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The week before I visited San Antonio was a scorcher. The locals had apparently all checked their thermometers. One told me it reached 120. Another 115. A third 110.

I’m guessing the last guy had suffered from heat exhaustion and couldn’t see the gauge. But that’s not necessarily fair. Maybe each had the thermal detector in a different spot. The ones above the asphalt and those in the open would register higher than one in the shade. Different perspectives bring different assessments. That’s a fact of life.

The trip was all about my boyhood bucket list. Watching Disney’s Davy Crocket series might have captured my imagination more than any other programs. The wild frontier, riverboats, and the Alamo! Did I mention that for 60 years I’ve been planning a trip to the Alamo?

Well, it finally happened. A week ago, I loaded a small backpack for a carry-on and the three-day trip. I asked a few Texans for recommended food stops that didn’t include Buc-ee’s, told my sister Linda I wouldn’t wear the coonskin cap she bought, and read as much as possible to prepare.

The reading confused my ten-year old perspective. Davy Crockett wasn’t born on a mountain top. Some articles emphasized “Remember the Alamo.” A few warned “Don’t remember the Alamo.” Debates about myths were abundant. Some even doubted that Davy skinned a raccoon to protect his head. To be honest, everybody’s take on the battle was making my temperature rise and my head spin. Learning is a daunting task.

The room at the Crockett Hotel overlooked what exists today of the Alamo. I could see the back of the mission and some of the monuments. City streets and buildings had swallowed much of the battlefield, but the current construction will reclaim some of it. I’d guess that what was there would fit into the town square at Hope with room to spare.

At the far end of the street from my hotel room was San Antonio’s Ripley's Believe It or Not! After my pre-trip research, I wasn’t sure what to believe, so I invested in a walking tour. To avoid the heat, the earliest option seemed best. When I arrived at 9:30 a.m., no one else was there. Maybe the Alamo Rangers had done some research on me.

My guide was tremendously informative. I don’t want to spoil your trip but allow me share just a few highlights.

* It has been said that when you visit the Alamo it’s not what you see but how you feel. To that point, Phil Collin’s was so taken by the story he saw on Disney when he was five that he has collected a lot of artifacts related to the battle and the men who fought in it. Many items have been loaned to the Alamo museum by the former drummer and front-man for Genesis.
* David Crockett was the name used by the frontiersman all his life. Disney and Mouseketeers started the Davy thing and added a song.
* The mission was built on a hill above the river to avoid flooding. That area has now become a beautiful riverwalk, a signature draw for tourism and dining.
* The mission we see is not what the monks built. A roof has been added, and the army reshaped the top of the entrance years ago. During the battle cannonballs chipped away at the mission walls and destroyed church statues. Thousands of names have been etched on the stones over time. Visitors are now asked not to touch anything.
* When I asked if anyone working at the memorial was a descendant of people who were in or may have witnessed the battle, two individuals were identified.
* In 1836 only three existing states were not represented at the battle. Indiana was one of the three. Tennessee had 30 men. Men from four or five countries also fought there.
* Reasons for the battle were not completely clear to me, but I was constantly reeling from the volleys of information...
* The Mexican constitution of 1824 was abandoned.
* Landowners weren’t giving up homesteads that were purchased at bargain prices.
* The Alamo might have been the most fortified place in the West.
* Santa Anna could not afford to leave so much artillery behind him.

The surprise arrival of the general’s forces in the town across the river limited decisions.

I’m sure I missed other points. There was too much history for me to remember, but enough to remind me not to forget.

* A 15-year-old soldier was the youngest to die inside the walls.
* One of Santa Anna’s men had a brother fighting inside the mission. He was allowed to bury his brother if he could find him, and he did. The other bodies were to be burned.
*  Valor existed on both sides. Men of valor do more than most of us are ever called to do. The tour guide described horrific battle scenes. He tried to do so with respect to both armies. When the learned escort spoke of valor, he understood courage and sacrifice.

Visiting the Alamo again has now become a part of my adult bucket list. Two years from now the reconstruction efforts should be complete. Maybe more restaurants will be suggested as well as a bakery that serves kolaches. Definitely I’ll try to read a few books that offer more perspectives. And, if at all possible, I’d prefer a visit when the mercury’s not rising.

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