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| Road Biking | 7.30 Miles |
292 AEG |
| | Road Biking | 7.30 Miles | 2 Hrs 11 Mns | | 3.84 mph |
| 292 ft AEG | 17 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Report written 4-23-2025 as I finally finished the 4-part video. Cousin Wendy planned the Hill Country part of our trip and I planned the San Antonio part. I don't remember the last time I got on a bike, would have preferred a horse as I know how it works  . Cousin Wendy, however, has done a lot of biking including in Sedona on the Mescal Trail.
We got out of Fredericksburg in time to catch the 11AM tour of Mission San Jose; literally just in time. This is supposedly the star of the four missions south of the Alamo. The history is always fascinating, though, despite the other missions I've toured, it's hard to grasp this was all before we were a country. I have to say, they did a fabulous job reconstructing these missions; especially if you've seen the before pictures. Also, the interpretive signs are exceptional with lovely works of art along with the information. All of these missions were also forts on a smaller scale.
There is further interpretive info on the photos and of course, in the videos. Mission San José, the "Queen of Missions," is renowned for its beauty and historical significance. Founded in 1720, it was the largest mission in San Antonio and offered sanctuary to over 300 individuals. It was also the first mission to build a gristmill in Texas. Before settling at its current location, Mission San José was moved twice due to various factors, including a smallpox epidemic and overcrowding. Major restoration work was carried out in the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration, preserving the mission's architectural integrity.
eBike from Stop 5 on their app is where we started as there weren't any bikes available at Mission San Jose. Well needless to say, my goal was to stay one with the bike as we headed over and next to the river. It was hard to enjoy the sites when all my energy was concentrating on being upright. The front of the eBike seemed much more wobbly than I remember, so it was a continual challenge. Oh, and then figuring out the brakes which were different when I changed bikes. You have to change bikes to keep them charged. And, of course, you had to remember to turn it on and off. I sure did like the assist; I got up to 18 mph.
You can rent by the hour or day, we just did the day for $25. Of course, there's lot to watch for when you're riding like going over these stoned areas that they had on the path for beauty. Cousin Wendy said to stand and it wouldn't be as rough. And you had to cross over roads occasionally and there were people on the path too. I would just say, "new driver coming through"  . Fortunately, most were gracious and smiled as I continued on my way, sometimes wobbly, sometimes not.
Oh, kind of a funny story. Cousin Wendy said I was a much better bike rider than she thought as I was just barreling up those hills and she was struggling... and then she realized, she hadn't turned on the "e" part of her bike, ha!
We parked our bikes and walked a short way to: Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded in 1731 by Spanish Catholics of the Franciscan Order, on the eastern banks of the San Antonio River. The new settlement was named for a 15th-century theologian and warrior priest who resided in the Abruzzo region of Italy. The mission was established to defend against French encroachment from the east. The mission was self-sufficient, with Indigenous artisans producing essential goods like iron tools and cloth.
I thought it was interesting that they had the stations of the cross in the ground along the walkway. They also had a very nice interpretive museum. Once again, I was so impressed with the neatness and chronology without being overwhelming. This mission church is what you normally expect in the southwest with the flat white exterior and 3 church/mission bells.
Oh, I was in the lead and using google for directions. So off we went to the next mission. As we approached, it looked like we could have gone two different ways. I took the long way around the mission and despite looking like we should pull in, I listened to google and kept going where we finally reached the bike racks.
Mission Espada (San Francisco of the Sword), one of five historic San Antonio missions, was initially founded in 1690 as San Francisco de los Tejas in East Texas, later relocated to its current location in 1731. It's known for its unique brick archways, a tranquil environment, and the well-preserved acequia (irrigation system) that still operates. Franciscan missionaries taught Indigenous residents new skills like blacksmithing, weaving, masonry, and carpentry in converting local Native Americans to Christianity and solidifying Spanish territorial claims.
We ran into the ranger as we were admiring the garden outside of the church. He said a local priest had started this flower and cactus garden around the convento. There was a lovely covered/arched walkway to enjoy the construction and the floral. I was surprised that Amaryllis came in so many colors. We walked to the Museum and enjoyed a presentation about the odd arch of the Church. When we were visiting afterward, we and another couple said we saw the 1778 census that not only called this area New Spain but New Philipines. The Ranger was not aware of this.
We finished our walk around the complex and then started our bike ride back. Along the way we had to stop a moment to check out the Tree Of Life: Memories and Voices of the Earth sculpture. The Tree of Life is an 80-foot metal cast sculpture adorned with over 700 clay sculptures that represent the rich history of ranching in the area.
We should have spent more time here but we still had about 3 miles left to go which involved re-crossing bridges and roads and for me, staying upright  . I went off the path once but didn't fall over.
It was nice to ride by the river and past the mission as we made our way back to where we parked. I did really enjoy this nervous experience and would like to do it again. We did not get to the Mission Concepcion as we ran out of steam and a beer was sounding really good at this time. Fortunately, we arrived at the Embassy Suites just in time for FREE Happy Hour. This hotel happened to be kitty corner from where we stayed last year.
Our next goal was a Riverwalk to Rita's on the River, but it was closed due to recuperation from the Final Four for the employees... we would find that out the next nite (where we also visited our waiter of last year). We would end up walking another mile and a quarter to finish our day. Tomorrow it was the Trolley ride with a stop at the San Antonio Botanical Garden  .
As usual, I did a lot of interpretive work:
Video 1 - wildflowers, Mission San Jose [ youtube video ]
Video 2 - Mission San Jose, eBike along river, Mission San Juan [ youtube video ]
Video 3 - Mission San Juan, Mission Espada [ youtube video ]
Video 4 - Mission Espada, eBike up the river on Mission Trail, RiverWalk and nite view from Hotel [ youtube video ] |
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For me, sometimes it's just as much about the journey as the destination.
Oh, and once in awhile, don't forget to look back at the trail you've traveled. |
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