We're On a Mission from God...
Written: Apr 02 '02
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Pros: Fascinating easy drive through colonial history
Cons: Probably won't excite the kids
The Bottom Line: Wonderful old Spanish churches and a fascinating glimpse of the Spanish colonial era of the old west.
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: San Antonio Missions National Historic Park |
Every time I've been to San Antonio, I've told myself that I would try to go see the old missions. Every time I lied. Something always came up. Last week I was in San Antonio again, and once again I promised myself that I'd take a few hours to go see the missions. This time I kept that promise!
Seeing the missions is easy, it's convenient, and its cheap. As I discovered, it's also fascinating, culturally enriching, and fun!
About the Missions...
Franciscan priests built six missions along a short stretch of the San Antonio River at the beginning of the 18th century. Most famous of these missions is Mission San Antonio de Valero, also known as "the Alamo", but the most beautiful and extensive is Mission San Jose, which is where the thoroughly modern National Park Service Visitor Center is located. One of the missions (Mission San Francisco Xavier Najera) was destroyed, but four are intact and are part of the San Antonio Missions National Park.
I find this park to be utterly fascinating in that while it operates as a park, the missions are actually real churches that are part of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. You could be surprised to step into a historic mission only to find yourself among the religious faithful as they observe their traditional parish mass!
The easiest way to visit the missions is probably to take one of the tours that run buses along the Mission Road throughout the day. If you do this, you could start downtown at the Alamo. If you have your own car, you can start anywhere. The easiest way would probably be to start at either the northern end (Alamo) of the "Mission Trail" or to start at the southern end (Mission Espada). It might be worth starting at the mid-point (Mission San Jose) since that's where the Visitor Center is located, where you can pick up maps or check out the exhibits and gift shop. I definitely recommend a map since following the brown marker signs between some of the missions can be a bit taxing (especially on the north end, near Mission Concepcion).
Let's take a peek inside each of these old Spanish missions...
The Alamo
I include the Alamo (Mission San Antonio de Valero) in this review only for the sake of completeness because it is one of the five surviving Spanish missions in San Antonio. Unlike the other missions, the Alamo is not operated by the National Park Service and is not officially part of the San Antonio Missions National Park. The Alamo is run by the Daughters of the Republic Texas who operate it more as a Texas historical site than as a significant Spanish colonial site. I still recommend visting the Alamo if you are interested in the Spanish colonial era or in better understanding the role of the missions.
From the Alamo, we can head south a couple miles to the first of the missions that are actually operated by the Park Service.
Mission Concepcion
Mission Concepcion is officially known as Nuestra Senora de la Purisma Concepcion (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception). It is the closest mission to downtown, located about 3 miles south of the Riverwalk. The church was built in 1731.
Be sure to go up to the altar and into the back sacristy, and also be sure to explore the exhibits in the small rooms off to the right wing. This is a smaller mission, with little besides the church itself remaining of what was once a self-sufficient walled community.
Mission San Jose
Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo is the largest and most intact of the missions in the San Antonio area. It's a beautiful walled-in city that demonstrates just how the missions were typically designed and operated. Along the walls (whose primary purpose was defense against "savage" indian raids) lived the indians who had converted to christianity, while the two-story building behind the church served as the rectory, where the priests who operated the mission would live. Mission San Jose was built in 1720.
Behind the church is a newly-restored mill where you can sometimes see demonstrations of how the Spaniards ground grain for their settlements. Several rooms along the walls are open, showing how the indians lived, how the granary operated, how the kitchens were laid out, and other aspects of the mission as a working village. One of the rooms is an excellent small bookstore devoted to colonial history. Parts of the mission were restored by local civic groups in the early 1930s, as plaques inside the granary attest. I was offended by the prevalence of graffiti on some of the walls, and I asked a ranger why the walls hadn't been restored. He said that much of the graffiti was from the late 19th century and the park didn't want to lose it.
I loved the beautiful dome inside the church, and the exterior architecture was reminiscent of some of the old Spanish churches that you find in many towns in Mexico. One window, known as the "rose window", shows the ornate churriguesque decorative style that was common in Spanish colonial churches. The rose window was the work of a Mexican stone carver named Pedro Huizar; the story behind the window is that Huizar put every bit of his heart and soul into making it the most beautiful piece of ornamentation possible because he was dedicating it to the woman he loved, who died en route to join him at the mission. A wonderful story that really helps bring the place to life and puts a very human face on history.
The church holds mariachi masses Sunday at noon.
Mission San Juan
Less ornate and smaller than Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan Capistrano is a beautiful example of how less is more. The church itself would probably seat only about 100 people, but I loved its vaulted ceiling and its clean design. Parts of the old walls remain.
Mission Espada
The Mission was originally founded in 1690, but was moved to this location on the San Antonio River in 1731. Nearby, there are aquaducts and irrigation ditches called acequias that show how the Spanish settlers managed water flow throughout their properties in the San Antonio area. Some of these acequias are still used today.
Logistics
The park is about a 10-mile route between downtown San Antonio and I-410 to the south. Along the way are the four major historical missions, plus the aquaducts. Between Mission San Jose and Mission San Juan, the road criss-crosses the San Antonio River and there are plenty of locals out picnicking under the trees.
Best of all for cheap travelers like me, there is no charge to enter the park or any of the missions, however, donations are requested.
You can get info on tours through the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Center (www.sanantoniocvb.com), or information on the park itself through the National Park Service web site at www.nps.gov/saan.
I really like the San Antonio Missions National Park. It's a fascinating trip back in time to an important era in the colonization of the American continent. The churches are architecturally and culturally fascinating places, and the park provides a scenic riverfront setting that's a perfect place for a family picnic.
More San Antonio Reviews
Riverwalk
http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-465-AB2A965-38263EE9-bd1
Seaworld
http://www.epinions.com/content_41089142404
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: Anytime
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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