Did you ever arrive somewhere, full of anticipation, and almost immediately realize it wasn’t going to do it for you? You can’t quite put your finger on why, but you know you’re not feeling it. That was our nearly immediate reaction to San Antonio, TX.
San Antonio
Even though the infamous Austin bats are in Mexico for the winter, we enjoyed a fun-filled, food-induced coma, 4-day stay in Austin and we were ready to take on San Antonio. What was supposed to be another 4-night stay, turned in to just 1. No disrespect to anyone who lives in, or loves San Antonio, (we all can’t love everywhere) but after just 1 day we decided it was enough.
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The Alamo
All I really knew about San Antonio was The Alamo and The River Walk. I didn’t know it was a tourist mecca. Okay, yes, we’re tourists, so I realize how ridiculous that sounds, but some places you just don’t feel it. In Austin, it was all about the laid-back local vibe of the city, the parks, the food scene, the history. Historic San Antonio seemed to be all about the conventioneers, the busloads of tour groups and the endless souvenir stores.
Other than, “Remember the Alamo!” I honestly didn’t know much about the history of the Alamo so in my blissful ignorance I had planned for a 1/2 day to visit the site. Uh, wrong. Maybe an hour at best and you’ve pretty much got it covered. It was definitely an interesting story though, one which I’ll share soon, but yeah, there’s just not much there.
The Alamo
The River Walk
Next up, the River Walk which meanders through downtown San Antonio. Brilliant concept? Yes. Absolutely. And, there were parts of the stroll that were pretty, but there were also not-so-pretty parts as well: pigeons, drunks, smokers, stagnate water… Maybe it was the mood I was in, maybe it was the over-priced lunch we wished we hadn’t ordered, or maybe I was just completely missing something, but it wasn’t working for me. I tried to channel my best PollyAnna, but even she couldn’t pull it out of the hat for this one.
The River Walk – the pretty part
Las Cruces, New Mexico
So, instead of trying to force it by going back for day two, we decided to get back on the road and head west. We’d see how far we got. Guess what? 500+ miles later and we’re back in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
We thought about trying to take a more northern route so we wouldn’t have to retrace our east-bound journey, but we will have to turn north soon enough, so why not enjoy the warmth of the sun for a bit longer? And, while we’re in the Land of Enchantment and feeling the warmth of the sun (it is 40 degrees warmer than when we passed through six weeks ago) we are taking a day trip to the White Sands National Park where we hope to witness another fine example of Mother Nature at her best.
And, speaking of the sun…
Sunset over El Paso, TX and Mexico
So come on, fess up. Where have you been that left you just not feeling it?!
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Sometimes it happens and the best thing to do is indeed to move on then. Looks like you went to the perfect spot.
Freya recently posted…10 most Beautiful Fountains in Rome
Oh yes, we did find a great spot in Tucson – and it was warm!!
Totally agree..there were a few places…not terribly many because I love to find the glass half full situation, but I can definitely empathize!
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Agreed. Maybe we should have given it a 2nd try, but sometimes you just know it’s time to move on and actually, I’m really glad we did because it gave us more time in Tucson, AZ, which we just loved! Thanks for stopping by!
Yup….we just had one of those experiences. I was so looking forward to seeing Jerusalem, and it just didn’t do it for me. The atmosphere was just way too tense for me. But isn’t that the joy of traveling….you never know what you will find until you get there. Happy travels to White Sands!
Kerri recently posted…Experience London by Foot: Top Walking Routes in the Capital
And if you don’t like it, hopefully you can move on! We can’t all love the same places/things, it’s what makes the world go around, but it can be disappointing when you’re anticipation isn’t fulfilled.
Great to finally read something real- thought i was the only “negative” one. I have similar experiences to you often- in fact i’m done with visiting places on the tourist path just to see the sites. Let’s face it the sites get pretty boring pretty quick, the infrastructure for tourists is often appalling, the local cafes and taxis feel free to fleece you because your a tourist and you’re surrounded by other tourists. I only go to a place now if i’m actually going to do something like take a class, or if i’m with a group of friends which makes the place more interesting.
There are definitely places where it is harder to blend in with the locals that’s for sure. Fortunately, not everywhere is like that. Thanks so much for stopping by, Adrian.
