San Antonio or Bust!

My husband, Gene, and I really milked our first wedding anniversary, which was on June 6th. Gene says since it took him seven years to finally get my attention, we should celebrate for at least 7 days, and that’s exactly what we did. Last weekend, which encompassed the Memorial Day holiday, Gene and I journeyed south to the San Antonio Riverwalk – a favorite destination for both of us, but not one we’d ever experienced together.

We planned our trip well in advance, and I made reservations at The Drury Inn & Suites on the Riverwalk for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights online…I thought. Concerned that I hadn’t received a confirmation the week before our trip, I called The Drury and discovered I had made our reservations for Saturday and Sunday nights, but not Friday, and The Drury had no rooms left. Frantic, I searched a few travel websites and settled on one night at The Westin Hotel on the Riverwalk. Although a bit pricier, I felt a night at The Westin would be a great way to kick off our romantic anniversary trip to San Antonio.

Gene and I arrived at The Westin around noon on Friday. The most impressive aspect of The Westin was the superb customer service. I had heard that Tourism is San Antonio’s #1 industry, but to experience firsthand the genuine friendly smiles and catering to guests, I was quite impressed. After complaining about our mattress at home for the past several months, it was a bodily pleasure to lounge on the luxurious pillow-topped, king-sized mattress, which yielded the perfect amount of firmness. The pillows were so splendid, that I wished I had brought my new pillow from home to swap. The view from our 12th floor bedroom window showcased the San Antonio cityscape, which was all well and good until that night. Around 10:00 p.m. after returning from dinner, we heard a loud car alarm across the street from the hotel that sounded every ten minutes or so until after midnight, which really put a damper on our first evening in town.

Earlier that day after checking in, Gene and I ventured down to the Riverwalk and lunched at the Hard Rock Café. Although it was an interesting atmosphere and good food, I must say that loud music just doesn’t have the same appeal as it did when I was a young woman.

In order to hear each other talk, Gene and I sat on the same side of the table, which turned out to be cozy and gave me lots of opportunities to hug on that wonderful man of mine.

After walking around the Riverwalk shops awhile, the Texas heat, which was in the mid-90s, began to take its toll, so we headed back to The Westin for an air-conditioned siesta.


Rested and showered, it was back to the Riverwalk again that evening for a delicious dinner at Landry’s Seafood Restaurant.


Our waiter, Albert, helped make our dining experience one to remember. He provided outstanding, attentive, professional service as he made meal and beverage recommendations, mixed and served our salad tableside and presented our entrées.


Our glasses were never empty and the good spirit Albert brought to the experience permeated throughout the rest of our evening…at least until the car alarm began to beep.

To be continued…

Hasta La Vista, Y’all!