San Antonio is one of those unique cities in the United States made popular by its rich Texas history with the Battle at the Alamo, the Spanish missions, and the River Walk that winds through downtown punctuated by restaurants, bars, galleries, and hotels. At Christmas time, the River Walk turns into a fantasy land. The little river boats that carry tourists through the maze of shops and eateries are piloted by river guides wearing Santa hats as they steer their boats past native Indians playing carols on their wind chimes, a Hispanic Santa on his Christmas throne and beneath the towering cypress trees with mulit-colored lights hanging like stars from their branches. Luminares, white sacks filled with sand to anchor them from the wind and a little candle lit inside, line the river guiding the way for the Holy Family . School and church choirs sometimes fill the boats and serenade diners and tourists along the route with carols and pagentry. The Posada, or procession, is a special Mexican celebration along the River in early December that marks the search of Joseph and Mary for shelter. This is a real special treat for those lucky enough to see it.
This weekend our family and some friends made our traditional hour and a half trek south to San 
Antonio to wander through the Mexican market, take in the delights of the River Walk and eat our fill of Mexican food at Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery where we enjoyed the mariachis singing, "Feliz Navidad" and oggled the ornate decorations and the array of baked goodies. The Mexican nachos with beef and guacamole were the biggest hit, followed by the authentic chile con queso and traditional tamales. They have fantastic margaritas too, but this was a family day, and we still had to drive back to Austin. Brad and I have been coming here for more than 30 years to fill ourselves with these Mexican dishes and see the Christmas decorations of old. Open since 1941, they used to have tableside juke boxes, and the garland and Christmas lights would stay up year round. We always left with a sack full of traditional Mexican cookies to munch on the way back to Austin. This time, we ate too much and the counter was too crowded to buy them so we left the calories behind. Colorful pinatas lined the ceiling and Mexican vendors peddled their goods from Mexico in the Mexican market next door. Children were dancing on stage, a photographer was selling his photos and a wood carver was making toys in the promenade. It was so festive!
We made our way downtown to the River Center Mall, one of two places along the river where you can embark, where we boarded one of the little riverboats to tour the river. Unlike the arctic chill covering most of the country, the weather was mild and the day inviting for our adventure. Our guide pointed out all of the famous old buildings and we marveled at the amazing and well-preserved architecture of them, some over 100 years old. Christmas lights and decorations added to the enjoyment as we wound our way through the city enjoying waterfalls, winter hardy perennials, mosaics, and statuary. Ice cream at Marble Slab finished our day (and our calorie count!) as we left the Alamo City once again for our short journey back to Austin. It was truly a memorable day, and one of our family's holiday traditions!
Posted by: Laura Duggan, West Austin Properties, December, 22, 2009
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