//Under Construction//
We awoke from 2021 to find ourselves in 2022 and a Best Western hotel in Junction, TX. We were pleased to find a full hot breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, etc. AND the waffle machine produced waffles shaped like Texas.
On the road to San Antonio we followed ridges with long views. I was pleased to see signage that a scenic overlook was ahead. We pulled off to find this --- further indication that the people of Texas need to upgrade their infrastructure by riding themselves of Greg Abbott and his anti-government Republican co-hort.
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| The expansive view from the ridge is obstructed and the viewing platform that I suspect once held a telescope is empty and woebegone. |
Siri led us into downtown San Antonio and a parking lot right at the Alamo. We paid $25 online for the parking spot and walked less than a block to the plaza in front of the Alamo.
We had already purchased audio tours and scheduled our 3:20 walk through the church itself. We decided to go ahead and do our self-guided audio tour first.
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| We traded picture-taking with others several times. |
After visiting the sculpture garden we spent a few minutes, well-masked, in the very crowded gift shop. I spent $1.01 on a souvenir squashed penny with an Alamo design for my walking stick.
We then walked past the koi in the irrigation ditches and through the garden to the museum. Here's a panoramic photo of Sheila at the museum (on the right). To view this picture best it needs to be enlarged and seen by panning from one side to the other. On the left is a walkway with displays of several cannon that were actually used at the Alamo.
Having grown up in the fifties I can sing ...
Born on a mountain top in Tennessee
Greenest state in the land of the free
Raised in the woods so he knew ev'ry tree
Kilt him a be 'are when he was only three
Davy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier
- Fess Parker
So despite my social studies teacher interest in the other history of the place, I couldn't help having special interest in the Pennsylvania long rifle donated to the museum by Fess Parker --- Davey Crockett of 50s TV.
And as a storyteller and sometime poet and fulltime romantic it is interesting and tragic to think that these men, trapped for thirteen days and slaughtered in desperate fighting at the Alamo, were individuals who had served in Congress, written and told stories, fancied poetry, and presented rings to young ladies.
We were glad to have had time to complete the audio tour (except for the church itself) in time to explore the Riverwalk for a while. As we crossed the plaza toward the Hyatt entrance to the Riverwalk we saw that reenactors were preparing to fire their long rifle. Sheila despises loud noises a=so she walked away a ways while I hung out to see the demonstration...
Masking up again, we joined the throng headed through the Hyatt to the channelized and landscaped San Antonio River. We are not big drinkers and are too cheap to eat at fancy restaurants, so we walked through people-watching to get to the main stream and the less crowded parts of the riverside walkway. We watched the boats crowded with tourists and about a minute or less apart on their circular route putter through the San Antonio's famous downtown attraction.
I am always pleased to see lots of public art. There are many mosaics, murals, and other art around and along the Riverwalk...
Soon it was time to head back to the Alamo for our scheduled half-hour peek inside the building itself. Photography is taboo inside, so I have no pictures. The building has serious preservation issues and there seems to be a serious effort afoot to remedy that and secure the Alamo for future generations.
We still had a little daylight left and took a walk a block or so to the Broadway Deli. We had a great sandwich and a conversation with the owner new restaurant and his teen daughter. The deli is located in an former jewel store and sports the old neon sign and the old-fashioned tile floor of that store.
From there we walked surface streets toward and then above the Riverwalk, trying to stay away from the crowds.
It was interesting to see a Walgreen's Drug Store with the old style neon that I remember from my childhood.
The late Ann Richards was one of my favorite politicians. I miss the warm and sometimes caustic Texas wit of Governor Richards and her friend Molly Ivins. San Antonio is sporting Richards quotes on banners around town. Mr. Google tells me that there are 60 banners with 12 different quotes in honor of the 30 years since Texas had a woman governor.
Besides these banners I'd like to highlight one other quote that I believe, but that many folks do not:
Teaching is the hardest work I have ever done, including being Governor.
- Governor Ann Richards
AND while I'm at it
here is a video about Richards that is worth the hour and a half of your time. She was an interesting and important leader.
Finally we said goodbye to downtown San Antonio and walked back towards the Camry...
... and were soon back on I-10 headed toward Houston.
There we discovered a neighborhood of very nice homes that sports more Christmas lights than any neighborhood I've ever seen...
And then, just down the street, the Comfort Inn and a good night's sleep after a very full day.
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