For Father’s Day, I treated my dad to an overnight stay in San Antonio. He loves history and the Alamo, plus a relative’s bible is on display in one of the rooms, so I knew he would enjoy a chance to see his family legacy and have dinner on the riverwalk. Please don’t ask me exactly who’s bible it is and how it ended up in the Alamo, because even though I’ve been told half a dozen times or more, I honestly don’t remember. While my mom and I have the opportunity to share special “mother daughter days” often with shopping and what not, moments like this with my dad are a little more difficult to organize, so I love it when an opportunity presents itself to do something special with the man who has been the most important in my life all these years. It was fun to walk the barracks with my dad, listening to him recall the parts of history that have stood out to him the most.

This was my first time to see the family bible, and I was shocked at the size! I was expecting a handheld bible of sorts, not the oversized version that would require a stand!

Even though he has visited San Antonio, and the Alamo, several times, I had a little surprise up my sleeve for this trip with the addition of visiting the other four Spanish Missions on Mission Trail.

The San Antonio Missions are part of the National Parks System and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the state of Texas! There are four Spanish Missions along this 8 mile trail which is accessible from the Riverwalk. The city of San Antonio developed a walking/biking trail to easily connect each of the missions, but for the sake of time, dad and I drove to each individually and took our time exploring and immersing ourselves in the history of each cathedral. The missions were founded in the 1700s and built from a limestone quarry discovered on the grounds of Mission Concepcion.

Our first stop was Mission San Jose. Of the four, this site is known as the “Queen of the Missions” due to the sheer size of both the structure and surrounding grounds. She was built in 1720, and the church began in 1758 which is still in use today. My favorite part of this mission were the huge arch ruins that you can walk under. The church was preparing to hold a funeral, but we were able to go into the chapel as the family had not arrived yet. WOW! The inside of Mission San Jose is breathtaking. We walked through, listening to a gentleman sing Amazing Grace while strumming an acoustic guitar and the melody resonated between those walls in a way that is difficult to put into words. Every time I visit places like this I am left in complete awe. It’s amazing to think of how people constructed such massive, beautiful, and intricate buildings without the ease of modern technology that we are accustomed to today. As we were leaving, the bells in the tower began to chime and play another reverent tune which made it even harder to walk past the walls and head to our next stop. Even now as I look back over the images, I am completely mesmerized and look forward to returning when I can spend more time within her walls.

Our second stop was Mission Concepcion. Dedicated in 1755, Concepcion is the oldest, unrestored stone church in America and she stands unchanged, exactly as she did over two centuries ago. It took 15 years to build this church and it contains beautiful examples of 250 yr old frescos painted in the front few rooms.

Our third stop was Mission San Juan, originally founded in 1716 but transferred to its present day location in 1731. A larger church was planned, but construction halted halfway through causing a decline in the missions population. The interior was very simple and small, yet still quite beautiful and peaceful. There is a trail which leads down to the river, and a working farm on the grounds that supports the San Antonio Food Bank. Dad and I didn’t take to the Yanaguana trail due to time, so I’ll have to check that out on a return trip. We didn’t stay at this location long since a large group had arrived, and we decided to move on to our final stop.

Our final stop, Mission Espada, is quaint and charming. The small chapel is surrounded by the remains of the community that once was. While San Jose left me awe struck, Espada was welcoming and inviting. I wanted to relax on the lawn, and spend time in the gardens. This mission was actually the first mission in Texas, built in 1690 near present day Weches, but then she was moved to her current location in 1731 and renamed. While visiting, there was a group of art students dispersed across the grounds sketching various scenes and angles of the mission. I was wishing I had the time to do the same, so again, I have another reason to return! The inside of this church was unique as the pews were all original and the slat wood ceiling was quite unique and a drastic contrast to the bright white walls.

Each of the missions are unique and full of so much history. When you visit, be sure to take time to chat with the docents in the chapels. Some of them are direct decedents of either the natives or the Spanish settlers and love to tell their stories.

My favorite part of the whole trip? Taking selfies with dad all across Mission Trail!