roadtrip chris arbon: The Alamo And The Missions By Bike.

The bike trail beside the San Antonio River and the Five Missions.

____ Day 19. We decide to move on from the hard-packed beach. It has been another day of wind and rain but that is not a factor in our re-location; most of the US is under the cloak of a cold front. Magnolia Beach has its good points and it’s bad when it comes to boon-docking. Good: Great waterfront parking with ample space for the biggest of rigs. No hassle; friendly locals and fellow boon-dockers that accept the tradition of long-term RV parking on the beach. It felt safe; no shady characters wandering around looking for their next hit plus the longer-term residents would watch your stuff. Bad: No supply of fresh water or a place to dump grey and black water. There is a washroom on the beach but the showers were closed when we were there. No nearby supply of groceries; the C-store in Magnolia Beach has fuel and filtered water and beer but everything else is bought from Port Lavaca [a 25 mile round trip.] Other points: Windy almost all the time. Good flat roads for cycling in the area.

____ Day 20. Away by mid-morning and back-tracking to Victoria for supplies at the Walmart before taking the US Highway all the way to San Antonio. Sunniest day for a while and the cheapest fuel of the trip so far. $2.86 for a US gallon, 3.8 litres. Finding a bob-tail spot at the Flying’J on Interstate 10; I hesitate to park the RV in truckstops when I know they will be busy and full. I wouldn’t want to take the last spot that some tired and hard-working driver might need; but I know pretty well where I can find a unused place at a truckstop that usually doesn’t get full. It’s also a chance for Wi-Fi, which was lacking on the beach.

____ Day 22. A day that had been carefully planned with only the weather left to chance; the day of the Alamo visit. We leave the Flying’J at the end of rush-hour and take Interstate 410 Loop to Exit 44; it is signposted to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. It leads to the Espada Mission, the most southerly of the five old Spanish Missions on the banks of the San Antonio River. A small parking lot has security cameras, so we feel safe in leaving the Mack for a few hours as we unload the bikes and set-off up-stream. After visiting Espada, we call in at San Juan Mission followed by San Jose Mission which is the biggest of the five and in hindsight, probably the best spot to park a big RV if doing the River Trail by bike. Fourth mission is Concepcion followed by the entry into San Antonio City. The River Trail becomes the River Walk and pedestrian only, so we take to the streets, heading for The San Antonio De Valero Mission; otherwise known as The Alamo. Right in the heart of the city and busy; but free entry and the queues are not long. Well worth the effort and an interesting hour in the old church and grounds before cycling back to the Mack. A twenty mile round-trip ride in over-cast conditions but on a very well-marked and maintained bike path. Another one off the bucket-list.