No wine before its time

From what I can tell, there is a proper and appropriate beverage for every occasion.  Afternoon tea.  Breakfast coffee.  You get the idea.  When we checked into the first hotel we’ve been in for over a year, that beverage was Prosecco.  We always like a few bubbles when it’s time to celebrate.  Boy, is a vacation after a pandemic a worthy occasion!  We checked into the historic Menger hotel- literally right next door to the Alamo- and got to our fourth floor room.  The fourth floor is the top, and our room has a balcony.  We had to open one of the two large windows to get out there, and when we did, it wasn’t really big enough for a chair, let alone, two, so we sat on the tile surface and had some sparkles.  As we sat, I read the sticker (backwards) that was posted on the inside of the window we left closed- apparently, guests are not to sit or stand on the balcony.  Oops.  Nevertheless, here we are, breaking the rules:

Further advancing the theory that there is an appropriate beverage for every situation, we had a decision to make when we went to the historic Menger Bar, which is in our hotel’s first floor.  It was built as an exact replica of London’s House of Lords pub on 1887.  Fun facts about this bar- Teddy Roosevelt recruited Rough Riders here- apparently 1,250 them, and famous temperance crusader Carrie Nation personally attacked this bar with her signature hatchet.  There is a triangular piece of wood inlaid in the bar top that doesn’t match exactly.  Apparently, it is a replacement to repair the portion damaged by Nation’s hatchet.  What do you drink when you’re at Teddy Roosevelt’s recruiting grounds, looking at the place where they fixed Carrie Nation’s hatchet gouge?  Easy- an Old Fashioned.  

That was the fun part of the evening.  We actually went out looking for some Tex Mex later on, and the downtown area was wall-to-wall humans.  Restaurants were at capacity.  No wait list available.  They had enough customers waiting to keep busy until closing time.  What we wanted was a margarita and some tacos.  What we got was a beer and a sandwich.  Still, it was a very good sandwich.  It turns out that the appropriate beverage when you are at a crowded Irish-themed pub near your hotel listening to chatter, and hip-hop and being served by girls in teeny shorts and tight St. Patrick’s day T-shirts is whatever’s on tap. 

That rounded out a very full day and was just right to send us off to a deep sleep in the first bed outside of Dallas we’ve seen in a while.  

We’re just getting going, now.  Should be a great day- I feel like a cup of coffee is in order.  

Oh, and before I forget- enjoy the photo album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qd4HG7MEc8auwHvF6