San Antonio is a beautiful city with much to truly enjoy. Around the Alamo and "Battle for Texas" museum, mom and I have enjoyed many other attractions, learned to embrace Uber, and have taken a riverboat cruise through the amazing river walk area of San Antonio.
Yesterday we did some shopping and stumbled upon the Menger Hotel on the Alamo Plaza. Mom had read up on this site, so we walked into the lobby and began looking about. What a beautiful, classy hotel, Built in 1859, the original hotel became so popular an addition was added almost immediately after the opening year. Upon Mr. Menger's death in 1871, the hotel was sold, yet maintained the name. Over the years more additions, a swimming pool, a new ballroom, and air conditioning have been added. As you venture from the Plaza entrance, the walls are lined with pictures of events held at the hotel and the multitude of notable Americans who have visited the Menger. I was elated to see that Teddy Roosevelt had been a guest!
Mom and I entered the Menger Bar and noted the wonderful woodwork, bar, and back bar. The bartender, Angela, was a wonderful font of historical information! She was charming and very enjoyable to visit with as she shared hotel and local history! When the Menger Bar was in the original location, on the opposite side of the hotel, Teddy Roosevelt recruited many of the Rough Riders! During Prohibition the bar was totally disassembled. After the repeal of the 18th Amendment, the bar was moved to the current location, piece by piece, and reassembled.There is a wealth of memorabilia in this very quaint bar, originally designed after the House of Lords Pub in England. I was very excited to be visiting a place of such rich history!
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| Menger Bar and Back Bar, built in 1887. |
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| Menger Bar designed to duplicate the House of Lords Pub in England. |
We also explored the river walk area just beyond the Alamo Plaza. This is a beautiful venue and a very clean area. After a light lunch and more shopping we boarded the Rio San Antonio River Taxi and headed north.
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| Waiting for our river taxi on the San Antonio River Walk |
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| Waterfalls and gardens along the River Walk |
Many beautiful sites along the hour's journey out to the "Pearl" district. The hotels, restaurants, and gardens are right on the river, and the views cannot be described! At one point, just a short distance from our hotel, there is a lock, and that was a great adventure to experience first hand.
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| Going through the Lock |
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| Wyndham Gardens, our Hotel |
This morning mom and I returned to the Alamo Plaza for a carriage ride before venturing to the "Battle for Texas" museum. We waited in a charming park across from the Menger Hotel. Our carriage ride was wonderful, and a light breeze helped beat the early morning heat.
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| A beautiful park in the Alamo Plaza |
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| Our carriage awaits! |
We are really enjoying our time in San Antonio. Tomorrow we plan to visit many of the Missions in the area and check out new adventures in dining!
I thought it was interesting how they moved the whole bar piece by piece. It really cool how you got to ride in a carriage.
ReplyDeleteThe bar that was built in 1887, was it remodeled or was it the original structure. Mason
ReplyDelete