SEGMENT 20--Natchez, MS-- San Antonio, TX

Natchez, Mississippi (sounds like matches) is a small cotton town nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River. This town was first settled by the French in 1716 and became a commercial cotton and cultural capital of the Old South. The homes and buildings around here have been preserved for almost 300 years. It rained all day, so Grandpa and I did the driving tour of the town instead of walking, but we got to see some beautiful old Antebellum mansions.

After Natchez, we headed South toward Baton Rouge on our way across Louisiana and the Bayou. We stayed the night in a truck stop just outside of Beaumont, Texas, and in the morning I was able to get a picture of the world's largest fire hydrant. We are on our way to San Antonio, Texas one of Grandpa's picks.

We stayed two nights in San Antonio at a RV Park close to Downtown. As we we packed and headed to town on the city bus, Grandpa in his motorized scooter and me in comfortable walking shoes, we were set to load the handicapped capable city bus. The ramp was a little steep and listening to the "well experience" bus driver, Grandpa accelerated up the ramp at full speed, and as the scooter hit the ramp it proceeded to tip over backwards, popping a wheelie and taking Grandpa with it over backwards. I was there along with the other passengers to catch him before he hit the ground, so thankfully he wasn't hurt. We got him upright and eventually on the bus, this time we backed up the ramp. Every time I think about the thought of Grandpa popping a wheelie and going over backwards I bust out laughing imagining what the people on the bus must have thought. Holy Cow. Funny stuff.

Anyhow, San Antonio Downtown River Walk is a beautiful example of what a city has done to improve a downtown area and bring in tourists. The San Antonio River runs through the middle of downtown and they have lowered it below the city streets to create a placid waterway with Venice type gondolas, cobblestone walkways, arched footbridges, specialty shops and restaurants.

Grandpa and I went "street-side" to get a beer and visit the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum where they sport all sorts of horned animals  and oddities from around the world, including a 78 point whitetail buck. After our fill of dead animals hanging on the wall, we rounded the corner and stumbled across the Alamo. Wow, what a let down. I thought it would be bigger. Not really much to see here except history. Grandpa and I aren't particularly interested in history. OK so off to lunch in a rotating restaurant high above the Texas skyline in a tower similar to the Space Needle in Seattle. Grandpa has been to San Antonio four times before and has eaten at this restaurant every time.