Bay View RV Resort – Rockport, Texas – December 14-20, 2015

Christmas is quickly approaching; gifts are bought and wrapped and under the tree, cookies are baked, and plans are made for spending this special day with friends and family. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, we need to remember the real reason for celebrating this very special day: the birth of our Savior and Lord, Jesus, born that we might experience life everlasting.

Monday morning was spent in Portland, Texas where I had a mammogram and bone density test. Thankfully, all’s well. Dick said I’m healthy as an old horse—but he may be thinking “old nag” at times. Ha! After a quick stop at H.E.B. (Texas-based grocery) we headed home to do a few things around the camper. The day was a beautiful sunny day, with temps in the low 70s by early afternoon. A light breeze made for a very pleasant day.

I sat outside writing last week’s blog, when friend Karen stopped by. As we chatted, Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road to see if there were any birds. He wasn’t disappointed: ducks, egrets, herons, killdeer, kingfisher, cormorants and pelicans. Then, Karen’s husband Steve stopped by, followed by Bob and Sharon. We had an impromptu happy hour, outside, enjoying the afternoon. Loved it!

Tuesday morning was Stitch ‘n’ Bitch at 9:00. While the ladies were there, Dan and Karen from California walked in to check out the clubhouse. We learned they were just traveling in a 5th wheel with their 3 dogs, going around the country to see what they could see, and would be here ‘til Sunday when they would head off to the Galveston area. Nice folks.

Afterward Dick and I walked along Fulton Beach Road for about an hour, still hoping to see spoonbills but all we saw were egrets, herons, ducks and killdeer. 

That afternoon we attended Wii bowling at the clubhouse. A dozen or so folks showed up—such fun! Of course, my team won but our opponents put up a good fight.

Front row L to R: Bob, Marge, Sharon, Carole, Connie and Sharon; Back row L to R: Lynda, Janet, Sara, me, Gayle

That evening we headed to Panjo’s Pizza for an evening out with friends Bob and Sharon, Gary and Pam, Bill and Arlene, Steve and Karen, and Dave and Marihelen. Laughter is good for the soul, and I believe that’s correct—we laughed, talked, laughed, ate, laughed, ate…well, you get the picture!

I spent Wednesday morning baking, getting ready for the annual cookie exchange to be held Thursday morning. (Thank goodness for my KitchenAid mixer!) I baked chocolate chip cookies, dried cranberry and white chocolate chip cookies, and dried cranberry-white chocolate chip-roasted walnut scones (one of Dick’s favorite things from the kitchen).

While I was busy in the kitchen, Dick walked around the park, hoping to see some wildlife there, too. He wasn’t disappointed.

At 4:00 we headed to the clubhouse for happy hour, followed by our weekly dinner. This week we enjoyed braised short ribs, polenta with jalapeño and onion, and wilted mixed greens with pork jowl (what??), followed by coconut buttermilk pie. Such good stuff!

Later that evening, while I stayed home to knit, Dick went back to the clubhouse to play Texas Hold ‘em. He didn’t do too well that night…

Thursday morning while I attended the cookie exchange with about a dozen other ladies from the park, Dick walked along Fulton Beach Road for about an hour. Then, he took off on his motorcycle, riding for about 45 minutes around the area. On his ride to Lamar, just across the Copano Bay Bridge, he saw ducks and cranes.

When he returned home he joined me at happy hour at friends Prescott and Pat’s, along with about 2 dozen folks. Prescott was preparing fried fish and chips, friend Angie brought her special potato salad, and others brought cheese ‘n’ crackers, etc. What an impromptu feast! Here again, we laughed, talked, ate, laughed, talked, ate, laughed…

That evening we played a few rounds of Pegs ‘n’ Jokers with Bill and Carole, and Gary and Pam. After Bingo, new friends Harlan and Susie joined us to learn the game. Outcome: guys 2, gals 2. Woot-woot for the gals, and a woot for the guys! Ha!

Friday morning dawned cool—just 46°! Brr! Time to turn on the furnace for a while. 

Dick took another walk along Fulton beach Road while I attended my first ever yoga session at the clubhouse. There were 7 of us bending and stretching to a DVD for about an hour—decided I did need a mat! It felt good, but I knew I’d feel it by Saturday…

Noon was spent at the clubhouse for Friday’s $5.00 hamburgers. Accompanying the burgers were all the accoutrements, scrumptious baked beans and huge chocolate chip cookies. YUM! No dinner that night!

We attended another happy hour at the clubhouse Friday at 4:00, with live music by the park’s Jam Session Guys. The guys are getting better and better, and we so enjoy listening to them (especially when they sing “Wagon Wheel” that Darius Rucker made famous—my fav).

Dick spent Saturday at the office, putting in his time as a work camper. I stayed at the camper working on a slide project for park’s Christmas Eve party.  We’re collecting photos of campers’ travels over the past year to show at the party, projected on the big screen TV. It’s fun to see where folks have traveled.

Gary and Pam stopped by at 5:30 with their photos, and stayed for dinner of sloppy joes, chips and Waldorf salad, followed by Christmas cookies. We’re so thankful for all the folks we’ve met over the years, and who have become good friends (yes, including you guys!).

What a special day Sunday was! We boarded a Rockport Tours bus, with Bob and Sharon, heading to San Antonio to see the Christmas lights along the River Walk. Beautiful!!! Not to be missed if you’re in the area. We left Rockport at 11:00 a.m., arriving at 2:00 p.m. Along the way the tour bus played the video “Smokey and the Bandit,” a very silly and sarcastic movie.

