October 29, 2005
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Air Force Basic Training Graduation: Day 3
We started this morning by meeting Shannon and going to breakfast at Cinnabon in the main Base Exchange (BX). Those caramel pecan cinnamon buns are just plain heavenly. Of course the first thing Shane was talking about was her Starbucks…that girl loves her coffee!
So, we took off for downtown San Antonio to the Rivercenter Mall……first stop Starbucks! Then we took our coffee and sat outside by the river (going through the center of the mall) and we listened to a really neat ethnic band playing wooden flutes, a guitar, a drum/percussion and an assortment of pan flutes. Awesome sound! I bought a pan flute so watch out……you might hear one soon. They were really good. We thouroughly enjoyed ourselves relaxing with a cup of coffee and great soothing music ln a sunny, breezy day!
Next it was off to the Alamo! We walked a few blocks to the Alamo and walked around what remains looking at all the exhibits of Davy Crocket and James Bowie lore. The grounds are beautiful, the exhibits are interesting and yes…it was full of tourist! I got my “Remember the Alamo” T-shirt (doesn’t everyone have to have one?)
Everyone said it was smaller than expected but when we got there I thought it was a pretty good size. What I found funny is that it is in the center of town surrounded by tall hotels, parking lots and tourist attractions.
Originally named Misión San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years. While the facts surrounding the siege of the Alamo continue to be debated, there is no doubt about what the battle has come to symbolize. People worldwide continue to remember the Alamo as a heroic struggle against overwhelming odds — a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.
Then it was back to Lackland AF Base to relax. All in all, a great day. Tomorrow we will be going to church and then we’ll be coming home. I miss you all
Comments (8)
it’s great to hear from you guys! tell Shannon that we are all very proud of her! that is a real spiffy uniform.
I would agree with phil on the “spiffy-ness” of the uniform. Blue is definitely Shannon’s color now! Thanx so much for sharing this life experience with the rest of us. The pics are great as well as your thoughts about the day. Very personal and made me feel part of the “expereince.”
Hope the remainder of your trip continues to be a blessing.
What? You’re not going to be at LifePoint this morning? I had you scheduled to preach!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was hoping to hear some flute playing this morning!
Thanks for sharing this with us Jan.
Shannon looks great! Love the family photos. Have a great day! God Bless all.
Glad you are coming home. We’ve missed you.
She looks great in her uniform. Looks like you’re all having a great time. We missed you Sunday.
Isn’t the riverwalk beautiful?? That is one of the few things I miss about San Antonio. Also try to go hit a movie or go shopping in the Quarry. They took this old rock quarry, kept the basic structure of the place, but turned it into a shopping mall. It’s so neat to look at. Especially the move theatre. You see all the pistons and the engines of the machines. Really cool. Hey if you go to the Starbucks in Selma, that’s where I used to work. It is also the place where I first met Pat and Michelle Appleton.