This is why San Antonio is prettier than Lubbock

[afrikaner07]

Don't get me wrong, Lubbock can be a beautiful place, especially around sunset, and I've never seen as many cloudless days in my life. But there is just something about San Antonio and its historical sites that makes me want to spend more time there than a weekend at a time. I went to see the 4 missions today, Concepcion, San Jose, San Juan and Espada and then spent some time at the Espada Aquaduct. If you live in San Antonio and you haven't been there, here are some reasons why you should:
All these can be seen at my flickr site...and in much better quality...http://flickr.com/photos/africaneze1...7603836904611/

#1 Taken at Mission Concepcion

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603836963063/

#2 Mission San Jose

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837037917/

#3 A gate at Mission San Jose

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837037917/

#4 Arches and Shadows at Mission San Jose

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837037917/

#5 Some Green in Mission San Jose

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837037917/

#6 Spiral Staircase at Mission San Jose

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837037917/

#7 A Cross surrounded by Cacti at Mission San Juan

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603833764312/

#8 A Statue outside the Mission of San Juan's Church

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603833764312/

#9 A river near Mission Espada

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837431553/

#10 Same river different POV

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837431553/

#11 A dead tree in Mission Espada

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837431553/

Ive got a few more, but it will need to be in a different response. hope you enjoy them, I definitely enjoyed taking these.

[afrikaner07]

Looks like the quality of these last ones werent all that great when I posted them...I guess I saved them too small. Again, here is the flickr location of the full versions http://flickr.com/photos/africaneze1...7603836904611/. And here is some more of them.

#12 Mission Espada Doorway

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837431553/

#13 Same Door, Different POV

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603837431553/

#14 Espada Aquaduct

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603834071988/

#15 Espada Aquaduct

http://www.flickr.com/photos/african...7603834071988/

The fact that my girlfriend tagged along and wasn't impatient with all the photos I took also helped immensely, lol. Definitely a very enjoyable day.

[rockpics]

You've got a nice set of photos there. Being from from west Texas myself, I'm often a bit jealous of the south central portion of our state. But you're right. There's beauty in Lubbock and Abilene. You just have to look harder.

[Teddington]

The Missions are great. Janice and I followed the trail last weekend and took every shot you shared (except the spiral staircase that was locked behind a gate). Janice wants to know if you stole our photos??

If you didn't have lunch at Nichas Comida Mexicana, 3119 Roosevelt Ave, San Antonio, TX 78214, then you missed a treat. We didn't have lunch until after 2PM and had to wait for a parking spot!! Service was very good, food was excellent and prices very fair. If you do the Mission Trail and you need to eat, this is the place.

[Shane Jennings]

Very nice pics! I was born in Lubbock, grew up in Tulia, and have lived in Abilene for about 25 years now, so I know what you mean. But, there are advantages to living on the plains. I truly believe it helps develop your eye for finding beauty. There are LOTS of beautiful things in the Panhandle, but when people from other areas arrive and see no trees their first comment is always, "Wow! There's NOTHING here."

There is actually TONS of stuff around, even on the plains. Interesting rocks, cactus, flowers, birds, animals, skies, etc..... You just have to be attentive and look. If a person looks for a certain kind of beauty and doesn't see it, they often make the mistake of thinking "there's nothing here". Similarly, I often look for the horizon at sunset when I'm in east Texas, but the dang pine trees are always in the way. I've been known to think, "there is NOTHING here but pine trees". But then I start looking, and there is all kinds of beautiful stuff around.

I think you have the eye to find beauty, and it shows in these pics.

[afrikaner07]

LOL, the stair case was locked up...but that didnt stop me. I poked it through at the bottom and pointed up...took a few shots to get what I wanted. And thanks Shane, it was definitely a relief to have so much beauty pretty much given to me for once. Although looking for something interesting is half the fun =D. And I agree, I do think there are lots of things to shoot in Lubbock. Hahaha =D Terry, Im glad to hear other people are enjoy the sites as much as I did, if you don't mind I would like to see your pictures if you happen to have a link for them. I wanna see what perspectives I missed. I could have spent all day at Mission San Jose personally, but I wanted to stop by the rest as well, so I am sure I missed lots of angles. It was a TON of fun though =D.

[LonestarMan]

All things are relative I guess. I grew up in Midland and have now lived in Lubbock for 10 years. As brown and treeless as Lubbock is, it's twice a pretty as Midland / Odessa.

In my business, I have had every opportunity to leave West Texas, but I'm still here. The good part is, when I travel to say.. San Antonio or somewhere, I appreciate it and it's beauty maybe even more than perhaps the people that live there everyday. I lived in the Woodlands when I was a kid. I once saw a post here "Where to take pictures in the Woodlands?" I had to laugh and thought to myself, heck, just step outside and shoot. If I had a place here like any vacant lot in the Woodlands or East Texas, I could charge people just to walk around on it.

[HotHolly]

I'm not a Texan (don't shoot me!) and I do miss the salty air, sandy beaches, and massive amounts of colorful vegetation growing on Long Island...

BUT - Texas has the most BEAUTIFUL sky anywhere. You'd have to be agoraphobic not to love it! I stare at the sky here the way tourists look at buildings in NYC. Its beautiful...

Edit: SA is so old - I didnt get to visit the missions yet. I like old stuff.

Your photos are great.

[Debbi]

Originally Posted by HotHolly

Edit: SA is so old - I didnt get to visit the missions yet. I like old stuff.

Your photos are great.

Geez Holly, you spent an entire weekend in S.A. What were you doing with your time?

BTW, nice pics. I have several of the same shots.

[johnastovall]

No place is more beautiful than another. It is the obligation of the artist to learn to see beauty in everything and present that beauty to the world. We all too often let the cliché become our standard of beauty.

New images surround us everywhere. They are invisible only because of sterile routine convention and fear. - Lisette Model

Remember to beauty may not be pretty.

[afrikaner07]

there is definite truth in what you say Stov, I just have to train my eye to see that beauty in Lubbock ;)