Day 29 - San Antonio: Western Heritage Parade and Cattle Drive and the Pearl Brewery

We got up earlier than usual to get out to downtown San Antonio before the parade started. We got on the bus with a group of folks from the RV campground and we were instantly buddies. So we hung out together for most of the day.
This is the most friendly campground we have seen so far and the safest. By talking about RV life with more experienced travelers we acquire knowledge about the road ahead, places to visit, camps to stay.
We head to Houston street to get a front row viewing of the parade.
First group, it's the Texas Longhorns. It's going to be good!

Animal Right  Protesters

After the parade, we visited the Buckhorn saloon, which held historical events, where Teddy Roosevelt recruited the Rough Riders and Pancho Villa planned the Mexican Revolution.
The building includes a museum where many animals specimens are displayed. The story goes that the owners would accept animal antlers and snake skins in payments for drinks when patrons did not have money.
I got stuck at the door and stared at all those animals heads. The vegan part of me could not look beyond that sight to enjoy the rest and the history...sorry.

We all went to lunch at the famous Esquire Tavern, which was built in 1933 to celebrate the end of prohibition. It has the longest wood bar top in Texas. The ceiling is covered in squared medallions. The lights are low. The food and the drinks were delicious and the price was reasonable. One family gave up their table so we could sit together with our friends.

While our friends were going back to the campground, we decided to go and visit the old Pearl Brewery.
This is an area of 22 acres that belonged to the Pearl Brewery, which was operational from 1883 to 2001. Instead of  knocking down the historical buildings and build condos, some very clever investors opted to develop the area, keep the old and modernize it with beautiful furnishings, creating space for several business, keeping the memory of the brewery alive.

The old boiler is still standing in the hall of the Emma hotel. There are old tanks that have been cut to create private booths in the Super restaurant. The propane tanks have been cut to create planters for herbs outside the Culinary Institute of America.