San Antonio and a Rally

At Travelers World RV Park, San Antonio, Texas...

San Antonio is one of our favorite Texas cities, so we were delighted when our club, the Texas Bluebonnet Allegros, decided to hold the November rally there. An affiliate of the national Tiffin Allegro Club, this group meets eight times a year for fellowship, food and fun at various locations, usually in Texas. We had joined before we became fulltimers, but we keep attending, although it's not always easy in our current lifestyle. This is because the members are great people, and we share a common interest as Tiffin motorhome owners.

Since we have visited San Antonio many times and have already seen the shrines of Texas history located there, we decided just to relax and just take in some local flavor when not participating in rally events, one of which was to enjoy with some club members a Casa Rio dinner on one of the many barges that ply the beautiful San Antonio River downtown:

If you've never taken a boat tour of downtown San Antonio, it is a relaxing way to see one of the premier attractions of this or any other metropolitan area. Here's a photo of the Tower of the Americas taken from the boat:

We also visited a local farmers' market held on the grounds of the old Pearl brewery. Along with the fresh farm products, there were lots of crafty things to see: 

There was even a talented country and western band on hand to serenade us:

Our rally was based at Travelers' World RV Park near downtown San Antonio, which turned out to be a much nicer park than I expected. Although not exactly in the best area of town, it is nonetheless shaded, well-kept, relatively quiet, and the sites are level:

For one of the evening meals, we brought our own steaks to the clubhouse and cooked them over charcoal grills provided by the park management:

Ours turned out mighty tasty, if I say so myself!

Naturally, we are always exploring new-to-us restaurants wherever we go, so we did some of that, too.  Here is a list of those we've tried so far on this trip that will be included in our favorites page linked on this blog:

They don't get any more nondescript than this. Fishland (although the sign doesn't say that) is really less of a fish market than a tiny restaurant with about a dozen tables, where you order at the counter and put your paper goods in the trash when you leave. Making this a favorite is the expertly fried, ridiculously fresh seafood. The catfish and shrimp combo was enough to share; it was delicious and, best of all, dirt cheap! Where else could you get this for just under ten bucks?

We had to revisit an old mainstay, the Original Blanco Cafe downtown, where we shared the deluxe tex-mex combo. This place has the second-best enchiladas ever:

Yes, you read that right--the second best enchiladas. Where do you find the best enchiladas, you ask? Well, they are at El Palenque in Spring, Texas, near Houston. No need to doubt me on this.

Want a fix of excellent Thai food? Try Thai Dee here in San Antonio. Not much too look at from the outside, but very nice inside, and the food is excellent. (Isn't that often the case?):

One little hiccup here: Don't get the Tom Ka Gai soup; it's too sweet.

Loving to visit those eating joints that have stood the test of time, we stopped by the Original Donut Shop on Fredericksburg Road. It has been around since 1954, and for good reason. These people know how to cook a donut:

The donut shop shares a building with a Mexican restaurant that has good reviews, although we haven't tried it yet. 

I would show you a photo of the donuts, but something happened to them before I could snap the picture. Just can't figure it out. The donuts-even though several hours old when we arrived--were crazy good. Now I'm in a quandary, as I'm not so sure Krispy Kreme is the best any longer.

Here's a dish done very well at Pho Garden, a Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant close to Travelers' World:

It's salt and pepper shrimp, loaded with fresh onion and jalapeno slices, just as I like them. I loved this dish, but then, I happen to really like onions a lot.   By the way, did you know that a fresh onion is one of the most nutritious vegetables you can eat? It is loaded with dietary fiber, vitamin B6, folate, potassium, manganese and vitamin C. Knowing this as you now do, it appears you have a choice: Nice smelling breath or long life. I would choose long life; you can always make new friends.

Well, there you have it. I think this is the first time that every single restaurant we tried made it onto the favorites list! I hope you find that list and the "Best of the Best RV Parks Page" useful.

Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life; please forgive me if I don't appreciate it enough each day.