South Florida beach life at Miami and Fort Lauderdale

The beach just north of Las Olas Boulevard at Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida, in April 2025. - photo by Joe Alexander
The beach just north of Las Olas Boulevard at Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida, in April 2025. – photo by Joe Alexander
You can’t make a trip to South Florida without hitting at least one of the beaches.

Two of the most popular places for salt and sand are Miami Beach at Lummus Park and Fort Lauderdale Beach between Las Olas Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard.

A Texas night, a Ford pickup and Led Zeppelin

I was a Texas teenager driving my dad’s Ford F-100 pickup. It had an AM radio with one speaker that probably sounded awful compared to even the cheapest modern car stereo. And no AC.

I was driving along one night with my friend Steve Garza riding shotgun. It’s lost on me now where we were going to or coming from. Probably on some highway in or around San Antonio that’s a lot more congested now than it was then.

We had the windows rolled down and that cheap radio cranked up. Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” came on.

I know that scene is cliche as hell. I probably kind of knew it then. But for 8 minutes and 2 seconds, Robert Plant and Jimmy Page made us feel like we were cool and the world was right.

Murals on Chestnut Street in San Antonio: Part 3

Mural on Chestnut Street near downtown San Antonio on Oct. 13, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander
Mural on Chestnut Street near downtown San Antonio on Oct. 13, 2024.
More public art on Chestnut Street near downtown San Antonio. These murals at the corner of Nolan Street at Chestnut, a short distance north of the Alamodome.

SanAntonioStreetArt.Org

INSTAGRAM
@sanantoniostreetart
@DREAMUrbanarts

Murals on Chestnut Street in San Antonio: Part 2

Mural on Chestnut Street near downtown San Antonio on Oct. 13, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander
Mural on Chestnut Street near downtown San Antonio on Oct. 13, 2024.
More public art on Chestnut Street near downtown San Antonio. These murals are a short distance north of the Alamodome in the area around Houston Street up to Nolan Street.

SanAntonioStreetArt.Org

INSTAGRAM
@sanantoniostreetart
@DREAMUrbanarts

Murals on Chestnut Street in San Antonio: Part 1

Mural on Chestnut Street near downtown San Antonio on Oct. 13, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander
Mural on Chestnut Street near downtown San Antonio on Oct. 13, 2024.
I spent some time this weekend checking out the public art on Chestnut Street near downtown San Antonio.

These murals are a short distance north of the Alamodome in the area around Houston Street up to Nolan Street and were created as part of the San Antonio Street Art Initiative.

SanAntonioStreetArt.Org

INSTAGRAM
@sanantoniostreetart
@DREAMUrbanarts

Paint Jam 6 at San Antonio’s Essex Modern City: Day 2

The second day of ESX ART Paint Jam 6 at Essex Modern City in San Antonio on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
The second day of ESX ART Paint Jam 6 at Essex Modern City in San Antonio on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
The new artwork at Essex Modern City was either done or close to it on Sunday afternoon, the second day of ESX ART Paint Jam 6. Top muralists from San Antonio and South Texas gathered for the event.

The second day of ESX ART Paint Jam 6 at Essex Modern City in San Antonio on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
The second day of ESX ART Paint Jam 6 at Essex Modern City in San Antonio.

Paint Jam 6 at San Antonio’s Essex Modern City

ESX ART Paint Jam 6 at Essex Modern City in San Antonio on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
ESX ART Paint Jam 6 at Essex Modern City in San Antonio on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
Artists at work on Saturday afternoon at ESX ART Paint Jam 6 at Essex Modern City on San Antonio’s near east side not far from downtown.

The even is scheduled to continue on Sunday.

INSTAGRAM:
@esxart210
@essexmoderncity
Location: Essex Modern City

Royal Dukes Band showcase at 502 Bar

Royal Dukes Band at 502 Bar in San Antonio on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander
Royal Dukes Band at 502 Bar on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. – photo by Joe Alexander
The Royal Dukes Band played at 502 Bar in San Antonio on Wednesday.

The band specializes in playing live for weddings and corporate events.

Royal Dukes Band website: www.royaldukesband.com

Chavela at Summer Night City in San Antonio

Chavela at Summer Night City at Texas Public Radio in San Antonio on Thursday, July 11, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander
Chavela at Summer Night City at Texas Public Radio in San Antonio on July 11, 2024. – photo by Joe Alexander
San Antonio soul singer Chavela and her band played at the Texas Public Radio studio in downtown San Antonio on Thursday for Summer Night City.

Chavela at Summer Night City at Texas Public Radio in San Antonio on Thursday, July 11, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander
Chavela at Summer Night City at Texas Public Radio in San Antonio.

Retro Cowgirl at Summer Night City in San Antonio

Retro Cowgirl at Summer Night City at Texas Public Radio in San Antonio on Thursday, July 11, 2024. - photo by Joe Alexander
Retro Cowgirl at Summer Night City at Texas Public Radio in San Antonio on July 11, 2024. – photo by Joe Alexander
Retro Cowgirl played at the Texas Public Radio studio in downtown San Antonio on Thursday for Summer Night City.

Retro Cowgirl was formed in San Antonio and is now based in Austin.