Deep in the Heart of Texas

Several of our RV friends had recommended that we visit the “Hill Country” of Texas when we had some time. Since we were traveling to Florida, we decided to check it out. We knew that we could only spend a day or two but wanted to learn more about it for a possible future trip. The area west of San Antonio has rolling hills and unique towns such as Fredricksburg with its Germanic influence. In fact, some of the early German immigrants who refused to speak English developed a dialect called Texas German. The dialect included U.S. measurements and new words such as “cowboy.”

Admiral Chester Nimitz greeted us in Fredricksburg. Note to self: Be sure to allow time to visit the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg.

There are many historic buildings like this 1889 Bank of Fredricksburg on E. Main Street.

Keidel Memorial Hospital

Although Celia has traveled to many places, Celia had never visited San Antonio so we wanted to visit the Alamo and the famous Riverwalk area of downtown.

The Alamo is a focal point for Texan pride and history. When viewing the remembrances of those who died here you quickly realize that patriots from all across the country sacrificed there lives on this very spot. The “Shrine of Texas Liberty” was built in 1718 as the Misión San Antonio de Valero. While the various buildings have served many purposes over the years, the Spanish mission was originally established to educate American Indians following their conversion to Christianity.

Within easy walking distance from the Alamo is the San Antonio Riverwalk. We took a tour on one of the boats that travel the downtown canal. The 30 minute narrated trip provides some history of the Riverwalk and of San Antonio itself. Restaurants, tourists, and hotels line the Riverwalk and create a unique environment.

There are many Riverwalk restaurants that have outdoor seating on the banks of the water. We enjoyed a Mexican meal on the waterfront.

This peaceful downtown setting was an enjoyable visit and a learning experience at the same time.

All too quickly it was time to move farther east. Heavy rains were forecast and it made sense to get ahead of them. The Hurricane Michael had just passed east of us doing catastrophic damage to the Florida Panhandle. Even from Interstate 10 we could see the significant damage along the roadway. Our thoughts go out to those still trying to pick up the pieces of their forever altered lives.