San Antonio Missions

Ted. Of course, Judy and I have heard of the famous San Antonio River Walk but we thought it was just a two-mile long canal with tourist boats plying the waters and touristy cafes lining the banks. That happens to be true of the original stretch of river, which was developed downtown in the 1930’s. Since that time, though, the city has wisely expanded the walk to create a trail that now follows the San Antonio River for 15 miles.  For most of that length, it is a peaceful paved path, often on both sides of the river. 

South of town, the River Walk strings together four missions to form the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the Alamo is certainly the most famous mission in this area, the 18^th century Franciscan monks established a whole series of missions along the river. 

We decided that the best way to explore this area was on two wheels so, after taking the bus to the Blue Star Arts Complex, we rented bicycles ($20 for a half day). Loading a picnic lunch and water into our baskets, we headed out on a 20 mile round trip adventure. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon and the trail was not crowded at all. 

Crossing the San Antonio, which is not a big river

Mission Concepción

Why were the indigenous hunter/gathers in this region willing to provide the labor to build these impressive complexes? Apparently, several forces were at play. Diseases introduced by the Spaniards and attacks by the warlike Lipan Apaches led to an increased need for safety and reliable food supplies.

The walls of Mission San José encompass a large area

Originally, the walls of the churches were brightly painted

Mission San Juan

In addition to the missions, we saw some wildlife and remnants of the irrigation canals (acequias)  built during the mission days to supply the crops.

This acequia is still in use

Courtyard of Mission Espada

We finished up at the Blue Star Brewery; a perfect end for an interesting day – one of the best during our visit.

We knew we were nearly back in San Antonio when we spied the tower of the Americas

Why San Antonio?

Ted. We heard this question a lot after we announced our travel plans for this spring. The short answer is “Why not San Antonio?” The reality is that we were looking for a way to return to the American West. We quickly settled on the Southwest because it would be a bit warmer. We lived in Arizona back in the 80’s but neither of us had spent much time in Texas. We have heard great things about San Antonio from folks who had visited and knew a couple of people who lived in Texas and that pretty well settled the matter.

We are two weeks into our 5-week Texas adventure and I must say that I am pleased with our choice. Frankly, the only negative so far has been the weather. We’ve had some nice days but there have been a lot of cold, rainy days. As all travelers know, weather does affect one’s impression of a place. The outlook is for sunny skies and warming temperatures so I think the worst is behind us.

So what do we like so far?

People – With the exception of one grumpy Uber driver, folks have been uniformly friendly. That includes people at our church, bus drivers, my barber, Jesse and folks we pass in the street. I was surprised by the fact that I have rarely heard that harsh (to my ear) Texas twang. Nearly everyone we meet, which includes many locals, speak in a very neutral manner. Some people we’ve met have relocated from elsewhere in the country but many were born here.

Enjoying brunch with Servas hosts Brad & Gaby

Jesse's barber shop (most heads remain unclipped)

Christ Episcopal Church is quite large but filled with lots of open, friendly members. I attend a morning men’s group, Judy goes to a knitters group and we both volunteer at the Saturday morning outreach project. This is a weekly combination food bank, clothes bank and taco breakfast serving 75 –150 needy individuals and families from the surrounding neighborhoods. Yes, I’m back in the kitchen!

This Sunday was the annual jazz mass, which was followed by a gumbo dinner - a little bit of mardi gras right here in San Antonio.

A family of Dr Seuss fans at the rodeo

"Mutton busters" at the rodeo with nervous steeds in the background

VIA Metropolitan Transit – We are carless, which is easy to do here. Yes, we do walk a lot but, as seniors, we were able to get passes for unlimited bus rides for a month for only $19. The bus system is great! The buses are neat, clean and prompt with friendly drivers.  There have only been one or two occasions where we had to take Uber. Unfortunately, we rarely see more than six people on the bus but that is typical of transit systems around this country. As the old saying goes, “it doesn’t matter how good the dog food is, if the dogs won’t eat it.” Americans just don’t like buses! 

Our home - We have a cozy, 2-bedroom duplex in a funky, gentrifying part of town. The owner is great and we’re just a five minute walk to a YMCA which is always our go-to place for workouts (me) and yoga (Judy). Plus, the barking dog next door brings back fond memories of Oaxaca.

History & Culture – Founded in 1718, there is a lot of interesting history here (remember the Alamo?). There also appears to be a lot of old money so the arts are well supported. Last night we attended a free concert at San Fernando Cathedral and tomorrow night we’ll visit the Briscoe Western Art Museum (free on Tuesday nights).

We’ve still got two more weeks here and have lots of things we want to do. We probably won’t see everything though because, as we are finding, it’s also nice just to live in San Antonio.

Memorial to the 400 families from the Canary Islands who first settled Texas

Big

Judy. Back in the ‘70’s when I was in graduate school in Denver, my best friend was a Texan named Paula. Everything about Paula was big. Big woman, big heart, big talent, big dreams, big attitude, big smile. Definitely a woman living large. She taught me a lot about acceptance, tolerance, and drive. When she passed away a few years ago, I, as well as the huge number of friends and students who loved her, was devastated. 

Big Paula, little dog

Since we’ve arrived in San Antonio, Texas, I almost feel as though Paula were back. We’ve only been here two weeks, but I get the same sense of BIG. 

It isn’t really easy to describe exactly what gives me that feeling. We’ve experienced some cold and rain, so it’s not the big skies like we saw in Montana. Our duplex is small and cozy, so it’s not our home here.

