The Alamo!
SAN ANTONIO—With the scorching sun beating down on us (is
everything bigger in Texas?), we walked the two blocks from our hotel to the hallowed ground of the Alamo. And we weren't the only ones. It seems the Alamo is the perfect destination for tourists and Texans alike on a hot June afternoon. But that didn't stop us from devouring the history and beauty—inside and out—of the Alamo.
In 1724, construction began on the current site, offering visitors almost 300 years of history to contemplate. The Alamo was originally a missionary—Mision San Antonio de Valero—and served missionaries and converted Indians for just about 70 years.
The Alamo as well as the city of San Antonio played a significant role in the Texas Revolution. Both Jim Bowie, a well-known knife fighter, and David Crockett, a frontiersman and former Tennessee congressman, fought in defense of the Alamo.
Cactus-lined stone paths lead to myriad buildings throughout the Alamo's grounds. We visited the Shrine, a building dedicated to the memory of the men who fell in defense of the Alamo. We also saw The Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library, a building that contains books and documents on Texas history.
Though some facts surrounding the Alamo siege are still widely debated, it is no mystery what the sacred ground has come to signify: a place where men fought and ultimately died in the name of freedom.