After hearing horror story after horror story about flight cancelations, delays and, skyrocketing prices, Shruthi and I decided to take a small, short and, drivable trip for our 1 year marriage anniversary. Our first "trip" ever when we were dating 7 or so years ago was to the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. Back then, we had to had no money and could only pay for Cheesecake Factory which was the fanciest restaurant ever to us. We thought it fitting to go back after all these years and rehash the memories and experience at this new stage in life.
1.15.2022
We booked a cheap Airbnb and left Saturday morning for the long weekend to San Antonio. Our first stop was at a winery around the outskirts of town. We enjoyed some free wine and cheesecake after the owner heard it was our 1 year wedding anniversary. It wasn't the fanciest winery I've been to. It was actually quite the opposite. It was small and didn't have much to offer in the way of decoration or general vibes. However, the people were so nice and welcoming and the wine was solid. I was driving so I deliberately didn't drink as much as I wanted to but the owner kept pouring us heavy pours. Shruthi took my free glasses and ended up having a great time.
After making it down to our Airbnb we went into town and got noodles for lunch. They were super mediocre. On the walk over, I snapped a small set of photos of the street we stayed on. The neighborhood was quite eclectic with some bars and restaurants walkable (which is why we booked it).
In the evening, we went to an "Instagram Museum" called Hopscotch then ate at a Tex Mex restaurant called Paloma Blanco. On the way over to Hopscotch (mind you, it was a 6 minute drive), a car drove into me. We got out and exchanged information but it turned out since the husband was driving, he wasn't covered. The damage to my car was minimal but it put my mood off for the Hopscotch experience unfortunately. I didn't bring my film camera with me for these spots. If I hadn't gotten into an accident right before Hopscotch, I think I would have enjoyed it much more. It was a very colorful and creative interactive museum.
One of my favorite exhibits was "Nothing Makes Us So Lonely as Our Secrets". It was a room with about 4 or 5 evenly spaced telephones on the walls and 2 enclosed phone booths. You were allowed to enter a phone booth and record an anonymous secret if you wanted to. If you pick up one of the telephones mounted on the walls, it would randomly play someone's secret. No names, no faces. Just a voice on the line telling you something someone in the world wanted to share.
1.16.2022
The next morning we made our way to the Pearl Market. This is a part of town with a farmers market and lots of cute little eateries and shops. The sun was very high and harsh but I love the bright and optimistic mood of this set. We got some tapioca pudding, beignets, noodles, and some drinks. They were amazing.
After enjoying some drinks and treats at the Pearl Market we started to walk down to the Riverwalk. It was about a 30 minute walk so there was lots to see on the way down. This is small set from the walk over. The sun was getting lower and the lighting was *chef's kiss*.
We continued down the path to the riverwalk when we stumbled upon a lively food truck park with music and drinks. We decided to make a pitstop here for a drink and some tacos. This was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It was quite special to find this place spontaneously and enjoying the moment.
As we explored the riverwalk the sun began to set and darkness approached. We got margaritas and ate at this one rooftop restaurant. It was mediocre but was nice being outside and enjoying some food and drinks. As night time approached we left the riverwalk to go to a ghost tour nearby. The following set are supposed haunted locations around downtown San Antonio. Can you spot any ghosts?
The tour was underwhelming. I think I'm just not open minded enough to enjoy / entertain supernatural stories. After the tour I spent a little longer taking photos around downtown. I had a roll of Cinestill 800T to kill and loved all the neon signs around. Here is the set of various nighttime photos taken on the tungsten balanced film. I learned my lesson on how to develop while pushing the film so these came out much better than the role of pushed film from Boca. They are exposed properly and I love the feel of these. I am always looking for an excuse to shoot a role on Cinestill 800T even though it's such an expensive role.
After the tour we went back home to crash. Left back to Houston the following morning in my beaten up car. Overall, the trip was very successful even with the accident. It was quick but jam packed. Living in Even though I have lived in Texas all my life, this was the first time I really explored San Antonio.
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