Spanish Governor’s Palace

by RoadRunner | Jan 15, 2020 | art, history, San Antonio insider, Sightseeing

Built in the 1740s, the Spanish Governor’s Palace (105 Plaza de Armas, across the parking lot form City Hall)  was a military fortification and a home for the Spanish Captain of the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar. In 1804 the last captain, José Menchaca, sold the...

San Antonio’s Chili Queens (and Frito Pie!)

by RoadRunner | Sep 4, 2019 | food & drink, history, San Antonio insider

From the 1860s until the late 1930s, both visitors and locals enjoyed the food and entertainment offered in the plazas of San Antonio by the Chili Queens. These women served chili con carne and other Mexican American foods from dusk until dawn at the San Antonio...

The Alamo: John Wayne Has a Lot to Answer For

by RoadRunner | Aug 26, 2019 | history, San Antonio insider, Sightseeing

Here in San Antonio we get a kick out of visitors who ask, “where is the Alamo?” — and they are standing right in front of it! In the iconic 1960 John Wayne movie of that name his first view of the Alamo is across the dry Texas plains. Even in 1836,...

How We Almost Lost Our River

by RoadRunner | Jul 2, 2019 | history, San Antonio insider

The River Walk draws several million tourists a year, is ranked as one of the top travel destinations in Texas and has inspired riverside developments throughout the world. San Antonio almost covered it over with cement. At the end of the 19th Century the San Antonio...

The Six Flags That Flew Over Texas

by RoadRunner | Jun 7, 2019 | history, San Antonio insider

Since its founding in 1718, six countries have claimed sovereignty over Texas. The slogan “Six flags over Texas”  has been incorporated into shopping malls, theme parks, and other enterprises. The six flags are also shown on the reverse of the Seal of...

Time to Walk! The Hertzberg Clock

by RoadRunner | Apr 27, 2019 | history, San Antonio insider, Sightseeing, technology

This entry was updated for 2019 On  Friday’s Friendship Walks you stroll by the Hertzberg Clock. Cast in iron by E. Howard Clock Company of Boston, it was first installed in front of Eli Hertzberg Jewelry Company on Commerce Street in 1878. In 1910, when...