Serendipity on the San Antonio River Walk

"A visit to San Antonio, Texas in August?" I asked myself.  Blazing heat, high humidity, heavy traffic, no downtown parking, crowds of tourists - the list of reasons that I really didn't want to go to San Antonio in the summertime grew and grew.  I conjured up a miserable visit.  My husband Wayne had business dealings in a small town south of San Antonio this week. I was secretly hoping he could get his business done quickly so we could return home as soon as possible.

Thank goodness the Grinch didn't take complete control of my personality when Wayne's business was delayed for several hours.  Desperate for entertainment, we drove into San Antonio and headed for the River Walk area about 9:00 am. Traffic wasn't heavy, parking was readily available, and there was a cool breeze blowing. Good start!

First on the agenda was breakfast by the river. We crossed through the grounds of the Alamo, promising ourselves to return a little later in the day, and passed through the lobby of the Hyatt Hotel to access the walk. I must admit that first view of the river always takes my breath away.

We strolled along the river and stopped in for breakfast at a restaurant with outdoor seating .

Between watching the ducks in the water and the fellow tourists on the walking path, we stayed well entertained and ordered a second cup of coffee.

Barges plied the river, some already full of tourists of all ages enjoying themselves, and some advertising for customers. Restaurants were preparing for lunch or dinner guests later in the day.

As we walked further around the river, I especially enjoyed watching the animals who lived there. There were squirrels with long fluffy tails who scampered among the plants. White or brown ducks glided quietly through the water.

And birds watched patiently for dropped crumbs from diners' tables.

Being card-carrying Texans, we made our pilgrimage to the Alamo.  The grounds of the Alamo are beautifully landscaped.  I felt a mantle of calm fall on my shoulders as I admired all of the green, so different from our landscapes in the western part of the state.

'Serependity' is defined as "the gift of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for."  The visit to San Antonio was a bit of serendipity in our lives.  Thank goodness I didn't talk myself out of this great experience.