Uncover 300 years of history at the Alamo, an awe-inspiring story that’s more intriguing than you might imagine. Established in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero, the former mission now known as the Alamo has been a crossroads of history. Having existed under five flags of independent nations and served as a garrison for five different armies, the Alamo has a rich history and a heritage to inspire. Best known as the site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, the rest of the 300 year history is vital to understanding why the Battle happened and its importance.
General Santa Anna and his troops arrived on February 23, 1836. They laid siege to the fort for 13 days. On the morning of March 6, the Mexicans launched a major attack. The Texans managed to fend off the first few attacks, but there were too many Mexican soldiers and they managed to scale the walls and get inside the fort. The fighting was fierce, but eventually the Mexicans won. They killed every soldier in the fort.
The Natural Bridge Caverns of San Antonio are the largest-known caverns you can explore in Texas. The caves were discovered in the 1960s, but there's plenty of archeological evidence which suggests that humans were using the caves as far back as 5,000 BC!
The caves are explorable thanks to state-of-the-art lighting and handy paths that visitors can follow on self-guided underground tours. Outside, there are also courses for rope climbing and ziplining, suspended high above the ground.
Austin Zoo is a little rescue zoo located in a residential area in Austin, Texas, that allows you to get close up to a wide range of animals and even feed some with food available to purchase in the gift shop. Austin Zoo is smaller than some other zoos, but it makes for a great escape from the busy city centre, especially if the kids like giant turtles, monkeys, wolves, foxes, exotic birds, and lions!