![\"\"](\"https:\/\/petersontravels.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/wp-17603039051442651577928320117741.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWe didn’t spend much time inside as a wedding was about to happen.\u00a0 The cathedral was built by soldiers from the Presidio de San Antonio as well as settlers from the Canary Islands.\u00a0 For this reason the interior\u00a0 has an image of the Virgin of Candelaria, the patroness of the Canary Islands.<\/p>\n
In 1836 the cathedral, still a parish church, played a role in the Battle of the Alamo when General Santa Anna hoisted a flag of “no quarter” (surrender or die) from the church’s tower, marking the beginning of the siege.<\/p>\n
Just across the Main Plaza is this interesting looking building, the Bexar County Courthouse.<\/p>\n Just outside the courthouse this historical plaque once again referred to immigrants from the Canary Islands.\u00a0 These Spanish settlers formed the first organized civil government in Texas, founding San Antonio in 1731.\u00a0 This makes San Antonio the second oldest city in the United States, behind only St. Augustine (which we are visiting towards the end of this trip).<\/p>\n We spent some time at Historic Market Square, a collection of shops selling Mexican goods.\u00a0 Pretty much every store was selling the sort of thing you’d see if you ever visited Tijuana, minus the Chiclets\u00a0 at the border crossing.\u00a0 I’d skip it unless you are into that sort of thing.\u00a0 I didn’t take any photos.<\/p>\n I also didn’t take any photos of the restaurant on the second night, Bliss<\/a><\/strong>, but it was the best meal we’ve had in a long time!\u00a0 We had the best grilled Octopus we’ve had since we visited Spain, and Kim’s “Shrimp and Grits” was out of this world good!\u00a0 My scallops were excellent as well.\u00a0 If you come to San Antonio, come here!!\u00a0 Here is a photo off the internet of the interior.\u00a0 Gorgeous spot!<\/p>\n Walking on the River Walk on a Friday or Saturday night is like walking on the Vegas strip….crowded as hell with a lot of obviously over-indulged people!\u00a0 I would opt for mid-week if possible….Thursday night was a ghost town by comparison.\u00a0 It does look beautiful at night.<\/p>\n The line to take a boat ride looked like it might be at least an hour long if not more.\u00a0 Still, it’s beautiful at night.<\/p>\n We decided to opt for the boat tour on on our last morning, when it wasn’t nearly as crowded.\u00a0 Our guide pointed out the bridge in the background, called the Selena Bridge, as it was used in the movie “Selena”, which we’ve never seen.\u00a0 Jennifer Lopez stars as Selena, and she was proposed to on this bridge in the movie, so it’s a big attraction for Selena fans (I have no idea who she is).\u00a0 According to our guide Jennifer Lopez was actually proposed to on this bridge, but he was unable to answer our question “which marriage”?\u00a0 There have been too many.<\/p>\n The guide pointed out this building, which was the first air conditioned hospital in San Antonio, where none other than Carol Burnett was born.\u00a0 At least some of the people on the boat knew who that is!\u00a0 This is the Nix Building, built in 1930, a 23-story hospital that made it the tallest and largest in the US at the time.<\/p>\n After the tour we walked over to the Saint Joseph Catholic Church, which is completely surrounded by a mall.\u00a0 The church was built by German immigrants and completed in 1871.\u00a0 The archdiocese refused to sell out to the mall developer so they had to build around it.<\/p>\n It reminded me of “The Little House” book I read as a child.\u00a0 Loved that book!<\/p>\n We wanted to see the stained glass windows that were imported from Munich in 1902.\u00a0 Unfortunately the church was closed, but still beautiful from the outside.<\/p>\n Of course we were again near The Alamo, so I had to get one last shot from a different angle.<\/p>\n The Walgreen Drugs in downtown San Antonio was one of the first of the stores, opening in 1901.\u00a0 They still have the original neon sign!<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n