November 28, 2012 - River Walk South (YRE)

We entered an amazing urban sanctuary across the street from the start point. I was immediately struck by how pleasant the River Walk was. There was a beautifully landscaped path on both sides of the river. There were flowers, green plants, and trees. There were benches all along the River Walk, many of them calling out, "Sit on me!" There were ducks and fish and even an egret. Each bridge was different and most of them had beautiful mosaics underneath. There were frequent access points to the River Walk - many of them leading straight from hotels. There were interpretive signs to explain the flood control project and various historical aspects of the River Walk. There were also a number of "Rio Taxi" stops.

On the River Walk near the start of the volkswalk

San Fernando Cathedral

When we reached the River Park, we took the steps up to the street level to visit the Main Plaza and the San Fernando Cathedral, which boasts the oldest cathedral sanctuary in the U.S. The original part of the church was built between 1738 and 1750. Jim Bowie was married there in 1831. Davy Crockett, William Travis, and Jim Bowie are buried there.

Bexar County Courthouse

Another noteworthy building in the Main Plaza area is the red sandstone Romanesque Revival Bexar County Courthouse (1892-1896).

Historic home in King William District

Back on the River Walk, we continued past the site of the San Antonio Arsenal to the Guenther Street Bridge. At this point we wandered into the King William Historic District, an elegant residential neighborhood created in the late 1800's.


Returning to the River Walk, we proceeded to River Bend. The River Bend is a horseshoe shaped loop of the river. This is the most developed section of the River Walk. At the curve of the bend we left the River Walk and entered La Villita, the oldest part of San Antonio. It is now home to art galleries and touristy shops.

Federal Courthouse

Our walk continued to HemisFair Park, a redeveloped area built to house the 1968 World's Fair. (When did they stop having World's Fairs?) At HemisFair Park you will find the Tower of the Americas (think Space Needle), the Institute of Texas Cultures, the Convention Center, historic buildings, and more. The unique round building that is occupied by the Federal Court House was originally the United States pavilion.

Back to the River Walk, past more hotels, and on to the River Center Mall. At the next bridge we exited the River Walk to the highlight of today's walk: the Alamo! I grew up watching The Davy Crockett Show on TV and watching Disney movies about Davy Crockett, so the Alamo was larger than life in my imagination. In reality, it's not that big. But it was still very cool.

Passing through the Hyatt lobby, we returned again to the River Walk and we came to the section with all the restaurants with seating on the edge of the water. When it gets chilly in the evening, some places provide provide blankets, others provide gas heaters. You can even get guacamole made tableside.

Our 11k walk ended after passing some war memorials and the Municipal Auditorium.

If you decide to do this walk, there are a few things you should know before you go. Fist, there is metered parking right near the start point at 25 cents an hour. Bring lots of quarters and park for at least 6 hours so you will have plenty of time to shop, eat and sightsee during your walk. Second, the part of the River Walk with all of the restaurants is after the Alamo. Don't give in and eat at the food court at the River Center Mall - hold out for a waterside table during the last part of the walk.

Walk Route: A+

Walk Instructions: B

November 27, 2012 - Fredericksburg (YRE)

It was so nice to be joined by friends Peter and Ellen for our 10k walk in Fredericksburg. It was another sunny day but only in the upper 50's when we started.

Fredericksburg (pop. 10,500) is located in the Texas Hill Country. It was founded by German settlers in 1846.

A "Sunday House"

The devout German farmers who settled in this area drove into town for religious services. They built small houses known as "Sunday Houses" for use on weekends and religious holidays. Fredericksburg boasts many other buildings of historical significance and architectural interest. A large number of buildings bear historical plaques.

 

One of the earliest dwellings

Fredericksburg has become a major tourist attraction with many charming B&B's, restaurants, art galleries, wineries, hiking, and special events.  Historical structures are plentiful, too.

Traditional German holiday decorations were up at the Marktplatz

In the center of town is the "Marktplatz," with an unusual 8-sided building. The walk route also passes the birthplace of Admiral Chester Nimitz, the Nimitz State Historical Park, and the National Museum of the Pacific War.

St. Joseph's Halle - 1900

 

The streets in Fredericksburg were very wide so that carriages could turn around

The first and last kilometers of the walk were really dull. The walk would be much better if the start box could be located closer to the downtown core.

One significant fact about this volkswalk:  the stamp is #0001.    Apparently this was the first volkswalk in the US.

Walk Route: C+

Walk Instructions: B

Old St. Mary's, One of the first churches built in Fredericksburg

The "Elephant Building"

November 25, 2012 - Fairview Park (YRE)

Today was a gorgeous day to walk the 10k YRE walk in the Fairview Park/Travis Heights section of South Austin. Our walk started at Extended Stay America (formerly Homestead Studio Suites). After walking down South Congress, we turned into the Fairview Park neighborhood.

"The Academy"

Charles Newning began developing Fairview Park in the 1880's with an emphasis on large lots, graded curving streets and extensive landscaping. This vision can be still be seen in this lovely neighborhood. There is a wide variety of architectural styles, including Victorian, Queen Anne, Craftsman, and even Spanish Colonial Revival. My favorite was "The Academy," built in 1889.

