San Antonio

We've been back at the PPR for a few days, but Sam, Mom and I have all been feeling dragged down by a cold that gradually worsened while on our trip. On Monday we drove into Tucson to see our respective doctors and with the medications prescribed, I think we're finally on the mend. I'm thankful that Sam can always make my Mom laugh, even when we're sick and traipsing around Walmart.

But let me tell you about San Antonio last week. That's way more fun! We started with dinner at a crawfish place.

It was quite a feast, poured onto the middle of the table.

We dug in with our hands, of course.

Ma regaled us (several times!) with tales of catching crawdads in the creek at her childhood home in Kansas City.

After that scrumptious meal, Sam spied a nearby Goodwill store, for a half hour stroll through the aisles. By this time, he was in full "selfie" mode.

The next day, we headed for the Alamo. Looks like Mom and I are getting a little weary of the selfies.

It was a thrill to experience this historic western fort first built as a Spanish mission in the 1700's.

You can feel the age of the surrounding walls and windows, and imagine what life was like for the people who lived (and died) there.

Our next stop was just a few blocks away . . . the River Walk! Built along the banks of the San Antonio River one level below the streets, it's an incredibly beautiful and unique downtown attraction.

We found our way down to the walk, and Mom was off and running!

Though she did slow down eventually.

We took the boat tour so we could see more of it without tiring her out.

The river meanders past many historic buildings, restaurants and shops.

More of those Texas size sculptures.

It was a perfect day (though the parking was a challenge) and has become one of my new favorite places!

The next day we took a few hours to wash some clothes. Sam calls this "Several Shades of Grey." Definitely Ma's favorite color these days.

They had fun with one final thrift store before we headed home, a long couple of days, but with Sam's long distance driving skills, he made it easy on us.

We just wish we hadn't been feeling too poorly to make it to our friend Robbie's Air Force basic training activities. Sam graduated basic training at the same base 33 years ago! We missed seeing you all (but we also didn't want to pass along our colds!).