Friday, September 3, 2010

Wasn't feeling well, but Friday morning started off great...quick shower, dress for the day, headed for hotel restaurant. One of several reasons we booked at the Menger is because it advertised its breakfast buffet. BUT, they didn't have the buffet! Buffet depends on hotel occupancy. Due to economy, occupancy is down, so no buffet. We told them they need to take it off their advertising. We ate at the restaurant anyway, and everyone was super nice to us...in fact, everyone in the hotel (staff) is super nice, very friendly.

It was raining...in fact, we drove to San Antonio in the rain (at lest it wasn't hot). Rain had let up a little bit, so after breakfast we started out on the scooters for a little sight seeing. Unfortunately I very quickly became ill and had to make my way back to the room. For the next couple of hours I thought I was going to die. Thankfully we had remembered to bring meds and by about noon I was feeling well enough to try to go out again. We ventured down Alamo street to La Villita. Wow, this place was so dead...the shops were not booming, few were open, we went into only one...supposedly hand woven items...didn't find it to be so...machine woven. Some beautiful things, including gorgeous Mexican dresses...$150 up. Since I have no where to wear one (Walmart? Kroger? Work?) I told DH I thought I could pick up something at the Mexican market for less.

On the way back to the hotel we saw the Little Rhein Steak House next to the Palacio Hilton...we decided we wanted to have dinner there that evening. DH made reservations for 6:30. Back at the Menger we called for our car, loaded the scooters and made our way to the market. This was a fun adventure...I found exactly what I wanted at the first store inside the door...bought 2 Mexican blankets and a bright orange long Mexican dress...first time I've ever found one to fit me...most of the time can't find size HUGE. We had fun going through the rest of the market...DH talked to a fellow from Mission, Texas who's relative is the former owner of RV Ranch (now Rustic Creek) which is kinda like home away from home for us. I managed to find a blue coconut snow cone - which made the entire trip worthwhile! Most of the shops sell about the same silly stuff, but the shop owners are friendly. I found a rooster to add to my collection, DH bought a U. S. Border Patrol baseball hat to wear when he wants to clear out places, and we picked up a couple of pretty heavy Mexican painted wine glasses. I was going to buy some fabric but couldn't decide when or if I would ever have use for chili pepper fabric.

Afterward we went back to the hotel room to rest. Whatever is wrong with me is taking its toll...I get so sick and so weak. I napped until about 5:45. We decided to try to walk to the restaurant for dinner so that we could eat out on the patio by the river. Reservations were for 6:30 so we started out at 6. It is a 2-block walk, or in my case, shuffle. We made it, but we stopped a couple of times along the way to let me sit down.

Dinner was wonderful...a glass of white zin for me; apple martini for DH. Appetizer was 1/2 avocado stuffed with crab meat salad. So good. Followed by beef steak tomato salad...cannot describe, was so good. We shared a rib eye steak, or as DH says, 1/2 a cow. Sides were mushrooms and rosemary potatoes. We were stuffed. We left about 7:45 and made our way down to the river via the elevator at the Palacio Hilton. We wanted to go to Durty Nelly's, the Irish Pub at the Hilton (we both remember it from when we were much younger), but we found it to be way too loud for us now (can you imagine?), so we went to the other Hilton place (Ibizas?). I had a wonderful Pina Colada, DH had a sour apple martini. We then made our way to street level via the elevator at the Hyatt Regency and wondered down the street to Pat O'Brien's...yes, there is one in SA now. We managed to about shut down the dueling piano room - so much fun...and we were drinking diet coke (worst ones we've ever had). We made it back to the hotel about 1 a.m. where we crashed. That's the latest we've been out in many years.