Nov. 08, 2008 – Ft. Worth, Tx.
San Antonio, Cowtown, and good times..
A couple of days has passed in Waco and my Aunt & Uncle are going to head to down to Austin for a night. They are going to take a friend of theirs out for her 40th birthday. She works with my uncle and her husband is in Iraq. With my uncle having served in Iraq for a while himself, my uncle and aunt know quite well the homesickness that incurs as a result of “tour of duty.”
They invited me to stay in Austin with them, but after spending hours walking around San Antonio, I felt like getting a good night sleep.
The Alamo
San Antonio was everything I expected and more. I had heard that he River Walk in San Antonio is quite the site and probably one of the better river walks in the country and of course, who could forget the Alamo?
It was a Wednesday so Market Square probably wasn’t worth viewing so I headed straight for the Alamo. Many people have told me over the years that the Alamo is over-hyped, that it is only a small building and isn’t worth getting too excited about.
The one thing that struck as a surprise about the Alamo was the silence that swallowed the entire block in which it lies. I am not sure why this is because it’s not a library. Technically, I guess it’s a memorial or a cemetery of sorts, but usually 150 years will wipe away the ties that bond silence and the memorial. I can’t imagine people standing at the Roman Coliseum in silence. There is a passing of time that usually translates into “it’s ok to talk while viewing ” attitude. Not at the Alamo.
The Alamo is more than a small monument, it is a museum with history and memorabilia. I could have spent much of the entire day reading the information displayed about the events that took place in Texas during the Mexican army’s attempt to seize back the republic.
After “viewing in silence” for an hour or two, I started my River Walk. The San Antonio River Walk is beautiful. I enjoyed the walk through the neighboring hotels to get there and I enjoyed the restaurants aroma which tickled my senses the entire walk.
Riverwalk
Tour boats escorted the many onlookers through the downtown district. The boats navigated themselves at a snails pace under the arched walking bridges overhead. They crawl their way around the river’s turns as they skim through the translucent candlelight hovering at the edges of the river, which were decorated with restaurant patrons enjoying a sunset dinner. The sound of small waves and the barely audible hum of trolling motors reverberated through my ears as I daydreamed about sitting on the restaurant patios in a semi-subconscious state with the cool fall breeze apathetically brushing my face as I eat a tasty dinner.
Needless to say, I look forward to returning to San Antonio at time when I can fully enjoy all it has to offer.
The day after San Antonio, I drove up to Dallas to stay with my cousins. I hadn’t seen them in at least 15 years. They are only 27 and 23 so you can do the math and realize how much they have changed since I saw them last.
It’s cool that family seems to have this eternal bond. I’m not sure if every family is like that or not, but my entire family has been so kind, welcoming, and generous during this entire trip. I have seen great-uncles that I may or may not have ever met before, but they treated me as if we sat next to each other at a recent Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a great feeling and my only wish is that I had more time to know more people.
Longhorn Laura
All of my cousins in South Dakota were very friendly and the ones in Dallas were no different.
We shared a few drinks and a lot of conversation and I’m positive that it won’t be the last time.
My cousin Derek and uncle Larry had guards in Ft. Worth, so they got a room on base and offered to let me stay with them for the weekend, which meant more sightseeing.
Next adventure: Cowtown!
All the family thought that I should definitely see Cowtown while in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area so Laura and I spent the afternoon checking out the longhorns, shops, and even had time to take a few goofy pictures.
Cowtown is an area near Ft. Worth that houses old cattle ground, bars, shops, and a daily cattle drive through the center of town. Laura and I walked around downtown. She showed me what is known as the largest bar in the country: Billy Bobs. It was daytime so there wasn’t a lot going on, but it was the perfect setting for two people just wanting to check out handprints left on the wall by celebrities passing through. It didn’t stop there, hamburgers were also signed by celebrities at the cafe in Billy Bob’s. There are a couple of stages for bands and an indoor rodeo as well. Once again, it was daytime so there wasn’t a rodeo in action, but Laura and I found it a perfect opportunity to take pictures and inhale the allergens that filled the air. As if on cue, we both began to acquire a runny nose. Two things that are very common in our family: Allergies and Migraines.
We took our patented pictures in the rodeo ring and then headed downtown to await the cattle drive. We found shops under a canopy and a live band as entertainment to help us pass the time.
I had a lot of fun, but the big show seemed to be a disappointment to my aunt. I guess there are supposed to be a lot more longhorns being led through town, but I was ok with the event. A few cowboys and eight longhorn led the snails paced stampede through downtown. It sounds like there may be more cattle on other days, but I got the general idea and it was still pretty neat.
Later that night, after my uncle, cousin, and the friend that went to Austin were done with guards for the day, we all went to downtown Ft. Worth to enjoy a night out. We sat on an outdoor patio atop a good sized building to enjoy a drink, conversation, and a view.
The one thing that I have picked up from Laura and Larry is that age isn’t the ultimate factor in determining whether or not one is allowed to have fun. They are 15 years my senior, yet they have more energy and enthusiasm than I have had at any point in the previous 8 years.
I think the one thing that I learned from my aunt and uncle the past week that I spent with them is that I don’t have to let my age bring me down. They have a more youthful spirit than I do and I’m 15 years younger. That isn’t the way it’s suppose to work. Either way, energy or not, I enjoy spending time with them and can’t wait to see them again.