 


 

Spanish Colonial Revival

The greenbelt

Before heading to the Travis Heights neighborhood, the route follows a greenbelt alongside a creek, emerging near the community swimming pool, built by the WPA in 1935. Travis Heights was founded in 1912 and most of it was built in the 1920's. This neighborhood also contains many notable period houses, including Four Square, Colonial Revival, Queen Anne and Arts & Crafts.

 

Street food on "SoCo"

Emerging on South Congress Street, we stopped at Wahoo's Fish Taco for lunch, before proceeding down a lengthy stretch of South Congress Street. South Congress Street is a fun, eclectic street full of hip cafes and boutiques. It was Sunday and South Congress Street also offered a street fair with craft tents and food wagons. The impressive campus of the Texas School for the Deaf is also located on Congress Street. 

What a treasure this section of Austin is!

Walk Route: B+

Walk Instructions: B 

(It was hard to follow the instructions in a few places, especially after crossing the bridge into the greenbelt.)

November 24, 2012 - Old Jailhouse Walk (YRE)

"Come and Take It!"  This defiant phrase can be seen on flags all over Gonzales, Texas.







 
The first battle of the Texas Revolution was fought on October 2, 1835 in Gonzales.  A small group of  Texians successfully resisted the Mexican forces who had orders from to seize their cannon. (A Texian was a resident of Mexican Texas or the Republic of Texas.) As a symbol of defiance, the Texians had fashioned a flag containing the phrase "Come and Take It" along with a black star and an image of the cannon which they had received six years earlier from Mexican officials—this was the same message that was sent to the Mexican government when they told the Texians that they had to return their cannon.

The Old Jailhouse

We began our 10k walk at the Old Jail Museum. 









 
















We continued past the Gonzales County Courthouse, a fabulous landmark built in 1896 in the Romanesque Revival style.  Our route began to follow the town's Historic Driving Tour route as we entered a residential area.  Gonzales (pop. 7237) has a large number of historic homes.  Many of them are well-preserved and have plaques indicating the date of construction and the name of the original owner.  There were homes from the 1850s through about 1915, with a majority from the 1880's and 1890's.  There was an interesting mixture of architectural styles, including Greek revival and Victorian.  Many of the houses featured expansive verandahs.

The walk included Memorial Square and Confederate Square in the downtown area.  Most of the downtown comercial buildings seemed abandoned.

As we passed the Municipal Building a gentleman approached me and asked if I was a visitor.  He welcomed me to Gonzales and told me about the three different self-guided walking tours that are available. (I had indeed noticed a brochure for these walking tours at the Old Jailhouse/Visitor's Center.)

The next destination was the Masonic Cemetery. On the wat back from the cemetery we walked through an uninteresting industrial area behind the municipal building.  Then we headed back into the Historic District.  At one point we saw an old building (built in 1851) that used to be a college.

Our final destination was the Gonzales Memorial Museum and the Eggleston House.  The Museum contains the "Come and Take It Cannon."  Unfortunately, we didn't know that when we were doing the walk, or we would have taken the time to go into the Museum.  This is the kind of information that ought to be included in the walk instructions.  The Museum also memorializes the "Immortal 32," the  32 men from Gonzales who were killed at the Battle of the Alamo.

Walk Route: B-

Walk Instructions: D
(There was no map.  There were no explanations of the points of interest.)

November 9, 2012 - Fort Myers (YRE)

This is a place holder until I have time to work on this blog

November 8, 2012 - Naples (YRE)

This is a place holder until I have time to work on this blog.

November 7, 2012 - Fort Lauderdale (YRE)

This is a place holder until I have time to write this blog.

November 5, 2012 - Charleston (YRE)

I have already written about this volkswalk (September 3, 2011), but the opportunity arose to walk this charming route again. This time, the temperature was much more comfortable. (For more about Charleston, please see my earlier post.)

Entrance to City Market

Using the instructions from my last visit, we started at the City market, which is only about a block from the end of the cruise dock.

 

We deviated from the route by about a half block to visit Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, the fourth oldest Jewish congregation in the U.S. and the first Reform congregation in the U.S. Founded in the 1740's. We were lucky to find a docent available to give us a tour. 

The front entrance to Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim faces the side lot line

The present Greek Revival building was built in 1840 and is the second oldest synagogue building in the United States and the oldest in continuous use. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1980.     

Interior of KKBE

There are a lot of great places to eat and shop along this route. Almost every building is historic. There is a lot to do in the area - you could easily fill up three or four days sightseeing.  There is also a volkswalk at Magnolia Plantation.

 

In 2011, Charleston was named #1 U.S. City by Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards and #2 Best City in the U.S. and Canada by Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards. Also in 2011, Bon Appetit magazine named Husk, located on Queen Street in Charleston, the Best New Restaurant in America. 

America's most-published etiquette expert, Marjabelle Young Stewart, recognized Charleston 1995 as the "best-mannered" city in the U.S, a claim lent credibility by the fact that it has the first established Livability Court in the country. In 2011, Travel + Leisure named Charleston "America's Sexiest City", as well as "America's Most Friendly." Subsequently, Southern Living  named Charleston "the most polite and hospitable city in America." In 2012, Travel + Leisure voted Charleston as the second best-dressed city in America, only behind New York City.