I’m back from my fun, whirlwind two-day cruise aboard the new Norwegian cruise ship, Breakaway. I have a lot to say about this ship—more than can fit in one blog post—but I wanted to hit the highlights for you this week. How does this ship measure up for solo travelers? Pretty well, I thought. I’m happy to report, solo travelers have another great cruise ship option in Norwegian Breakaway. I’m a little biased, since I’m a fan of big ships with lots to do, and this ship has that in spades.

Here are 10 things solo travelers can love about this ship:

The Studio Staterooms and Lounge

They’re ba-a-ack! The Studio Staterooms for solo travelers that have been such a big hit on Norwegian Epic are available on Norwegian Breakaway, too. There are fewer of them, though: 59 compared to Epic’s 128. (Breakaway is a slightly smaller ship than Epic.) If you’re unfamiliar with them, here’s the scoop: The Studio cabins are priced for solo travelers—no single supplement—and sized for us, too, at about 100 square feet. They’re all interior staterooms (sorry, no balcony here) with large beds and tons of storage space for your stuff (some cleverly hidden). They are identical to the Studio cabins on Norwegian Epic.

The Studios have exclusive keycard access to the Studio Lounge, a two-story lounge featuring a bar, games, casual seating, TV, and free coffee and cookies daily. Because there are fewer Studio rooms aboard Breakaway, the Lounge is also half the size of the one aboard Epic. The color scheme is nicer, though, if you care about such things. Every evening, there is a social hour in the lounge for solo travelers to meet and mingle. There will be a crew member assigned to host and facilitate group dinners and other activities if people are interested in that. It’s a great way to meet the other solo travelers on your cruise.

Note: If you are traveling solo aboard Breakaway and want stay in a different type of room than a Studio, you will only have access to the Studio Lounge during the social hour in the evening. The rest of the time, it’s off-limits. So I recommend going to the social hour the very first night of your cruise (at least) to meet folks and get signed up for any group activities for solo travelers.

Solo-Friendly Dining

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a big fan of Norwegian’s freestyle dining concept, where you get to choose where and when you eat. This runs counter to the old-style cruise ships where you are assigned a time and table to eat. (Ugh.) I love having freedom of choice.

With over 20 dining options aboard, including a buffet, several free restaurants, a deckside bar and grill, a wide variety of signature restaurants (available for an extra fee), an Irish pub, a coffee and pastry bar, cake shop and gelato stand, even the pickiest of eaters will find something to love here. I pretty much loved everything I ate. The good news for solos is that everywhere I looked, there was solo-friendly seating: Tons of counter and bar seating as well as a decent number of two-tops in all the restaurants, and on the Waterfront (see below). Service was just as prompt and friendly for me as it was any of the neighboring tables at the restaurants where I ate.

Fear not, you will not be forced to dine with strangers at their table if you don’t want to (except possibly one of the dinner shows). I was always ushered to a two-top when I entered a restaurant and told them I was dining alone. It was never an issue for me. However, if you do want to socialize over dinner, I highly recommend dining at the bar/counter or at the fun Teppanyaki restaurant. If you should wind up with an unfriendly group at Teppanyaki (highly unlikely), you’ll at least be able to focus on the “show” the chef puts on.

The Waterfront

I cannot gush about this enough. This is what cruising is supposed to be like, people. The Waterfront is a quarter-mile promenade around the ship on deck eight, featuring outdoor seating for restaurants (Moderno Churrascaria, Cagney’s Steakhouse, La Cucina, Ocean Blue). That’s right, now you can enjoy a fine dining experience al fresco aboard your cruise ship.

There’s also an oversized chess set on deck if you want to challenge someone to a game. Or you can buy a gelato and take a stroll, while enjoying the ocean view. Or have a drink at one of the bars (Maltings, Shakers, Fat Cats Jazz Bar), all while getting some of that fresh ocean air.

The Nightlife

I thought it would be tough for the Breakaway to top Blue Man Group when it picked a signature show for its new ship. But they did a fine job with the Tony-nominated Broadway musical Rock of Ages, which plays in the Breakaway Theater.

I’d been up since 2:30am the day I saw this show, which started at 10pm. I didn’t think I’d be able to stay awake until the end. Turns out, that wasn’t a problem at all. This Broadway musical delivers a rockin’ good time with a somewhat thin plot, but lots of heart, a great message, and all your favorite ’80s rock tunes. (I dare you not to sing along.) Note: If swearing and sexual innuendo offends you, this may not be the show for you.

And Rock of Ages is just one of several awesome evening entertainment options aboard the ship. You’ll also love Burn the Floor, a sexy, energetic ballroom dance show in the Manhattan Room and Breakaway Theater, and the one and only blues master Slam Allen who has made the move from The Epic to perform in Fat Cats Jazz Bar here on the Breakaway. Every cruise will have an ’80s dance party and fireworks, weather permitting.  (It wasn’t on my cruise, though we did get to see nature’s fireworks in the form of a thunderstorm–does that count?) Throw in Bliss Nightclub and Spice H2O, the giant LCD screen in the Atrium where you can watch concerts and sporting events, and you’re in no danger of having boring nights aboard ship.

678 Ocean Place

The open tri-level deck concept is not new for a Norwegian ship—there’s one aboard The Epic, too—but this one kicks it up a notch in terms of eye-catching design and entertainment options. I could not stop taking pictures of the LED chandelier and staircases here; they have a futuristic design I really loved. What makes 678 Ocean Place a place you’ll gravitate to, though, is how much is concentrated in this one area of the ship: You’ll find restaurants and bars, the casino on deck 7, and the exits to the Waterfront on deck 8. I enjoyed just hanging out at the railing taking photos and people-watching.

Self-serve wine stations

This was quite possibly the most popular feature of the ship during my sailing. You wouldn’t believe how people oohed and ahhed over these. Essentially, these are wine vending machines. You walk up to one, pay, and get your wine. No human interaction involved. I predict these are going to be a huge hit with passengers. Personally, I’m not a wine drinker, so I didn’t use them. But if they made a self-serve mojito station, I’d be all over it.

