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Yesterday was the day that I was taking Leonard Wheeler ~ Yellowbird, wife Deb, and Tom Taylor ~ scumdog and wife Chris on the tour of San Antonio, the Alamo, Missions, Mexican Market, Supper on the River Walk, and a moonlight River Boat Cruise! I started out in a gully washer of a rain storm that left me in doubt if I was gonna get to their hotel in one piece! I was thinking that we might be about to do this in a raging rainstorm, but the weather gods smiled on us because by the time I got to their hotel, it was just sprinkling.
So off we drove in Leonard & Debs' big SUV (thank goodness it was not in my little Ford Focus!) to the Alamo to tour it. I think they found it quite interesting. Some people, over the years, seem to be disappointed after seeing it, because they were expecting some large battlefield and majestic buildings I guess. It is not the size of the battlefield, or the buildings that is that important. It is what happened there to led to Texas Independence from Mexico... It was a large battlefield, but after the battle, some years later, as San Antonio started growing from a town into a large city, builders encroached on the battlements, tearing down walls, building new buildings close and closer to what is now left of the battlefield. Just the Alamo chapel, and part of the Long Barracks for the soldiers exist today. The chapel was put to use by the troops, and for other uses unbecoming its history. Luckily, a group of women banded together to form the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and in 1905 assumed control of the property which was in bad condition. The rest is history and you can read about it here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daught...ublic_of_Texas
Battle of the Alamo - If you have seen the John Wayne version of it, there were a lot of liberties taken with the facts.... But it was a good movie...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Alamo
The Missions are now managed by the National Parks Service. Click on the various links for more information.
https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm
After touring the Alamo, we loaded up again and took off to see the Missions, in the southern part of the city and county. The four Missions are Concepcion, San Jose (the largest one by far), San Juan Capistrano, and Espada. Near it, is the famous Roman style curved aqueduct that supplied water to the Mission. We toured the first two and everyone was hungry by then, and I asked them what the wanted for lunch. The resounding answer was a Texas Steak! So off to the Little Red Barn Steak House we went! They were impressed with the food, the names and brands of famous Texas Ranches you read on the walls, and the menu you read off the wall. I will post some pix later.
After lunch it was back to the Mission Trail to see the last two Missions, San Juan Capistrano and Espada and the aqueduct. At Estrada we were able to see the small but beautiful chapel from the inside. These Mission Chapels have been in use for church service by the Catholic church for centuries, as was Mission San Jose while we were there. Two of them were closed and I know that one was being reconstructed. On the way back to town though, I suggested that we stop at Mission San Jose again, because I figured that Mass would be over and the chapel might be open to the public again, as it often is. So we did, and it was and they were able to get some great pix of the chapel interior, which is very impressive.
Off we went to the Mexican Market for the girls to do some shopping. While there, Tom, being a retired Police Officer, struck up a good conversation with some of our own Police Officers on duty there. Then it was back to the hotel. From there it was a short walk to the River Walk for supper. I had asked at their hotel who they suggested for a variety of good food, since they had eaten Mexican food yesterday, and a big Texas Steak for lunch. They recommended Rainforest Café for the atmosphere and the variety of food, which is great and so is the service. Since I had never been there either, we decided to go there and it was a great choice. I think there are four floors to that restaurant, and if YOU ever make it here to see ME before I am 100 and no longer able to take you on the tours, I will take YOU there, to the 3rd floor! The food was great, so was the staff and so certainly was the atmosphere. I will also post some pix of some of the things we saw there, including large animals. There was a gorilla right behind Tom while we ate! The animals you see are also animated and move.. and make noises... They thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant.
After that, it was time to take a River Boat Cruise, (about a 35 minute ride around the River Walk area. I had hoped to get Juan, The Admiral of the River Boat Fleet, (he claims! And for what I was told by their office, he might be, because he is a long time employee and their most requested Boat Captain!) but he was off last night. But I tried. I think they greatly enjoyed the ride. After that it was a walk back to the hotel and goodbyes as the guys walked me to my car to make sure I got there in one piece! Or it might have been to make sure I left before I totally wore them down!
Today, Leonard and Tom were chasing down some classic car parts (of course!) out in the country somewhere. Then it would be off to Fredricksburg (a great German community founded by a German Prince) who had fallen out of favor at the German Court, I think, and moved here for freedom and to start his own community. We have a good number of other German, and many other European settlements around here. It also happens to be the home of the famous Admiral Nimitz of WW II fame, and his fantastic War museum is there that I and Leonard have been to before. Leonard wanted to take Tom there also. Then it would be off to one of the famous German restaurants there and then on back to home in North Texas they go.
