SAN ANTONIO!

"Well it was there I found, beside the Alamo,
Enchantments strange as the blue up above.
For that moonlit pass, that only she would know,
Still hears my broken song of love."

"Moon in all your splendor, known only to my heart,
Call back my rose, rose of San Antone.
Lips so sweet and tender, like petals falling apart,
Speak once again of my love, my own."

It's been a long time coming. For a coaster enthusiast who was used to visiting up to 50 parks annually, I hadn't been anywhere in two years!

In 2004 I fell and tore all the ligaments in my ankle and broke my leg in several places. It was a compound spiral fracture, meaning my leg bone actually spiraled before breaking apart. What followed were 2 surgeries, 3 casts, 5 months of therapy and over 8 months in a wheelchair. What a fun year!

I spent 2004 and part of 2005 a prisoner in my own house, completely dependent on friends and family to provide for me the things that I couldn't do for myself. My sisters and local friends provided help on a daily basis, and Cindy and Susan both came down for a week at a time to help. Their visits were a tonic for getting me through the most frustrating year of my life!

One of the things that helped pass the time were my conversations with Cindy about the next trip we'd like to take. We considered all of the places we'd like to visit, and at the top of the list was San Antonio! I had never been there and Cindy had only been once, and she kept saying how much she knew I would love it. So we set our sights on San Antonio, and once I started getting back on my feet, both literally and figuratively, San Antonio became a priority destination for both of us!

We decided to go in March during Cindy's spring break. I have adapted quite well to the southern heat, but I still can't fathom visiting Texas anytime after Easter. And March seemed like the perfect time of year to go, when things wouldn't be too hot or too crowded.

San Antonio has to be one of the easiest cities to vacation. It's pedestrian-friendly, very easy to get around, and many of the city's attractions are within walking distance of one another. We stayed at the Hyatt, which is right on the Riverwalk, and thanks to my Hyatt Gold Passport, I was given a room with a beautiful view of the Riverwalk!

The Riverwalk is fantastic. It sits below street level and meanders its way through a large section of downtown. There are countless restaurants, one right after another, with colorful umbrellas and tableseating right along the river's edge. Big tourist boats float up and down the river with guides pointing out some of the Riverwalk's most important features. The spanish architecture can only be described as stunning, with wonderful use of textures and color, enormous, elaborate tile mosaics, stonearch footbridges that provide a romantic backdrop for picture takers as well as access across the river, and wonderful, lush landscaping that seems to envelope you in this distinctly Tex-Mex-influenced area.

Cindy and I immediately headed for Boudros, one of the Riverwalk's best restaurants, where we were seated at a riverside table and enjoyed the best guacamole I have ever tasted, freshly prepared tableside right in front of us! We also had a prickly pear cactus margarita, which is a beautiful magenta color and incredibly tasty! So tasty, in fact, that we ordered two, along with a second round of guacamole. It was the perfect way to start our trip, and in less than an hour I was completely immersed in the San Antonio experience.

We ate at a number of different restaurants during the five days we were there. My favorite was Rio Rio Cantina, where I had a horni presidente margarita, without a doubt the best margarita I have ever had. They also had the best salsa of any place we dined, and of course their food was terrific. We also enjoyed breakfast at Zuni Grill, which was so good we ended up going back everyday. There is nothing better than having your breakfast outdoors, and for me there is nothing better than breakfast tacos, which I had everyday. On Sunday we had their brunch which included migas - a combination of scrambled eggs, melted mexican cheese, onions, salsa, green chiles, and crumbled tortilla chips cooked with the eggs until it becomes just slightly soft and develops a sheen from the eggs. Put on a homemade tortilla and eaten like a taco, it was pure Tex-Mex heaven. Served with freshly squeezed orange and mango juice and I had found my own culinary paradise.

I also want to mention our dinner at County Line Barbeque. I had read this restaurant wasn't that great, that there were better barbeque places throughout San Antonio. But each day whenever we walked by, both Cindy and I noticed how good the food looked and smelled. And finally we said screw the reviews, this place looks good! And I'm so glad we did, we both loved our meals, which included a platter of Texas beef brisket, pulled pork, sausage and baby back ribs. They also had great, smoky flavored beans and some of the best lemonade I've ever had - and I am a fanatic about lemonade and barbeque! Again we were seated at a wonderful riverside table. It was one of the best surprises of our trip and I highly recommend it. The only drawback is that it was located directly across the river from Dick's Last Resort, which thankfully Cindy and I agree is not our idea of entertainment. Good food in a good atmosphere is better entertainment than any throwed roll whizzing past my head!

