verbingnouns

Remember the Alamo?

So, I went to San Antonio for the weekend, and I must say, it's a nice place. Of course, I was there for a very short time, but I had a good time. I was really in the mood to get away from Monroe for a short while and the trip was just what I needed. Friday, after work, I drove from Monroe to Nacogdoches. I spent a bit of time visiting with my parents and tried to get in some sleep for the Saturday drive.
Just on a side, I have to mention that my parents live in the country now, which is something new and different. I awoke to the sound of cows mooing in the (very) nearby pasture. I had to run to the little mom and pop gas station Saturday morning and was amused by the conversations between the patrons, who obviously new each other and everyone else in the little town. I used to find the country life completely unappealing, but I must admit, the older I get, the nicer it looks. I'm not saying I'm ready to move there now, but I can certainly understand why people are attracted to that lifestyle.
We left Big Nac earlyish Saturday morning and made the trek from Nacogdoches to San Antonio. (It's about five and a half hours away. The route on the link wasn't the actual route we took, it's just gives you the idea of where we were.) It was a pleasant enough drive, though there's really not much to see between the two points.
We only had a few hours to see the sights of San Antonio, but we crammed several things into our short visit. Of course, I was obliged to see the Alamo, which is strikingly simple. It seems very small compared to the city around it. Interestingly, Nacogdoches had the first mission in Texas (and is therefore known as the oldest town in the state) but there is no mission there anymore. Apparently, there are several in the San Antonio area, but the Alamo is of course the most famous because of the battle. It's quite humbling to tour a place where hundreds of people died for the great state of Texas. My mom and I were struck when we walked into a historic building (which is part of the Alamo) which has been turned into a gift shop. It seems so disrespectful, but I suppose it's the American way.
Anyway, after the Alamo, we walked down the riverwalk, which is really a fun place. It seems like it would be a great place for a date (not that I'll ever know). The weather was very pleasant and it would have been a great day for a boat ride. We also went down to the bakery in the Mexican market to fulfill a friend's request for some pralines. The selection was spectacular, but we didn't get anything other than the pralines since we were going out to dinner. Other than a quick trip to a cigar store, that was the extent of our tourism.
We had dinner with a group of people from the church at a fun little restaurant called Bambino Huey's. The food was good (though the coffee was among the worst I've had), the atmosphere and service were great, and the company was enjoyable. It's the sort of place where you go, not to grab a bite to eat, but to spend the evening.
After dinner, we made a quick run to HEB Central Market. HEB is a Texas chain of grocery stores. While their regular stores are nothing special, the Central Market is spectacular. We only had 30 minutes before the store closed for the night, but it was a grocery store like none other. Hopefully, I'll make it back sometime when I can savor the experience.
After church on Sunday, we had lunch with everyone from church and then headed back home. It's eight and a half hours from San Antonio to Monroe, otherwise, we would have stayed longer. As it was, I got home right at midnight, which worked out just fine since I didn't have to be at work until 9 this morning. My overall opinion of San Antonio is good. Even though they have road conditions comparable to those here in Louisiana, it's a nice clean city (at least the part I saw), it's got history and character, and it's in Texas. What more could you want? Unlike my parents house which made me think I could live in the country, San Antonio made me think I could live in a big city. I guess I'm just versatile. Anyway, I really hope to make it back to San Antonio someday.