With the exception of my folks coming to see me in Padre Island when I was in the Miss Texas USA pageant, this was the first place I’d ever been with my family on vacation. The drive down from Dallas wasn’t too bad and we were staying on the river. Oh we were so excited! We started a tradition of eating at Casa Rio, the Tex Mex place right on the riverwalk with all the colored umbrellas and the oldest restaurant on the river. We had some great times in San Antonio and developed some favorite haunts. There is shopping in the historic arts village of La Villita as well as The Little Church of La Villita established in 1879. It is charming and has beautiful stained glass of a cross at its altar. Speaking of glass, there used to be an older man there who had incredible blown glass and you could still watch him make it. He charged a dime to get in and WOE to anyone who did not pay it. Then there is the mercado for more shopping and no trip would be complete without dining at Mi Tierra in the Market Square. Open for more than 70 years, they never close! Each room is festively decorated and there are woven baskets covering the ceiling, lights strung across the bar, and colorful murals everywhere. But this was the first time Burk or I had ever been around Christmas. American minister Norman Vincent Peale said:
“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.”
And it was.
