June 20th - Texas and New Mexico

We spent two nights in San Antonio. We roamed around the River Walk area and saw the Alamo, the Buckhorn Museum and the Texas Ranger Musem. I wondered why Pat chose to take me to see the Alamo on our 20th wedding anniversary...is there some hidden meaning or was it merely a coincidence? Pat loves Texas. Here are the top three reasons: the speed limit on the highways is 80mph, you can drink beer as you walk along the River Walk, and we found a museum that allowed visitors to drink beer while enjoying the exhibit.

The most striking thing about the Alamo is that it is much smaller than you envision from seeing photos of it. And it is smack in the middle of the downtown area of San Antonio. Did you know that Davy Crocket was one of the men who died at the Alamo? There were also men from other countries that fought along with the Texans in the battle at the Alamo.

I had seen literature for the Buckhorn Museum and it looked like a very interesting place to take the family. It housed one of the largest collections of stuffed animals from all over the world. Pat loved the saloon oprating in the museum. Visitors were allowed to purchase a beverage of their choice before entering the exhibit and enjoy as they perused the displays. Nothing better than learning about critters from all over the world with a cold libation! Fiona liked the Owls. There were other interesting items on display as well as critters. There was artworkand furniture made from critters. I will post some photos of these unusual items.

The River Walk area is really unusual. We learned that it was conceived in the 1930s and part of the WPA. The man who designed it had been to Venice and he used that as his inspiration of the design of the River Walk. It is the Rio Grande and not a man made canal. We did not have time to take one of the boat tours (much to Fiona's dissappointment), but I think we would try to do that next time we visit. Fiona purchased a grand pink cowgirl hat with fur on the edges and a tiara that lights up and blinks different colors at one of the fine shops along the River Walk. She later got a pair of pink cowgirl boots to finish the cowgirl diva look!

Will continue posting later today. We have one full day in Santa Fe and must make the most of our time. Gotta run!