On November 7th the Amtrak Travel group drove to Fort Madison, IA. Along the route we ate at a Chinese buffet and bought essential items at Walmart. Upon arrival in Fort Madison, we hopped off the bus and went into the Amtrak train depot to wait for the train. When the train arrived everyone in the group climbed aboard and put their luggage away in a roomette. Then we headed to the dining car where we had a delicious 3 course meal. Once everyone was full the group headed to bed in preparation for an early start in the morning.

     The first full day in San Antonio for the Travel group was spent riding on a tour bus around the city, visiting the Alamo, and eating delicious food!

 During the bus tour we journeyed throughout downtown San Antonio and learned about the city’s rich history. Along the route the bus dropped the group off at the historic Market Square. The square features over 100 locally owned shops that were full of color and vibrancy. The shops sell local artist handiworks, Mexican artifacts, clothing, and art. The campers loved shopping there and trying delicious Conchas which is a Mexican sweet bread. Once done at the square the group hopped back on the bus to finish up the tour

The group was dropped off at the Crockett Tavern which featured a David “Davy” Crocket theme. After a delicious lunch, the group took a picture with the manager. Once done we walked to the Alamo and learned all about the 300 years of history and architecture of the building. Having existed under 5 flags of independent nations and served as a garrison for five different armies, the Alamo has a rich history and heritage. It is best known as the site of the 1836 battle of the Alamo.

Once done learning about the Alamo the group headed over to the shopping mall. At the mall we visited the cinema and watched a reenactment of the battle of the Alamo. Afterwards everyone went shopping and bought all kinds of neat items. For dinner, the group walked over to Whataburger where everyone enjoyed Texas sized burgers! Once full the group heads back to the hotel for the night.

On the second day in San Antonio the group hopped aboard a tour bus and once again took a journey around San Antonio. The bus let us off at the River Walk where the group took a leisurely stroll along the river admiring the beautiful landscaping and charming architecture. The group even took a boat tour to fully appreciate the scenery. On the boat we learned all about the river walk and the best places to go shopping from the captain.

Once everyone disembarked the boat, we visited several shops. We stopped at an ice cream shop that served blue bell ice cream the delicious ice cream is made and sold only in Texas