Travel

San Antonio

So continues the journey from Florida back to Idaho. Today finds us pulling into San Antonio. Texas is such a strange state to drive across. The East, North, South and West sides of Texas are so different. When we first started out on this trip I really expected that I would dread that portion of the drive the most because, in my mind, it was all flat, barren, desert. It's not at all like that. Oh, to be sure, there are areas like that but I've rather enjoyed seeing the transition from one region to the next.

Anyway...San Antonio. We knew when we got here it would be late and we wouldn't be able to see anything so we decided that we'll spend a couple of nights here. Plus, I continue to be miserably sick and could really use a little "slow down" on this travel pace we're on. First stop in San Antonio? BBQ, of course! We find this little hole in the wall that, just a few months earlier, had been featured on a well known TV show on the Food Network that celebrates these hidden gems. Dinner at Dignowity Meats. It was good and I'm glad we tried it, but it was so crazy hot that the flavor got kind of lost behind the heat. Everything we ordered was spicy like that. I like heat, but I like flavor too. Would I go back? Hmmm...maybe.

On to the hotel. Pulling into the parking lot, we definitely had a moment "Are we sure we want to stay here". The place was CRAWLING with officers. I mean, sure, that means you're safe but then comes the questions of "Why are there so many cops here?" Ha ha! Come to find out, it's kind of centrally located to a lot of things in San Antonio and the hotel has opened it's lobby up to the officers as a place to relax, enjoy a cup of coffee and just escape the madness for a bit. It's actually kind of cool. And well protected. This would actually be one of the things I enjoyed the most about our stay here. We had the opportunity to sit and visit with so many different officers and learn about them and what they do. That kind of experience is one that you can't read about or study anywhere. The kids were a bit disappointed that the pool was outside and being renovated so they couldn't use it.

A good night's rest and we're off to see what this city has to offer. We start with the hotel shuttle (Wait! I don't have to drive? Yes!!) and he takes us down to the River Walk where everything we want to see is within walking distance. (We saw the Alamodome on the way in last night!) What a cool place this is! We check out the River Walk a bit and decide our first stop should really be the Alamo. One thing that's super cool is there are "guides" stationed here and there to offer suggestions or to just chat with. Very cool. One such guide was teasing the kids about not knowing who was on the statue of the horse. Without missing a beat, our youngest looks at it, looks back and him and says "How do people not know that's Teddy Roosevelt?" The look on his face! Ha ha!

The Alamo is exactly like you imagine it. There are, however, no pictures in front of it. They'll take your picture and you can purchase a copy of it, but you can't take your own pictures there. Interesting. Smart marketing, honestly. This place is incredible. The architecture is gorgeous - the actual Alamo Church is undergoing renovations so part of it is roped off. {Interesting fact: Shortly after our visit, they would discover the remains of 3 bodies in this area!} I know how cheesy this sounds, but the history is almost tangible here. They've worked so hard to preserve this beautiful place and to breathe life into the lives that were lost here and to keep those stories alive and relevant now. I could seriously spend all day here. One of my favorite moments? I had been playing with a lizard and turned around to see a bunch of monks walking the grounds. I don't know why, but their vivid bright orange robes just struck me as out of place and is an image that I can still see in my mind's eye when I think about our time there.

I'm not even sure how much time we spent pouring through the history of the Alamo, but it's raining. A lot. We decide maybe we should see what else there is to see in the area before the rain gets any worse. We leave the fortress, go across the street and then the alarms start going off. (Yes, literal alarms going off everywhere.) The rain? It's now a Flash Flood. Now what? Make a run for the mall.

We find yummy pizza and a warm place to sit and have lunch while we wait for the rain to let up. We wander through the mall awhile and, while my husband is in Starbucks grabbing a drink, the boys and I get approached by some creep wanting the rest of our pizza and slowly inching toward my purse on the table. Yeah. Gotta love big cities sometimes, right? Needless to say, I let him know he couldn't have our leftovers and if he tried to grab my purse like he was not-so-subtly trying to do, he'd have a fight on his hands. He ran off empty-handed. Sigh...

After an hour or so of hiding out, it's obvious the rain isn't going to let up. So much for more exploring, huh? We didn't get the chance to ride the boats or walk more of the River, but we still had a fun day and I'm glad we made the decision to stay another night.

Our poor shuttle driver picked us up to take us back to the hotel. By this point, the water is so deep in areas that it's down-right scary. I'm so grateful we didn't have to drive in this and we're in the hands of someone who has done this before. The direct routes to the hotel are all blocked off due to standing water. The traffic lights have gone out too - wide-spread power outages. Oh and train crossings? The arms are all stuck down because of the outages too. This is crazy! It takes awhile, but eventually he gets us back to the hotel in one piece. We are still soaked to the bone, but we're safe. The news that evening reported 5 inches of rain and a microburst about 30 miles away. Yikes! The rest of our time here involves eating leftover pizza wrapped up in warm blankets and watching movies in the hotel room.

San Antonio...I wish we'd had the chance to really explore the many, many historical wonders in this city but Mother Nature had other plans. A quick stop in the morning on the way out of town to buy one of the boys new shoes and it's back on the road!

Clickable Souvenirs