The Alamo- San Antonio Texas

EVERYONE has heard of the Alamo.  Even if you have no idea about it, you have HEARD it referenced.

I have to admit, most of what I knew before my trip about the Alamo came from Hank Hill.

LUCKILY, we found ourselves at the Alamo on the anniversary of the battle!  We were very excited to see reenactors and others doing presentations while we were there!

We also thought it was cool that ACTUAL Texas Rangers were there protecting the site, even at night!

Originally built as a Mission in the 1740s, the building gained its notoriety in 1836 during the Texas Revolution.  Mexican troops, under the leadership of General Santa Anna, took no prisoners in an absolute slaughter of Texans defending the Alamo.  Pioneer legends Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie died during the battle (and the exact details of their deaths are a bit fuzzy to historians).

Santa Anna thought the victory would intimidate his enemy but the opposite happened.  Many rallied, and a month and a half later, Sam Houston and the Texian Army would defeat Santa Anna's army in an 18 minute butt kicking rematch.  The battle cry at that time was, "Remember the Alamo!".

The actual remaining Alamo structure is a Texas shrine now.  The inside does have a very holy feel, and photos are not allowed inside.

Outside, around the shrine area are various tour companies, shops, restaurants, hotels, etc., etc.  In many ways, the area around the historic site reminds me of Gatlinburg.

And I don't mean that in a bad way necessarily.  I know for a lot of families, a visit somewhere like the Alamo, or the Great Smoky Mountains might be more appealing to the kids if a side trip to Ripley's or the Hard Rock Café is also promised.

Alamo Plaza Looking South from Post Office, San Antonio Texas

This undated but older postcard mentions on the back-

"The center of San Antonio business life, showing the historic Alamo and walls on the left.  In the center, the beautiful Band Stand, flower beds and tropical verdure of the famous plaza."

San Fernando Cathedral- San Antonio Texas

San Fernando Cathedral was built between 1738 and 1749.  According to the brochure I got from them, "The walls of that church still stand today making it the oldest continuously operating cathedral in the United States, and the oldest building in Texas."

A stone marker inside indicated the official center of San Antonio.

There are many great statues and paintings inside.  There is a statue of Pope John Paul II, who visited San Fernando Cathedral on September 13th, 1987.

The church is forever linked to the Battle of the Alamo in many ways.

Santa Anna was hanging out here when the Battle started.


Five years before the Battle, Jim Bowie was married here.

AND MANY visitors (including me) stop by to see the remains of the Defenders of the Alamo. 

Postcard showing San Fernando Cathedral, City Hall, San Antonio, Texas

This undated but vintage shows San Fernando Cathedral, one of the main attractions in San Antonio, and a place very closely associated with the Alamo.

Buckhorn Saloon and Museum- San Antonio Texas

The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum is the OTHER legendary must see site in San Antonio.  This AMAZING collection of taxidermy and other items has been around for well over 100 years (at various locations) but it has been at its current spot since 1956.

There is a saloon/café with animal trophies everywhere.  There are also several floors with the same.  Yes, they also have an impressive Texas Ranger section, and they have some freak show/amusement type displays, but I dragged my jaw along the floor as I explored each room of animals and other attractions.


YOU KNOW my photos do not show how incredible the Buckhorn is.  We have all looked at pictures of polar bears, sharks, and other large animals.  It is an entirely different experience standing right next to one and seeing how impressive their size is compared to you.

There is something very non-PC about it too.  I can't see someone now accumulating a collection like this and opening up a similar museum.  Someone would be offended.  People would protest.

But the Buckhorn is old, and authentic.  There are extinct animals here.  The place is a real throwback.  I am glad that the collection is old, and I am glad that it is still around with its collections displayed.

Old Postcard showing First Mission, Mission Concepcion in San Antonio Texas

This postcard was sent from Mexico, but the date is indecipherable.

Mission Concepcion- San Antonio Texas

After visiting Mission San Jose, we stopped by Mission Concepcion nearby.

We had a nice tour with a great ranger here too.  The tour is pretty short but interesting.

The inside of the church here (and there is an active congregation) is perfect, and feels peaceful.  Our ranger guide told us that the church is perfect for live vocalists.  No one on our tour would accept his offer to sing and test the acoustics.

At this Mission, you could see traces of frescos all around.  Sadly, much of that artwork has faded but you can see some of it, restored, at the park.

San Jose, Second Mission, Built 1718, San Antonio Texas

This postcard was sent from San Antonio to Frankfort Kentucky in 1911!

Mission San Jose- San Antonio Texas

Building started on the San Jose Mission in 1768.  it would become known as the Queen of the Missions.

From a brochure given out at the National Park office at the mission:
"The Franciscan friars' objective was to convert indigenous hunters and gatherers into Catholic, tax-paying subjects of the King of Spain.  The Indians' struggle for survival against European disease and raiding Lipan Apaches led them to the missions and to forfeit their culture.  Everything changed for these neophytes: diet, clothing, religion, culture- even their names.  They were required to learn two new languages, Latin and Spanish, as well as new vocations."

The church at this mission is still used by a congregation, thought the grounds officially ceased being a mission in 1824.

We ended up spending a bit of time at this Mission, which is ran by the National Park Service.  We took a great tour with a guide who talked a lot about daily life and events at the Mission.

Greetings from San Antonio Texas- Alamo Plaza

This great old postcard from San Antonio was sent in 1911!

Market Square- San Antonio Texas

According to Wikipedia, Market Square is the largest Mexican market in the US.  The place is large, and there was a good crowd there on the day we went.

We had a lot of fun here.  There were some interesting vendors, live music, a magician, and some interesting things for sale.

We looked for jewelry and some other novelties to take home.

I haggled playfully with one vendor who came down on her prices... a little.  We found some cute souvenirs for friends.  There was a band that rocked pretty hard too, and the crowd loved them.  Oh, and there was a small mechanical bull for kids!

Check out my colorful photos of this unique area!

US Post Office, San Antonio, Texas

This postcard went through the mail in 1908 from San Antonio- probably from the exact post office shown on the card!

San Antonio at Night

Here are some photos of San Antonio Texas at night.  I took these from on top of the previously mentioned Hyatt River Walk Hotel.

The Guenther House- San Antonio Texas

 The Guenther House was built by Carl Guenther in 1859.  Guenther was the founder of Pioneer Flour which has been in business since before the Civil War!

The house is now a great restaurant, and according to our guides in San Antonio, the place does not advertise because it doesn't need to!  Our guides assured us they were not being paid to endorse the place, but they raved about it!

I had a great enchilada here, and we ordered a cinnamon roll about the size of my head!  We nibbled on that for days!

The grounds were attractive, and this was simply an amazing stop on our trip!  AND, how often can you patronize a business that has been around since the Civil War?

Random Thoughts on Friday

I wanted to take a second to mention that I just found out that the Marx Museum in Moundsville West Virginia (near Wheeling) will be closing in a few months.

We visited there last year and we LOVED the place.  I have always enjoyed painting figures and the old Marx soldiers look great painted.  They put a lot of detail into all of their toys that has never been matched.  Their Best of the West toys are, in my opinion, the coolest boys action figures ever made.

Luckily, other companies are still using Marx molds, and you can get modern versions at reasonable prices if you look around.

But there is something so cool about looking at the actual, vintage toys from the 60s, 70s and earlier.

The Marx Museum has done a great job of telling (and showing) the Marx toy story.  They do say on their web site that they plan to continue as an organization.....  Check out the statement on their site for more info on that.

OBVIOUSLY, if you have been thinking about making a trip to Moundsville to see the Marx Museum, you should do it in the next few months.....