Road Trip–A Wedding and the Alamo

Road Trip, Houston 

Everyone loves a road trip!  However, this one began with some difficulty.  We drove straight through to Houston and on a longer path because of a tropical depression in the Gulf. It was almost 12 hours in the car and a record for me, however, we were not as exhausted as I would have imagined.  That night, we went out for dinner at the famous (with Houston family members) restaurant, Los Tios.

The next day some family members took us on a tour of Houston.  It was my first trip to Houston and it was greener and far more attractive than expected.  We spent most of our time in the downtown museum district.  There were enormous live oaks everywhere, which are my favorite trees.

We rode a train around an enormous park in the area and visited the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Natural Science.  I have visited many museums around the world and have never seen so many dinosaurs in one place.  The Museum of Natural Science was very impressive.

The Wedding

The rest of our time in Houston was spent on wedding activities.  Firstly, there was a bridesmaid’s brunch the next morning and then a rehearsal dinner that night.  The wedding was the next evening and it was beautiful.  The bride and groom were so happy!   The reception was at River Oaks Country Club and included an awesome band, delicious food, and an open bar.  There were also Star Wars characters and light sabers, which the bride arranged as a surprise to the groom. We had breakfast with family the next day and then were on our way to San Antonio.

Road Trip, San Antonio

Our hotel in San Antonio was on the outskirts of town.  We knew we wanted to see Riverwalk and the Alamo but did not realize that the Alamo was in the same area as River Walk.  It would have been much more convenient to have stayed at one of the Riverwalk hotels. If we go again, we will do that.

We took a Uber to Riverwalk that first night because we were not familiar with the area and wanted to be able to have a couple of drinks.  Riverwalk is so very cool!  We had a nice Italian dinner at Paesanos and took a boat tour.

The Alamo

Our next day was all about the Alamo.  Only a portion of the original is still standing and sits right inside a heavily commercial area.  The Alamo played a very important role in Texas history, therefore, it was interesting to learn more about it.  Two famous Americans, James Bowie and David Crockett, died in the battle there.  The grounds behind the Alamo were incredible.  We took a guided tour and also explored it on our own.

Botanical Garden

We went to the San Antonio Botanical Garden the next morning and it was a beautiful place.  I highly recommend it to anyone traveling to San Antonio.  As it was raining, we rounded out the day with lunch at a local Mediterranean restaurant and a movie.

Leaving San Antonio, we had lunch with our cousins in New Branfels, where their longtime vacation home is located.  It is a quaint resort town with cool restaurants and interesting shops.  I could see why they love to spend time there.  Our lunch was in an old building that was once a post office.  The food and company were outstanding!

Road Trip, Lafayette

Traveling home, we stayed a couple of nights in Lafayette because we wanted to break up the drive.  Also, we  wanted to check out the sights.  We toured Avery Island, the home of the multi-generational family business that makes Tabasco Sauce.  We were able to view the manufacturing process and receive free samples.  One of the earlier family members established Jungle Gardens, a large Botanical Garden and bird sanctuary for the Snowy Egret, a bird that was in danger of extinction. It has flourished in the sanctuary.  We also saw an alligator, an armadillo, and some deer.

Lastly, we ended the day with a movie (Wonder Woman) because it was raining and dinner at Bon Temps Grill.   Both were very good!

So we had a great time on this road trip to Texas and Louisiana and are looking forward to our next trip, which will be in our Tiny Trailer.  Furthermore, you can follow us at Retirement and teardrop camping!

Happy Trails!