One of the sites in the US that we wanted to visit for some time is the Alamo so when the opportunity arose to visit San Antonio both to see the Alamo and attend the Pax South conference it is a no brainer to plan the trip and hit two birds with one stone. We pick a hotel close to the downtown and the convention center so we can easily walk around as we won't have a car and on we go. The hotel is an historic one with small rooms and because of an ownership change it is difficult for the taxi to find it as the name is different. We arrive late at night so the bottles of water are a nice touch and the breakfast is also welcome before the convention start.
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| Our hotel | It is an old building |
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| Our room | Free bottled water - unusual in US |
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| Breakfast room | Typical breakfast |
From the hotel it is time to find the Henry B Gonzales Convention center which is close enough to be walkable. It is a 15 minutes walk that passes quickly as we sightsee along the way catching glimpses of the Alamo building, the downtown area and walk along a short stretch of the famous river walk before arriving at the convention center.
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| Downtown San Antonio | Central street |
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| Riverwalk view | Our goal - the convention center |
We have bought our tickets in advance so entering the convention center is easy compared to waiting at the relatively long ticket line at a separate entrance. After a perfunctory backpack control we are let in into the throngs of people as we try to discern the layout of the center and reach our first planned presentation for the day. Still we have to stop a couple times just to admire the costumes - some are incredible.
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| Start of the day at Pax South | First costume from the many |
When selecting panels to attend we went a bit overboard as we wanted to see everything that is new and/or interesting. However while there was an overload towards the end of the day the start was certainly fresh and we learned a lot about LARPing in the first panel (including what it is :)).
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| Attending presentations about LARP | This pyramid is used everywhere it seems |
Between the presentations we have time to visit the main exhibit floor which is huge, even a short walk through a small part of the booths almost makes us miss the next panel. Besides all the exhibitors there are plenty of places to try and play games - board games, console games or PC games everything is covered including dancing games which are quite popular.
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| Main convention floor | Lots of attendees |
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| The most popular exhibit - Monster Hunter | Dancing game is very popular |
The next panel we attend was in hindsight the most influential as we learn quite a lot about board games and our curiosity is piqued enough for us even to try a few after we return home to varying success.
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| We did just that | A few interesting choices |
In between panels we have time to visit the conference floor in more detail even finding the official entrance - we used the pre-bought ticket entrance so we had no idea where the official one is. It seems that in front of the entrance is also the highest concentration of cosplay with other participants taking pictures with the people in the most interesting costumes.
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| Official entrance | Resting between panels |
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| There is some cosplay | Even whole teams |
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| The big...."something" | Everyone is very involved |
It is also time for a late lunch so we exit on the River Walk and walk to the central area where most restaurants are located. The whole area is unexpectedly busy and at times almost dangerous with people almost bumping you in the river.
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| Boat tours are popular | Not impressed by all the noise |
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| Riverwalk exploration | Interesting bridge |
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| Birds on land | And in the water |
We settle on a Texan themed restaurant with nachos and ribs and while the food looks mouth watering it is not that special. Still now we are full and are ready to return to the convention.
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| Looks good but just average | BBQ Ribs |
In the evening we dabble into a few more panels and visit even the concert for a while. The most interesting panel of the evening is one showing the worst mobile games - it is quite fun and the commentary is also good.
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| Concert in the evening | One of the more fun panels |
The next day we decide to focus more on the main exhibition floor and try to get as much swag as we can. We wander through the booths playing games, watching demos and listening to the description of future games - it is great to see the excitement of the many creators present at the convention.
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| This came in overnight | One of the weirder games |
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| One of the panel presenters | Cool cosplay |
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| Popular booth | Not sure what the boat does :) |
We also visit the board games area, here there are rows and rows of tables where people are playing and testing board games borrowed from the extensive board game library in the middle of the space. We take a look to see which one seem most exciting before moving on.
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| There is a library of boardgames that can be borrowed | Final fight at PAX |
Overall our swag day has a quite good outcome with many T-shirts, a couple free full games and even a few widget spinners besides many other smaller objects. But everything has to come to an end so we exit the convention center for the last time and head towards the River Walk for an evening walk.
