Had a little R & R this weekend visiting my sister at an American Association of Petrochemical Geologists conference in San Antonio, TX. It is a nice city, and I found most everyone friendly and eager to share a little about their beloved town. The taxi cab drivers, the kind folks who offered me a drive to the hotel from the airport, the airport employees, and even a few locals I met were fun to talk to. Service at some of the restaurants was on the sloppy side; mostly teenagers who would have prefered to be anywhere but at work, I think. But all in all, there was a welcoming, friendly atmosphere there.The city has a canal that runs through it below street level, and it reminded me much of Venice, with a very Mexican flair. The "River Walk" along the canal was quaint, though crowded. The taxi driver I had on the way back to the airport said it is only so crowded on weekends. I was there Saturday through Monday, so I really didn't get to enjoy the city without the crowds.
Paige and I visited the botanical garden and that was a wonderful experience. I especially like the fact that it didn't cater to exotics and far-flung species that have nothing to do with Texas. There many exhibits and natural settings that highlighted the native Texan landscape and indiginous plants. If we had more time, there were several more things to see. I enjoyed San Antonio enough that I would like to go back again one day to see more.
