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The Alamo, San Antonio Texas
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Visiting San Antonio
--by Cliff Frye
I'm not going to get into that whole hoohah about whether Texans stole Texas or won
it fair and square. That's for historians and politicians to argue over. And I'm not going to get into the
hoohah about whether the men who fought and died at the Alamo were heroes or fools, either. That's a whole
lot of air about nothing as far as I'm concerned. And I can say that, because I was born and reared in San Antonio.
The fact is that they did fight there, and since then the place has become pretty important to a whole lot of people.
A lot of money has been spent since then, too, restoring the place so it probably looks better now than it ever
did in its youth, and it's gotten a little tacky what with all the souvenirs and such all around-- but you still
have to visit it when you come to San Antonio. They do call it the birthplace of Texas, after all. And maybe it
is.
I recommend that you do that first thing, and get it out of the way. It's free, and there are artifacts,
history plaques, a library and gift shop. But it's so surrounded by the modern city of San Antonio that you can't
get a real feel for what it was like back then anyhow, so take your tour and get your pictures and then go see
the other things that make the city such a special place.
The Alamo might be the most famous thing in the Texas, but you might be surprised to learn it isn't the number
one tourist attraction any more. That honor now goes to the River Walk, also in San Antonio, not far from
the Alamo and smack dab in the heart of downtown. They say more tourists visit River Walk than visit all of the
Hawaiian islands put together, and I don't doubt it as it can get pretty crowded there.
Called Paseo del Rio in Spanish, it was begun in the 1930's. Lots of the work was done by civilian workers during
the GreatDepression in return for social assistance, and they and everyone since has done a bang up job of it.
Laid out along more than two miles of river, it's crowded with shops, hotels, a timeshare or two, restaurants and
cafes, and a really nice theater. You could easily spend a whole day here and not get bored; I know, because me
and the family have done it more than once.
Especially during festivals and at Christmas time, this area gets dressed up really fancy. You've probably seen
pictures of it in magazines and ads, and the pictures don't exagerate. If there's a better place to be during the
holidays I'd like to know about it!
One of the best things to do here is take a ride on one of the river barges (do it early in the day before it
gets too crowded), and it'll show you the whole shebang from a wonderful point of view. Bring a pad and pencil
along with your camera to make a note of places you want to come back to. Especially the restaurants lined up along
the banks; you could easily eat your way through your vacation without leaving River Walk and without eating at
the same place twice! You'll find the barges at Holiday Inn River Walk. Tours last about 40 minutes, and it's not
expensive.
But there's a few other places you ought to visit too, and some things to see and do. Here are a few of them.
- Lone Star Trolley- if you take this tour you'll get a good narrated taste of downtown, Market Square,
Southtown, and the King William Historic District. It circles through the city and you can get on and off the trolley
all day long when ever you want to investigate something. Wheelchair accessible. Located at 301 Alamo Plaza.
- La Villita National Historic District- this means the Little Village in Spanish. It's an area
designed to look like a Hispanic village, and dates back to the 1700's. Here you will find plenty of of good restaurants,
craft shops, boutiques and lots of old timey flavor. Free admission. Located between Presta and S. Alamo Streets
on Nueva. http://lavillita.com/
- King William Historic District- This area was named by German merchants after Kaiser Wilhelm. You'll
find amazing displays of wealth from its heyday in the 1700's in the architecture here. If you're interested in
this kind of thing, two houses are open for tours, the Guenther House and the Steves Homestead. Tickets
can be purchased at: 107 King William St. Sorry, I can't remember what it costs.
- San Antonio Missions National Historic Park- San Antonio derives its name from a mission which was operated
in the 1700's by Franciscan monks. There are four missions which still function today: Concepcion (1731), San
Jose (1720), San Juan Capistrano (1731), and San Francisco (1730's) are open to the public daily, donations
accepted. 2202 Roosevelt Ave.
- Hertzberg Circus Collection and Museum- Well, this is "the Texas" so we know how to put on
a flea circus. and you can see one here, along with jugglers, Tom Thumb's carriage, old photos, mimes, and all
kinds of other circus things. 210 W. Market St.
- Mexican Cultural Institute- This is a wonderful place just full of things of Mexican interest including
artifacts, film, art, conferences, performances and workshops. It's part of HemisFair Park (below). Free admission.
600 HemisFair Plaza Way
- HemisFair Park- This park commemorates the 250th year celebration of the founding of San Antonio. It
has playgrounds, water gardens, the Mexican cultural institute we mentioned above, the institute of Texan Cultures
and the Tower of the Americas for a 750 ft. view of the city with a revolving restaurant and cocktail lounge. There's
rollercoasters, a lot of food, Ferris wheels, a water park and much more. 200 acres of entertainment. Admission
is free, but with everything else inside it can be expensive for a family (plan to spend at least $100) 17000 1-10
at loop 1604.
- Especially if you've got kids with you, you've got to visit the Zoo. Just five minutes away from the
River Walk and the Alamo, near the headwaters of the San Antonio River, this "internationally renowned facility
was born out of a unique environment that lends itself well to exhibiting exotic animals - an abandoned rock quarry,
previously owned by the San Antonio Portland Cement Company" (to quote the zoo itself, which says it better
than me!)
The zoo has been open since 1914, first with just a few deer, elk, buffalo and small carnivores. Since then
management of the zoo has been turned over to the nonprofit San Antonio Zoological Society, and "it has become
one of the top 10 zoos in the United States, with about 3,400 exotic mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish
of 700 species. Along the riverbank, near-tropical conditions prevail while, nearby, hills and outcroppings of
weathered limestone dominate a desert-like landscape. In these settings resembling their natural habitats, animals
are displayed in family groups, co-existing with other species as they do in the wild."
And that all ought to be enough to keep you busy for the whole of your vacation.
Where to eat? Anywhere. It's ALL good in San Antonio!
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For a lot of QTVR 360 degree tours of San Antonio: http://heartofsanantonio.com/tourcity/index.asp
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