So now for some pix that were taken. The pic of the four of them on arriving at the Alamo is: Leonard, wife Deb, Chris wife of Tom on the right. The picture of the double Hamburger (Maybe a Triple!) was so big that I could hardly hold it with two hands and was only able to eat about a third of it. I just had more of it for lunch and will again later! It is good! I had a great time and I will long remember that, as I do with Bill and the crew when they came here. And so many others I have taken on tours since the 1970's from around the world.
So off we drove in Leonard & Debs' big SUV (thank goodness it was not in my little Ford Focus!) to the Alamo to tour it. I think they found it quite interesting. Some people, over the years, seem to be disappointed after seeing it, because they were expecting some large battlefield and majestic buildings I guess. It is not the size of the battlefield, or the buildings that is that important. It is what happened there to led to Texas Independence from Mexico... It was a large battlefield, but after the battle, some years later, as San Antonio started growing from a town into a large city, builders encroached on the battlements, tearing down walls, building new buildings close and closer to what is now left of the battlefield. Just the Alamo chapel, and part of the Long Barracks for the soldiers exist today. The chapel was put to use by the troops, and for other uses unbecoming its history. Luckily, a group of women banded together to form the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, and in 1905 assumed control of the property which was in bad condition. The rest is history and you can read about it here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daught...ublic_of_Texas
Battle of the Alamo - If you have seen the John Wayne version of it, there were a lot of liberties taken with the facts.... But it was a good movie...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Alamo
The Missions are now managed by the National Parks Service. Click on the various links for more information.
https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm
After touring the Alamo, we loaded up again and took off to see the Missions, in the southern part of the city and county. The four Missions are Concepcion, San Jose (the largest one by far), San Juan Capistrano, and Espada. Near it, is the famous Roman style curved aqueduct that supplied water to the Mission. We toured the first two and everyone was hungry by then, and I asked them what the wanted for lunch. The resounding answer was a Texas Steak! So off to the Little Red Barn Steak House we went! They were impressed with the food, the names and brands of famous Texas Ranches you read on the walls, and the menu you read off the wall. I will post some pix later.
After lunch it was back to the Mission Trail to see the last two Missions, San Juan Capistrano and Espada and the aqueduct. At Estrada we were able to see the small but beautiful chapel from the inside. These Mission Chapels have been in use for church service by the Catholic church for centuries, as was Mission San Jose while we were there. Two of them were closed and I know that one was being reconstructed. On the way back to town though, I suggested that we stop at Mission San Jose again, because I figured that Mass would be over and the chapel might be open to the public again, as it often is. So we did, and it was and they were able to get some great pix of the chapel interior, which is very impressive.
Off we went to the Mexican Market for the girls to do some shopping. While there, Tom, being a retired Police Officer, struck up a good conversation with some of our own Police Officers on duty there. Then it was back to the hotel. From there it was a short walk to the River Walk for supper. I had asked at their hotel who they suggested for a variety of good food, since they had eaten Mexican food yesterday, and a big Texas Steak for lunch. They recommended Rainforest Café for the atmosphere and the variety of food, which is great and so is the service. Since I had never been there either, we decided to go there and it was a great choice. I think there are four floors to that restaurant, and if YOU ever make it here to see ME before I am 100 and no longer able to take you on the tours, I will take YOU there, to the 3rd floor! The food was great, so was the staff and so certainly was the atmosphere. I will also post some pix of some of the things we saw there, including large animals. There was a gorilla right behind Tom while we ate! The animals you see are also animated and move.. and make noises... They thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant.
After that, it was time to take a River Boat Cruise, (about a 35 minute ride around the River Walk area. I had hoped to get Juan, The Admiral of the River Boat Fleet, (he claims! And for what I was told by their office, he might be, because he is a long time employee and their most requested Boat Captain!) but he was off last night. But I tried. I think they greatly enjoyed the ride. After that it was a walk back to the hotel and goodbyes as the guys walked me to my car to make sure I got there in one piece! Or it might have been to make sure I left before I totally wore them down!
Today, Leonard and Tom were chasing down some classic car parts (of course!) out in the country somewhere. Then it would be off to Fredricksburg (a great German community founded by a German Prince) who had fallen out of favor at the German Court, I think, and moved here for freedom and to start his own community. We have a good number of other German, and many other European settlements around here. It also happens to be the home of the famous Admiral Nimitz of WW II fame, and his fantastic War museum is there that I and Leonard have been to before. Leonard wanted to take Tom there also. Then it would be off to one of the famous German restaurants there and then on back to home in North Texas they go. So now for some pix that were taken. The pic of the four of them on arriving at the Alamo is: Leonard, wife Deb, Chris wife of Tom on the right. The picture of the double Hamburger (Maybe a Triple!) was so big that I could hardly hold it with two hands and was only able to eat about a third of it. I just had more of it for lunch and will again later! It is good! I had a great time and I will long remember that, as I do with Bill and the crew when they came here. And so many others I have taken on tours since the 1970's from around the world.
of San Antonio.
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