The Alamo, San Antonio

The Alamo, who hasn't heard the story about the heroes of the Alamo.  Davey Crockett, Jim Bowie, William B Travis, just a few of the almost 250 troops trying to hold the Alamo against 1000's of Mexicans.  They were all either killed in battle or executed by General Santa Anna.

The Alamo was actually built in 1700 as a mission and over its history had the flag of 7 different countries flying over it.  In 1845 Texas became a part of the US and the Alamo continued to be used by the US Army.

Today it is a shrine to the spirit of the men who died there and the spirit of the men who formed the republic of Texas.

The church and the museum is the only place other than the Sistine Chapel where I wasn't allowed to take pictures.  Even in the Louvre everyone was taking pictures.  But here they asked you to show respect by being quiet and no pictures.

This historical site is free to see, they do have donation bins around.  The grounds are beautifully kept and it amazes me to see how well cared for and intact this site is.  The city just seemed to grow up around it.

This is the gift shop which was erected in 1936.  All proceeds from the shop go to preserving the site.

This is the cemetery of the Alamo Cats.  The newest cat's name is Miss Isabella Francisca Veramendi de Valero — or Bella for short.  We didn't see her, but she helps keep the grounds free of rodents and bugs.  I gather it is a pretty cushy job.  

The museum houses guns, rifles, and swords from the time period, along with arrowheads and other items from the time of the Alamo.  Phil Collins has a few pieces on loan to the museum, he is the owner of one of the largest collections of Texas history.

It was a beautiful day and well worth the 3.5 hour drive to get there.  After doing this drive, I don't think I need to drive through Saskatchewan, I have never been on a straighter road.  The big difference between Hwy 10 in Texas and the road across Saskatchewan is that every piece of pasture was filled with roaming cows.  North, or south side, every time you glanced to the side the cows were grazing away.