Texas + New Mexico - Day 3 - Part 3

Lunch


We go to Leigh and Mason's house for lunch after exploring San Antonio's Japanese Tea Garden and San Antonio Zoo. To read about those adventures, please click on the links below. Leigh and Mason make grilled chicken, carrots, and creamed corn for lunch, all of which are delicious. We let Zelda play for a bit before putting her back in the car to go to the San Antonio River Walk.

River Walk


We drive into San Antonio and head downtown toward the River Walk. We find a place to park and then venture down a set of stairs to the river below. It is so cool how the city built this out. There are beautiful gardens and fountains lining the river walk along with all of the businesses. Most of the businesses are restaurants and bars, but there are a few gift shops, ice cream parlors, and coffee shops, too.


When we get to the bottom of the stairs, we walk a bit past some storefronts and then the river is there in front of us. We are immediately greeted with a boat going by with a single passenger.

A pink boat glides through a lush green canal surrounded by tall trees in a scenic park waterway.

We continue walking, and find an ice cream shop to stop in. Zelda shares bites of ice cream from everyone else's cones and dishes, and then we head back to the river. We just walk and explore, the Texas heat blanketing me. I don't do very well in heat - well, that's kind of a lie. I do just fine, but my face gets red due to vasodilation. I'm very self conscious about it, which causes my anxiety to spike, and whenever someone comments on it I get aggravated. I'm trying to work on this though, as Zelda also gets a bit pink when she's hot. If it weren't for people commenting on the color of my face in the heat, I'd do just fine.


Along with the heat, Zelda really wants to be held by my, so Jeremy and I default to the same pattern we had back in Carlsbad Cavern National Park. I hold her until I want to take a picture, then hand her off to her father, and he holds her until she wants me again. Repeat as needed.


We love the river walk. The twinkle lights, the plants, the water, the scenery is all beautiful.

A scenic pedestrian bridge with black iron railings spans a calm river beside a large green tree in San Antonio.
Crowded outdoor restaurant patio with colorful umbrellas and string lights on a lively two-story building.
Two people walk along the San Antonio River Walk canal path with a bridge and restaurants visible in the background.
A handwritten cardboard sign rests against large tree roots near a waterway, surrounded by scattered debris.
San Antonio River Walk canal lined with lush trees, colorful decorations, and stone buildings at dusk.
Black and white photo of a tall art deco building with a palm tree in the foreground against a cloudy sky.
Person in red jacket walking on wet pavement at night under bridge with string lights and stone wall.
Family walking along a scenic riverwalk path with a toddler in a floral dress near outdoor dining.
Colorful illuminated archway entrance to a lively outdoor restaurant patio at dusk in San Antonio.

The Evening


We loop back to the vehicle when Zelda starts to get tired and make our way back to the house. Mason and Leigh warm up leftovers for us all, which we are very grateful for. Zelda sits on their living room floor and watches Bluey while playing with her new toys that her grandparent's bought for her. Jeremy and I at some point step out to go get more coffee, but it's overall a very relaxing evening.