Adults-Only Areas

I know I can’t be the only solo traveler who would rather not be surrounded by children during my entire vacation. If that resonates with you, you’ll want to check out Spice H2O, which offers a kid-free lounging experience by day (with waterfalls and hot tubs) and a lively outdoor nightclub experience by night. Also check out the Vibe Beach Club, which also has a hot tub and cozy little private loungers where you can enjoy the ocean views while shutting out the rest of the world. (You must purchase a pass for entrance to Vibe, and they’re limited, so if you want one, be an early bird.)

The Activities

Anyone who says they’re “bored” aboard Breakaway must be hanging out in their room all the time, because there are approximately 1,0001 things to do aboard this ship. Okay, I’m exaggerating. But seriously, here’s just a small number of things you can do: Swim, sunbathe, enjoy the spa, workout in the gym, use the jogging track, check out the first salt room at sea, go on the ropes course, zipline, climb the rock wall, bowling, darts, play wii on the giant screen in the atrium, read in the library, play some games in the arcade, and so much more. Once you’re aboard, be sure to read your Freestyle Daily for more fun things to do. You’ll probably need a nap when you’re done with all those activities.

New York, New York

Since Breakaway’s home port is New York City, this is a very convenient ship for New Englanders, anyone in the New York Region or down the Eastern seaboard to DC. You could spend a couple of days in New York before or after your cruise to enjoy the real thing. But when you board the ship, you also get to take the city with you—sort of.

The New York theme permeates this ship in fun ways. The Rockettes are its godmothers; Carlo’s Bakery of “Cake Boss” fame has an outlet on the ship; the ice bar has a New York theme; and you’ll see all sorts of fun little nods to New York around the ship. I’m a sucker for themeing, and I got a real kick out of that. And honestly, there’s nothing like watching the New York City skyline go past as the ship sets sail. Nothing like it.

The Ice Bar

Okay, confession time: I didn’t actually get to see the inside of the ice bar aboard Breakaway. It was one of the things right at the top of my list to do, but when I went to make a reservation at 3pm on Friday, every time slot for the whole weekend was booked solid. [Cue overwhelming despair.]

But I did get to experience the ice bar aboard Epic, and I can say you will want to experience this. Trust me. It’s a ton of fun.

You’ll be served tasty and colorful vodka drinks in ice glasses at an ice bar, while looking around at ice sculptures of New York landmarks and trying to stay warm in your borrowed parka that makes you look like Nanook of the North. I recommend changing into long pants and socks before heading in there: It’s 17 degrees fahrenheit in that bar.

Put together a group of solos from the Studio Lounge and go together, or go by yourself and make some new friends in the bar. Either way, it’ll be a cool experience. Heh.

Those are just 10 of the things I loved about the Breakaway. I’m sure you’ll discover even more or perhaps even different things (the cannolis in Carlo’s Bakery, perhaps?). I have a lot more to say about this ship in future posts (and more photos), so stay tuned.

Disclaimer: I was hosted for the Breakaway inaugural weekend by Norwegian Cruise Lines, but my opinions are my own.

10 Things to Love About Norwegian Breakaway is a post from: SoloFriendly.com

It was May of last year that I visited Positano, Italy for the first time and experienced the second major travel regret of my life. (My first, if you’ll recall, is that I didn’t visit Egypt before the political situation there became unstable.) My second travel regret isn’t that I visited Positano, of course. Far from it. No, my regret is that I didn’t have enough time there.

I had one day in the port of Naples on my Mediterranean cruise. Just one day to see Pompeii and as much of the Amalfi Coast as we could squeeze in before we needed to be back aboard the ship. “As much as we could squeeze in” turned out to be Sorrento and Positano, two picturesque towns along the coast, with very different landscapes and personalities. Both were beautiful in their own way, but Positano was unlike any town I’ve ever seen, with the azure sea spread out before it, dotted with boats, and steep cliffs rising up behind it and layers upon layers of winding streets that make the houses look stacked one upon the other.

To get there, our guide, Giovanni, drove our van along narrow, winding roads, with sheer rock cliffs on one side–draped in netting in an attempt to prevent rockslides–and a steep drop off the other side. Occasionally, a large truck or bus would come careening around a blind curve at us, and everyone would hold their breath and pray there was enough room on the road for both vehicles. Everyone except Giovanni, who seemed completely unfazed. When Giovanni stopped on a hill overlooking Positano so we could get some photos, I knew this view was our reward for taking our lives in our hands on that road. Because yes, it was worth it.

Then he drove us to a garage in town and let us have some time to wander at will. Because we needed to get back to the ship before it departed, we had about an hour to explore. Just an hour to enjoy all of this:

See what I mean? To have just an hour in a place this beautiful? The tragedy of it all.

Actually, I’m very lucky I got to spend any time there at all, which puts me ahead of millions of other people on the planet. But I feel as though I went to a birthday party and only got a fingerful of frosting off the cake before it was gone. Some day, I’d like to go back and spend more time in Positano–and the rest of the Amalfi Coast, too, while I’m at it.

Do you have a favorite place that you only had a short period of time in and wish you could spend more time there? Where was it?

The Shortest Hour of My Life: Positano, Italy is a post from: SoloFriendly.com

Dear solo travelers who are itching to go on a cruise: Do I have good news for you!

Remember the excitement of 2010 when Norwegian Epic debuted with its solo lounge and 128 staterooms sized—and priced–for solo travelers? Well, Norwegian just gave birth to The Epic‘s brand new baby sister called Norwegian Breakaway which features the same solo stateroom/lounge concept as The Epic, but with a new itinerary: New York to Bermuda. You know what this means, don’t you?

That’s right—you can now explore the Bermuda Triangle!

Kidding, kidding. No, what it really means is: More cruise options without single supplements! (Can I hear a “Hell Yeah!”?)

On May 10th, I’ll be boarding The Breakaway for a 2 night inaugural cruise/press trip. Sadly, with only 2 nights, we won’t be going to Bermuda. But I’ll have plenty of opportunity while the ship is at sea to get to know this new Norwegian beauty with a New York theme.

Given my love for themed resorts, is it any surprise that the thing I am most giddy about is seeing how thoroughly and how well the ship incorporates the New York theme into The Breakaway? Two New York-related tidbits are that the Rockettes are the ship’s godmothers and the ship’s ice bar is rumored to have a New York theme (complete with ice sculptures of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty!). I seriously cannot wait to see that.

