The Menger Hotel

My favorite stop in San Antonio was the Menger Hotel (1859) located downtown, next to the Alamo. In 1898, Teddy Roosevelt used the bar to recruit Rough Riders which fought in Cuba in the Spanish-American War.

The first picture is from the bar, an exact replica of the House of Lords Pub in London. We had a couple of drinks there and chatted with the bartender, who dispelled the rumors we had heard about bullet holes in the wall from Teddy Roosevelt. The hotel also holds the unofficial title of "The Most Haunted Hotel in Texas" and claims to host 32 different spirits including Richard King of the King Ranch.

The second two pictures are of the lobby:

1.My feets and the tile.
2.My pixelated face and the lobby. Kinda creepy, right?

Click on the lobby picture and you might get an idea of how fabulous the wallpaper is. Reminded me of the movie Atonement.

Colors of San Antonio

Just when I thought I jinxed myself to a weekend without air conditioning and power , I had the opportunity to head toward San Antonio for the weekend with my Dad (+Jon). We shamelessly hit all the major touristy spots:








1. puppets in El Mercado
2. pastries at Mi Tierra-- the most awesome 24-hour Mexican Restaurant EVER!
3. lasers on the Riverwalk
4. umbrellas in El Mercado
5. pinatas at Mi Tierra
6. little girl and her fuzzy friend on a mechanic bull

Awkward Clinton

So, I've been on a work-related retreat in San Antonio for the past few days. It was way more fun than I could have ever expected and I'm looking forward to the rest of the program, which lasts until May 2009.

Being in San Antonio made me excited to visit on my own terms. I lived there my first year in college and didn't start appreciating the city until I left. It's such a neat, laid back town and I hope I'll have a reason to live there again.

On our way out of the city, we ate at the famed Mi Tierra Mexican restaurant where I found this gigantic, strange oil painting of President Bill Clinton jogging in a Mi Tierra t-shirt. You can't tell from the photograph, but it's at least eight feet tall. Enjoy.