It began at 5:00 in the am when we left my house (each in our own cars) to road trip it the two hours down to "Waco" to "celebrate" his birth {or so he thought!}. Once we got to Waco, we dropped his car off, got back in mine, and kept on driving down I-35. Lance had no idea where we were going... Which is funny, because he was the one driving!
Ready to hit the road!After two more hours, we arrived in Schertz, Texas and took exit #175 when we arrived at Natural Bridge Caverns, just outside San Antonio. Lance hadn't ever been to a cave (which is ironic because his mom's great-great-uncle discovered Carlsbad Caverns) so he was super excited!
The tour was excellent, and everything was so beautiful! We also learned a lot about caves and limestone... Pretty much, we're experts now!
If you ever get confused... just remember: Stalactites cling tight to the ceiling and stalagmites might reach the ceiling!
There were these great dinos there for playing on... but they also made the perfect photo-op!
The baby was my favorite :)
...and so was the gift shop! We felt like we were five again!Once we departed from the caverns, we headed down to the real San Antonio... or rather, the tourist-y part. But first, we had to stop at the San Antonio Temple. Since it was Monday, we couldn't go inside because it was closed. But we got some great pictures!
One of the neat things about this temple, is it's at the top of a hill. So, driving up from the valley, you see its simple beauty from just about anywhere! "You are never lost when you can see the temple!" came to mind... and it made me want to move to San Antonio just a bit :)
This is the edge of the temple grounds-- you can see the valley down below.The rest of the day was simply wonderful as well!
We walked up and down the riverwalk-- despite the gross water, it's really a beautiful area!
See Daddy?! Jackalopes DO exist!
Apparently this hotel is super haunted-- so we got a picture!Going to the Alamo was a wonderful experience, indeed. I hadn't been since I was little, and Lance and I are both big ol' history dorks. It was very humbling to know a gigantic part of Texas history and a big part of US history, which took place February 23- March 6, 1836, was made up by these 180 men who fought for what they believed in and died honorably for their Texas.
This plaque is fixed to the Alamo's chapel, and after hearing the story of the Alamo reenacted by a tour guide, I just about cried when I read it. 
"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word"- John Steinbeck
My sense of Texas pride was re-heightened after relearning more about our amazing republic... er, state :)After we were worn out, we began the two hour (for Lance) and four and a half hour (for me) drive home, but not before we stopped at Ghengis Grill for some dinner. About a year ago, Lance swore up and down that he would not like 'Mongolian Barbecue'... but he begrudgingly tried it anyway. The result? It's pretty much his favorite place ever now.
San Antonio was a blast-- especially being there with Lance! Thanks for making these last four years so much fun :)
Happy {early} birthday, hunny!
