Texas + New Mexico - Day 5

The Pastry Corner


We wake up, get ready for today's adventures, and then head downstairs. Leigh and Mason want to take us to The Pastry Corner for breakfast before heading into the city, so we all load up into the Highlander and pop over there. I park in nearby lot and there's a pot hole in the shape of a giant foot. I think it's funny, so I put my foot into it and take a picture. We walk towards The Pastry Corner and head inside. I didn't see that there was a whole porch area to sit, so we squeeze with a few other people on the large table inside once we order. Jeremy and Mason get the raspberry cheesecake, I get an apple danish, and Leigh gets a cinnamon roll. We also all get drinks. Zelda shares bites of our food, but soon gets restless. Leigh takes Zelda outside to wander around while Jeremy and I finish our coffees. The coffees are pretty good, and the pastries are delicious!

Person wearing black strappy sandals and blue jeans standing on asphalt with scattered debris underfoot.
Three people walking away on a street, one wearing an orange Peyton Manning #18 Broncos jersey, on a cloudy day.

The Alamo


We load back into the Highlander and drive to The Alamo. This was a hard one for me. It's hot, and there are so many people - and think, this is the off-season! I can't even imagine what it would be like in the summer time. It's also just open to the public. You only have to pay to go inside the main church of The Alamo. Therefore, it's no as solemn of a place as I personally feel it should be. It felt too celebratory for a place where nearly all of the defenders of The Alamo were slain by Santa Anna's Mexican army. I definitely thought it would be treated more like a war memorial. We walk around the site and I take photographs, and then we all watch a musket demonstration.

Historic Alamo mission facade in San Antonio, Texas, featuring ornate stone architecture and wooden doors.
Historic stone mission wall with iron gate and two terracotta pots on gravel ground.
Antique arched stone window with weathered wooden shutters in a rustic limestone wall.
Ancient sprawling live oak tree with twisted branches at the historic Alamo grounds in San Antonio, Texas.
Historic downtown storefronts with yellow brick building, retail shops, and covered walkway on a sunny day.

The DoSeum


We leave The Alamo after the musket demonstration and head over to The DoSeum (a children's museum). We walk in and there's a wind tunnel, which honestly feels great after being outside. I stand at the end of it to keep and eye on Zelda inside, and to cool off. Phew.


There are these cog puzzle-like pieces nearby, and Zelda heads there next to play. The grandparents play with the pieces too, as does Jeremy, as I "supervise" their work.

A father in an orange Broncos jersey plays with colorful gear toys alongside his toddler daughter at a children's museum.
Two adults and a toddler play with colorful interlocking gear toys at a children's museum interactive exhibit.

We go over to Little Town next within The DoSeum. This is such a cool exhibit. There's a grocery store, a Whataburger food truck, a bank, an airport, a trolley, a vet clinic, and vehicles to "drive" around the roads with, including UPS trucks to make deliveries.

A toddler girl in a pink dress stands inside a vintage trolley car with wooden bench seats and scenic windows.
Toddler girl in pink dress pushing a small toy shopping cart in a colorful children's play grocery store.
People gathered around a curved red display counter at a children's museum interactive exhibit, examining various objects on display.
Young girl explores an interactive exhibit at a children's science museum with illuminated display cases.
Woman and young girl exploring an interactive airport security scanner exhibit at a children's science museum.

We pop over to the Spy Academy exhibit, where there are several games to play. We think there's a "mission" that's supposed to be like an escape room, but either the mechanics are broken or the museum just made it really easy to find stuff. Who knows. Zelda has fun exploring the area.

Family exploring Cross Examination interactive exhibit at children's museum, with toddler girl and adults at illuminated display table.
Toddler girl in pink dress standing on step stool using interactive touchscreen kiosk at children's museum.

We explore a little more before going outside to the "Pop! A Bubble Lab". Zelda loves bubbles and spends quite a bit of time here. After this we walk around a bit more, but Zelda is clearly tired and ready for a nap, so we head back to Mason and Leigh's house to accommodate the toddler sleep schedule. She fell asleep in the car ride back to the house, and then slept some more in her pack 'n play once we got there. We really know how to be active on vacation!

Toddler girl in pink dress playing at a water table with foam and green toys at an outdoor play area.
Toddler girl in pink dress playing with bubble foam at a water table activity station.

The Mill


Zelda wakes up from her nap, and we all load back up into the Highlander to go to The Mill in Cibolo. It's a boutique with an ice cream parlor. We buy Zelda a book about bees and a baby bottle for her baby doll back home. We let her pick a new toy car and she picks out a red mustang. We all get our ice cream cones, of which she shares bites of, and then we head back to the house. Jeremy and I start packing to leave in the morning, and Mason and Leigh grill up delicious burgers for dinner.


It's been a wonderful trip.