Need a reminder? For 13 days in 1836, around 200 Texas defenders held the Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) from more than 1,000 of General Santa Anna's troops. The defenders, including William Travis, Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, would die fighting overwhelming odds for freedom. Many visitors find the Alamo, the city’s first mission established in 1718 surprisingly small, given its emphatically proud role in Texas history. The chapel (one of the most photographed facades in the nation), and the Long Barracks are all that remain of the original fort. The museum inside contains relics and mementos from the Republic of Texas (including Davy Crockett’s jacket) and offers an audio narration on the fall of the Alamo. Wade past the inevitable flock of children on field trips and spend some reflective time among the peaceful, beautifully manicured grounds.