Naturally, I’ll be checking out the Studio Staterooms and the Lounge while I’m aboard to see how they compare to The Epic‘s. (I’ll warn you ahead of time, there are half as many as on The Epic, with just 59 staterooms, but at least they have them.) But this cruise isn’t just about me: Consider me your boots on the ground, your proxy, your eyes and ears, your advance scout. Give me my marching orders.

What else would you like me to check out while I’m aboard?

After all, part of this blog’s mission is to help you plan your solo travel. How do you know if this is the right ship for your solo cruise if you don’t know what it’s really like, right? What do you want to know about The Breakaway? What makes a cruise ship appealing to you?

Here is some more information I know about the ship before even boarding, to help you consider what you would like to know more about:

The public relations folks at Norwegian have pulled together an itinerary for some of my time. So I already know I’ll be dining one night in the Manhattan Room (the main dining room also available aboard The Epic, but so much more appropriate for a ship whose home port is New York City) and one night at Le Bistro (one of the signature restaurants). I’m especially pleased to have a chance to experience Le Bistro. In my 9 nights aboard The Epic, I never had the opportunity.

The Breakaway has some new dining concepts—such as two new “treats” shops—Carlo’s Bake Shop (which might sound familiar to viewers of TLC’s “Cake Boss”) and Dolce Gelato—as well as an upscale seafood restaurant by George Zakarian called Ocean Blue. But it also has old favorites, like Teppenyaki, O’Sheehans, and Cagney’s Steakhouse. It’s a tough job, but I’ll try to snack my way around the ship and sample as many of the venues as my stomach will allow.

I’ve also been booked to see the ship’s major theatrical show, Rock of Ages, a musical featuring a rock ‘n roll storyline and ’80s music. This show opened in Las Vegas a few months ago, and I’ve heard very positive reviews. Since I lived through my formative teenage years in the ’80s, I have a feeling this show is going to bring back a lot of fond memories of big hair bands. There’s a Cirque Dreams & Dinner show, just as there is on The Epic, as well as a dance show called Burn the Floor that sounds like hot stuff.

Every sailing of The Breakaway will feature a fireworks show at Spice H2O and an ’80s dance party, so we’ll be getting a taste of that as well. (Anyone have any ’80s clothing I can borrow? The only thing I have left from the ’80s is my love of popular culture!)

So think about what you want me to check out for you while I’m aboard The Breakaway. You can learn more about the ship at the Norwegian Breakaway website. Please add your questions in the comments section below.

Since I’m aboard the ship for less than 48 hours and I’m hoping some of those will be spent sleeping, I may not be able to get to everything. But I’ll do the best I can for items of particular interest to people. AND. . .You don’t have to wait until I get back from the cruise to get a sneak peek of this new cruise ship. From May 10-12th, you can follow along virtually on Facebook and Twitter (and follow the hashtag #NorwegianBreakaway).

Photo renderings courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Lines: Norwegian Breakaway; Studio Stateroom; Le Bistro; Rock of Ages.

Get Ready for a Breakaway: Norwegian Breakaway is a post from: SoloFriendly.com

San Antonio, Texas is a great city for sampling margaritas and mojitos and local brews, but it’s also fun to sample regional food specialties—and not just the obvious ones. Sure, you’ll want to try Mexican food and BBQ here, but don’t forget about the famous Gulf seafood and German food (thanks to the region’s German heritage). Despite being on a tight food budget for this trip (luckily, I booked a hotel that offered a lot of free meals), I wasn’t about to miss out on trying the local cuisine. I had a couple of meals with friends, and several solo, and overall, only had one major disappointment. Here’s my quickie review of where I ate in San Antonio:

For a Visual Mexican Feast: Mi Tierra at El Mercado

I can’t say it was the best Mexican food I’ve ever had, but it is a must-see restaurant when you’re visiting San Antonio. Read my full review here.

For Inexpensive Seafood: Landry’s Seafood Restaurant

Landry’s is a southern U.S. restaurant chain specializing in Gulf seafood. It’s located right on the Riverwalk and was within walking distance of my hotel, which made it perfect for me. Their regular menu looks absolutely drool-worthy. I saw a handful of other solos sitting at outdoor tables along the river, feasting on fish with a glass of wine on the side, which looked like a peaceful and lovely way to end the day.

I chose to dine a bit more casually and socially at the bar off the happy hour menu, which had a fair bit of variety and outstanding prices. (I’m a light eater, so when I’m looking for a cheap dinner, a well-rounded happy hour menu is a perfect fit.) The bar area was comfortable and the staff friendly.

I had two dinners here, both $13 or less before tip. Everything was excellent. I can recommend the fish tacos (beer-battered fish wrapped in tortillas with pepper jack cheese and avocado sauce, two for $6, definitely on the spicy side); the coconut shrimp with plum sauce (perfectly crispy, $5); pecan-roasted vegetables (oven-roasted vegetables tossed with candied pecans and lemon butter, a $2.99 side item, not on the happy hour menu); the pomegranate mojito ($5.50); and the locally-brewed Lone Star draft ($2.50), which gets a thumbs up from me for its smooth, light flavor.

I also overheard some very entertaining conversations in the bar at Landry’s, but to protect the privacy of all involved, will keep those to myself. ;-)

For German Food: Schilo’s Deli

You might be surprised to hear that my best ethnic meal in Texas wasn’t Mexican, but German. Schilo’s is an old-fashioned diner founded and currently owned by German families. The menu is populated with wursts and potato salad and strudel, all at inexpensive prices. There’s a sense of “home” here: The staff seem like a close-knit group as they joke around with each other and customers.

I had a hot dog with sauerkraut and German potato salad, root beer and a slice of strawberry cheesecake ($13 before tip). The food was fine, but the root beer was the best I’ve ever had. It’s homemade and tastes like a cross between root beer and cream soda—creamy and delicious.

I raved about it to one of the young waiters, Vincent.

He gave a wistful smile and said “Yeah, every day I come in and have to tell myself ‘I am NOT going to have any of the 500-calorie rootbeer today.’”

I stared at him, then looked down at my second mug of rootbeer in horror. “500 calories?” I repeated in shock.

He smiled. “Yeah, it’s pretty much all sugar.”

Which probably brought my lunch to 3000 calories. Thank God for all the walking I did on this trip.

