Revisiting, Rediscovering And Reminiscing The Riverwalk

My family and I revisited San Antonio , Texas this weekend. My son was only 1-year-old when we first encountered the charming Riverwalk, a network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River. It is lined with bars, restaurants and shops. It’s a fusion of the rich, old , fascinating historical landmarks bringing into mind a nostalgic romantic side of the past to that of the exciting urban structures of the 20th century.

Here we go...

A very close encounter with another boat. Easy my man, we have all the time tonight!

There's so much bars and restaurants to choose from.

Bells on the wall behind the stage where music and dancing are performed.

750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas provides the most breathtaking view of the Alamo city. Guests can dine at the revolving restaurant or have a grand time watching the panoramic sceneries at the observation deck.

The defenders who died for freedom's glory became the source of inspiration for Texans

The Riverwalk are two parallel sidewalks that winds and loops under bridges. It’s like the Texan version of Venice. It connects to the major tourist draws from the chic Rivercenter Mall to the famous Alamo which for 13 days in 1936 was held by 200 Texan defenders who fought courageously and offered their lives for the price of liberty against the more than 1,000 troops of Gen. Santa Anna. Seeing the Alamo reminded me of the men and women who continually fights for our freedom and democracy up to this very day. My son is a fan of the army and he wants to be a soldier when he grows up. I asked him why and with a child-like innocence he said, ” because they ride cool trucks.” I admire him for being vocal about his dream but it scares me to think of what that means in the future. I just can not imagine what parents feel today when their children are sent off to war-torn places. Much as we our proud of their heroism, bravery and patriotism, there’s always the fear that they may never come back. He’s only 5 but time flies quickly . Before I know it, he will be 18 and has wings of his own.

My son enjoyed the boat ride. He was amazed by the lighted tall buildings.

We saw other interesting architectural structures like the Arneson River Theater, the San Antonio Museum of Art and the Pearl Brewery but the one that struck me the most was the optimistic, friendly and happy attitude of both the local residents and the tourists. There was this one woman along the side of the strip who waved at us and shouted, ” I love you all , I love you all.” I was tempted to shout back for silliness sake, ” I love you too,” but my wife was next to me. She would probably laugh and thought it was the low sugar that’s causing me to talk crazy.

The beckoning of the Twin Towers.

This tree witnessed 300 years of history.

Riverwalk Mall

By 09:30 p.m. the boat ride was over. We were all starving. We left Houston around 5 p.m. and the last main meal we had was lunch. We decided to have dinner at Tony Roma’s . My wife was craving for their delicious Original Baby Back Ribs while I tried their equally tasty Shrimp Scampi Pasta which I shared with my son ( or was it him sharing with me? ). We chose to eat outside the restaurant overlooking the river. The ambience was just perfect. The weather cool and breezy. The lights teasing and playful. I was planning to savor the food but my hunger took control of me and I basically gobbled whatever was on my plate. My son was also busy digging on the pasta like it was the last one in the world . He kept on saying, ” this is so good mom, this is so good.”

My son finished most of the pasta. It's one of his favorite food.

We went back to our hotel tired but appreciative of our visit to the Riverwalk. We just made new memories with our son whom he’ll remember in the years to come. After our night-time prayers, I tucked him in his bed. We’re having another big adventure the next day at Six Flags. My son was all excited and so am I.

It was time to call it a night. We will definitely come back and make new discoveries on our next visit. Thank you for reading this post. I hope it reminded you of a wonderful place that once held a special place in your memory.