San Antonio in April means "Fiesta!" and it's always a fun party. On April 21, 1836, just a month and a half after the Fall of the Alamo, Sam Houston and his Texian forces defeated the Mexican dictator Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, and won independence for Texas. The Republic of Texas was born. (Ten years later Texas was joined by the United States, and lost that independence. There are those who say we should have left well enough alone...but that's another story.)So, every year the week that includes April 21st is set aside in San Antonio for a week-long party, Fiesta San Antonio! 
There are dances, carnival rides, a band festival, four (or more?) parades, including the longest torchlight parade in the country, the Fiesta Flambeau. It's a great time to visit the River City, with fun for the entire family. We stayed for part of the week at a downtown hotel with our good friends, Jon and Geri Simms, and together walked in the Battle of Flowers Parade, representing the 
Scottish Society of San Antonio. 
The Battle of Flowers follows a 2.3 mile route through downtown San Antonio; this was the fourth time we've walked it. 
After the parade we met at Mi Tierra, a famous and popular Mexican restaurant in the market square of downtown. It's one of very few local Mexican restaurants to stay open 24/7; worth a visit if you're passing through.
There are dances, carnival rides, a band festival, four (or more?) parades, including the longest torchlight parade in the country, the Fiesta Flambeau. It's a great time to visit the River City, with fun for the entire family. We stayed for part of the week at a downtown hotel with our good friends, Jon and Geri Simms, and together walked in the Battle of Flowers Parade, representing the 
Scottish Society of San Antonio. 
The Battle of Flowers follows a 2.3 mile route through downtown San Antonio; this was the fourth time we've walked it. 
After the parade we met at Mi Tierra, a famous and popular Mexican restaurant in the market square of downtown. It's one of very few local Mexican restaurants to stay open 24/7; worth a visit if you're passing through.When we're stopped for awhile, we take the opportunity to clean up the motor home. 
Here "we" are cleaning the roof! (Someone has to supervise and take the pictures!)
Here "we" are cleaning the roof! (Someone has to supervise and take the pictures!)Most folks that RV full-time are members of one or more RV organizations, usually determined by interests and affiliations. There are the Good Sam (for Samaritan) Club, the FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association), the Newmar and Winnebago and Holiday Rambler clubs, among others. We are members of S.M.A.R.T., the Special Military Active and Retired Travel Club.
Composed of present and former members of all the military services of our country, the organization plans get-togethers ("musters") all over the nation. We attended two musters on this trip, one in Bandera, TX and the second in Schertz, a suburb of San Antonio. The dinner one evening was a Hawaiian luau:
Composed of present and former members of all the military services of our country, the organization plans get-togethers ("musters") all over the nation. We attended two musters on this trip, one in Bandera, TX and the second in Schertz, a suburb of San Antonio. The dinner one evening was a Hawaiian luau:
During these events we plan tours of local sights, historical and "hysterical." One small museum which should definitely be on your list for San Antonio is Barney Smith's Toilet Seat Museum.
Barney is a retired master plumber who has for over thirty years been creating masterful works of art on his favorite medium: the toilet seat! The themes cover everything imaginable: from all the states to the Boy Scouts to the military services to clubs to nations to our country's wars. If you visit and name anything, chances are good he'll have a lid for you to sign. He has over 700! That's right: he'll invite you to add your name to his creation. He'll etch your signature in permanently. 
Barney is a lovely person who delights in company and will be happy to show off his gallery. Saturday mornings are his planned times. It's free; just call ahead.
Here I'm holding the SMART seat from a previous visit of our club.... I added my name today.
Barney is a retired master plumber who has for over thirty years been creating masterful works of art on his favorite medium: the toilet seat! The themes cover everything imaginable: from all the states to the Boy Scouts to the military services to clubs to nations to our country's wars. If you visit and name anything, chances are good he'll have a lid for you to sign. He has over 700! That's right: he'll invite you to add your name to his creation. He'll etch your signature in permanently. 
Barney is a lovely person who delights in company and will be happy to show off his gallery. Saturday mornings are his planned times. It's free; just call ahead. 
Here I'm holding the SMART seat from a previous visit of our club.... I added my name today.Three of his seats are actual geocaches. If you're a cacher and you visit his place, just tell him so and he'll help you locate them and log them. 
The Scottish Society is well-represented: 
When our family visited Barney's as part of our 2006 family reunion, he asked them to sign the seats from their states; here they are: 
When our family visited Barney's as part of our 2006 family reunion, he asked them to sign the seats from their states; here they are: 
Click on the links above for more info, and be sure and visit Barney when you're in town.
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