Toward the end of our first night we took a boat ride through the Riverwalk. We got the last boat of the night and I'm so glad we did. There were only 10 people on the boat, which allowed plenty of room to stretch out and look around with knocking knees with anybody. The lights along the Riverwalk, the aroma from all the open air restaurants, the beautiful scenery and history... what a wonderful way to end our first night.

Everything on the Riverwalk is enchanting. Even the ubiquitous Starbucks provided a scenic view to start off my mornings. How can you not fall in love with a city when you're sitting outside at 8 o'clock in the morning, sipping a cup of coffee at a table right by the river overlooking a footbridge? In a way it was sensory overload, with the second level shops above you, towering trees arching gracefully over the river, and all the activity going on around you. We had more fun shopping and hitting the bars. Cindy stupidly packed for winter so she had to pick up some season-appropriate clothes at the RiverCenter Mall. Meanwhile I walked into a Tex-Mex store and went quite literally mad with shopping. I bought some armadillo droppings which are essentially pralines with caramel, Texas Longhorns which were a fancy name for caramel-pecan turtles, two jars of salsa, tortilla soup mix, black bean chile mix, green chile fixins and Pecos Red chili fixins. And I bought a magnet with a view of the Riverwalk. I'm sure I bought even more than that - Cindy was absolutely appalled since neither of us are shoppers, but we sure had a good time!

We also had a good time at Pat O'Briens! Well, I did anyway! Cindy made the huge mistake of ordering a third hurricane, which has very strange, unknown qualities that affect those who drink them in mysterious ways. In my case, it turned a normally wimpy drinker into an Iron Man with enhanced faculties and a composure of steel. Cindy, on the other hand, wasn't as fortunate. She lost all her dignity in a flood of weepy confessionals that I'm sure she'd just as soon forget. But I sure had fun! My only concern was losing my balance on the uneven stone paths that line the Riverwalk. Somehow I not only maintained my balance but all my senses as well, and I managed to get us from Pat O'Briens to Casa Rio for dinner, where Cindy was in such a sorry state that SHE ended up being more memorable than the meal itself!

Our trip to the Alamo was more than I expected on a historical level but less than I expected on an emotional level. It is one of those places that doesn't have any significant meaning unless you go there and actually learn from the artifacts and all information available. It requires you to actually take an interest, not just rush through the place like some kid wanting to get back to the hotel pool. I felt very sorry for one man who was very obviously into the experience, and the only thing his nag of a wife could care about was getting him out of there as quickly as possible so they could go eat at Taco Bell. Taco Bell! In San Antonio! People like that should just stay at home!

We sat outside in a courtyard and listened to a historian tell the tale of the seige at the Alamo and its cultural, political and historical impact on the citizens of San Antonio and the Republic of Texas. He was a very good storyteller, a bit like what you'd expect if you were sitting around a campfire at night telling ghost stories. And yet the whole Alamo experience left me feeling strangely detached, completely void of any emotion. Cindy too, and neither of us could figure out why. But I did enjoy visiting and would definitely go back there again to look at everything (it's much bigger than the tiny building you see in publicity shots). It just didn't move me like I thought it would.

If there is one thing I was disappointed in, it was our visit to the Market Square. We went on an uneventful, mid-week afternoon and the place wasn't very crowded. And to a non-shopper like me, every place looked the same. El Mercado was a cool building with one shop after another, but in each and every shop all the merchandise looked exactly the same! I guess I just don't have an eye for that sort of thing and neither does Cindy, so we couldn't get out of there fast enough. It turns out we went on the wrong day. We passed it the next day on our way to Sea World and the place was jamming, with concerts going on and open air vendors peddling their foods and wares. Damn!

One place that didn't disappoint was Sea World! I think the Orlando Sea World is a more beautiful park, but the San Antonio version is a great fit for this city. Steel Eel, Sea World's out and back coaster, was the most surprising coaster I've ridden in years! Surprising because I'd heard too many coaster enthusiasts express disappointment with it, apparently because of the supposed braking that slows the coaster down. I saw nor felt none of this, no braking at all. Rather, every hill came springloaded with abundant airtime, and I can't tell you how delighted I was to feel those sensations again! I came expecting to ride a smaller version of Valleyfair!'s Wild Thing (aka Mild Thing) and instead was treated to some of the most enjoyable rides I've had on a coaster of this type. I would put Steel Eel on my list of top 20 steel roller-coasters, behind only Superman: Ride of Steel, Nitro and Mamba for my favorite steel out and backs.

