The Road Trip Summer of 2012, the indescribable and incomparable amusement I acquired allows me to remember it as though it occurred yesterday. The attraction packed San Antonio was my family and I destination. According to historical background, my dreaded yet well rested summer’s consisted of sleep, eating, sleep, and did I mention sleeping? However, my systematic summers were altered when my mom arrived with the news of a much needed and deserved family vacation. When my mom announced our destination, my jaw literally dropped. San Antonio notably houses the best and most scenic attractions the state of Texas has to offer ranging from Sea World, Six Flags, the River Walk, and the Alamo. So, as I received one of the best announcements of my life, I immediately rushed to my room to pack. San Antonio bound! My excitement was halted and became obsolete as I arrived to my room and perceived a room infested with clothes sporadically placed everywhere. I quickly cleaned my room and obtained my clothes for the trip, at last my excitement returned and my headache disappeared as though it was a passing storm. Later that night, my mind was active and filled with positive vibes and thoughts, this eventually led to my roughly 5 hours sleep, however, how could I complain when I would perceive San Antonio along with Sea World for the first time? The next morning I woke up with ease! Before hitting the road, we stopped by IHOP for a delicious and calorie packed breakfast. At last we were on the road. It literally took us nearly 5 dreaded hours to arrive to San Antonio including our stops to grab some grub. We made numerous stops in several Texas towns, but the most notable would have to be Austin. We grabbed some authentic Texas bar-b-que from Franklin’s Bar-B-Que. After standing in a waiting line for nearly 30 minutes I was exhausted, but the ribs, potato salad, and
baked beans were worth the wait. And to find out, Franklin, the owner of Franklin’s Bar-B-Que, was a judge on BBQ Pit Masters. However, our visit to Austin was short as we had to head back on the road. The broad shiny dome of the State Capitol Building was looking back at me for the last time that is until we had to head back north to the Greater Dallas Area. As we were on the road we passed by arable land and spotted cattle, the Texas countryside is truly amazing. Cattle roaming together in harmony with no worries clearly symbolized freedom and for the first time ever, I saw a real Texas cowboy. I had no other choice but to take pictures of the beautiful Texas Longhorns and cowboys with ten gallon hats riding brown stallions. This was truly an amazing sight. “San Antonio city limits” is what the sign was broadcasting and at that moment I realized we were in San Antonio, Texas the fifth largest city in the United States. We were welcomed by an amazing skyline and for the first time ever, I saw the Tower of Americas an observatory tower similar to the Reunion Tower in downtown Dallas. We arrived in San Antonio around 3:00, and we quickly went to our hotel to obtain rest. My cousins and I had the luxuries of having our own room. Later that night we all went downtown to walk along the River Walk and after that we observed the Alamo. There were so many restaurants, bars, and people along the San Antonio River it was crazy! After minutes of walking and clearly looking like tourists, we obtained our tickets to get on a boat. Our tour guide was extremely amazing and even today I remember her name, Rebecca. She informed us on different hotels where celebrities stayed, weird objects that they have found in the river including car tires, the types of fish that were in the river, and this building which was moved by using coke bottles and other materials. I’m still convinced that this was a myth though.
After a night on the town and getting lost in downtown San Antonio we headed back to the hotel to rest. Breakfast was fantastic! The hotel had a waffle maker which was shaped like the State of Texas; it was clearly creative and unheard of. After consuming our Texas shaped waffles, we were headed to Sea World. There is also an Aquatica Water Park attached to Sea World as well, however, we did not go. Walking in the blistering Texas heat was awful however, numerous ice cream cones aided in my survival. We watched the Azul, a show in which dancers and dolphins would get together and do amazing tricks to entertain the audience. The show was spectacular and even the dolphins waved at us before making their exit. After the Azul, we visited penguins and even saw a large albino snake! We continued to walk until we saw rollercoaster’s which easily caught my cousins and I attention, so all the adults allowed us to ride. However, I regretted my choice. At the peak of the rollercoaster I saw the entire city skyline of San Antonio and after that all I remember was dropping at a fast rate of speed crying for my mother. After my terrifying, yet entertaining experience we perceived a water sports themed show which was spot on. After a long day of walking around in blistering heat and living it up, we went downtown to acquire some authentic Mexican food. Rosie’s has the best enchiladas in the state of Texas hands down! After our satisfying dinner we headed back to our hotels. The next morning we began to pack up to head back to the DFW metroplex. That weekend I had the best time of my life! Nothing beats enjoying yourself while being surrounded by family. San Antonio is clearly a fantastic and well developed touristic city. I saw the Alamo, walked along the River Walk, and visited Sea World. The only trip that I’ve been on that can come close to the enjoyment I obtained in San Antonio was our trip to South Padre
Island in 2013. I would recommend everyone to at least visit San Antonio once in their life.