Texas 5/17/17-5/21/17

My daughter, Caroline, and I love to travel.  She is the perfect traveling partner... never complains and is always willing to see everything, even if it's not on our list.  I have always wanted to go to Texas so I planned us a trip.  We flew into Dallas and rented a car.  All in all, we drove 775 miles and stopped in five cities within five days.

DALLAS

Texas was hot and had lots of cacti.  We're from Philadelphia so this was really cool!  We don't have cacti in Philadelphia!

 

Everything is bigger in Texas...

 

I really wanted to try some Texas food so we stopped at Sonny Bryan`s Smokehouse.  The pulled barbecue chicken was absolutely delicious!

We then drove over to Dealey Plaza where JFK was assassinated.  I've seen this spot in pictures and on tv a million times throughout the years but it's nothing compared to the real thing.  It was a very solemn, moving experience.

 

Caroline and I are foodies and love to try new restaurants and coffee shops wherever we go.  Ascension Coffee had great coffee and pastries and is also a wine bar.

 

 We had to make a stop at the Gas Monkey Bar and Grill while in Dallas.  Didn't see anybody famous but the atmosphere was great and so were the chips and salsa.

The Galleria Mall has four levels, boutiques and lots of shops and a large ice skating rink.  

Glazed Donut Works in Dallas has the best donuts I ever tasted.  I had the Goat Cheese and Honey and Caroline had the Samoa. They are all hand crafted, even the toppings.  There is usually a long line waiting to get in, but Caroline and I got lucky and didn't experience any crowds. 

An hour and half later, we were in Waco and saw the Silos at Magnolia. No, we didn't see Chip and Joanna but we did have a blast checking out the store and bakery. Fixer Upper is one of Caroline's favorite shows so we couldn't miss this.

WACO

There were food trucks at Magnolia.  I don't normally eat hot dogs, but I was so hungry and had to eat something, so I got a hotdog from The Heart of Texas Dog House.  Oh wow was it delicious!  So worth the treat for me!

Two things we wanted to see while in Texas -- a Longhorn and an Armadillo.....  So along our drive to our next city - Fredericksburgh - we stopped at LBJ State Park. The park is filled with wildlife and is home to part of the Official Texas State Longhorn Herd.  We drove through the park and saw LBJ`s Ranch, the one-room school he attended, and the family cemetery.  And we even got to see a Longhorn and an Armadillo!

Cacti along the road - couldn't get enough of them!

Our next stop was Fredericksburg in Texas Hill Country.  We wanted to experience a small, Texas town and this looked like the perfect place to go.  It was voted No.2 on Southern Living's  The South's Best Small Town 2017 List.  Lots of great shops, restaurants and the feel of an old Western town.

In the morning, we were back on the road to San Antonio.  But first had to stop at Bandera - The Cowboy Capital of the World.  I loved this town the most.  It had an old saloon, old buildings and the look and feel of a cowboy town.  Bandera General Store is over 100 years old and still has the original floors and ceiling.

SAN ANTONIO

Finally made it to San Antonio.  We checked into our hotel, which was situated on the Riverwalk.  The Riverwalk is a walkway along the banks of the San Antonio River, one story beneath the streets of the City.  Words can't describe the beauty of it. It has the sights, sounds and flavors of Native America, Old Mexico and the Wild West with lots of palm trees, restaurants and shops.

  

 

 

The Pearl Brewery was an American brewery established in 1883.  It closed in 2001.  Now the Pearl District has apartments, shops and a farmer's market on the weekends.

 

While touring San Antonio, we had the see The Alamo. 

 

El Mercado is an outdoor plaza lined with shops, and restaurants in downtown San Antonio.  It was filled with lots of Mexican crafts, food and colorful sights.  It is also the largest Mexican market in the United States.

I love churches and cathedrals so we had to stop at San Fernando Cathedral.  It is the first church built in San Antonio, the oldest standing church in Texas, and one of the oldest cathedrals in the U.S.

The Buckhorn Saloon opened in 1881.  Shortly after opening, the owner learned that many people traveling through didn't have much money.  So he came up with the idea to accept horns and antlers in exchange for a free beer or whiskey from his saloon.

The Menger Hotel opened in 1859.  It is the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi.  It also has the unofficial title of "The Most Haunted Hotel in Texas".  We didn't see anything ghostly, but did enjoy the beautiful architecture.

For our last night in San Antonio, we had another delicious meal on the Riverwalk and were serenated by a mariachi band.  The music was beautiful and the song was filled with joy. A great way to end our Texas adventure!