San Antonio v.66

We planned to visit San Antonio for one day, and only because I wanted to see the Alamo. It turned out we got there on one of the busiest weekends of the year.  The normally nonexistent (according to locals) line was over 3 hours long!   

Becca with a re-enactor in front of the Alamo

We were there February 23, 2013, which coincided with the 177th anniversary of the siege of the Alamo, during which William Barrett Travis, Commander of the "Texian Rebels", wrote a famous plea for help in its defense.  Text of the letters can be found here:  http://www.ntanet.net/travis.html.  The letter had been returned to the Alamo for the first time since it was written and dispatched February 24, 1836. This was a big deal!  For an article and photos: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Red-carpet-rolled-out-for-Travis-letter-4301590.php#photo-4236416.

Alamo Memorial

The Memorial is a fitting tribute to the men who all died on March 6, 1836, and whose bodies were burned by Santa Anna's Mexican Army.  They included David Crockett and James Bowie- made famous to my generation by John Wayne and Walt Disney.

On our way to the famous Riverwalk, we saw the USO, and went in to take a peek.  What a great refuge for service members- it was a beautiful place.  There were quiet rooms, TV rooms, video game rooms,and a snack bar/gathering area.  We went 2 blocks to the river.

  

The Riverwalk is a signature feature in downtown San Antonio.  We took a narrated boat tour that highlighted restaurants, landmarks, and the architectural and natural history of the river and the people of San Antonio.

 We also happened to visit during the last weekend of the Rodeo.  We didn’t realize what a BIG DEAL the rodeo is around here.  Think NASCAR with as they say, “animal athletes”.  We scored some scalped tickets and had a cultural experience at the finals of bull riding, calf roping, bronco riding, and barrel racing.  Of course the midway outside the arena called our name as well.  I kept wondering how the whole place smelled when the Spurs played in the arena the next week…

 The last highlight was #1 on the list of oddest museums in the USA.  The proprietor, Barney Smith, was 92 years old, and displayed the largest (?) collection of toilet seats in the country.  He’s in the Guinness Book of World Records, and he starts your tour with the VHS tape version of interviews he’s done on CBS This Morning, The View, and Montel Williams.  Then he shows you the more than 1000 toilet seat covers he has decorated as a hobby since he retired from plumbing.

He loves visitors.  He wants you to see your state’s exhibit, and sign the back of it, like Rebecca did here.  You have to call ahead, and get directions since not all the cab drivers are familiar with the neighborhood.  It was a fun, and yes, unusual, diversion!