Read more about the article Mission San Jose – San Antonio, TX

Mission San Jose – San Antonio, TX

After spending most of our time in downtown San Antonio, we headed to Mission San Jose. Just five miles south of downtown, Mission San Jose, also known as “The Queen of the Missions,” offers a glimpse into Colonial Spanish life in the New World.

Until 1821, Texas was part of Mexico, which was really part of New Spain. The Spaniards built hundreds of missions across Mexico. In San Antonio alone, missionaries built the five missions along the San Antonio River in the 1700s. These missions were connected to each other by the King’s Highway (El Camino de Real de los Tejas), which stretched from Mexico City to the Sabine River at the Texas/Louisiana border.

Founding of Mission San Jose

The Franciscans founded Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo on the east side of the river in 1719. For unknown reasons, it moved to its present site on the other side of the river around 1727. By 1758, Mission San Jose housed over 280 Native Americans and included a granary, friary, church, mill, blacksmith shop, and soldiers’ quarters. Cattle totaled 1000, and sheep totaled over 3,200. It was a large operation!

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Read more about the article 24 Hours in Downtown San Antonio, TX

24 Hours in Downtown San Antonio, TX

For Christmas this year, we flew into San Antonio and stayed overnight before heading to the Texas Hill Country to meet up with the rest of the family. It had been 13 years since we’d been there, and let me tell you, San Antonio is much more enjoyable when it’s not 110 degrees like it was that summer! Instead of temps above 100 degrees, it was only 79 degrees on Christmas Day.

I’m always amazed by San Antonio’s size. It’s the second-largest city in Texas, with 1.5 million people, and the 7th-largest city in the US. But it doesn’t feel that large. It also has a long history, dating back to the founding of the San Antonio de Valero mission and San Antonio de Bexar Presidio in 1718.

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