While in Texas, we wanted to visit one of the most famous
historical sites—The Alamo. Being from
the crowded North, we had no idea how long of a drive it would be. Well we researched and discovered that from
New Caney (north of Houston) to San Antonio the drive is about 4 hours. We packed up the dogs—our two and Mike’s
one—and headed out leaving at about 5 in the morning (YAWN). We arrived in San Antonio just as the gates
to The Alamo were opening. The dogs
couldn’t go in so we took turns. It was
quite interesting. First of all, San
Antonio downtown has built up around The Alamo.
Secondly, the buildings are very well preserved with a lot of sights and
explanations. Third, The Alamo is a lot
smaller than any of us imagined. It
encompasses about a city block but, as I said, it is jam-packed full of
exhibits.
A discussion about the Alamo would not be complete without
some historical background:
The Alamo was originally named
Misión San Antonio
de Valero and served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts in the
1700s. In 1793, Spanish officials secularized
the five missions in San Antonio and distributed the lands to the remaining
Indian residents. In the early 1800s,
the Spanish military established a cavalry unit at the old mission and named it
the Alamo in honor of their hometown Alamo de Parras, Coahuila. San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical
role in the Texas Revolution. In December
1835, Ben Milam led volunteers against the Mexican troops. After five days, they forced General Martín Perfecto de Cós and his soldiers to
surrender. The victorious volunteers
then occupied the Alamo until the final assault of Mexican soldiers on March 6,
1836. The Mexican soldiers scaled the
walls and overcame the Texan volunteers.
Among those who lost their lives on that fateful day were Jim Bowie, renowned
knife fighter from Kentucky, and David Crockett, famed frontiersman and former
congressman from Tennessee.
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| Front entrance of the Alamo (The Shrine) |
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| Back of the Shrine |
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| Gardens and Live Oak |
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| More Gardens and Library |
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| Stone wall and arcade that surround the Alamo |
Besides the Alamo, there are four other missions: Mission
Espada, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Mission San Jose, and Mission Concepción. All four mission churches are active catholic
parishes and hold regular services. We
visited all except Mission Espada and each one is unique.
Mission San Juan Capistrano was established on the east bank
of the San Antonio River in 1731. By
1762 there were 203 Indians residing at the mission. The mission included a granary, textile
shops, and Indian houses made of adobe with thatched roofs. The community attempted the construction of a
larger church which began in 1772 but halted in 1786 due to a lack of Indian
labor. The remains can still be seen
today. The original church is currently closed for preservation work.
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| Church that was never completed |
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| Thick walls! |
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| Church being preserved |
Mission San José
is known as the “Queen of the Missions” and was restored to its original design
in the 1930s. Spanish missions were not
just churches, but were communities with the church as the focus. Mission San José shows the visitor how missions might have looked
over 250 years ago. La Ventana de Rosa,
the Rose Window, is located on the south wall of the church sacristy. The
window has been described as the site where the Host was shown to gathered
mission celebrants during the Feast of Pentecost. The window, sculpted
ca. 1775, has been the object of both legend and admiration. It is considered
one of the finest examples of baroque architecture in North America. The
meaning behind the name is currently unknown, but legend has it named for
Rosa, the betrothed of Juan Huizar who many believe created the window.
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| Fireplace with church in background |
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| Interior of church |
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| Rose Window |
Mission Concepcíon
was the last mission that we visited.
The unique features of this church are the frescos that are still
visible in some of the rooms. The church
is also an excellent example of Spanish Colonial architecture. Intricate Renaissance and Moorish details
complement Romanesque forms and gothic arches. It is a cruciform (cross-shaped)
building of limestone. The roof is vaulted with a dome.
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| Interior of church |
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| Fresco |
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| Convento Corridor |
Before we left San Antonio, we also strolled along the
Riverwalk. Riverwalk is a very picturesque
area of downtown San Antonio that follows the river with restaurant after
restaurant all with outdoor café seating.
I hope that someday we can return and actually enjoy the Riverwalk with
drinks and dinner!
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| Riverwalk |
After a full day, we drove back towards Houston and stopped
for dinner at Cheddar’s in Katy. From
there we still had about a two hour drive smack in the middle of rush
hour. I was driving and managed to get
us back home in one piece—only one near crash that had Pat holding on for dear
life. J I was never so glad to get back home and am
certainly glad I don’t have to drive in rush hour traffic very often!!
I hope you enjoyed our tour of San Antonio.
EASY LIVING!!