For Historic Flavor: The Guenther House

The Guenther House is a restaurant, bakery and retail store in a beautiful 1860 house located in the King William Historic District. It overlooks a less hectic area of the Riverwalk and is located next door to a flour mill that was owned by the founding family. The pastries in the bakery are gigantic; a single pastry could have fed four people, I swear. The house has some lovely features, such as a beautiful stained glass window featuring wheat shafts on the door to the ladies’ bathroom. So if you eat here, make sure you leave time to tour the house.

I had lunch here with a new friend, Teresa, who lives in San Antonio. It was a beautiful day–sunny and in the 70s—so we chose to eat outside in the tent at the side of the house. Teresa had strawberry waffles, and I had the half chicken salad sandwich. The food was good and the service even better. Teresa convinced Martin, our waiter, to have his picture taken with us.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take any food photos. This happens to me all the time when I eat with other people. See? I have to travel alone. I’d be a lousy blogger if I had a companion all the time. I have no idea what this meal cost, since Teresa treated me. (Thanks, Teresa!)

For the Best View in San Antonio: The Chart House, Tower of the Americas

The Chart House is a revolving restaurant at the top of the Tower of the Americas, the second tallest freestanding tower in the U.S. (after the Stratosphere in Las Vegas). The restaurant and the Flags Over Texas Observatory offer spectacular 360-degree views of the city. I met my friend Lorna here for lunch one day.

The primary objective was to catch up with each other, since we hadn’t seen each other in person since 2007. So that was a great treat. We had fun joking around with our waitress and the guy running the elevator (who had a great smile and was very charming).

Lest you think the only reason to come here are the views, let me assure you the food was fabulous. Lorna had the lobster bisque and the chopped spinach salad (I had a taste and truly wished I’d ordered it myself).

I had the lobster grilled cheese with a dipping cup amount of the bisque on the side. The sandwich was stuffed full of finely chopped lobster meat (they did not skimp!) and came with the best skinny fries ever. The Chart House can be a bit pricey ($20 before tip for lunch), but it was worth every penny when you factor in the views.

(Tip: If you tell them at ground level that you’re eating at the restaurant, you don’t have to pay the normal admission fee for the Tower.)

For the Comfort of the Familiar: The Hard Rock Cafe

I ate at the Hard Rock one night when I couldn’t get in to Boudros (I’m still devastated about that). I think we tourists turn to the Hard Rock Cafe when we travel because we know what to expect when we eat here. The food will be good, if not great, and we’ll be surrounded by good rock music videos on TV.

My dinner, though, was so much better than I expected: I had the cajun shrimp and poached pear dinner salad, which had goat cheese crumbles, candied pecans and bacon, and was tossed in the most delicious sweet Dijon pear dressing. It’s very rare that I get excited about eating a salad, but this one was terrific. I also taste-tested my second local brew, a Shiner Bock, a Bavarian beer with a deep amber color. It was much darker in color than I am used to drinking, but the taste was fairly mellow. I liked it a lot. Good meal at a decent price ($20 before tip) and good music. You can’t go wrong with that.

My Disappointing BBQ Experience: The County Line

I ate here on my first night in town. It was after 9pm, I was tired from traveling all day, and I was about three hours past my dinner time. So I stopped at the first casual restaurant I encountered along the Riverwalk. It seemed like a good opportunity to try some famous Texas barbecue. What a disappointment this place was.

I paid $16 for the app size ribs (6 ribs) and a very small side of coleslaw. In my book, ribs are supposed to be so tender the meat falls off the bones and you should be able to easily split the bones apart. I tried as hard as I could, but I couldn’t even hack the meat off the rib bones, let alone split the bones apart! Also, the coleslaw wasn’t shredded cabbage, but chunks of cabbage. Ugh. Even though I was starving, I left most of the food on the table.

My waiter tried to overcompensate for the food’s shortcomings by acting like he was working in a fine dining restaurant, acting oversolicitous to the point of being comical. He even told me this was his favorite meal. I should have asked him how the hell HE gets the meat off the bones.

Photo credit: Photos of the stained glass door and the three new amigos at Guenther House  courtesy of Teresa Vincent.

Dining Around San Antonio is a post from: SoloFriendly.com

If I ever hear anyone say “Oh if you’ve seen one Spanish mission, you’ve seen them all,” I might have to have words with that person. Because nothing could be further from the truth.

San Antonio is rich in Spanish history and features five missions of historical note: The Alamo, which is in the center of town and easy to get to, and four missions along what is called “The Mission Trail” that is part of the National Historical Park system. The Alamo is worthy of its own post, so I’ll save that for another day. Today, I’d like to discuss the value of visiting the other four missions.

The missions were built in the late 1600s-early 1700s for the purpose of a land grab: If Spain could recruit natives to become members of the Catholic Church and citizens of Spain, it could stake its claim on the region. Because the Apaches and Commanches were hostile toward them, the missionaries focused their attention on the Coahuiltecans, a nomadic and peaceful tribe of hunter-gatherers. The missionaries taught them skills in farming, blacksmithing, ranching, textile weaving, etc. Descendants of the Coahuiltecans still make up a good share of the population of San Antonio. So the history of the Spanish missions is still very relevant to the culture of San Antonio today.

There are three primary ways to see all four missions along the Mission Trail:

• Drive yourself if you have access to a car;
• Rent a bicycle and take the Hike and Bike Trail; or
• Take Historic Texas Tours’ Mission Trail Tour*.

If you go to the missions on your own, I recommend taking advantage of the free docent tours at each mission. Otherwise, if you want expert guides to give you the history of the missions, Historic Texas Tours is the only tour company in San Antonio that goes to all four missions. Other tour companies only visit two (San Jose and Concepcion), which are also the two that are accessible by the sightseeing trolley or public bus. But it would really be a shame if you didn’t visit all four.

I didn’t want to rent a car, and I didn’t trust my stamina (or navigational abilities) to go the bike route (no way in hell would I try walking it). So I booked a tour with Historic Texas Tours. My guide, Don Hays, is a local and was a wealth of historical knowledge about the missions. I won’t steal his thunder by repeating everything I learned on my tour, but I wanted to share some photos and tidbits of information to show you just how each mission is unique and worthy of a visit on its own.

