San Antonio, Texas : Days 94 - 96

Thursday, October 04, 2007
Day 96 - We had a fun day in San Antonio today. Good old RV got a rest as we used the public bus system accessible at the KOA campground. Our first stop was the Alamo, an impressive landmark and historical story. Although the 200 Texas fighters lost the battle and every man was killed in battle or killed as a captive, the story serves as a reminder of courage and sacrifice for freedom. Ultimately, the Mexican army was defeated in another battle (or I might be in a northern province of Mexico at this time). From the Alamo we went to an IMAX presentation of the story. Then we went to San Antonio’s "El Mercado", which is supposed to be the largest Mexican market outside of Mexico. I’ve been to the Mexican markets in Mexico and this one doesn’t really rival them. The Mexican markets operate on a barter system. These shops all had prices marked and haggling wasn’t accepted. After the marketplace, we went to the riverwalk and took a little boat tour down the river. If you are ever in downtown San Antonio, you should see the riverwalk, although it would be okay if you missed the river tour. Today marks the first day we have forgotten to take our camera. We did purchase a disposable so we will have a lasting imprint of our face in front of the Alamo, but I won’t be able to post them for a while.

Wednesday, October 3
Today we drove to San Antonio. Not much to write about since the trip was about 5.5 hours. We did arrive with enough time to play in the pool upon our arrival. I must say that this trip has afforded more hours in the pool in a 4 month period than in any other time in the kids' lives. Brandon and Bailey have showed remarkable improvement in the water, particularly Brandon.

Tuesday, October 2
Today we decided to get the RV’s antifreeze leak fixed. It turned out to be a pleasant experience. The Ford dealer drove me back to the campground and we spent the day swimming in the pool. After the repair was made (around 3:30), we drove to Fort Stockton, about 2.5 hours away. West Texas was another reminder of the vast open desert. There is so little traffic out here they post a 80 mile per hour speed limit. No worries, I don’t take the RV that fast. At about 78 mph, the RV starts to rattle and I think that is a precursor to the rear axle dislodging itself. The loss of the rear axle is not worth the extra speed.