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| Part of our loot | Also some fidget spinners |
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| PAX South end | Convention center in the evening |
We are not that hungry so we look for something smaller and in the end we find a Belgian waffle house for a few waffles and crepes while enjoying the hustle and bustle of the area.
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| River walk at night - quite popular | Carriage with radioactive glow...maybe :) |
The last day is dedicated to sightseeing and of course the first goal is the Alamo which is almost across the street from our hotel. Even so there are a few things to see along the way - there is a legacy of impressive buildings and monuments in the downtown area.
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| Impressive courthouse | Monument in front of Alamo |
The Battle at the Alamo Mission has become almost mythical driven by the many movies that depict the events and it is a site that we wanted to see for some time. While the interpretation of the reason for the battle might differ what is clear is that it was a pivotal point in the battle for Texas between Mexico and US settlers that led to Mexico losing about 50% of its territory to the US in the following years. The main attraction is the Alamo mission building which is quite difficult to photograph without anyone else in the photo:).
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| Alamo front | And back |
The site is free to visit and it has a large gift shop in a separate building and after visiting the mission building we wander the grounds for a while before moving on.
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| Building at the Alamo (and gift shop) | Conference room |
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| Alamo is conquered by squirrels now | Interesting plant |
From the Alamo we decide to explore the River Walk towards to the downtown area - this is an area that we didn't see before and during the day it is much quieter and looks almost gentrified.
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| Not the riverwalk but lots of water | Fountain on the way |
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| River walk | Passing under a bridge |
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| Quieter area | Duck relaxation pond |
After the River Walk ends it is a short walk to the Cathedral of San Fernando which is one of the oldest cathedrals in the United States. It played a role in the Battle of the Alamo when the Mexican troops raised a flag of "no quarter" marking the start of the siege. Now it is more peaceful and can be entered with us even gettting quite close to the altar.
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| Cathedral of San Fernando | Inside the cathedral |
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| Beautiful glasswork | The altar |
Our turnaround point of our downtown visit is the Spanish Governor Palace which is much smaller than we expected. it also houses a museum but it is closed today so we have to skip it. We return on a different route towards the River Walk passing a few other notable buildings including the County Courthouse.
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| Spanish Governor's Palace | City Hall |
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| Downtown store | Lots of advertising in one place |
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| County Courthouse | O Henry House |
Next we follow the San Antonio River towards the King William Historic District, it is a nice quietwalk with only a few joggers and walkers along the way. There are however birds including cormorants and quite a few ducks along the river which is quite enjoyable for us.
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| Cormorants along the river | Close up |
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| Interesting plants | Close up |
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| San Antonio River | NIce day for a walk |
Our walk along the river ends at the Pioneer Flour Mills and Guenther House a historic house that can be visited for free while the restaurant downstairs serves what seems to be good food (it is quite busy so we decide not to stop). However we take some of the free coffee and relax a bit in the provided chairs before moving on.
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| Pioneer Flour Mills | Free coffee |
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| Guenther House | Inside the house |
The historic King William District on the south bank of the San Antonio River, our next goal, consists of 19th century residences that have been preserved and often reincarnated into cafes, art galleries, museums and shops. In the late 1800s, the King William District was the most elegant residential area in the city built by prominent German merchants who originally settled this district and who brought with them a distinct architectural style.
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| King William Historic District - first house | Some are quite impressive |
We return towards the hotel on the main King William Street oohing and ahhing along the way at the many stately mansions built along the street. Most of them are quite well maintained and you almost feel like you are transported back in time (if you make abstraction of the many modern expensive cars in the driveways:)).
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| Most were built by German immigrants | Many are museums now |
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| Some are small businesses | And some are lived in |
Continuing we soon arrive at our last planned stop, the La Villita neighborhood. It is a small compact area with a focus on artist studios and we walk through them even selecting a few to buy as they are quite good.
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| Mexican consulate | La Villita |
Before returning to the hotel we have to eat something as it is late in the day and we stop at a Mexican restaurant with relatively good reviews but in the end with no other choice, everything else is closed. The food is quite good even if the service is not that great, with the server forgetting multiple time to bring the drinks/water to our table which was the only one occupied. Afterwards we return to the hotel pick our luggage and take a taxi to the airport. The return flight is uneventful and soon we are home after a very interesting and full trip.
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| Quesadillas | And mole dish |
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