The Alamo

Last month over the recent holidays, I had the chance to visit the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas! Have you been there before?

Here I am on North Alamo Street. There are lots of touristy things to do and eat there. I am walking closer to the Alamo.

Here is the Alamo Cenotaph monument, dedicated to the defenders of the Alamo. I must be getting closer.

There was a beary large Christmas tree so I stopped to take a selfie with it. Oh look, you can see the Alamo in the background.

Ah, here's the Alamo! Do you remember it?

The Battle of the Alamo was an important event in the Texas Revolution in 1836. Texas used to be a part of Mexico, and when the Mexican government shifted towards more dictatorial policies, well, they didn't like that so much. The Texians started to rebel and pushed the Mexican troops out of their land.

For 13 days, Mexican troops launched an attack on the Alamo Mission. There were less than 100 Texian troops at the Alamo, but more than 1,500 Mexican troops. Ultimately, Mexico won the battle.

William B. Travis, age 26, was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army and commander of the Alamo during the siege. He wrote the following letter titled, "To the People of Texas & All Americans in the World". Here's a snippet of the letter:

Fellow citizens & compatriots... I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch—The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country—Victory or Death.

William Barret Travis

Lt. Col. comdt

You can read the full letter here.

Wow, that's pretty intense!

There's more to see at the Alamo. Let's check out the map.

There is a courtyard section in the back.

You also may have heard of someone named Jim Bowie. He helped command troops at the Alamo, but unfortunately died in the battle. There is an exhibit about him and his famous Bowie knife. Let's check it out.

The exhibit is inside! Follow me...

Jim Bowie was an pioneer known for his fighting skills. He was very proficient in the use of a knife, and a knifemaker named James Black created a fighting knife for him. They called it the Bowie knife.

Wow, these things look beary sharp! And it says here that Bowie also hunted frequently... err... animals like... umm... alligators... *gulp*... and bears... and... you know what, I'm getting out of here!

Okay phew, I got out. That exhibit turned dark quickly!

Anyways, I also see this really fantastic tree in the courtyard. There is also a water well in the middle.

There's also a pretty little fountain pool. But it was cold that day so I didn't dive in.

There's also some actors doing re-enactments of the Alamo battle. Wow, history is so interesting, isn't it?

What a great visit to the Alamo! On the way back to my hotel, I made some new friends - pigeons! Check out the video below:

And don't forget to Remember the Alamo!