Visit Report: Espada Park...

Last week during a brief break in the rain, my wife and I took a drive to south San Antonio and stopped in to look at Espada Park, just off of SW Military Drive. We actually were interested in checking out the dam there, just to see if it was busting at the seams. It wasn't.

There isn't a lot to the park itself - some picnic areas, the dam, and while we were there, a guy selling raspas (shaved ice with flavored syrup), and lots of people just chilling out. The water was rushing over the top of the dam, but I confess, I don't know if it was rushing any more than normal.

According the the official website of the SA Missions Trail, "Espada Dam, built between 1731 and 1740, is the best existing example of the four Franciscan-designed dams placed on the San Antonio River. The dam is still in use today." I'd say it was hanging in there.

One thing I noticed was a tree that seemed to be singled out with a plaque. Turns out that the tree was planted by Senator Ted Kennedy, quite possibly after a night of Margaritas on the River Walk, and dedicated to his late brother, JFK. The tree seems rather small for having been planted such a long time ago, but upon closer inspection, it appears that what remains of the tree is just a small twig growing from the larger trunk that was either chopped down or otherwise damaged. If anyone knows the story behind that, e-mail me.

I thought one enjoyable aspect of the park was the long drive along the river from the entrance all the way down to the damn. Many people were walking, riding bikes and skateboarding along the street and I thought, for the person who wants to get out for a little exercise but would like to avoid heavy traffic, you could park your car, walk down and back and it would be nice.

We didn't go all the way down to Mission Espada while we were there, but perhaps we'll make a trip back soon and take some pictures.

So, looking for something to do? I wouldn't say you could make a day of it, but if you wanted to check out the missions, you could certainly stop at Espada Park for a picnic during your tour.