I guess New Orleans is my pick for being let down. Seeing Bourbon Street during the day is gross. The humidity made me wish we were there in winter instead of summer. Fortunately we were there to enjoy the International Barbershop singing festivities.
I would like to go back (in winter) to visit the historical sites that we missed.
Neva Fels recently posted…Robert Redford “In” a Cake at the Sundance Film Festival
We were just in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. It takes a bit of adjustment, for sure, because it’s like no other city in this country. But I totally agree about Bourbon Street – it’s raunchy and definitely not worthy of the hype. There are definitely highlights in the city though, the French Quarter was fun to roam and take in the architecture and the Garden District is lovely. I hope you get a 2nd chance to try it.
I felt the same way about the San Antonio River Walk. I thought the pathway was so pretty, but some of the other things along the route were mediocre.
Annette | Bucket List Journey recently posted…Bucket List of 17 Cheesy Travel Pictures You Must Take
Yep! That’s exactly how I felt. The pigeons (and the after effect of pigeons) they stagnate water, the crowded patio seating, the passed out drunks on the benches it just negated the pretty stuff and while I thought it was a brilliant marketing idea, it just didn’t live up to what I was expecting. It felt a little to Vegas (ish) if that makes sense. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, Patti. Good choice to move on if you weren’t feeling the love. It happens. I get a lot of heat for this, but my family and I just didn’t feel it in Prague. Sure, the architecture was lovely, but the food and people left us kind of cold. And you make a great point about tourists. In some places it’s easier to ignore the scene, but in Prague it felt like we & everyone else were crammed into a very small space. Meh.
Austin sounds lovely. Will have to pop in one day. 🙂
Renee – RambleCrunch recently posted…Mexican Tilapia Ceviche
Thanks Renee, it was kind of a tough decision to not give it a 2nd day, but there’s too much to offer down the road and I’d rather head for what’s next. It has to feel good to enjoy it and we just can’t all love the same places. I read lots of blogs about people traveling (and loving) places I would never even consider visiting. That’s what makes the world go around!
There have been a few places on my trip so far that I haven’t been keen on; I found Cairns in Australia pretty disappointing as it was full of drunken young backpackers and many of the places I visited in Java, Indonesia had me wanting to leave immediately. You’re right though, we can’t all love everywhere and if you don’t like a place there’s nothing wrong with moving on – I think you made the right decision in this case. It’s so hard to explain why you connect with one particular place and not another – I find it just comes down to a gut feeling. The good thing is that there will be plenty of other destinations you will fall in love with further down the road!
Amy recently posted…Finding Love in Luang Prabang
You’re right, Amy, there is always someplace new to find and enjoy! And you’re also right in that you have to trust your instincts, what’s your gut telling you? That’s what we all need to listen to. What works for one, doesn’t have to work for the other.
“Did you ever arrive somewhere, full of anticipation, and almost immediately realize it wasn’t going to do it for you?” – yes, when I arrived at work today. Ok, I digress ha ha. So sorry it was a letdown for you. I know the River Walk in Reno was in large part born out of the following San Antonio’s lead. It’s actually worked out quite well. But, what you described does not sound appealing to me at all with the drunks, etc. Fantastic sunset picture! 🙂
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Ha! Ha! I didn’t know Reno developed a river walk, but I do remember (from long ago childhood days) that the river flowed right through downtown Reno. Of course Reno today looks nothing like it did when I was a kid.
We felt that way in Chiang Mai, the tourist mecca in northern Thailand. It was burning season so the air was putrid and the town wasn’t all that. And don’t get me started on the trash-filled beaches in Bali.
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From what I’ve read Chiang Mai seems to be the place to start in Thailand, so many people go there and I’ve also read a lot of similar comments about Bali from other travelers. Thanks for stopping by!
The best time to visit Chiang Mai is December-January. The burning season starts in February and you don’t want to be in Chiang Mai then especially if you have asthma, allergy issues, etc. We loved Chiang Mai, especially the people who always have a smile on their faces. The temples are incredible.
Thanks for sharing about Chiang Mai! I don’t know what the burning season is, but it doesn’t sound too inviting, just the name alone! Thanks for stopping by, Richard!