The Alamo, Texas Ranger Museum, and River Walk

Refreshed and ready for a new day of sight seeing today (Thursday). Had breakfast across the street at the Guadalajara Taqueria, which seems like a nice, family cafe that serves Jalisco-style Mexican food. A little different than the Mexican food we have in Saint Paul, which must be from a different region of Mexico. I had a chile relleno, which was very good.

First adventure was trying to find a parking space downtown. All the ramps were full. Finally found an open (barely) ramp above the River Walk Shops (a completely new building since we were there last in 2008). In fact, that whole Alamo section of downtown has changed dramatically since 2008. Back then there were a lot of rundown and vacant buildings. No more!!! A lot of new hotels and condos have been built in that section of town in the last 8 years. We went in a dilapidated old Five and Dime store in 2008; that store is still there, but in a newly remodeled building and it is now decidedly upscale. In fact, that whole corner is remarkably upscale now. I learned that Schilo's Delicatessen is THE place to eat in the Alamo district. I did not eat there, but there was a long line outside of it all day long. I passed it on my way to the BB&T bank to restock on $1 bills and a roll of quarters. BTW, the BB&T bank had teller windows that look just like the ones in the Northfield Bank when Jesse James robbed it. I mentioned it to the teller who helped me, and she was very proud of their old-time teller windows. Nice!



I walked to the Alamo and took a photo in front just about in the same place all the Lindgrens took a photo in 2008. Now there is a rectangle of grass in front that would make the Edina Country Club jealous. I picked up an audio tour tape wand and walked around to the numbers at the site. Even though this was my second time there, I learned a lot more than last time. The tour took me thru the church and explained how the church has been re-purposed many times in its existence. Then the tour went thru the courtyard and into the Long Barracks. The "Alamo's last stand" was in the "early morning hours" - i.e. dark - rather than daytime as all the movies show. And it took place in the Long Barracks - and not the church. The women and children were in the church while the fighting took place. Once the Mexican army finally scaled the wall on the third attempt, the whole battle was over in 18 or 19 minutes (numbers are different at different exhibits in the Alamo). And the DRT no longer has 2 rifles both purporting to have belonged to Davy Crockett on display in different buildings.



I heard a tour guide give a talk about the battle in the courtyard. He mentioned that the final battle lasted only 19 minutes. He was really good and entertaining. But he claimed it was Sam Houston's plan to fight at San Jacinto River. Andrew Jackson's biographer claimed that the U.S. cavalry was stationed at Natchadoches River in East Texas and Jackson and Houston had a joint plan to lure the Mexican army there and then defeat them once and for all, since the President of the Republic of Mexico was also the General in charge of the mission - Santa Ana.

I was able to spend a lot more time in the Long Barracks this time. Saw a 15-minute movie about the battle and events leading up to it. The whole Texas revolution really started when the Tejano men of Gonzales, Texas refused to surrender their cannon to the Mexican army. They had a flag made that said "Come and Take It" and then fought off the Mexican army detachment successfully. The men of Gonzales were also the only ones to come to the aid of the men in the Alamo - and died there too.

I bought some souvenirs and post cards in the gift shop, and then walked over to the Buckhorn Museum and Texas Ranger Museum -- all the same museum. Buckhorn was weird, but I liked the Texas Ranger Museum. There was a family - the Hamars - who were famous Texas Rangers for generations. One of them located and killed Bonnie & Clyde - the FBI did nothing more than take credit. The Museum in San Antonio has Bonnie and Clyde's bullet riddled car. That was worth the admission.



I walked down into the Riverwalk, and decided to have a drink at Big Ole's. I got a Margarita (made with lime juice and not real limes as the maitre-de promised), and a "Big Dip" - sort of like my sister Vickie's bean dip. It had a flavor that I never did identify that I'm still not sure I liked. Their home-made chips were good - very thin and light. The rest

was so-so, but I did get to sit on the patio and watch the boats, the ducks, and the people go by. It was worth it; not sure I would go back though. I took a few photos, including a couple of selfies. Left my sunglasses behind in the restroom - not intentionally.

On the way back to the car, I bought DJ a Mexican-style cowboy hat in a child's size that I had seen earlier in the day, and bought Autumn a blue bonnets T-shirt at the River Walk Shops. I was asleep by 8:30 pm and needed to catch up on my sleep.