We love to travel. I imagine that those of our friends who have followed us in the past are well aware. After a bit more than two decades of hit-and-miss global traveling, we decided we wanted to position ourselves for the opportunity to do a lot more of it. That meant making adjustments to our family economics. My first trip to San Antonio was in May of 2021. I left with mixed feelings. We were uncertain if we would really pull the trigger on this and if so, when. I also liked the look, feel and vibe of Austin much better.

On that first trip out here, I visited several of the missions. This is Mission San Jose. The church was originally constructed beginning in 1768 near the San Antonio River as a Spanish Franciscan Mission. The mission grounds were home to around 350 Native Americans that year as the mission was being constructed.

The building and grounds fell into disrepair after it stopped being a mission in 1824. In the 1930's restoration of the church and the grounds began. This is what it looks like today. Okay, three years ago. I'm guessing you got the gist of it ;-)

As it turned out, we fell in like with San Antonio. Okay, it isn't a love affair. The city is big and reasonably attractive. There is a lot to do, and it is extremely affordable when compared with the Seattle rea. On the order of about 50% of the cost. Austin is around 75% of the Seattle area so San Antonio won related to cost. It also beat Austin and Seattle hands-down for traffic. It is a big city (around 1.2M) that feels like a city about half its size from a traffic and an activities perspective.

The area does not compare well to the Seattle area in terms of physical beauty and "things to do." Nevertheless, it is home and it feels more like that as we spend more time here. We love the weather. It gets hot but it is dry. It lacks the humidity of Houston and Dallas most of the time. That makes the weather quite bearable at its hottest.

It freezes for a few days in the wintertime. We haven't seen snow though I understand it does happen. Most of the winter days vary between 60 and 80 degrees!!! Here is a shot of the San Antonio Zoo at Christmas time--evening in a t-shirt.

While not the craziness of the Seattle area, there are a variety of things to do here. We regularly go to community theater and the Majestic (the Broadway-style theater downtown). Here is a shot of the Majestic main stage for Frozen.

The Spurs are here of course if basketball is your thing. More of a sci-fi and tech nerd, here, and it is not really my thing. The Mexican food is horrendous--TexMex almost everywhere. My Texas friends might take issue with that statement. I have never been a fan of TexMex, even as a kid. But there are some other great places to eat. The River Walk is very cool. We love going there now and then, especially during the holidays when it is thematically decorated.

Oddly, we haven't been to either Six Flags or Sea World here in SA. Leaves more fun things to try out later.

Cheers!

-John