Remembering the Alamo

October 8, 2019

 

Remembering the Alamo

Being mobile with a rental car in central Teas gave me the opportunity to venture somewhat far afield of Austin and the surrounding area. This trip I wanted to visit a place that I had heard about my entire life, but had never been, The Alamo in San Antonio. San Antonio is only a short 70 minute drive down Interstate 35 south from Austin and I knew if I got an early start I could get there and a few other places and still get back to Austin in the afternoon and be able to catch the majority of the acts at the ACL Festival that evening.

 

I was up and on the road by seven am for the easy drive to the Alamo, which it turns out is right in downtown Salern Antonio and is very easy to get to from the interstate. The Alamo, known originally as the Misión San Antonio de Vao, is a historic Spanish mission and fortress compound founded in the 18th century by Roman Catholic missionaries. It was the site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836.

 

The historic district was one of the early Spanish missions in Texas, built for the education of local American Indians after their conversion to Christianity. The mission was secularized in 1793 and then abandoned. Ten years later, it became a fortress housing the Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras military unit, who likely gave the mission the name Alamo. During the Texas Revolution, Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos surrendered the fort to the Texan Army in December 1835, following the Siege of Béxar.

A relatively small number of Texan soldiers then occupied the compound for several months. The defenders were wiped out at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836 by the Mexican Army led by General Santa Anna and included early heroes including James Bowie, William Travis and Davy Crockett. When the Mexicans were later defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto, the battle cry of “Remember the Alamo” was used by the Texan soldiers to inspire their victory.

 

The Alamo itself is a small place, much smaller than it had been built up in my imagination, but it is still beautifully maintained and is a great place to visit to learn about this aspect of American history. After checking out the Alamo, I walked along the shops and cafes of the beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk area, before deciding to head over and see the San Antonio Zoo.

I must admit that as far as zoos go, the one in San Antonio did not do much for me, it was fairly mundane and certainly nothing special. The animals had adequate, but not elaborate or particularly nice enclosures and the zoo seemed a little dated. I did not stay too long, opting to hit the road back north and to stop for some more delicious Texas BBQ, this time at Black’s BBQ in New Branfels.

 

The BBQ was great, but what was even cooler was my stop in nearby historic Gruene, Texas. I wanted to see yet another historic music venue in this area, the famous Gruene Hall, which is the oldest and one of the most famous dance halls in Texas. The beautiful old structure has played host to most of the most famous country singers and more over its history and it is one of the places that legend Jerry Jeff Walker got his start.

Located in the heart of the beautiful old historic town of Gruene, which is packed full of quaint stores, restaurants and antiques. It is a hugely popular tourist destination as hoards pack into the area on a daily basis to check out the charming community.