It shouldn't have been a World Heritage Site that made me finally get around to visiting San Antonio, but I'm afraid the relatively newly-inscribed San Antonio Missions were the impetus for my visit last December. Well, that and the opportunity to see the San Antonio Riverwalk at Christmastime. The only mission most Americans are familiar with is the famed Alamo, where the American folk legend Davy Crockett died in a Mexican massacre during the 19th century Texas Revolution. While the Alamo excels in telling the story of the revolution (and indeed, re-enactors and a Mexican army bivouac were in place the day I visited), the older history of the San Antonio missions can be found at Mission San José, one of the four missions south of San Antonio. The churches of three of these four missions are open for tourists; I particularly appreciated the intimate interior of Mission Espada. The goal of these Catholic missions were to evangelize the native Indian population, after which the missions were turned over to the Indians. Their history reminded of my visit to the Jesuit training college museum in Tepotzotlán, Mexico, earlier in the year. The buildings of each of the missions have been kept up well over the past 300 years, and I highly recommend taking time to wander each of their grounds.

Logistics: The San Antonio Missions are connected by a fifteen-mile trail, as well as by a public bus route; there is also parking at or near each of the missions for those who choose to drive.