Mission Concepcion

Location: 807 Mission Road
Full name: Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Acuña

Mission Concepcion is in remarkably good shape. It has never lost its roof due to weather or age, so it still features some amazing frescoes inside. Like the other missions, it is still an active church with regular services.

Some parents still choose to follow tradition by having their babies baptized in a baptismal basin built into the original stone walls.

My favorite fresco was called “The Eye of God,” because of the story attached to it: The priest painted it there to scare the altar boys, since this was the room where the sacramental wine was stored and he wanted them to know God was always watching them so they wouldn’t try to sneak some wine for themselves. Oh, those clever priests.

Mission San Jose

Location: 6701 San José Drive. The visitor center is located at this mission.
Full Name: Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo

Mission San Jose is in the best shape of the four missions, as it was fully restored by the WPA in the 1930s. Of all the missions, this one gives the best idea of what life must have been like in these communities when they were at their peak. Picture 300-400 people living within these walls, along with livestock, and the courtyard filled with outhouses, storage buildings, etc. There was a grist mill on site (still there). There were outdoor fire pits (see image) where people did much of their cooking. They could roast pigs or turkeys in the oven and make tortillas on the top of it, smearing grease to keep the flour from sticking.

Each corner of the mission wall had a round room with lookout holes. There were always three guards on duty here at any time: one to walk the wall, one who would sleep, and one to maintain the weapons room. (And you thought your job was boring.)

One of the great architectural features of Mission San Jose is its famous Rose window. (This design has been adopted in the city’s logo as well as windows at the Rivercenter Mall and probably countless other places.) While no one can be certain why it was called the Rose window, the popular speculation is that the builder named it for his true love, Rose, who tragically died before they could marry.

Don showed me the bullet holes on the wall of the church where some of Teddy Roosevelt’s naughty Rough Riders used the church as target practice. Later, as President, Roosevelt established the National Park system to preserve such historic national treasures. Clearly, these missions need protecting, as you can see from the multiple scrawls of graffiti carved in the walls in the image below.

And in case you’re wondering, the interior of the church is gorgeous–and has great acoustics.

Mission San Juan

Location: 9101 Graf Road
Full name: Mission San Juan Capistrano

Mission San Juan was undergoing structural renovations when I visited. For this reason, we couldn’t go inside. (Renovations are done now.) This mission has a much different design and structure than the others. We walked around the grounds to the ruins of a second, unfinished mission. The site also includes a nature trail (I had lunch plans, so we skipped that).

Apparently, there are plans to create a Spanish Colonial Demonstration Farm at San Juan, to showcase colonial irrigation methods and what the farmers would have raised for crops here (sugar cane, corns, beans, squash and fruit and pecan trees). I think that will be very interesting for visitors.

Don told me a story about the cactus at the foot of the cross. I don’t know if it’s true or a tall tale told by a Texan, but it made a great story nonetheless. I’m not going to steal Don’s thunder by repeating the story here, but suffice it to say it was a great example of creative problem-solving by a very clever priest.

Mission Espada

Location: 10040 Espada Road
Full name: Mission San Francisco de la Espada

Of the four missions along the Mission Trail, Mission Espada was the one most closely resembling the kind of church I would want to go to if I were religious. It’s run by Franciscan brothers who live in an adjoining residence. They feed the birds and squirrels, grow flowers, blow glass, and maintain the church, among other things. It felt very down-to-earth and homey to me–especially since the mission was still decorated for Christmas a month after the holiday.

The ceiling beams within the church are made of railroad ties. Don told me that there was an incident years ago when the railroad ties started to leak creosote and one of the painted statues was “ruined”. They soaked it to get the creosote off, and in the process, the paint came off too. Much to their surprise, they saw that beneath the paint was gold leaf. Someone had been trying to hide this valuable statue “in plain sight”.

For those of you who aren’t Catholics, the Franciscans take their name from St. Francis of Assisi, who loved animals. Every day on Feast Day, parishioners bring their pets to the church to be blessed. (Perhaps other churches do this as well? I’m not Catholic, so I don’t know.) As an animal lover, I loved that idea. I stood inside the small church and imagined the chaos of dozens of dogs and cats and birds and gerbils waiting for the priests’ blessing. It definitely put a smile on my face.

I hope this gives you a sense of the individuality of the four missions along the Mission Trail. They each come with their own unique histories and stories to tell. At the end of the day, it pays to remember they’re not just about history; they’re active churches with parishioners, some of whom are descendants of the original Coahuiltecans from the missions. They’re still a focal point to their communities the way they were 300 or so years ago.They’re a form of living history.

I’m very excited that the missions of San Antonio (including the Alamo) have been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage status. It’s a long, uphill climb to obtain this status, and a decision won’t be made for another couple of years. But in my opinion, these missions are certainly worthy.

*TIP for booking Historic Texas Tours: Since they reserve the right to cancel if they don’t have four people signed up for the tour, try looking for a tour time where there are already at least 3 people signed up. I got lucky and Don was willing to conduct the tour for one, but I wouldn’t bet on that always being the case.

On the Spanish Mission Trail in San Antonio is a post from: SoloFriendly.com

When I travel, it’s usually for a week or less at a time, because that’s all the time I can get off from my day job. So I try to be efficient and maximize my time. I create an itinerary for each day of my trip—where I’ll go, what I’ll do, and when. I usually try to cluster activities around the same general location if I can, to eliminate wasted time backtracking.

My biggest nemesis when it comes to sticking to my agenda is getting lost. I swear to God I must spend anywhere from half a day to a full day getting lost in a new city before I finally get my bearings. It’s frustrating, aggravating, and disorienting. I can feel the precious minutes of my all-too-brief vacation slipping away from me the longer I’m lost.

Believe me, it’s not for the lack of maps and directions. I am anal-retentive about carrying maps and notes and directions on me. But I confess, I am a bit directionally-challenged. It’s especially bad when I travel to European cities, with their maze-like streets and alleys.

Part of the problem is that on my first day, I’ve just arrived from my redeye flight, having been awake for 20 hours or so (because I can’t sleep on planes), bleary-eyed and groggy. I can’t check into my hotel until the afternoon, so I’m forced to wander a city where I don’t speak or read the language very well with a barely-functioning brain.

Is it any wonder I get lost for the better part of a day?

