Days 18-19 McKinney to San Antonio

I spent a lazy day on Monday at the home of Jim and Betty, with Gipper and I swimming in their pool, and Madison too afraid to go in. We also went to the vet and received meds for Madison for what they determined was a bronchial infection.

On Tuesday, I drove through Dallas morning rush hour to head towards San Antonio. On some of the state highways (not the interstates), the posted speed limit was actually 85, which I don’t think I have seen anywhere. Arriving in San Antonio mid-afternoon, there were three things I wanted to see, and all were within walking distance of each other. First, I saw the San Fernando Cathedral, also called the Cathedral of Our Lady of Candelaria and Guadalupe. Built between 1738 and 1750, it is one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also where Jim Bowie married Maria Ursula de Veramendi in 1831. The ashes of the heroes that died defending the Alamo on March 6, 1836, are also interred there.

From the church, the dogs and I walked along about half of the River Walk which winds through the center of the city, one level below the streets. It has parallel sidewalks that have entrances to shops, restaurants, and hotels. It offers lots of shade, which protected us somewhat from the 99-degree temperature. Near the end of the walk, we took a slight (two block) side excursion to the Alamo. I couldn’t go in because of the dogs, but a friendly stranger snapped a picture of us. Madison did not want to pose nicely, even though he tried about eight shots.

From there, I drove 45 minutes to our campsite at the Guadalupe River State Park, another excellent campground.