Texas- The Japanese Tea Gardens

     Tuesday morning of our Texas, trip we went to the Japanese Tea Garden, in San Antonio. Not only was it beautiful, it was free, which was really helpful. It also turns out to be one of Victoria's favorite places. When we were all planning the trip I looked up things to do in San Antonio, and the tea garden was on the list. Victoria also recommended them. Which turned out to be perfect. 

Peter, Jazzmyne, Travis, Elecktra, Aiden, Victoria

Travis

        While we were still planning the trip, we had a big group text going. Victoria was not on it, and we didn't add her to it. Aiden decided he was going to propose to Victoria and that he wanted to do it when his friends were there. And he was trying to figure out where and when to do it. I suggested the Japanese Tea Garden because they are beautiful and because Victoria also suggested we go to them. So that became part of the plan. And there was a lot of secret planning that went on, right in front of Victoria.

     The first day of the trip we went to The Shops at La Cantera and Elecktra helped Aiden subtly figure out what size ring  would fit Victoria. When we went to the River Walk, he found a ring that he was sure Victoria would like, and bought it, with a birthday necklace for Elecktra, so he could give the bag to Elecktra without it looking suspicious.

    Aiden wanted to talk to Victoria's mother, in person, and get her blessing to propose. Part of the original plan for the trip was to have dinner at Victoria's house. That would have been a great time to ask. But we cut the trip short by a day and couldn't squeeze it in. So Peter, Elecktra, and Aiden, came to our (mine and Travis's) room to talk about food. I did tell them when the food I was cooking would be ready, but I also gave Aiden a pep-talk and said to call Victoria's mother. So he did. He said he would rather it be in person, but he wanted to propose the next day but he wouldn't without her blessing. Which she gave. She also asked if one of his friends could add her on Instagram or Facebook so she could get a video or a FaceTime call so she could see it. Which I gladly did. 

     

Victoria and Aiden

     Jazzmyne went into the gift shop when we first got to the gardens and found these beautiful parasols. She was also looking for water, which is why she went in in the first place. She and Peter then distracted Victoria in the gift shop while Aiden and Elecktra scouted out where I good spot to propose would be so it wouldn't get interrupted. 

Jazzmyne

Victoria

    And then we took our time. No rushing around, just looking at the beautiful gardens and taking photos of each other and of the views. It was a really nice day. 

Victoria and Jazzmyne

Victoria (I like this one a lot)

Jazzmyne, Elecktra, Aiden, Victoria

     Elecktra even got a picture of me. I may be bringing this parasol to Breyerfest. And the Brimfield Flea Market. Though the July flea market is usually right in the middle of Breyerfest. 

Me! (photo by Elecktra)

      After a casual stroll through the gardens, and Peter and I flat out refusing to climb the steep path to the top of the cliff, we made it to the spot where Aiden was going to propose. And we all sort of hung out near them, but trying not to make it obvious anything was going on. They had a nice spot to stand and hug, overlooking the whole of the gardens, we had some shady spots with places to sit. I tried to figure out how to get Victoria's mom on FaceTime without making it super obvious. I settled on a video. I could tell how nervous Aiden was, and it was a good minute and a half of hugging and quiet talking before he came around to starting the proposal. He got down on one knee and everything (I have a video, but no photo of it). It was really beautiful and one of the others said that after she said yes there was some clapping from below. 

Aiden and Victoria

     

Aiden and Victoria

     It was a really beautiful day, with a lot of emotions. Aiden was happy to have his two best friends there with him, supporting him. I said to Aiden and Victoria, since it's unlikely I will be at their wedding, that they need to make sure they eat on their wedding day (a friend gave me that advice and it was very helpful) and after the ceremony to go and take a few minutes alone. They will need that. 

      We are coming to the end of our Texas trip, but there is still a bit more to come. I am trying to remember to write the posts before I forget the details. And before it's time to write about Horsefest!

Texas-National Museum of Funeral History

    Easter Sunday we spent on the USS Lexington, in Corpus Christi. The day after we drove to Houston. One of the places we went was the National Museum of Funeral History. It was a super interesting place. There were tons of different vehicles that have been used over the years for funerals, a lot about presidential and military funerals, a very large exhibit about papal funerals (which was especially interesting since that was the day the pope died) and many other things as well. 

     This was an exhibit of Victorian hair art. There was another exhibit about death photography.

      This exhibit showed what old embalming rooms looked like.

     This was showing what a house typically looks like decorated for día de los muertos. It showed two rooms of a house, with the ofrenda as well as the outside of the house with decorations. 

     The entire museum was really cool and I am glad we went to it. Houston was a very long drive from San Antonio, but this was a good day.

Texas- Escape Rooms

     The original reason I decided to go to Texas was I found out I could do an escape room on the USS Lexington. I think some people think I am joking when I say I went to Texas because I found out I can do an escape room on a ship, but it's true. There were 3 different rooms to choose from, all of them sounded intense in one way or another, but we ended up choosing the haunted escape room. The list of potential things that could happen, including death, listed on the releases was a little bit off-putting. Though we decided to do it anyway. 

    It turns out the release was extreme CYA (which stands for cover your a$$) because the only way you might even get hurt is by doing something really stupid that you were told not to do. The door was even unlocked the whole time and we could have left whenever we wanted. Though we wanted to get through it and solve it, which is what we did. They took a before photo and the after photo when we finished. In case you can't read it, Travis's sign says "it was all me" which I thought was funny (Travis just hung out with us, he didn't help). 

     I had so much fun in the escape room on the Lexington that I wanted to do another one before we left. And I wanted Peter to do one with us, since he didn't do the one on the Lexington. I really do get a kick out of locking a bunch of smart people in a room together and figuring out how to get out. 

     The second room we did was a Harry Potter themed room in San Antonio. Unlike every other escape room I have been in, this one had no problem with us keeping our phones and taking pictures. So we took lots of pictures. 

     Travis being awesome and clearly, solving everything on his own. 

     The shop windows in Diagon Alley were all color coded and part of the clues we needed to figure out some puzzles It was the beginning and the end of the escape room. I really enjoy multi-room escape rooms. I don't know how we didn't get a picture of Reggie, our owl that would help us out if we got a bit stuck, or with time checks. 

    As a bonus, here is a herd of parking lot deer. They were at the hotel one night when we got back. 

    I think Peter said he counted about 15 of them in total! Adults and babies both. 

     There was a lot that happened when we took our trip to Texas and I am trying to find time to write the posts before I forget the details. More to come!
 

Texas BBQ and The River Walk

     I am behind on life, again, but I want to keep going with the Texas trip posts. So this will be another one with mostly just pictures. On Saturday, after we went to the caverns, we drove out to Fredericksburg to pick Peter up and eat at Dave's Pit BBQ. It was good, but I did send Ethan this picture, of Travis waiting for his food, and another with Travis eating. I told Ethan that the food was good but his was better. And there are a lot of people in the south that agree that Ethan, who is in fact from Massachusetts, does make the best BBQ. When you get spoiled with the best not much else compares. 

     I think it was Saturday, when we got back from Fredericksburg, that we went to the River Walk, Aiden said we really should go after dark, because it was the most beautiful then. It really was quite spectacular to look at! No one wanted to pay for the river boat tour, or wait in line, so we walked around and went into some shops. I was amazed that no one fell into the canal. No railings, not super wide sidewalks, and people not understanding how the flow of traffic should work. It was definitely worth the visit to go to the River Walk, though next time hopefully we can find a cheaper place to park (it was $25!). Enjoy the photos!