Visit date(s):
April 14 & 15, 2016

Nearby sites on trip:  Big Bend National Park (T). It isn’t exactly close at a 7 hour drive, but we stopped in San Antonio on our way back to the Houston area.

Overnight location: There are many choices in the downtown.  We stayed at an historic hotel, less than a 10 minute walk from Mission Valero (Alamo).

Location(s):  Missions Espada, San Juan (see photo), San José, Concepcion and Valero and Espada aqueduct. We did not visit Rancho de las Cabras, as there was no guided program available.

Travel method(s):  Car and foot

Travel duration:  Less than half an hour drive to the furthest mission.

Visit duration:  Less than 4.5 hours to visit the 4 missions and the Espada aqueduct that belong to the national park and to drive between them.  A separate short walking visit to Mission Valero.  We returned to Mission San Jose the next morning for a special event.

OUV:  The overall structures of the missions has more of a Spanish catholic appearance than indigenous, but there are visible local features as well.  The walled compounds offered protection to the Coahuiltecans in return for adopting the Spanish way of life.  There are remnants that demonstrate both cultural roots.

Best of:   Very pleasant park like settings.  Peaceful.  Lots of small wildlife to watch, especially near the waterways.

Worst of:  Mission Valero (Alamo).  There was some interesting information in the  courtyard about the mission, but the church was the most crowded part of the any of the sites.  Most of the information inside the church was about the battle.