Tour of Tragedies - San Antonio

We left the Alamo and walked a few blocks to the River Walk. The River Walk attracts over 7 million visitors each year and is the second most popular tourist attraction in Texas (only the Alamo is more popular).

After a devastating flood of the San Antonio River in 1921, political and business leaders planned to pave over the river snaking through downtown San Antonio to avoid future disasters. The plan was for the river to have become a sewer. A group of socially prominent women launched a campaign, eventually creating a WPA project to convert the river into a below-street level urban parkland, with walkways and crossover bridges. River Walk was primarily a park for many years, even developing a somewhat dubious reputation. But in preparation for the 1968 HemisFair, commercial development and beautification kicked into high gear, spawning a redevelopment of the area. The river's downtown diversion is shaped like a wine goblet. At opposite ends of the base are the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center and the multi-level Rivercenter Mall. Up the stem and along the bowl of the "goblet" are a splendid assortment of shops, restaurants, bars, cafes and hotels. Nearby are the Alamo, museums, art galleries and theaters. Everything is within walking distance in this compact city core. Scattered along the River Walk are dining and nightlife sections and quiet green spaces, including a small island which is popular for weddings; there's only room there for the wedding party, while guests watch from the bank. Open tour boats start from several spots along the river, providing a complete narrated circuit in about forty minutes. Some vessels serve catered breakfasts, lunches or dinners; still others function as taxis. The water depth ranges from 2-4 feet, so those who celebrate to excess are hardly in danger if they plop into the drink. About 2,000 party animals and/or klutzes per year take an unintended plunge. (Assume those dunkings are accidental, since there can be a $200 fine.) They drain the water along the River Walk every January. As only true Texans would, San Antonians turn the occasion into an excuse for a party, wallowing in the bed for a few days of a mucked-up Mardi Gras-style cleanup celebration. River Walk is far enough below street level that one almost forgets there's a regular city up there.

We make our way along the River Walk. I was in the high 90's and rather humid. Maybe in the spring or fall this is a more pleasant experience, or at night: to me, quite frankly, it was gross. Pigeons flitting hither and yon, many places to eat right by the foul water, steamy heat baking the dank waters. The claim was that history could have relegated this River Walk to a mere underground sewer. It seems to have developed into an above ground one. I am sure the City Fathers won't like this description, but I warn them, "Don't mess with Minnesota!".

Since we were here in San Antonio, we pretty much had to check this out. My wife had a much better opinion of the place - again, at the right time of year or at night maybe I would have too.

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