Remember the Alamo, but go to Rudy's.

Sleep in.  Work out.  Yogurt.  River Walk to the Alamo.

Skipping the boring stuff.

The Alamo is worth seeing, but, for some reason, doesn't have the reverence or draw that many other historical relics have had for me.  I think of San Chapelle or St. Paul's Cathedral.  These places felt special.  The Alamo not so much.  Not sure why.

The coolest thing at the Alamo, I thought, was the 4ft by 5ft model someone built depicting the final moments of the battle.  It sits in the gift shop.  Crazy good detail with thousands of tiny figures.  I wish I had taken a picture of it because I can't find a picture online.

From there we hopped on a sight-seeing bus tour.  This was my idea.  In my experience, these are a great way to get to see and learn about a city very quickly.  I was wrong.  A total flop.  There were large chunks of the tour when the driver just turned on some country music as filler - maybe there was nothing interesting to share.  We got off twice - the first time at some brewery that they transformed into a fake place with shops and music and condos.  Whatever.  The second time we got off for good at the Mexican Market.  We didn't even finish half of the bus tour.

The Mexican Market was great.  Lots of tent vendors selling stuff.  I love the artists in any place in the world that has any history or culture.  San Antonio, like Paris, has both.  And it was fun to talk to the painters and sculptors.

Goat.  Yum.

We had intended to eat at Rosario's, but the lame bus tour threw us off, so we ate at a place called Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery that is within the Mexican Market.  Janna and I shared the Chili Rellenos and the Cabrito (goat).  Both were delicious.  The Salsa was good too.  My mom ordered the Flautas, which were fantastic.  And the bakery at Mi Tierra is worth going to even if you don't eat at the restaurant.  Overall, we made the right move by getting off the bus when we did.

From there, we walked back to the hotel, stopping briefly at some of the basic sites - including the cathedral where Bowie and Crockett are buried.

The kids wanted to go swimming, so Janna and I left them with Juju and Lulu while we peeled off to go to the Buckhorn Saloon and Texas Ranger Museum.  There I ordered a delicious Saint Arnold's Root Beer from the bar and drank it as we roamed the museum.  This museum was fun and worth the visit.  It reminded me of the Como Zoo when compared to the Minnesota Zoo.  The Como Zoo is smaller and has all the animals you would want to see at a zoo.  The Buckhorn/Texas Ranger museum had guns and history lessons and pictures and thousands of taxidermy animals.  We weren't there more than an hour, which was plenty and right.

A gentle stroll back the hotel where Janna and I joined in the pool activities for a bit.

At about 7:30 we all walked back down the River Walk to a boat tour, which we had already paid for as a part of the bus tour.  The sun was setting and we weren't quite hungry yet for dinner due to our late lunch.  The River Walk boat tour was awesome.  Quick and fun.  The guide was funny and engaging.  The River Walk was buzzing as evening settled in and it was overtaken with lights and people.

We closed out our day by driving 25 minutes out of the city center up Hwy 10 to Rudy's.  A total dive BBQ joint on the outskirts of town.  Like any good BBQ, we stood in line and ordered our food directly from the carver.  Meat was placed on butcher paper and we were given a half loaf of wonder bread.  We tried everything again.  All but the Chopped Pork was awesome.  The Brisket was tender.  The Turkey, a bit dry but tasty.  The Chicken was outstanding, as was the Sausage.  I didn't love the ribs as much.  The Pork Rib was big and strong tasting.  The Baby Backs were decent, but not as tender as I have had.  I am being picky - overall, everything was delicious and excellent.  The sides were great too, especially the creamed corn and the peach cobbler.  Yum.  

Yeah.  Eating in a gas station.  LOVE IT.