JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC

I jumped a plane down to San Antone Tuesday to catch the final game of the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. Came back yesterday with a lot of great memories and a quick travelogue for you.

River Walk

Before the game between Stanford and Connecticut, fans jammed the unparalleled River Walk, a network of pathways, bordered by bars, restaurants and hotels, along the San Antonio River.  

Even though the River Walk is virtually right in front of your nose, it can be hard for first-time visitors to find. That’s because it’s below street level. While the traffic whizzes by above, there’s nothing but foot traffic, conversation and the sounds of commerce at river level.

Tower of the Americas (background)

There’s plenty to see above ground, too, including the 750-foot-tall Tower of the Americas, built for the 1968 World’s Fair, HemisFair ’68. When it’s time to set off for an event at the Alamodome, the city’s major sports venue, the tower serves as guidepost. Just walk toward the tower and you can’t miss the stadium.

Below, fans streamed toward the Alamodome, and when they reached a plaza a few hundred yards from the entrance, a mariachi band was there to entertain them.

Inside the stadium, scores of military members got a rousing reception from the crowd..and from a special guest. The special guest was a big hit, too. Until, that is, air space over San Antonio was shut down for an hour or more yesterday afternoon while waiting for the special guest to fly out.

Then, pretty soon, the game was over, and Lone-Star-shaped confetti filled the air, as UConn players and fans celebrated  the team’s 53-47 victory.