Dave

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Monday, April 30, 2007

Day Trip to San Marcos


My wife and I took a trip to the outlet mall in San Marcos on Sunday. The place was packed! I had not been there in several years and I was shocked to see that the place has doubled in size. I guess they have two malls, Tanger and Prime, next door to each other.

On our way out of the maze-like parking lot, we witnessed an accident while it was in the making. Some guy in a big red pick-up truck was trying to back out of his parking slot. In the mean time, there was a long line of cars attempting to exit the lot. I guess the guy had decided that his reverse lights trumped the small car waiting to exit directly behind me. So, I saw the truck starting to back up and then I heard the car behind me starting to honk. My wife shrieked that the truck was still backing up, so I started to honk hoping to get his attention. Then, thinking if I could move forward enough, the small car about to be crunched could also move forward enough to get into the view of the truck mirrors. Too little, too late. Crunchville.

I would have stayed around to be a witness but as we pulled through the traffic jam, there were already several witnesses gathering to do their civic duty. And, if they need another, they can e-mail me!

We made a quick stop just north of New Braunfels at the TA Truckstop so my wife could pick up some fudge. That place was packed too.

My wife has been mentioning Gruene for a while so I got off of I-35 and we took a little detour into the Mecca of artsy folks and motorcyclists. Two problems, we were running late and the weather was turning bad. So we did a quick little drive through town and decided to come back on a day when we had time to park and get out and walk around the place.

So instead of getting back on to I-35 to head in to San Antonio, I got the bright idea of taking 306 past Canyon Lake to 281. Of course I didn’t have a map with me or I wouldn’t have pursued that idea.

About 10 miles down the road there was sort of a picnic area with a map of the Canyon Lake area. Don’t get me wrong, as a normal guy, I would prefer to simply continue driving along the road hoping for a good outcome, but we were starting to consider time as a factor as we were eager to get back into town. A quick look of the map revealed I’d be driving way the hell further north to get to 281 than I wanted to. Plus, I had always heard about the quaint town of Sattler. The fellows on the morning show over at KISS make great sport of the residents of Sattler, and I thought it would give me some perspective if I had at least driven through the town.

So I made a few zigs and zags along the back roads through some very pleasant areas and sure enough, got to see the big city of Sattler on a Sunday afternoon. Apparently, everyone was out at Canyon Lake, because the town looked pretty dead. Honestly, it was a little creepy but I hate to be judgmental since we didn’t even stop. Granted, we sped up a little when my wife was convinced she heard banjo music.

Anyway, on to Highway 46 through some really beautiful land - no wonder people are willing to live there and drive to San Antonio for work. Even though there were occasional moments of rain followed by the blinding sun causing me to play a silly game with my sunglasses; on again and off again every few minutes, it really was nice to be away from the traffic of I-35. Even when we got on to 281 to head south, it was still far enough out that the traffic was light and the scenery was spectacular.


And then, there is the stretch of road from just north of 1604 that, for whatever reason seems to be THE place to live. I mean, seriously, 281 and Evans Road. Can someone tell me after sitting at that stoplight and looking at the houses popping up like mushrooms on the moon surface, the result of mass clear cutting of anything resembling a twig? Good Lord, I am no environmentalist, but why would you choose to build your $300,000.00 home in the middle of a traffic nightmare without the benefit of a tree within 3 miles? But, that’s just my opinion. I’d love to hear from readers that can tell me more about the area to give me a better understanding of the popularity.

We finally made our way south on 281 down to our hotel for the evening. Yes, my wife and I are celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary so as a treat, we stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn. I’ll tell you about that fun adventure and our visit to the Magnolia Pancake Haus next.

I’d love to read details of your day trips around San Antonio and the out reaching areas. Feel free to e-mail me.

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San Antonio, TX, United States
I love to observe the odd things happening around me as I go about my day. I especially like it when I can get a picture of people being themselves. Here, I attempt to report the various people and events I have encountered in my neighborhood, and my city. I'd also love to hear from you. Feel free to e-mail your experiences and photos of life in San Antonio.

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