. Many Texas schoolchildren actually memorized the "Travis Letter," which pled for more men and more supplies to help hold off Santa Anna and his Mexican Troops. We were unable to take pictures inside the mission and we were also instructed not to touch the walls (which of course only made me want to touch them more). Here are a few pictures we took outside. We went back the next evening to take the nighttime pictures.

 

After the Alamo, we had lunch at the County Line on the Riverwalk. Bernie enjoyed his authentic Texas BBQ brisket. I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to BBQ, but even my vegetable kabob was pretty tasty.

 

Our next stop was El Mercado - Market Square. It is the largest Mexican market in the U.S. There are about 80 speciality shops that sell all kinds of brightly colored merchandise including hand embroidered dresses, sombreros, instruments, and ceramics. There is also a farmers' market that takes place there and many festivals. Given the time of year and weather (it was chilly at 50 degrees by San Antonio standards), we were two of few customers around. I can see how this would be a lively place during the spring and summer. I'm also told that the merchandise here was extremely reasonable until the border was closed; now the prices are more in line with what you would expect from an area that draws a high number of tourists.

I took Bernie to Max's Wine Dive for dinner. I have been to this restaurant a few times in Houston. Their Max N' Cheese is one of the best recipes for macaroni and cheese that I've ever tasted. Bernie enjoyed it too but argues that his recipe (really an adaptation of my grandmother's recipe) is better.

 

We ended the day by attending the Spurs game. The stadium is only a few miles from the Riverwalk. San Antonio is so well constructed that it feels like a little city. I was surprised when I heard it is the 8th largest city in the country. It happened to be Star Wars night at the Spurs. For a few moments there, I was wishing that Jack was with us. He would have enjoyed the music and all the costumes.

 

 

I had to work on Wednesday. Bernie spent the day relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet. When I got back, we spent sometime exploring the River Walk. We went to the River Center Mall in search of souvenirs for the kids. We stopped at Boudro's so I could enjoy a Prickly Pear Margarita or two (yum). 



We also visited my favorite Irish Pub, Durty Nelly's. They give you peanuts and it is customary to toss the shells on the floor. By the end of the night the floor is covered and you end up crunching the shells with your shoes. They have a comedian/piano player that heckles the audience and encourages you to sing along. Even though there weren't many patrons when we were there, it was still entertaining.

 

We ended the evening with a Tex-Mex dinner at Acenar. Bernie didn't much care for the waiter who only seemed to cater to the females in the room. Nevertheless the food was excellent and it had a nice contemporary atmosphere.

 

We traveled home on Thursday. I walked in the door before Bernie. Vivi gave me a big hug, but asked almost immediately, "you bring my daddy back?" She leapt into his arms when she saw him. There is no doubt that she is daddy's little girl.

We are very lucky that we have Nick, Bernie's mom and Kellee to help us so that we can get away once in awhile. It was nice to have Bernie all to myself for a few days. I hope we get to do this again soon.