We also lucked out because the temporary exhibit at the library was 'Ladies and gentleman...The Beatles!' The exhibit, which detailed the Beatles' brief tour of the U.S. from 1964-1966, was the perfect break from the dense, somewhat depressing bits of the museum. Highlights of the exhibit included a backdrop so you could recreate the famous Abbey Road album cover, the original drum head that Ringo played during the band's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and even a drum tutorial by Ringo himself. We also loved seeing all the memorabilia, photos, and old concert tickets on display.
Although we could have easily stayed longer, we pried ourselves out of the museum and hit the road for San Antonio. After the short commute, we found ourselves smack-dab in the middle of Market Square, the largest Mexican market in the U.S. First, we stopped for lunch at Mi Tierra, a 24-hour, tourist mainstay for Mexican food and baked goods. Guys, I can't accurately describe this place to you. Someone on Yelp said it looks like a giant piñata exploded inside and I think that's a perfect description. Each room was filled to the brim with elaborate, (let's be honest) gaudy decorations. The waitstaff wore traditional clothing in the colors of the Mexican flag while a mariachi band roamed each room playing songs for diners. Nothing beats Mexican food in my book and this place didn't disappoint, either. I devoured tacos, chips, and salsa before posing for a picture with Mexican Elvis, a local celebrity of sorts.
After lunch, we meandered through the massive indoor Mexican market, which included just about everything you could imagine. We loved the traditional Mexican clothing, figurines carved from onyx, sombreros, and wrestler masks, in particular. Once we'd had our fill of the market, Wheat suggested we get our very first caricature drawing done. I'm usually hesitant about spending money on things like that, but I'm so glad we did it because it looks so much like us! The artist was also super nice, talking to us about the area and even suggesting places for dinner.
With time ticking away, we knew we had to get downtown to fit in everything we wanted to do in San Antonio. We paid
We recovered from the heat by checking out the historic Menger Bar and Hotel across the street. This is supposedly where Teddy Roosevelt recruited Rough Riders to fight in the Spanish-American War. Two water bottles later, we decided to finally hit the River Walk. We wanted to get our bearings straight, so we started with a quick boat ride complete with a little local history from our navigator/guide. The crowded ride gave us a glimpse of the area and some history on many downtown buildings, including the Tower of the Americas.
After disembarking, we took to the River Walk on foot, soaking in the atmosphere and checking out all the restaurants, bars, hotels, live music, and public art. When we noticed Paesano's, the upscale Italian restaurant our caricature artist had suggested for dinner, we decided to stop. I enjoyed my chicken artichoke pizza while Wheat couldn't stop raving about his shrimp Paesano - seriously, he was obsessed. With our bellies full, we continued our walk along the canal, stopping at the downtown plaza for pictures of the gorgeous church, where the remains of those who died at the Alamo are buried, and government buildings. The plaza was doing an outdoor screening of Ghostbusters that night and the projector was powered by a bicycle that the audience volunteered to ride for various shifts.
We closed our jaunt on the River Walk with ice cream, of course, but then decided we weren't quite ready for the trip back to Austin. So, we made a pit stop at Pat O'Brien's for some hurricanes and live music before scoping out the nighttime view of the Alamo. It was the perfect end to yet another perfect day.