On my first day in Paris I managed to find the metro at Place Republic and the correct train line to get to Notre Dame. Beyond that, there was quite a lot of wandering back and forth to find the cathedral, then the Latin Quarter, and then my way back to the metro I’d arrived on. At one point, a young Asian woman with an American accent stopped me and asked me for directions to Notre Dame.

I looked around to point her in the right direction, but I couldn’t spot the cathedral over the rooftops where we were standing. I was mortified when I realized I couldn’t even remember which direction it was in. I had just been there less than 20 minutes before! Oh the shame.

On my way back to my hotel, a young French woman approached me in the Metro to ask me for my help figuring out her route. She spoke no English, and I didn’t speak enough French to tell her “Oh honey, you are asking the wrong person for directions.” When we realized we couldn’t communicate verbally, we looked at each other, shrugged, and began poring over the map together anyway.

She told me the name of the attraction where she was going (I can’t recall which one it was now), and I drew along the metro line that I thought she needed to take with my finger. “Take line 4,” I told her. She repeated “Four?” “Oui,” I said. She thanked me with a smile and left.

As she walked away, I thought: I really hope I didn’t just send her into some terrible neighborhood.

Despite how frustrating it is for the Type A planner in me, even I have to admit, good things can come from getting lost. In Barcelona, I planned to visit the Picasso Museum and the City History Museum on the same day. It seemed pretty straightforward: Just head down Via Laietana, turn left onto Carrer de la Princesa and then right onto Carrer de Montcada for the Picasso Museum. Then go straight across Laietana to the City History Museum.

On my first pass down Via Laietana I missed the turnoff to Princesa and walked all the way to Port Vell. I had to double back. Once I found Carrer de la Princesa, I did the same thing, missing the turnoff to the Picasso Museum and instead hitting the end of the road. Augh!

But there was this beautiful building across the street, and I thought “Well, as long as I’m here, I might as well go see what it is.” It turned out to be the Zoological Museum. I saw lots of families with young kids going into the park next to it. It looked like maybe there was some sort of festival going on. It was free, so I wandered in to check it out.

It was kind of cool to see how families in Barcelona spend a Saturday in the summertime (a lot like Vermonters, as it turns out). I wish I’d known at the time that this was just the tip of the iceberg–just a small portion of Parc de la Ciutadella, a huge park area with more museums, a lake, and a zoo. (Next time, Barcelona!) After I’d wandered around a bit amongst them, I returned to my original mission and eventually found the Picasso Museum–down what seemed more like an alley to me than an actual street. No wonder I kept walking past it!

I had just as much trouble trying to find the City History Museum. I couldn’t believe it. On my map, it looked like it was right off Laietana. I should have been looking right at it. But somehow, I could not seem to find it.

I wandered all over the place, down side streets and alleys, and across plazas. I must have covered every square inch of the Barri Gotic neighborhood. I’d been walking all day, and I was exhausted. Just when I was about ready to admit defeat and give up entirely, I stumbled across it quite by accident.

It was worth the struggle. During the journey, I ran across a (peaceful) demonstration in a little plaza, some cute little shops in quiet alleyways, and a busker—a woman playing guitar in the street—all things I would have missed if it had been easy to get from the Picasso Museum to the City History Museum. And I’m glad I didn’t give up. The City History Museum was my favorite museum in Spain.

It’s true: You do often encounter people or sights that you wouldn’t have if you had gone straight from point A to point B. It also helps you get the lay of the land better for future reference. But there’s more to it for me.

You know that saying “Anything worth having is worth fighting for”? That’s been the story of my life, and it has continued on into my travel life. Sometimes, it’s such a struggle to find what I’m looking for in a strange city that when I do, I want to do a fist-pump. I met the challenge and overcame it! It’s my Rocky moment.

Getting perpetually lost during my travels has been a learning experience for a control freak like me. What I’ve learned (the hard way) is that getting lost isn’t always a bad thing. I just need to remind myself not to get stressed out about it. I think I should start building a few hours of “getting lost” time into my future travel itineraries. God knows I’ll need it.

Getting Lost is a post from: SoloFriendly.com

If you have ever traveled to Europe and gone searching for a good guidebook, chances are, you know who Rick Steves is. The author of Europe Through the Back Door, Best of Europe and individual country guides, Rick also hosts a travel show on PBS and offers tours, audio guides, apps, you name it. The man is one of the most successful travel brands in the world. Last week, Rick visited Vermont (for the first time!) to help raise money for Vermont Public Television. And I was lucky enough to be there to hear him talk travel in person.

The Flynn Center, which hosted Rick’s talk, recently started a program called “Tweet Seats”. You know how when you go to the theater, you’re asked to turn off your cell phone and not text? With Tweet Seats, a handful of social media-savvy guests are offered complimentary seats during which they live-tweet during the show. Woohoo! Permission to break the rules! When offered the opportunity to participate, naturally, I jumped on it. After all, Rick Steves’ guidebooks have helped me find my way around Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, and more. I’m a fan.

We were seated in the back of the balcony so the light from our cell screens and tablets wouldn’t disturb other guests. It was a blast! I got to meet some great local folks whom I’ve only interacted with on Twitter before, all tweeting under the hashtag #flynntweets. My only problem was that I’m nightblind, so when I had to turn down the brightness on my cell phone, I could barely see what I was typing (you can tell from the typos in my tweets). Also they didn’t allow photos, which was a bummer for us social media types. Fortunately for me–and you–Vermont Public Television shares. :-)

The talk itself was fabulous. Rick is even funnier in person than I expected. There was a lot of laughter in the theater. Because it was a multimedia presentation (well, pictures of pretty places in Europe projected onto the stage), there was also much sighing wistfully as we all started daydreaming of trips to Europe.

I went into the show excited to hear Rick talk about “Travel as a Political Act,” having just read some articles he’s written on the subject and seeing a promo video of his travels in Iran (which looks awesome!). As it turned out, his talk Monday night was about travel to Europe, which was also fine by me. I still have a lot of European destinations on my travel bucket list.

Since Rick had thirty years’ worth of information to share on the subject, he talked fast. It’s difficult to summarize it here. I will say that if there was one overarching message to his talk it was: Get off the beaten path when you travel to Europe. You’ll save money doing this and get to interact more with locals. This is a familiar drumbeat I hear all the time in the travel blogging universe, so it wasn’t a new message to me, but for the first time, I started picturing myself actually doing just that.

