As our holiday week continued, thanks to my favorite son Matt, we attended the Alamo Bowl game between Stanford and Texas Christian University on Thursday, December 28, 2017. Matt claims that in his 36 years of life he and I have never attended a football game together! Although I would challenge that contention, it was a great adventure and a very exciting football game!
The game started at 8 p.m. so I was a tad surprised when I asked Matt what time we were leaving and he replied, “4 o’clock!” I immediately knew he had a plan, and indeed he did! Although Bill and I usually take the bus from the campground to downtown San Antonio, we decided to take Uber and our first stop was the famous Buckhorn Saloon. Opened since 1881, the saloon houses one of the most extensive collections of horns and antlers. Such a collection resulted from the original owner, Albert Friedrich, taking antlers from patrons in exchange for a beer – what a great idea! So Bill, Matt, and I enjoyed a drink at the bar as we perused the map the bartender shared that identifies every animal on the walls.
Our next stop en route to the Alamodome was Agave Bar, the bar that accompanies Cafe Ole, one of several Mexican restaurants located on the Riverwalk. You guessed it – had to go with a margarita! We shared nachos here as fortification!
Our final stop was the Yard House where the restaurant and bar were filled with fans of both Stanford and TCU. We shared one last adult beverage and then followed the throng walking to the stadium. I must admit, the pre-game experience was well-paced and most enjoyable…and the football game had yet to begin!
Not being a true fan of either team, we just took it all in! The game was exciting – back and forth for most of it and filled with excitement. If you have never seen Stanford’s band, it is a must. Whereas the huge TCU marching band was the epitome of precision, the Stanford band is comprised of a small group of musicians dressed in amusing garb and hats, and they literally run around the field, led by their mascot – a tree! The Stanford tree is the “official” mascot of the band and the “unofficial” mascot of the the university!
We stayed at the game until the very end and it was a close one – the Horned Frogs won by the score of 39-37. Although according to Matt, this experience took 36 years to occur, it truly was worth waiting for! Thanks, Matt!
Stay Calm and Travel On…
thervdreamlife 