A couple of weeks ago we headed west to see our daughter and son-in-law in Texas! He was in between semesters and had the week off and she was able to get some days off her work as well. They live in Waco and had enjoyed a visit to San Antonio last summer, so they recommended we all take a couple of days to see that part of Texas. It was so much fun! I have a lot of photos, but I decided to go ahead and pack them all in one post so I can move on to other topics next week.
But before we left Waco, we got to see our girl sing with her local chorus. It was an Irish themed program, and it was phenomenal— with a bagpiper! Having watched her perform in piano recitals, band and choral concerts, and theater all those years she was growing up, it was really sweet to see her perform again. I’m so happy the recitals didn’t end with her childhood!
San Antonio: Day One
The next morning, we all headed to San Antonio. I love so much about the Lone Star State and the hearts of the people. When you walk into your hotel and see a big cow in the lobby, you know you’re in Texas!
We arrived on Tuesday afternoon, checked in, and immediately headed to our riverboat tour of the Riverwalk. The Riverwalk is just absolutely breathtaking! I have a lot of photos so rather than giving a lot of details, I’ll just point out some fun facts here and there while you scroll through the pics.
One of the best parts of the Riverwalk is that it’s mostly in the shade–a big relief on those hot Texas days!
The Arneson River Theater above was featured in a movie that I’ve never seen but you might be familiar with. Any guesses?
Love the Spanish Colonial style!
The building below was the hospital where Carol Burnett was born!
After our riverboat tour, our daughter and SIL went to dinner to celebrate their 2nd wedding anniversary while the rest of us went to watch an Imax movie about the Alamo and then we had dinner reservations at a Mexican restaurant. We love Mexican food, and this place was delicious! After supper we went back to our hotel for showers and early to bed. We were pretty tired.
Day Two~
The next morning, we all headed to The Alamo for a 10:00 guided tour that my husband had booked. Unfortunately, when we arrived, everything was blocked off due to a gas leak and they told us to try back in the afternoon.
So, we walked over to the Tower of the Americas and watched a 4-D movie, read the history of Texas, visited the gift shop, and went up to the lookout….750 feet up!
Afterwards we walked around some neighborhood streets on our way to find some lunch. This area was so charming!
We ate lunch at (you guessed it) another Mexican restaurant! This one was also on the Riverwalk and was soooo delicious! I failed to take a photo of the restaurant or our food, but it was such a neat atmosphere.
Afterwards, we went back to The Alamo to see if they were open yet, but the gas leak wasn’t resolved so they said it would be closed the rest of the day. Our daughter and SIL headed back to the hotel for a bit while the rest of us headed to the Alamo Mall. This is no ordinary mall, y’all! It, too, is on the river!
My son was so excited to visit the Lego store and we let him have all the time he wanted since we don’t have one near us. We all enjoyed it, actually.
Then we went through the San Antonio Aquarium– yes, it’s in the mall!
Our family has a history with aquariums. Any city we visit that has one, we will make time to see it. We’ve seen them in Gatlinburg, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Clearwater, Ontario (Canada!), and now San Antonio. I might be forgetting one or two?
Sea life is so fascinating! Plus, aquariums are dark and cool which was a welcomed break from the heat on the streets.
As we headed back to our hotel for a little rest, we stopped in a Stetson shop for the kiddos to get a new hat. The smell of leather has got to be one of the best smells!
After a rest from the heat, we all met back up together for ice-cream. Lunch was big enough that we didn’t need another whole meal, but nobody was opposed to a couple of creamy scoops for dinner.
We walked off the calories along the Riverwalk and it was just the perfect evening walk! So picturesque!
And we even got to listen to a Maricha band play “La Cucaracha!”
The detail along the Riverwalk is amazing. Notice the beautiful plants and flowers in the next few photos.
Every staircase had potted flowers hanging all the way up the railing.
This waterfall below ran right into the stone pavers under our feet and into the river.
Even the columns are full of Spanish detailing.
And here are a couple unique city buildings back up on the streets.
Below is the courthouse.
Day Three~
We had planned to drive back to Waco first thing after checking out of our hotel that morning, but since we hadn’t been able to see the Alamo yet, we wanted to give it one last try. We loaded our luggage into our cars and then walked over to see if they were open. They were! We decided not to do a guided tour at that point but were happy to at least get in a quick self-guided audio tour. Knowing we would be visiting The Alamo, my son and I had done some reading about it as part of his homeschooling, so we were anxious to see the real thing.
I could talk and talk and talk about The Alamo! It’s a fascinating place with an incredible history.
Above is a look inside the nave, and below is the room where the women and children hid during the fighting.
A video shows what the walls once looked like in their original frescos.
The oak in the courtyard was transplanted in 1912 but was already 40 years old at the time.
Anytime we go to historical sites, we find that the reenactors are the best sources of information. They are very knowledgeable in the area of history they represent and eagerly answer questions and even volunteer interesting information we wouldn’t know to ask about.
After the Alamo we hopped into our cars and made the drive back to Waco in time for a late lunch at our favorite Heritage Homestead and did some shopping. The next morning the four of us headed back to Alabama–always sad to leave “the kids” but always very thankful for the visit! Oh, and that day happened to be Joel’s and my 28th wedding anniversary! Woohoo– we celebrated with a 12-hour drive complete with “Adventures in Odyssey”, an 80’s playlist, and lots of candy! Wouldn’t have it any other way.
What a sweet trip! Rob and I went when we were dating and your recap brought back some sweet memories. Love seeing your travels to Texas 🤠
Aww, such fun memories! You’ll have to tell me about it sometime!!
Beautiful, beautiful!! I want to see Texas too after the lovely blog tour!! The architecture and foliage along the river are amazing!!
I think you’d love it but maybe not in the dead of summer, ha! Except the Riverwalk is a bit cooler and so pleasant!
It sounds like you had a wonderful vacation. We have talked about visiting Texas one day. Your pictures definitely make San Antonio look like a beautiful place to see.
I think you would really enjoy Texas–it’s so big with so many neat cities, so narrowing down where you want to go would probably be the only problem! Hope you’re having a great summer!