Alamo, Buckhorn Saloon & Museum & TX Ranger Museum 4/28/2010

This morning we drove into San Antonio again to go to the Alamo,the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum and the Texas Ranger Museum. Our first stop was the Alamo and has luck has it we found a place to park right across the street. I won't bore you with the whole story of the Alamo and I'm not sure if anyone really reads all the history I post anyway, so I will give you a short history lesson. The Battle of the Alamo (February 23 – March 6, 1836) was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution. Following a 13-day siege, Mexican troops under President General Antonio López de Santa Anna launched an assault on the Alamo Mission near San Antonio de Béxar (modern-day San Antonio, Texas). All but two of the Texan defenders were killed. Santa Anna's perceived cruelty during the battle inspired many Texans—both Texas settlers and adventurers from the United States—to join the Texan Army. Buoyed by a desire for revenge, the Texans defeated the Mexican Army at the Battle of San Jacinto, on April 21, 1836, ending the revolution.
Several months previously, Texans had driven all Mexican troops out of Mexican Texas. Approximately 100 Texans were then garrisoned at the Alamo. The Texian force grew slightly with the arrival of reinforcements led by eventual Alamo co-commanders James Bowie and William B. Travis. On February 23, approximately 1,500 Mexican troops marched into San Antonio de Béxar which is now named San Antonio as the first step in a campaign to re-take Texas. For the next 12 days the two armies engaged in several skirmishes with minimal casualties. Aware that his garrison could not withstand an attack by such a large force, Travis wrote multiple letters pleading for more men and supplies, but fewer than 100 reinforcements arrived.
In the early morning hours of March 6, the Mexican Army advanced on the Alamo. After repulsing two attacks, Texans were unable to fend off a third attack. As Mexican soldiers scaled the walls, most of the Texan soldiers withdrew into interior buildings. Defenders unable to reach these points were slain by the Mexican cavalry as they attempted to escape. Between five and seven Texans may have surrendered; if so, they were quickly executed. Most eyewitness accounts reported between 182 and 257 Texans dead, while most historians of the Alamo agree that 400–600 Mexicans were killed or wounded. Several noncombatants were sent to Gonzales to spread word of the Texan defeat. The news sparked a panic and the Texan army, most settlers, and the new Republic of Texas government fled from the advancing Mexican Army.
Within Mexico, the battle has often been overshadowed by events from the Mexican-American War of 1846–48. In 19th-century Texas, the Alamo complex gradually became known as a battle site rather than a former mission. The Texas Legislature purchased the land and buildings in the early part of the 20th century and designated the Alamo chapel as an official Texas State Shrine. The Alamo is now "the most popular tourist site in Texas". The Alamo has been the subject of numerous non-fiction works beginning in 1843. Most Americans, however, are more familiar with the myths spread by many of the movie and television adaptations,[2] including the 1950s Disney miniseries Davy Crockett and John Wayne's 1960 film The Alamo.
We walked around inside and outside and I was kind of disappointed you couldn't take any pictures in any of the buildings and there really was a lot to see in them. They were having some sort of a ceremony this morning regarding some of the local soldiers so that is why they have the chairs set up in front. After we were done, about an hour and a half we were off to the Buckhorn Saloon, Museum & Texas Ranger Museum.

The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum has been a San Antonio tradition for over 129 years. Albert Friedrich, a young entrepreneur, started the saloon in 1881. He learned that many traveling off the ol’ dusty trail didn't have much money in their pockets. Albert then began to accept horns and antlers in exchange for a free beer or whiskey from his saloon. From then on, the Buckhorn grew to become one of the world's most unique collection of horns and antlers. Albert’s wife, Emile, began to accept jars of rattlesnake rattles. She would use these to create artwork that can be seen on display at the Buckhorn. Patrons both young and old have marveled at the collection of over 520 species from all over the world. "Texas Bob" Reinhardt (see picture of him with Mom) eyeballed us wandering off the street from the Alamo, as he stood at the Saloon's entrance columns with his Old West duds and droopy mustache and greeted us as we entered. Exhibits are jam-packed in spots -- you might see a 6-ft. long stuffed snake cozying up to a tray of vintage whiskey bottles or a collection of miniature saddles.The rarest treasures are displayed behind glass, like precious royal jewels (and who could really put a price on the head of a rare Manboon?). There are many other one-of-a-kind items, such as a cathedral made of 50,000 wooden matchsticks. "Old Tex," the longest Texas Longhorn, with horns 8 ft.1.5 in. across, reportedly died when he was struck by lightning on a south Texas ranch. The Hall of Horns proudly boasts of more than 1,200 trophy mounts -- from a 78 point buck, to a moose with a 67 inch rack. With room after room of dead animals, visitors might get confused, so they are thoughtfully arranged in climatological and thematic groups. A 1,056 pound marlin, the world`s record, was caught in Peru by the same guy who killed an elephant with a bow and arrow. The Hall of History is an artifact of the 1968 Hemisphere World's Fair in San Antonio. In "1854 Comanche Attack," an Indian scalps a settler while his wife and child await their turns. This scene, as it was arranged in the Lone Star Brewery phase of the Buckhorn, was brilliantly captured in a classic postcard.

Then we walked through the Texas Ranger Museum which houses hundreds of Texas Ranger artifacts including revolvers, automatic handguns, sawed off shotguns, badges, photographs and much more. Notable Texas Rangers exhibited in the collection include, Ray Martinez, Joaquin Jackson, John B. Armstrong and Frank Hamer. The highlight of the Texas Ranger Museum is ‘Ranger Town’, a recreation of San Antonio at the turn of the century. Explore this western town complete with a saloon, jail, blacksmith shop and telegraph office. The Bonnie and Clyde exhibit complete with ‘34 Ford V8 Deluxe is a guest favorite.

After we were done with the 2 museums we decided to have lunch in the Saloon. We had a pretty good lunch and I had a glass of Lone Star Beer (made by Budweiser). After lunch we decided to check out one of the sections of the Riverwalk and look for a cache there. The Riverwalk is beautiful as there are concrete sidewalks on both sides and it goes on for about 2 miles. (more tomorrow) We found the cache after awhile and then we were off back to the coach for the day. Well that's it for today so until tomorrow we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad Dori & Dick