Great White is essentially the same coaster as Batman at various Six Flags parks, which I'm always happy to ride. Boy is it good to be back on a coaster again!!! We only rode it twice, though, before Cindy's sciatic nerve started aggravating her (good grief, are we old or what?). She could handle Steel Eel, but not the not forces Great White generated on her back. And even though she offered to sit while I continued riding, I was more than happy to go back to my new friend Steel Eel!

I think I like Sea World parks in general quite a bit more than Cindy. I am endlessly fascinated with animals and Sea World offers the kind of exhibits that are right up my alley. But I don't like to force that kind of thing on Cindy, who I don't think shares the same level of enthusiasm for it that I do. So I was completely surprised when she suggested we go in the penguin and puffin exhibit for a looksee! I happily agreed, and man, does it stink in there! It smells like... penguin! But I'm really glad we went in there because I can't imagine a person alive who wouldn't be charmed by penguins, they're such adorable creatures! I also appreciated the people movers that allow you plenty of time to enjoy the exhibit without worrying about anyone around you. They also had a Sea World employee who brought out a baby penguin and was giving educational information about its growth and development. I just think SeaWorld is a wonderful theme park that provides a perfect niche for those who enjoy aquatic animals - the great rides are just a bonus!

Our last full day was spent at Fiesta Texas, and I wish I could say I really enjoyed it. The truth is, my leg finally gave out and I just wasn't able to enjoy myself. As a result of my leg and ankle break I have permanent nerve damage that left my lower leg and foot completely numb and swollen, sometimes to a painful degree. I had been on my feet so much that the time we got to Fiesta Texas, all I wanted to do was sit down or leave! Instead we stayed the entire day, and while I'm glad we did, I really can't say I enjoyed myself. By early afternoon I was limping severely and by nightfall I couldn't bear any weight on my leg at all. Cindy would have been more than happy to leave if I had asked her to. But just like my first big roller-coaster trip where I broke 3 ribs on the first day and continued to ride for 2 weeks, I was determined to see the day through, and we stayed much longer than I should have.

As for the park it's very pretty, with spectacular waterfalls tumbling down the quarry walls that line the perimeter of the park! The place is obviously enormously popular with the people of San Antonio because this place was PACKED! Fortunately most of the lines moved fairly quickly and our only significant wait of the day came on, of all things, The Rattler.

The Rattler wasn't NEARLY as bad as I had been led to believe. For me the freakiest thing about it was the station! I felt like a human pinball winding my way up that narrow queue line. But the ride itself wasn't nearly as disappointing as I thought it would be. True, the first drop has been maimed, and I could have showered and shaved by the time we got through that helix, but contrary to other enthusiast reports, there was no stopping just before our descent into the final drop, and the start and finish were certainly fun, so the Rattler is ok in my book.

My favorite coaster was Superman Krypton Coaster. This is also a new entry in my top 20 steel. It was completely rerideable, very thrilling and easily my favorite floorless coaster. It was the one ride there that I eagerly got back in line for and truly did not want to quit riding! I was happily hobbling my way back in line and I think we got 6 rides on it before I finally had to call it quits.

I really did like many of the rides at Fiesta Texas, most notably Superman Krypton Coaster, Road Runner Express, Bug's White Water Rapids, Scooby Doo GhostBlasters and the spinning billiards teacup ride, Hustler. But by this time my leg had become a liability, and after 8 hours in the park I was ready to get back to the Riverwalk, sit down at a nice riverside table and enjoy a relaxing, delicious dinner, which on this night turned out to be the best meal of our trip, at Rio Rio Cantina. It was a perfect way to wind up our trip and take in one last night in this enchanted place.

San Antonio is one of those rare, magical cities that manages to transport you to a different time and place. No thoughts of work or home can occupy your mind here, not when you're sitting amidst one of the most romantic, atmospheric places in the country. San Antonio has that rare ability to take you out of the real world and into a place where only beauty, charm, good food and fun exists. And to me, that is what a real vacation destination should do. Mucho gusto y hasta luego, San Antonio!