February 17, 2015- Luling to San Antonio

It had cleared, somewhat, when I rolled out of Coachmen’s Inn, and up to Luling’s downtown.  Going into The Coffee Shop, and seeing Granny’s baleful stare, I quickly agreed when the nice young barista offered to prepare a large coffee and blond brownie, to go.  The area is as photogenic as Texas rail towns come.

My inner urge carried the car and me on to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park.  I had visited the two missions closest to the Alamo, in 2012, but in twilight.  Today, I would see all four of the magnificent facilities, yet in full daylight.  To keep this manageable, I present the four missions one at a time, starting with the northernmost:  Concepcion.

Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion de Acuna was established in 1731, the fourth of five missions in the San Antonio River Valley. As with the Alamo, Concepcion was a Presidio, or garrison,as well as a mission.  The Coahuiltecan people, who were hunter-gatherers, sought protection from raiding Apaches and Comanches.  The Franciscan friars also taught agriculture to the Coahuiltecans.

Here are several scenes of the walls, grounds and the magnificent mission church.

NEXT:  The largest, and best-known,of the missions, outside the Alamo itself:  San Jose.