If you ever get a chance to see Rick Steves in person, I highly recommend it! It will be an entertaining evening for sure. The woman sitting next to me had never heard of Rick Steves before (because she is not a traveler), but by the end of the two hours, she was already planning a trip to Scotland next year!

For those of you who aren’t on Twitter, below you’ll find the highlights of his talk, in tweets by me and the rest of the Tweet Seats crowd that night. Enjoy!

The @flynncenter is filling up for @ricksteves. Vermont has more travelers than I thought. #flynntweets

— Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 18, 2013

Lol, people rushing the stage for @ricksteves free cd. #flynntweets

— Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 18, 2013

First time in #vt for @ricksteves. Get that man some maple syrup and some sugar on snow. #FlynnTweets

— Elaine Young (@ejyoung67) March 19, 2013

@ricksteves “It’s people that carbonate the travel experience. Without people, it’s a flat experience.”

— Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

“Be the bumpkin” as a traveler. Already there @ricksteves #flynntweets

— Lara Dickson (@DeepDishCreates) March 19, 2013

Don’t skip “touristy” places — hit them early morning, late in day. #flynntweets

— Adam Bluestein (@adambluestein) March 19, 2013

People go to Salzburg and complain about the crowds. Then they take a Sound of Music bus tour. @ricksteves #flynntweets

— Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

#ricksteves mentioning how touristy towns become yours @ night when tourists leave. So true in Bruges, Belgium.

— Brent Hallenbeck (@BrentHallenbeck) March 19, 2013

Complement the “charming” with the real when you travel. @ricksteves #flynntweets

— Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

A guidebook is a $20 tool for a $3000 experience. @ricksteves #flynntweets

— Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

Travel strategy – think of yourself as a temporary local #flynntweets

— Rich Nadworny (@rnadworny) March 19, 2013

“My show belongs on Public TV where it does not need to satisfy commercial shill” @ricksteves #FlynnTweets :)

— VPT (@VermontPublicTV) March 19, 2013

Get out of the car, get your fingers dirty, find ways to BE there. @ricksteves #flynntweets

— Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

“If the art’s not fun, you don’t know enough about it,” @ricksteves #flynntweets

— Adam Bluestein (@adambluestein) March 19, 2013

Everyone in the #flynntweet seats sighing and ready to buy a plane ticket to Europe right now. @ricksteves

— Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

Know your audience – @ricksteves writing for Americans with no vacation time. #flynntweets

— Rich Nadworny (@rnadworny) March 19, 2013

Watch a movie about the location you plan to visit before you go on a trip. #greatadvice #FlynnTweets — Elaine Young (@ejyoung67) March 19, 2013

I think @ricksteves has convinced the tweet seat folks to go to Turkey. #FlynnTweets — Andrea Olson (@OlsonAH82) March 19, 2013

Use open jaw flights to moderate culture shock. Start easy, like London, and work your way up to Turkey. #flynntweets — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

Anyone smart enough to support @vermontpublictv can get themselves around Europe without a tour, @ricksteves #flynntweets — Adam Bluestein (@adambluestein) March 19, 2013

Some tours charge their guides to lead you, and this forces them to take you shopping. Makes them kickbacks. @ricksteves #flynntweets — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

Bus tours are cheapest way for and adult to get around Europe–but just use them for the ride; skip the meals and day tours! #flynntweets — Adam Bluestein (@adambluestein) March 19, 2013

You can get out of comfort zone, grow– just get 30 miles from other tourists and learn local word for B&B. #flynntweets — Adam Bluestein (@adambluestein) March 19, 2013

Kinda vermonty: RT @rnadworny Love it – @ricksteves promotes lots of Mom&Pop restaurants and hotels #localvore — Lara Dickson (@DeepDishCreates) March 19, 2013

Travel tip he gats the most thanks for: buy the Paris Museum Pass. No waiting in line. @ricksteves #flynntweets — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

Next up: packing light. God do I need to hear this. @ricksteves #flynntweets — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

@brenthallenbeck I can barely figure out how to use laundromats in this country. :-) But that’s a good idea. — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

Per @ricksteves, Cairo is safer than Chicago. #flynntweets — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

“Fear is for people who don’t gat out much.” – @ricksteves That got applause. #flynntweets — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

Will travel in Rome be altered by new pope? @ricksteves says nope just a new guy waving in the window #FlynnTweets #funnyhaha — Jen (@jenadrian) March 19, 2013

Real global financial crisis is half of humanity trying to live on $2 a day, @ricksteves. Crisis of distribution. Applause! #flynntweets — Adam Bluestein (@adambluestein) March 19, 2013

Look for off the beaten path restaurants with hand-written menus. It means they’e using what’s fresh that week. #flynntweets — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

Splurge on a good meal once in awhile. It’s like a spa for your tongue. @ricksteves #flynntweets — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

“The more you spend, the bigger a wall you build between you and what you came to see.” @ricksteves #flynntweets — Gray Cargill (@SoloFriendly) March 19, 2013

People who stay in bland Americanizedhotels in Europe may not have wanted to travel in the first place: #ricksteves at #FlynnTweets

— Brent Hallenbeck (@BrentHallenbeck) March 19, 2013

If you are alive you are young enough to youth hostel #FlynnTweets

— Elaine Young (@ejyoung67) March 19, 2013

Find places that welcome you to the party not just as part of the economy. #FlynnTweets

— Elaine Young (@ejyoung67) March 19, 2013

(Thanks to the Tweet Seats participants for use of their tweets for this post.)

Photo credits: All photos by Vermont Public Television: Flynn Marquee; Rick Steves on stage at the Flynn Center; Rick with the Tweet Seat champs, Elaine Young (@ejyoung67), Jen Adrian (@jenadrian), and Jessica Andreola (@jessandreola, @HotelVermont).

Rick Steves Talks Europe…in Vermont is a post from: SoloFriendly.com

No, I’m not talking about baggage carousels. Heh. I’m talking about the beautiful, painted carousels with ponies that go up and down.

