San Antonio Valley

The San Antonio River, flowing for millennia from the highest peak in the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, carved out a valley on its way to join the Salinas River. These oak savannahs grow lush with native grasses and in spring ignite with one of the brightest wildflower displays in the state. Once the domain of the Salinan people, and later including the ranch lands of William Randolph Hearst, the valley now hosts the well-preserved Mission San Antonio de Padua, founded in 1771; farms and vineyards; mines and oil wells; historic Fort Hunter Ligget; and the communities of Jolon, Lockwood, Pleyto, and Bryson- Hesperia. Still ringed by blue, sometimes snow-capped mountains, this lovely valley remains a sanctuary for deer, mountain lion, tule elk, and the occasional black bear.

Maria and her classmates can't wait for their class trip to San Antonio. They'll get to see the Alamo, where Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie fought for Texas freedom in 1836. Before they can go, the class has a lot of other things to learn about the second largest city in Texas. They find out about the Native Americans who lived in the area before Spanish missionaries arrived, and how the Alamo and four other Spanish missions still stand along Mission Trail. They find out about people from many other countries who have also influenced the city, including Germans, Greeks, and Chinese, which is celebrated by San Antonio's Institute of Texan Cultures. On the big day, not only does the class visit the Alamo and the institute, but they also visit River Walk, an ingenious solution for controlling the San Antonio River that provides beauty and entertainment for all.