We made our way from our amazing hotel to the inevitable Riverwalk last night, spending a lot of our time on the street level. When we finally selected a spot to be down at the river level, we took the stairs. Wow, that was a lot of people. We were trying to head to a place called The Bridge Bar, but when we got there, the music was as loud as it was bad, and the crowd picked that moment to swell in size. We crossed to the other side on one of those pretty foot bridges, walked a little, then headed back up top. Time for a little stroll on the streets.
That can be interesting, too. There are scads of horse-drawn carriages, all lit up with twinkle lights in pink and purple and decorated with silk flowers. We joked about how a Barbie doll and Cinderella may have conspired to create these things. Next, of course, were the low riders. Self-styled car parades went around the city, and for the life of me, I can’t imagine why. There was a line of low rider cars with hydraulic lifts bouncing themselves up in the front and back, lifting themselves at impossible angles sideways and otherwise delighting mostly baffled folks walking around the sidewalks. Additionally, there were, of course, Japanese sporty racers, souped up trucks, motorcycles and other cruisers parading around. God help any hapless tourist trying to navigate to a hotel parking lot in all of that.
We spent a little more time strolling, making our way to our pre-selected dinner destination, a bizarre place called the Biergarten down at the river level. The indoor decor featured many beer steins, a statue of who I can only imagine is Samuel Adams, a moose head on the wall and a few artificial flameless fireplaces interspersed with powerful fans. The service was mediocre; the decor was… interesting. The food was very good, though. We shared a combination platter with different kinds of German sausage. It was the best, but also the wurst. I can’t help it- I have to make those jokes, and I’m not even sorry.
After we wrapped that up, we headed back up top for a few more gawking looks at the parade of transportation methods cruising the streets, winding up with a side trip to the Maverick Distillery. It was so quiet in there that it nearly felt abandoned. A nice change from the bustling streets, if you ask me. We each had a seat, selected a pair of their specialty cocktails and took a few sips just before the bartender let us know whey were closing soon. Man- just when you find a spot. Nobody rushed us, though. We took the time we felt was appropriate and walked out to return to our hotel. But we approached the Menger from the side, and the best point of entry on that side was the Menger Bar. Ain’t that a shame? We went in, and as if by magic, the couple sitting in the very best two seats was about to leave. The lady offered me the spot right in front of the Carrie Nation hatchet spot. Well, now we have to stay. I sat right in front of the spot where they had to replace a chunk of wood because famous temperance activist Carrie Nation smashed the bar top with her signature hatchet. Nation was her name from her second marriage. Her first, apparently was to an alcoholic who drank himself to death. I looked that up, too, as I really wondered about her motivations.
Cas was to my right, and nearest to the famed Teddy Roosevelt bullet holes. Those are from his storied recruitment of Rough Riders when he apparently fired off his weapon as an attention-gaining move. I bet that worked.
The whole bar is, apparently, an exact replica of the bar at the House of Lords in the UK, and it’s actually quite beautiful.
But it’s now New Years Eve, and we’re just getting up and rolling. We have timed entry tickets to see the inside of the Alamo later today, and we have a dinner cruise on the river this evening. Maybe we can raise a glass to Robert Hugman! In the meantime, we’re off. See you in 2024!
