We stayed in the St. Anthony, a historic hotel near the River Walk and reputedly haunted. However, like the other hotels we've stayed in that claim to have haunted halls the apparitions were absent.* It was also comparably luxurious and I highly recommend it - if not for ghosts then for grandeur.
We had a very nice dinner at Biga on the River Walk. The tasting menu was very good, not great and the wine pairings were on point. Sometimes I need to remind myself I'm not in Toronto. Jamie Kennedy does not live here.
Saturday was a big, big day full of all kinds of Texas stereotypes and great times. We started the day with a walk to Market Square in the rain for breakfast and souvenir shopping. I'd skip the Mi Tierre Bakery next time. I thought empanadas with fruit filling sounded good until I remembered (during my first bite) that they traditionally use vinegar in the dough recipe. The churros were ok though. We found some pretty great souvenirs. A luchadore mask, dios los muertos shopping bags, Mexican bingo - all good Mexican stuff. Enough of that though - on to the Rodeo!
The PBR ain't got nothin' on the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo! It was a great introduction into western cowboy culture. If you're gonna be dumb you gotta be tough. The shit-kicking these guy take is beyond belief. If being thrown from a bull or a bucking bronco isn't enough they also jump off their horses and onto the horns of a steer to headlock it to the ground. I've never really wondered where these guys get their start but it turns out that it's mutton busting. Lil' cowpokes as young as four hold on for dear life as a sheep runs out of the gate and tries to shake 'em off. More than a few of those kids got trampled (and survived of course.) The rodeo concluded with performance by some country singer I'd just as soon forget. We decided to take a tour through the stock show and I saw some of the cleanest swine in the state of Texas. They're brushed, washed and brushed again. They even take 'em for walks.
After the rodeo we met up with the boys and started into a big night of drinking with no end in sight. We drank and played pool in the highly overrated and overpriced Mad Dog's on the River Walk. As it got dark we headed to Pat O'Brien's (of New Orleans fame) and sat down in the courtyard to some live music and way too many hurricanes. Really, I had four. It was still early (in the morning) so we headed to Cowboys Dancehall. The biggest, most amazing cowboy bar ever. Well, I assume it is. The only other one I've been to was here in Laredo, coincidentally also name Cowboys. The similarities end there. A mechanical bull, Shiner Bock served out of washbasins, live country music and a whole lotta line dancin'. What a place.
Sunday came with a surprisingly light hangover. Katie was looking for something greasy to cure our ails so it only made sense to seek out The Smokehouse in west San Antonio and get some moist brisket. We arrived at ten to 12 - too early. We wandered around Family Dollar for five minutes and when we came back they had a line out the door. A line at 11:55 on a Sunday morning at a barbecue joint says a lot more than any review could. Funnily enough we ended up here by way of reviews, a lot of them. The Smokehouse is very highly respected. And yeah, it was very, very good. God damn, I love barbecue.
*New Orleans haunted hotels: Bourbon Orleans, Le Pavillion & the Bienville House.
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