And the Mission Trail continues!

First, Mission Concepcion.

Second, Mission San Jose.

Let’s get ready for the last three.

Down the road from Mission San Jose you can find Mission San Juan and Mission Espada. They are very close to each other (as well as close to a small municipal airport).

As you can see above, we hit Mission San Juan at a bad time. They were reconstructing the mission. Some quick history: This mission was built here in 1731, right along the San Antonio River. The river bank provided a rich farmland, orchards and herding ground for livestock. The herds were said to hold at least 3,500 sheep and just as many cattle. Now that’s a lot of livestock!

Mission Espada is right around the corner. The oldest mission, founded in 1690 but built here in 1731 along the San Antonio River (just like Mission San Juan). Even today, this mission is pretty remote. (Below) This is where the old church stood. You can tell where the alter use to be.

Beautiful! Inside and out! I love the bells.

Some say the broken arch above the door was a builders mistake. I didn’t even notice it until I read about it. It looks beautiful, even if it was a mistake.

Last stop and it was in the dead center of town. That’s right. San Antonio was built to surround the Alamo. It’s amazing how many people there were visiting the Alamo compared to the other missions (which I found to be so much more beautiful and interesting). I’ve learned since I’ve moved to Texas, if you are going to live here you MUST visit the Alamo. (This is another Texas pride example.) It’s a huge part of their history so… I visited the Alamo.

As mentioned, the Alamo is in the dead center of town, near the Riverwalk. It is currently surrounded by huge buildings and shopping centers. Fun fact – all of the buildings which were built surrounding the Alamo had a building restriction – they could not cast a shadow over the Alamo. Quite interesting, eh? It is also the place where Ozzy Osbourne peed in public and has since been banned from Texas. (No joke.)

The Alamo was built in 1718 and was the first mission along the San Antonio River. It’s original name is Mission San Antonio de Valero. Let’s try a quick recap. The Alamo is most famous for the “Battle of the Alamo” which took place over a 13 day period between the Mexicans (around 4,000 soldiers) and Texans (between 100-200 men). The most famous defenders for Texas were Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. There is a lot of debate regarding the stories surrounding the Battle of the Alamo however a few things are certain. The Santa Anna army ended up seizing the Alamo and many, many lives were lost. For this reason, this area is known as the Shrine of Texas Liberty in honor of those who fought for Texas freedom.

 The Alamo is a popular place. Be prepared that there may be a line to walk in. Don’t worry, it goes pretty quick. Next up, be prepared that you cannot take any pictures inside and you cannot touch the walls. The inside of the Alamo is pretty much one big room with a couple small rooms on the side. There are some artifacts inside, a huge model showing how the Alamo looked back in the day and a memorial for all of the men who fought for Texas. Believe it or not, there was even one from Vermont! How about that?! There were also some volunteers on the property telling stories and showing some items which would have been used during this time period. The below pictures show some buildings on the property and this enormous tree that I love!

This is the main entrance that we walked thru to enter the mission. You can see the enormous stone walls. These walls surrounded the entire property used for protection against enemies. It’s like a Southern fort. The property is so nice, I’ll let the pictures do the talking on these.

You can kind of see the distance on how far these walls travel. (Bottom Left)

Old fountain inside the building. Hopefully no one fell in with those steps! (Bottom Right)

Each of these doors represent where the community members lived which lined the entire perimeter of the Mission. Each door was just a single room home. The inside / center of the Mission is just a large, open grass area presumably used for crops.

I can’t get over how beautiful this place is! (This was also Sy’s favorite Mission.)

The detail is exquisite. It’s amazing how well preserved it all is. As we were walking thru I mentioned to Sy how beautiful it was, especially with the landscaping and plants that are mixed in and how I imagine it is quite a popular place to have bridal pictures done. As we were walking out, a bride (in her dress) was walking in.

Next up… San Juan, Espada and the Alamo!

I’m not even sure how to being this post. The San Antonio Missions were our first stop(s) in San Antonio. I cannot put into words how absolutely beautiful, historic and peaceful these building are. I wish there was a way that I could just post every single photo that I took, but the pictures don’t even do them justice. If you are ever in San Antonio, please, please, please go see the Missions and drive along the Mission Trail. I will be the first to tell you that I’m not a deeply religious person. I don’t go to church regularly (even though it would make my Memere extremely proud), it’s not a requirement. I can guarantee that you will be touched when you are there. These buildings are magnificent!

The Missions are situated about two to three miles apart along the San Antonio River. Together they form the largest collection of missions in North America. Interesting fact, eh?! There are four left, not counting “The Alamo”, Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan and Espada. The Mission Trail is super easy to find and follow. There are signs, you just have to follow them. Super easy! Each mission will take your breath away. They are hidden among neighborhoods and even out in the country. One is actually right near an airport. Oh civilization, look what you have brought to this area. When one Mission comes into view, it’s like the clouds part. The structures are beautiful. Huge. Solid. I really don’t know how to describe it. It’s just so historic and brings together the Spanish ancestory in the region. The buildings are amazing. Let’s just get to it, shall we?!

First Stop: Mission Concepcion

[Don’t mind the sun spot. Photoshop and I haven’t really aquainted ourselves.]

The early missions were unwalled. As tensions grew between the Spanish and native Indians, large stone walls were built around the communities for protection (think of it as a fort).

This is the entrance to the church where they still have service.

This mission was transferred here from East Texas in 1731. The church looks essentially like it did in the mid-1700’s as it does now.

The Missions were orignally built as a community where Spanish missionaries converted native, local Indians to the Catholic faith. The Mission also offered protection for the Indian’s from their enemies.

Gorgeous!

I loved the benches. The chandelier. The stone. Who am I kidding. This was my favorite church.

These buildings still have original paintings from over two hundred years ago. Many of them have faded however a few can still be seen on the walls and ceilings.

Next stop… Mission San Jose. Stay Tuned!