I adored carousels when I was a child. I didn’t often see them outside the county fair. But I was lucky enough to travel a bit as a child, and when I saw a carousel, I was drawn to it the same way I was drawn to books—as an escape from the mundane. The carnival music, the beautifully painted horses, the up-and-down motion they made as though they were galloping; it was like a storybook come to life.

The enchantment waned as I grew older. I put them away along with my dolls and stuffed animals. Carousels were replaced by ferris wheels, then teacup rides, and then by The Octopus–which ruined me for spinning, circular rides forever in a single, dizzy afternoon of staggering between trash cans around the grounds of the county fair, trying not to throw up.

I didn’t give carousels another thought until I started seeing them everywhere in my travels–in both the U.S. and Europe. I’ve seen them in parks and carnivals, of course, but also along boardwalk promenades and in the middle of city centers. I’ve seen them used as children’s rides and I’ve seen them used decoratively. New Orleans’ Hotel Montelone even has a Carousel Bar (that rotates!).

In this age of video games and computers and high-speed dueling roller coasters with forward and backward loops, how has this simple ride managed to maintain its timeless appeal? Is it the nostalgia factor? The reminder of a time in our lives when we were innocent? Or is it just that they’re so beautiful?

I think for me it’s the artistry. Taken as a whole, or scrutinizing each part, the carousel is a work of art. It’s a ride. It’s a toy. It’s a giant music box. It’s a painting. It’s a sculpture. And no doubt about it, it’s way classier than a bounce house. Here are some photos I’ve taken of the carousels I’ve encountered on my travels. I hope they put a smile on your face as they do mine.

In the medieval city of Avignon, France:

In Montmartre, Paris, France:

Near the Eiffel Tower in Paris:

In Florence, Italy:

A double-decker carousel in Cannes, France:

The first photo in this post and the one below are from a hand-carved carousel (from 1895) in Seaport Village, San Diego, California:

At the Bellagio Conservatory in Las Vegas, Nevada (decorative only):

Look at those painted panels!

Have you ever seen a carousel in an unexpected place? Tell us where it was in the comments below!

Carousels Around the World is a post from: SoloFriendly.com

You know how when you visit a new city, you always want to take the first day to get the lay of the land on foot, by bus, or even by driving around? Well, in San Antonio, the San Antonio River (and the Riverwalk) is such a central part of the city, that one of the first things you’ll want to do here is get the lay of the river. (I’m not actually sure anyone’s ever substituted the expression “lay of the land” for “lay of the river” before, but there’s a first time for everything, right?)

After wandering off in the wrong direction in the dark the night I arrived in town, it was a priority for me to take the river tour the next morning to figure out where everything was. I grabbed a river taxi at the very convenient Rio Taxi stop outside my hotel to take me to the boarding area for the Rio River Tour. (Yes, the same company that offers the tours also runs the taxis up and down the river.) As a bonus, because he knew I was headed for the tour, he didn’t charge me for the ride. (Thanks dude whose name I never got!)

As directed by my taxi driver, I went into the Aztec Theater (at the Riverwalk level) and found the ticket booth toward the back. Here, I bought my tour ticket for $8.25 (totally worth it). I was lucky enough that a tour was about to start, so I didn’t have to wait at all.

The guide on my tour was a native San Antonian named Alfred. Sometimes it was a little hard to understand Alfred, because he spoke very fast. But when I did understand him, he was funny. (Then again, I’m an easy audience when people are trying to be funny. I know how hard it is.) Alfred told us a lot of information about things he was pointing out along the way, but honestly, I’ve retained very little of it. I wasn’t taking notes, I was taking pictures!

This tour was a great way to get a feel for just how big the loop of the downtown Riverwalk really is (so I’d know later on how much walking I’d be doing to get back and forth to various places) and gave me a better sense of what was where along the Downtown stretch of the Riverwalk. All along the way there are access points to street level, so you can get to most places downtown by either street level or river level–though river level is definitely prettier.

The River tour helped me identify some of the neighborhoods of the city (such as La Villita, pictured above) that are accessible from the Riverwalk. And Alfred pointed out landmarks that later helped me get my bearings, such as the Torch of Friendship (a gift from the Mexican government to the city of San Antonio) shown below.

Along the way, we passed by the Rivercenter Mall and the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center and its gorgeous mosaic mural depicting the life, culture, and history of San Antonio.

One of the things that became obvious to me is just how well the city has utilized the resource of its river compared to most urban areas. This is thanks to Robert H. H. Hugman, a visionary architect who presented a plan to the city of San Antonio in 1929 to develop along the river a commercial neighborhood which also felt park-like. He believed that:

“Our Little River should be treated as a stage setting on which people are transported to the unusual; that all future architectural growth avoid modern styles; that the river’s tempo must be jealously guarded, remaining slow and lazy, in complete contrast with the hustle and bustle of street-level modern city life.”

He even put his money where his mouth was by opening his own office at river level. People thought he was crazy at first, since the river was known to flood on occasion. But the city eventually bought into his vision, and the rest is history.

One place the Rio River Tour does not take you is up to the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk. However, the Rio Taxi does go there (see route/pass prices below). I’d recommend making that trip as well, because it’s got a totally different vibe than the downtown area.

This section of the Riverwalk was formerly an industrial neighborhood that housed the Pearl Brewery. Today, it is a revitalized mixed-use residential and commercial area with shopping and dining opportunities. It’s very picturesque and quiet—a great place to go for a walk, read a book, grab a bite to eat and cold beverage at La Gloria restaurant, or just sit and contemplate the meaning of the universe.

What You Need to Know about the Rio River Taxis and Tours

Tour Price: $8.25 (with discounts for locals and senior citizens)

Hours: 9am to 9pm

See website for locations where tickets can be purchased, or purchase yours online.

Taxi Prices:

Downtown Reach (Rio Taxi Yellow) – One-way $5, Day Pass, $10, 3-Day Pass $25

Museum Reach (Rio Taxi Red) – 24-hour pass $10, 3-Day Pass $25.

Combination 24-hour Pass (Downtown/Museum Reach) – $15.

Hours: 9am to 9pm

Tickets can be purchased aboard the boat.

*Be sure to double-check current hours and prices on their website.

Photo credit: That picture of me at the Riverwalk was taken by Teresa Vincent of TT’s Trippin’ For All Things Travel.

San Antonio River Tour: Getting the Lay of the River is a post from: SoloFriendly.com