Sea World

On Saturday, we went to Sea World. They gave graduating Airmen free tickets for their families. San Antonio's Sea World isn't as nice as Orlando's or San Diego's, but it's still a fun day, especially if you like coasters. The Great White and the Steel Eel coasters were open when we visited in 2006 but we didn't ride them, and I didn't this time either. I did try the new Journey to Atlantis, but I was disappointed in the version here. It's lightly themed and much shorter than Orlando's.

The kids enjoyed the Shamu play area, and I enjoyed the Smokehouse restaurant. I also enjoyed the Wave Breaker coaster. It's fairly tame, and simulates riding a jet ski over the lake. They had removed the flume ride which, while not great, we had enjoyed in 2006. In its place they were building a new roller coaster. There's also an Aquatica water park here, but we didn't visit it.

On Sunday we spent more time on base, visiting the BX and walking around a field with lots of old aircraft.

Yesterday we flew home.

San Antonio

On Wednesday, Susan and I flew out to San Antonio Texas with a friend and her four kids to watch her husband graduate from Air Force basic training. This was my third time in San Antonio. We spent a few days here in 2006, and Bryan and I stopped briefly in 2017.

On Thursday, we attended the graduation ceremony at Lackland Airbase. Before the ceremony we got to see some of the base and tour the barracks. We stayed at a Hampton Inn on the west side of San Antonio.

On Friday we dropped our friends off at the zoo then spent some time exploring the RiverWalk. 

We also visited the Alamo and ate at the Hard Rock Cafe. We then rejoined our friends and walked around Brackenridge Park while they rode the train.