Friday was a busy day as I got the car all licensed and tagged to be officially Texan. Justin came home a little early from work, but I hadn't packed yet so we didn't get too much of a head start. We took off about suppertime, and arrived to our hotel in time to spend a couple hours wandering the streets before midnight. The Hyatt Regency stands in a perfect location in the heart of the River Walk tourist district, and also only a short block away from Alamo Plaza.
The wonder of beautiful architecture, horse-drawn carriages, and riverboat tours was only increased by the seasonal displays. There were lights in expected places; they were also draped all through the trees, as well as encrusting the horses and their carriages. There were ribbons and bows in expected places; there were also poinsettias growing in flowerbeds next to palm trees. The mild temperature, and the ease of wandering at our own child-free pace, enticed us to enjoy the leisurely walk, to stop and drink in the magic. At the end of our walk we ran into some of Justin's coworkers at a Jazz Club, then we retired for the night.
Saturday we roamed the River Walk for a quiet morning hour before meeting with a group for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. Later in the afternoon we were treated to an extended riverboat tour, where we had a chance to hear history and see notable locations all along the River Walk.
We wandered to the mall with a smaller group, stopping along the way to admire a few Arts & Crafts booths. Apparently these local artisans come sell along the River Walk the first weekend of every month. We had fun chatting with a few of them and learning more about their craft.
The company Christmas party was in the evening, and I loved the chance to dress elegantly and mingle with the work family. Our party room within the hotel had a balcony with breathtaking views of the city. The CEO used the opportunity to thank not only the employees but their family supporters as well.
To add to the sense of being treated to a very special event, we were also given a basket in our room that included fine chocolates and a bottle of wine. Pretty classy, especially considering how big of a change this work environment is from the last place where they usually (but not always) paid their employees.
Sunday we ducked out for one more quick visit to the River Walk for shopping purposes, then headed out of town. We took a bit of a detour because right about that time Justin realized his phone wasn't working right, so we headed to an Apple store (we don't have one in College Station yet). After a couple hours Justin had traded his phone for a new one, and we were finally on our way.
It didn't take long for the magic to evaporate once we were reunited with the kids, but we were truly glad to see them again. They seemed to have survived just fine without us for a few days.
See more photos of our magical weekend by clicking here: San Antonio
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