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

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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.