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expedition_retirementAs I was planning our route west, I considered several route options, including one that would take us deep into Texas. When my wife heard that San Antonio was a possible stop on the trip, she immediately chose that option, so she could visit a friend and former co-worker who now lives there. For me, the reason I was interested in San Antonio was because the collection of old Spanish missions here are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most people have heard of at least one of those missions. The mission of San Antonio de Valero is located in the heart of the city of San Antonio, and is famous because of its role in the Texas fight for independence from Mexico. It is better known as the Alamo.
The current Alamo does not look the same as it did during the famous battle in 1836. The church was not completed when the mission was closed in the 18th century, and only partial walls stood at the time of the battle. The walls were finished and the roof added later, when the building was part of a military quartermaster post. So the iconic image of the front of the mission church that is so familiar today is not accurate.
It was raining when we arrived in downtown San Antonio, but we pressed on to explore the historic site. A short introductory movie placed the battle here into context, as just one part of a much more widespread uprising across Mexico against the policies of President Santa Anna. The rebel garrison at the Alamo was hopelessly outnumbered, and there was little chance that they would prevail against Santa Anna's superior force. And while the defeat was brutal, it ultimately became a rallying cry that drove the fight for independence for Texas.
Inside the building, there were a number of interesting displays related to the battle, including flags representing the home states or countries of those who died defending the Alamo. There was also some fascinating recent research that highlighted the efforts to preserve what little remains of the frescos that decorated the temporary chapel that was the only finished portion of the building when the mission was closed. And, high up on the wall, proudly displayed, where THE six flags that have flown over Texas.
I had an interesting conversation with a volunteer working at the site, and came away with a much more detailed and nuanced appreciation for the place of this battle in the history of both Texas and, more generally, the US. As with our visit to Graceland, I had arrived with certain expectations, but found the reality to be both more complex and compelling.
Owned by the State of Texas and managed by the Alamo Endowment, this is the only mission in the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is not protected by the National Park Service, and it is also the only one that does not include an active Catholic church.
It was raining when we arrived in downtown San Antonio, but we pressed on to explore the historic site. A short introductory movie placed the battle here into context, as just one part of a much more widespread uprising across Mexico against the policies of President Santa Anna. The rebel garrison at the Alamo was hopelessly outnumbered, and there was little chance that they would prevail against Santa Anna's superior force. And while the defeat was brutal, it ultimately became a rallying cry that drove the fight for independence for Texas.
Inside the building, there were a number of interesting displays related to the battle, including flags representing the home states or countries of those who died defending the Alamo. There was also some fascinating recent research that highlighted the efforts to preserve what little remains of the frescos that decorated the temporary chapel that was the only finished portion of the building when the mission was closed. And, high up on the wall, proudly displayed, where THE six flags that have flown over Texas.
Owned by the State of Texas and managed by the Alamo Endowment, this is the only mission in the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is not protected by the National Park Service, and it is also the only one that does not include an active Catholic church.