But our welcome at church has been not just warm, but a sense of “Come on in!” Our friends who sent us to the rodeo with their own tickets did so with a sense of generosity and joy. The rodeo itself was BIG, with unabashed prayers and patriotism, and pride both in the young people involved, and in using proceeds for scholarships for Texas youth. The Alamo itself may be small, but the aura surrounding it is huge. 

Big Rodeo opening

Little Alamo, big heart

Our visit to the McNay Museum introduced us to the history of Marion McNay, an arts enthusiast who generously opened her huge home to art students, and collected works of emerging abstract artists. Even the bus drivers go out of their way to make us feel at home. 

The patio of the McNay home and museum with its big fountain

There is a strong sense, not only of place, but also of history here, as well as a progressive movement toward keeping the city relevant.

 

Big waterfall in the Japanese Garden

So far, our biggest excursions have been to the Japanese Garden, the Alamo, the Pearl (formerly a brewery, now an upscale condo and shops development along the Riverwalk), the Rodeo, and the McNay Museum. Weather is getting nicer, and we have so much more to explore—the Painted Churches, the downtown Riverwalk, and the Missions, among others. And I’m sure there’s more. 

Big fish along the Riverwalk near the Pearl

‘Cause it’s true. Everything is bigger in Texas.

This roller coaster life

Judy. Not long ago I got an email asking if we were still traveling, since we’d not blogged in so long. Yes, we are! But the two months in Atlanta kept us hopping, and there didn’t seem to be any one thing that struck us to talk about.

The day after we arrived, I reported for rehearsal at a small theatre in Stone Mountain Village, a place I’ve worked off and on since 2001. The play was a rewrite of one we did years ago, MAMA MAKES UP HER MIND, written by David Thomas, based on the writings of Bailey White. If you’ve never read Bailey White, let me tell you to grab a copy of MAMA MAKES UP HER MIND and settle down to some out-loud laughs about Bailey’s crazy family. The play itself was tough to rehearse because of the style, but Karen and Benny, my co-actors, and David, who also directed, made it a joy. Plus, it was great fun to hug friends and family who came to see the production.

So lucky to have my family come to the show!

A scene from MAMA MAKES UP HER MIND

But add to rehearsals and performances the time spent with our children and grandchildren; the dentist and doctor appointments; visits to friends and family over the holidays; a delightful dinner with Sonya, the woman we met in Mexico City; hearing our grandson Parker's band play on New Year's Eve; trip to North Carolina to help settle a late cousin’s estate, etc.; we were just too busy to sit down and write.

Sonya looks different without Katrina makeup!

Beach time with dear friend Anne

Suffice it to say it was fun but exhausting.

And now we are in San Antonio, Texas. We came here because it sounded interesting, and because we expected it to be warm, especially after the brief snow we got in Atlanta. But the last couple of days have been colder here than there!

Absolutely all the winter I wanted

Still, we’ve started going to the YMCA (a 7-minute walk), found a church and signed up to get involved (a 15-minute walk), got our senior citizen bus passes, made arrangements to have breakfast with a Servas couple, and hooked up with a dear former student of mine and her family. We’re meeting them for dinner, and they’re taking us to the rodeo on Monday. And we’re resting up. A lot. The roller coaster is slowing down for a bit. Life is good

So how's that retirement working out?

Ted. I just finished reading an article in today’s Wall Street Journal entitled “The End of Retirement.” It was written by a 42 year-old columnist named John D. Stoll who concludes that “The conventional wisdom – save enough to retire at age 65 – won’t work for the generation starting their careers today.”

Mr. Stoll talks at length about how long he will live and the amount of money he will need at retirement. He has a valid argument for working as long as possible and concludes with his personal decision to continue funding his 401(k) for 25 more years, “not so I can stop working,” he adds, “but so that I have options.”

I retired shortly after my 64^th birthday and have not worked (for money) for three years now. Certainly no expert on the topic of retirement, I have had dozens, maybe even hundreds of conversations with folks from 18 to 88 in many countries on the subject of retirement. These chats invariably begin with my describing our current lifestyle. This spurs people to describe their retirement, or dreams, should they be younger. It is rare for someone to say that they will never stop working. By the way, my 88 year-old friend, Herb still works as a bailiff (walker and all!).

My conclusion from my many discussions is that most people are concerned with having plenty of money and good health in their last quarter of life. But they don’t give enough thought to having a reason to live.

My father, who will be 90 this August, lives in a very nice independent living apartment complex for seniors. The residents have to be well off to afford this place. However, many of his neighbors lead lonely, empty lives consisting of eating, watching TV, surfing the internet and sleeping. Their health deteriorates slowly and depression is common. Dad, who remains very active, listens to all of the grumbling about kids who never visit and longing for spouses and friends who have passed away. He says he has to fight being dragged down by all of the negative talk around him.

The lifestyle that Judy and I have chosen for this passage in our lives is not one well suited to most folks we know. Right now, we plan to go as long as our health permits and hope that we don't outlive our money. My only advice to those contemplating retirement is that they spend time considering the new life to which they will be moving. If they do not have a clear vision yet, it may be better to keep working during a period of discernment.

I understand that health and money are important, but I have come to believe that for each of us, young and old, working or not, the greatest challenge is to have a purpose to our life.

A photo of me taken by my friend of 50 years and amateur photographer, George who is battling 3 forms of cancer.