San Antonio is a sprawling city that is growing rapidly, but for us, it had three purposes: riding rollercoasters at Six Flags, picking up the truck parts Jim shipped from Oregon and shopping to pick up the last few items needed, before we cross the border.

Blink, and three days flew by. Our first night in San Antonio was spent in a Walmart parking lot, not the most glamorous. A dark and quiet night for us, the opposite of what Walmart is usually like. The next two nights were at Boerne City Park, where we found free Wi-Fi, clean bathrooms, and soccer fields for the kids to kick a ball around, met another travelling family with kids from France and chatted to some friendly locals.

Day 1: Rollercoasters at Six Flags

Wednesday was all about Six Flags! From 2 to 9 PM, Charley and Jaxon were practically bursting with excitement. We were there from opening to closing—skipping lunch (for obvious reasons) and avoiding the pricey park food. At $20 for an oily slice of pizza and $24 for a burger, we did fine on empty tummies.

The park wasn’t crowded at first. We managed three major rides within the first half hour, but by 5 PM, the lines were up to 20 minutes long. Then around 8 PM, the crowds thinned again, and the kids would just stay on their favourite rides, doing laps!

I braved the first five rides. The first was The Elevator’s 200-foot free fall, then The Joker & Cliffhanger, they were smooth but terrifying. Superman was a head-banger, the least comfortable & fun. Holding on for dear life, eyes closed half the time, I just focused on staying calm, and surviving—which I did. That was enough for me, I don’t need to feel like I’m going to die every 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, Tim, Charley, and Jaxon went all-in, conquering all the big rides multiple times. We wrapped up the night with an Uber ride back to the truck, stopping by McDonald’s for a quick meal. The kids were asleep before we reached Boerne Sports for the night.

Day 2: Thanksgiving and Chores

Thanksgiving Thursday was a slower day. With the shops closed, we focused on chores & tackled Mount Laundry, Conquered in just over an hour! Not cheap, $35 but worth every penny!

Back at the park, Tim wrestled with our new BBQ, which isstruggling to hold heat—a concern since it’s our primary cooking method. The kids played soccer and try to connect with some French kids, but the language barrier proved tough.

Day 3: shopping

Friday morning, Tim and I left the kids sleeping and headed to a large outdoor shopping mall for a 9 AM appointment at the Apple Store. My four-year-old iPhone’s battery is fading, I was planning on getting a new battery, but, of course the tech suggested, I just buy a newer model as a new battery won’t improve the phone much. We opted for new cases and screen protectors, making the phones look brand new.

The mall quickly turned into a madhouse. Black Friday shopping frenzy had lines of people stretched outside as nearly every store boasting large discounts. It was consumerism at its peak, complete with Christmas music and decorations. Braving the chaos for a few needed clothing items, as I hadn’t packed nearly enough.

Not a lot of luck on finding a swimsuit for Charley—it’s the wrong season, we did find one bikini that will work. Will try again down in Mexico or Panama.

Everything’s Bigger in Texas

It’s true what ‘they’ say “everything is big in America — especially so in Texas! From fashion, food portions & the size of the people and vehicles, everything is supersized. We entered into San Antonio from the West. Leaving we drove around the North side, down through the centre of the city and out the South end. A new highway system is under construction, a massive job, which is bringing workers and the need for more housing, schools, hospitals etc. My guess is that San Antonio will double its size. Sadly we didn’t explore the city centre and had a big miss on not visiting the historical Alamo. Unfortunately we can’t do it all…

Ready to Head South

The truck is packed to the brim, leaving no room for anything else. We decided against having the air system checked to avoid delays or potential issues. Staying on track is critical, as we need to get Bruce to the ship in Veracruz, Mexico, by December 9th. She is running well, will keep our fingers crossed.

Next country….Mexico!!