The day was overcast but warm, with temps in the low to mid-70s, and a slight breeze. Sharon hadn’t been to San Antonio (Bob had been, years ago when he was in the Air Force), so our first stop after disembarking the bus was the Alamo. Being there never ceases to remind me of the lives lost, all in the name of Texas independence.

The Alamo, constructed on the present site in 1724, originally named Misión San Antonion de Valero, served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly 70 years. The land was returned to the remaining Indian residents in 1793, who continued to farm the fields surrounding the mission site. In the early 1800s the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at this former mission. The Spanish soldiers referred to the old mission as the Alamo (Spanish for “cottonwood”). The first recorded hospital in Texas was established here in what is called the Long Barracks (still seen today). Home to both Revolutionaries and Royalists during Mexico’s 10-year struggle for independence the Spanish, Rebel and Mexican military continued to occupy the Alamo until the Texas Revolution, when the famous Battle of the Alamo took place here on March 6, 1836. The US Army used the Alamo as a supply depot until 1878 when the departure of the US Army accelerated the breakup of the original mission compound, which was huge compared to what you see today. It encompassed the Alamo as you see it today, the convento courtyard (in front of the Long Barracks) and Indian quarters that stretched from just west of current day Alamo Street (where the Indian barracks were built) to north of Houston Street. The State of Texas purchased the church as a s shrine to the Alamo Defenders in 1883, and in 1905 the State of Texas acquired the Long Barrack from the Daughters of the Republic of Texas who served as custodians of the Alamo Complex until 2011 when custodianship of the site was transferred to the Texas General Land Office.

(photos of the Alamo)

As you entered the courtyard of the Alamo, you were greeted with this tall pine tree decorated for Christmas with basketballs and hoops, honoring the San Antonio Spurs basketball team.

From here we walked across Alamo Street to one of the many stairways leading down to the River Walk.

We walked for quite a while along the river, which is actually part of the San Antonio River. There were luminarias along the entire walk, waiting to be lit by the area Boy Scouts at dusk. Families of all nationalities and sizes were strolling along the river making it quite crowded in some areas, but all were well behaved and having a wonderful time. Quite a few different species of ducks swam freely in the river, entertaining the younger kids.

The River Walk is home to more than 40 restaurants and pubs, offering everything from fine dining to Tex-Mex to BBQ and Asian cuisine, and all were hopping! The river also offers narrated river barge and taxi tours, giving you the opportunity to see everything there is to see along the river. We opted for the 35-minute long narrated river barge tour, which we thoroughly enjoyed, and for seniors it was only $6.00 per person!

We still had a bit over an hour before meeting friends Ron and Kathryn for dinner at Casa Rio, the oldest restaurant along the river. (Ron and Kathryn drove down from Fredericksburg, Texas; we met them 3 years ago in Grand Portage, MN on our second summer trip up the north shore of Lake Superior.) So, we stopped in at Rita’s Margaritas to taste their offerings. The margaritas were quite good, and quite expensive! Oh, well, it’s all in the experience, right?

On to the restaurant…

Casa Rio was founded in 1946 and sits on land first granted title in 1777 by the King of Spain. The Spaniards, exploring their way north out of Mexico through deserts and semi-arid South Texas, found the timber, fertile soil, and clear water of the San Antonio River well suited for their purposes of settlement and colonization. The river, first named St. Anthony de Padua, was soon diverted into channels and "acequias" which was community operated water course used for irrigation of fields and household use.

The first bridge built to span the river was at Commerce Street, where Casa Rio is located. Priests at the Alamo (located just a couple blocks away) were afraid the easy access by soldiers from the garrison would endanger the women of the mission. The bugle call of “El Deguello” from Santa Anna’s army came from these banks, signaling no quarters, utter destruction, and no mercy for the defenders of the Alamo.

Casa Rio, the Spanish Colonial period hacienda, became the core of the new business in 1946; the cedar door and window lintels, the fireplace and thick rock walls are still evident inside the building. It was the first San Antonio business to open its doors to the river, and take advantage of the river’s setting.

We were fortunate to be seated outdoors along the river, where we could watch the river boats, carolers, and people strolling along the river—the crowds were growing thicker by the minute! We dined on enchiladas, taco salads, chili rellenos, tacos, chips and salsa. sodas, unsweetened iced tea, beer and margaritas accompanied dinner.

It was just turning dark; our reservations were for 5:30. Lights hanging from the trees overhanging the river, lights from the surrounding buildings, the river boats, and the luminarias all lent to the magical ambience of the evening. Christmas lights along the river are seen from Thanksgiving to just after New Year’s Day every year. Carolers in the river boats added joy and merriment, and quite a few people walking along the river would join in the singing. We were told we just had to see the lights along the river, but nothing prepared us for this wonderful evening of enchantment. We’re so glad we had the opportunity to see and enjoy this event. We’ll definitely make this an annual trip. We just wish we could share the experience with y’all; pictures just don’t do it.

By 7:30 p.m. we were ready to head back to the bus for our 3-hour ride back to Rockport. It was picking us up at 7:45. We were exhilarated and tired at the same time, but it was good to sit back and relax. The tour company showed a comedic film on the way back, featuring speaker Jeanne Robertson, an American humorist, professional speaker and a former Miss North Carolina. She has quite a few videos on YouTube, if you’re interested in a few minutes of laughter. Funny! And, it helped pass the time.

We finally arrived back to our camper at 11:40 p.m. What a good and fun-filled day!

That’s it for this week. As we close, we wish you a blessed and merry Christmas, with family and friends. May you be filled with the joy and happiness of the Season.

Love ‘n’ hugs,

RJ and Gail