Adventures with Grandma & Grandpa D

What happens when Grandma and Grandpa Drake come to Texas for the first time? We have all kinds of adventures! Since San Antonio has a lot to offer, we made the most of our time with my parents. On Nathan's birthday, July 1, we went to the Enchanted Springs Ranch in nearby Boerne. They have all kinds of buildings that look like a page from Western films -- saloons, a post office, a chapel, a trading post, and a dining hall that all look fit for a movie set in the wild West. We watched Pistol Packin' Paula, a two-time world champion, twirl and shoot her guns and crack a bullwhip.


The kids area had fun horse swings, a fort with a slide, and a children-sized jail and saloon. Nathan kept on wanting to return to play there.

The kids tried to make the stuffed pianist's hands play the piano.

Oh no! Grandma's in the slammer! Where's the sheriff of this town?


Pistol Packin' Paula also took just our family on a tour of the land showing a wide variety of animals she cares for, such as zebra, reindeer, longhorn cattle, and Asian deer. When she heard it was Nathan's birthday, she gave him a signed photo of herself with her pistols. We also saw buffalo, goats, and even Petunia the pig around the ranch.

Nathan was worried about the horns, but he decided to be brave and get in the saddle to ride on Woodrow. He liked sitting up high.
Sophia decided if Nathan could do it, she could do it too. She's "following the leader wherever he may go."

Nathan's a rootin' tootin' cowboy!

Watch out for cowgirl Sophia and her lasso!

That evening we had a family party with all the grandparents and some Texas barbecue for dinner courtesy of Rudy's. We ate brisket, baked beans, potato salad, cream corn (with real cream -- so delicious), and we had chocolate cupcakes and ice cream for dessert. Nathan opened gifts that included items for his baptism as mentioned in that post, and he also got a trampoline and clothes from G&G Drake and money to put towards a bicycle from G&G Rogers. Nathan also got a doggy bank, a zhu zhu pet and DS game, and a Swiss army knife from me and Dan.

Sophia also got a few outfits and matching jammies for her and baby doll Emma.


Dan and I have seen the signs for the Natural Bridge Caverns in New Braunfels many times as we have traveled from the Houston area to San Antonio, and we decided it was high time to visit them when my Dad, the rock hound, was in town -- plus now our kids are older to appreciate it. I was surprised to learn the caverns were discovered as recently as 1960 by four students from St. Mary's University. That would be so cool to crawl through passageways and stumble upon a room filled with natural wonders. We went on the Discovery Tour, which comprises the first half mile developed by the landowners and contains the most impressive formations.

This is the one rock everyone was allowed to touch. I wonder how many thousands have touched it since the caverns were made public ...


The rooms of the caverns were spacious, and there was so much to see, from soda straws and the chandelier stalactites on the ceiling to the throne-like structures and skinny scepter-shaped stalagmites. The various areas had splendid names, such as the "Valley of the Fallen Lords."

The cavern goes down 180 feet, and as we went down and explored and even got dripped on, Nathan would say, "This is so cool!" Sophia liked it too, but she wanted to be carried when it got dark or there were drop-offs beyond the metal railing.

Nathan's favorite formation was the Watchtower.

Grandpa got a bag for Nathan and Sophia to pan for gemstones at the sluice after the tour. They came away with some colorful stones!

Watch out, kids! You're on a dinosaur's back!

On the Fourth of July, we had a big breakfast and took it easy at our place. We went swimming and had hamburgers and hot dogs. Fireworks were banned almost everywhere in San Antonio due to the drought, so we watched the festivities in Washington, D.C., and in Boston instead. The day after that my parents and the kids and I went to Market Square, where the kids each picked out a toy among tons of Mexican pottery and clothes and decorations, and then to the Concepcion Mission. I had been there almost 10 years ago, and I had forgotten what it looked like and read about the Spanish Friars. This mission is the most well preserved. There are other missions, but then we decided to head downtown to see the Alamo.


First we watched the IMAX film, which helped Nathan learn what the big deal was all about with the Alamo. Now he knows the fate of Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie and the other brave men who died there and sparked the desire for independence. Then we went to see the real deal, and we came 10 minutes before it closed; I didn't think it would close so early (5:30 p.m.), especially in the summertime. My Dad said the Alamo was smaller than he expected; it's much smaller than the Concepcion mission. Then we went to the Riverwalk and bought tickets for the boat tour. My Mom bought the kids gelato, which they thoroughly enjoyed.

Sophia with Grandma D on the Riverwalk boat tour

We ended the day by meeting up with Dan at the Casa Rio Mexican restaurant on the Riverwalk. We listened to a beautiful traditional love song while we ate chips and salsa. We talked while the kids watched the ducks in the water. It was a wonderful ending to a fun day. It was great to have my parents stay with us and to show them around the city we now call home. Our children loved playing, touring, and swimming with them. We're glad they made the trip out and hope they will come back again -- the sooner the better!