Cruising on our 50th (part 3)

On our 50th month-versary, after visiting The Alamo, we walked down to the River Walk with the plan to take a river boat cruise.

Walking along the River Walk.

I had done some research beforehand and determined that Rio Cruises had good reviews -- we saw a sign outside Rainforest Cafe that they sold tickets for Rio inside, so we purchased two tickets, and then needed to walk about a block to get to the on/off spot.

On the way to the docking point, we crossed a bridge over the River Walk and saw one of the Rio boats on the river below us.

We had a little bit of a wait in line before a boat got there, but soon we were on the river with our cruise director, Bob. He gave us some safety directions -- don't hang anything outside the sides of the boat, there are safety flotation devices beneath the deck of the boat -- but if you fall over, just put your feet down and stand up and walk to the side, because the water is only 2-5' deep in most of the River Walk!

La Villita - this is an amphitheater with the stage on the other side of the river. A historic district of homes and shops is behind the amphitheater.

Bob, our driver, cruise director, tour guide, entertainment!

It is so pretty cruising on the river right in downtown San Antonio.

Tower Life Building - 8-sided 31-story built in 1929 (just before the stock market crash).

The building is "protected" by gargoyles -- these are near the bottom, but there are also gargoyles at the top which also serve as rain gutters!

Close-up of some of the gargoyles.

The Esquire Tavern - opened in 1933, the oldest bar on the River Walk - opened the day that Prohibition was struck down.

Another view along the River Walk

La Mansion (now Omni La Mansion del Rio) started its life as a boys school (https://www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/omni-la-mansion-del-rio-san-antonio/history.php).

I also found information about the River Walk on that "historic hotels" site:

Omni La Mansion del Rio is located just moments from the renowned San Antonio River Walk. Also known as the “Paseo del Río,” this spectacular cultural destination is a network of pedestrian streets that wind along the center of the San Antonio River. Given its shallow banks, that section of the river had flooded frequently throughout its history, with the worse occurring in 1921. In response, several civic planners debated the ways in which the river could be properly dammed. To that end, architect Robert H.H. Hugman proposed routing a portion of the troubled stretch of water around a beautiful manmade city park. The park itself would feature several walkways lined with old-fashioned streetlamps and would provide additional retail space for various boutique businesses. Debuting later that decade, it quickly became one of the most visited attractions in San Antonio, next to The Alamo and Military Plaza. Efforts to further expand the River Walk occurred during the 1930s, with the Works Progress Administration providing the main source of labor. Various organizations also donated their time toward preserving the River Walk’s beauty, too, such as the San Antonio Advertising Club, the San Antonio Real Estate Board, and the Daughters of the American Revolution’s San Antonio Chapter. Today, the San Antonio River Walk is one of the most vibrant cultural attractions in the entire city.

While on our boat cruise, we passed by Hugman's office (information from: https://www.hugmantour.com/Hugman-Sites-Tour/Detail-Page/ArtMID/19809/ArticleID/8365/6-Hugman-Office?ID=):

In the early 1940s architect Robert Hugman pioneered the River Walk’s commercial use by opening his office in basement of the tower of this 1891 landmark designed by James Riely Gordon. Hugman’s lettered sign on the rim of the street level balcony was later replicated in his memory. Once flood protection was assured and the River Walk became commercially viable, owners of such vintage riverside buildings had only to punch doorways in their antique basement walls to make good use of their property, lending a varied sense of antiquity to the River Walk.

Our tour guide, Bob, indicated that Hugman's confidence to place his office at the river level gave other businesses confidence that they could also operate at the river level, safe from flooding. 

Recently (2022) created statue "Stargazer" along the River Walk. (https://events.getcreativesanantonio.com/public-art/stargazer-citlali/)

We ended our visit to San Antonio with a stop at the grocery store and Sam's Club, and then headed back to our campsite at Medina Lake. We enjoyed our 50th month-versary!