It's Field Trip Friday, a chance for you to get involved and tell everyone in the blogosphere about an exciting field trip you went on this week or one of your all time favorite field trips! Of course, if you already posted a fun field trip on your blog you're welcome to link that too.
We drove and drove and drove to get there but when we finally arrived, we loved it! Welcome to this week's Field Trip Friday: The Alamo! Woo hoo! My kids were so excited to go they didn't even complain about the drive from Alabama! And believe me when I tell you it was a loooooong one!
Last year the kids took a history class about Texas gaining their independence and when the teacher suggested visiting the Alamo, the wheels in their heads began to turn.
Since we'd already spent time learning about this period in history, I didn't feel we needed to go everything again but we did enjoy this YouTube video by Marty Robbins. The boys loved it and watched it several times.
We also enjoyed watching several movies including the 1995 miniseries based on James Michener's novel, Texas
, the story of how Texas became a state. When we arrived in San Antonio, it was too late to tour the Alamo but my friend, Melissa of Discovering US, another family on the road, had suggested that we stop anyway just to see it lit up at night. We had intended to, but something was going on downtown and the police had one block closed off so we had to take a detour and our GPS kept routing us back to the same spot which was a bit frustrating. By the time we arrived, we'd pretty much lost interest and just wanted to get to the hotel.
The following morning we got an early start and arrived right at 9:00 a.m. when the doors open. After taking the customary picture, we began our visit to the Alamo in the Shrine. No photos were allowed here as it is a memorial to the men that lost their lives in the battle. We enjoyed listening to a guide describe the details of the battle over a diorama that depicted what the mission looked like at that time. We also saw a Bowie knife, items that had belonged to Davy Crockett, and the room that housed the women and children during the battle. None of the women or children were injured during the fighting and Santa Ana ordered their release after the battle and instructed them to go and tell everyone they met about the battle that took place. That's how the saying "Remember the Alamo" came to be.
After stopping by the gift shop and walking around the grounds we stopped in the barracks to watch the short 15 minute movie that was shown. We found it interesting to learn that the barracks were where the final battle took place, not the Shrine. The remainder of the barracks is also a museum which details that battle.
If you are able to visit the Alamo, I'd highly recommend that you allow 2- 2 1/2 hours, which will give you plenty of time to enjoy the Ranger led discussions and programs and thoroughly explore the grounds. I'd also encourage you to go as soon as it opens, it looks as though it gets busy rather quickly. If you have children between 5-10 they can participate in the Young Couriers program.Well, there you have it...the lo down on the Alamo. Now it's your turn. Have a field trip to share? Link up below and remember to stop back next week and I'll post about the stop we made in Louisiana. Until next week...Happy Field Trippin'!
