Waco and San Antonio, Texas

Sunday August 28th and Monday August 29th-  We had decided to add a few miles to our trip to San Antonio by driving through Waco.  We could say it was because of the Mammoth site in Waco, which we found out about from the ranger at Dinosaur, but it was really to visit Magnolia Market, the store owned by the HGTV stars of Fixer Upper.  Love that show...
     We had a long day of driving on Sunday (much longer than intended due to a misread of the map and a non-refundable hotel booking), but enjoyed the scenery.  I know it is Montana that is known as the Big Sky state, but Texas' sky is certainly right up there.  At one point, the land was so flat in all directions and the clouds in the very blue sky looked like they were tracking along the horizon in all directions forming a circle around us- it looked like the earth was covered with a big round dome.  Very pretty!  It was the first time we had been below 2000 feet of elevation in several weeks.  We spent the night in Burleson, just south of Fort Worth.  Our map error actually helped us here, as we hit the city early evening on Sunday.  There was confusing construction everywhere, but no traffic, so breezed through without any problem.
     Monday morning was a short drive to Waco and Magnolia Market.  We had been warned by a waitress the night before that we should plan to stand in line to get in.  Again, as it was a Monday after school started, no lines, not crowded at all.  I can say, however, Chip and Joanne are making hay while the sun shines!  The market was a large warehouse-size building with several outbuildings including a bakery and a garden shop.  The silos referenced on their show are not yet in use.  Curious to know what they will do with them.
     After wandering the store and purchasing a few items, we enjoyed coffee on the grounds, then headed south to San Antonio.  Our first stop was the Alamo, located in a central area downtown.  It is an unassuming building, fairly small with thick stone walls, with a grassy garden area surrounded by walls. The Alamo was originally a Spanish mission, but was changed to a military outpost when Mexican Calvary unit was stationed there in the early 19th century.  At the time, Texas was considered a sovereign republic.  In 1835, Texian volunteers took control of the Alamo by defeating the Mexican forces quartered in the city.  In response, General Santa Anna launched an attack on the fort. The Texians, which included Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, held their own for 3 days, at which time Santa Anna's troops breached the walls of the Alamo, killing most of the troops within, but sparing the women and children who were living there with the troops.  Out in front is a statue commemorating those who died in the battle.  As you know, this is where the famous "Remember the Alamo" battle cry originated.
     The second "must see" for us in visiting San Antonio was the Riverwalk.  The Riverwalk, a pedestrian walkway lined with restaurants and shops along the San Antonio River through the center of town, is hard to miss.  It came into being because of a devastating flood in 1921.  Rather than pave over the entire downtown section of the river, as the City Fathers wanted, the women of the San Antonio Conservation Society fought for a flood control program.  As a result, the river now flows through a lovely tree-lined urban park, under pedestrian bridges allowing easy access to either side of the river and its shops and restaurants, with pedestrian access stair ways from street level.  A system of dams and channels functions to help reduce flooding.
     After our tour of the Alamo, we walked a large section of the walkway.  We were thinking it would be great to come back for dinner, but had not booked a hotel so were not sure how far away it would be.  We took a chance and called, finding a hotel in walking distance from the river- less expensive than many others we had stayed in during our trip.  That was a surprise!
     We settled in to our room and, as we were preparing to walk to the river for dinner, we were hit with a monsoon deluge!  It came down in buckets.  We had almost made the decision to order in pizza when the sun finally came out.  A short walk later, we were back at the river, choosing our restaurant.  We found a great steak house with covered outside seating- perfect in case of additional rain.  We even got serenaded by a mariachi band!  A great evening.
     There is much more to see in San Antonio but, for us, time was growing short.  We had seen the two main items on our list, and we decided we would head East towards home in the morning.  But first, a stop to see my sister in Florida was still on the itinerary.