I have a number of interests, but history isn’t really one of them. To me it’s textbook stuff, and my eyes tend to start glazing over when I stand in front of a glass case displaying a collection of antique farming implements while dutifully reading the information card about each one. But the fact that I’d never choose the “American History” category if I was a contestant on “Jeopardy” wasn’t going to stop me from making a pilgrimage—my first—to The Alamo.

Based on hazy school memories of history classes and because I’m the Mexico AAA TourBook editor (since 1990!), I do know that this “shrine to Texas liberty” played a pivotal role in a battle that occurred before Texas achieved statehood. However, I probably would have flunked the multiple choice test if the questions had dug any deeper. So I’m going to get the history lesson out of the way up front.

Originally the Misión San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo was the first—and is the most widely known—of five Catholic missions established in south Texas between 1718 and 1731 to extend Spain’s New World influence northward from Mexico. This mission-turned-Spanish-military-fortress was already more than a century old when it became the focal point in the Battle of the Alamo, a bloody 13-day siege (Feb. 23 – Mar. 6, 1836) during which outnumbered Texians (citizens of the sovereign Republic of Texas) defended the Alamo against an assault by Mexican soldiers under the command of Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna. The Alamo’s fall was repaid less than two months later at the Battle of San Jacinto, when shouts of “Remember the Alamo!” rang through the air, Santa Anna was captured, his troops were forced out and Mexican control of the Texas territory was relinquished.

Considering its outsize historical role, the first thing that struck me about the Alamo was how small it is. Not inconsequential—just not imposing. There’s a simple dignity to the fort’s plain stone walls that crowds of digital camera-toting tourists can’t diminish. The Moorish-style decorative stonework around the heavy wooden doors has a rough-hewn beauty. The irony also didn’t escape me that right across Alamo Plaza from this sober memorial stand such monuments to tourist trap tackiness as Ripley’s Haunted Adventure and Tomb Rider 3D.

Since this is a shrine, a sign at the entrance door states that all visitors must remove their hats upon entering. Inside it’s cool—a welcome relief from the heat outside—and hushed. There are a couple of exhibits, but mostly displays of wreaths and flowers dedicated in memory of the men who lost their lives in battle. (Frontiersman Jim Bowie, remembered for his fearsome hunting knife, and David “Davy” Crockett, American folk hero and former congressman from Tennessee, were among the Alamo’s defenders.)

In addition to the shrine you can see historical exhibits at the Long Barrack, which was built using the remains of the original barracks structure, and visit a library maintained by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT), the organization that manages the Alamo complex. And of course there’s a gift shop, a big one with all sorts of Alamo-tastic memorabilia. The biggest surprise for me was the grounds. I didn’t even know the Alamo had grounds. They were nicely maintained and very pretty. My favorite plants were the cacti, especially the big prickly pear cactuses that happened to be displaying lemon-yellow flowers. I also found a quiet spot to chill tucked away toward the back—a flagstone patio with a wooden bench and a small garden, all shaded by the spreading branches of a live oak. In fact, the Alamo’s walled-in gardens were such an unexpected pleasure that I ended up spending as much time here as I did along the nearby RiverWalk.

A side note for Pee-Wee Herman fans: The movie “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” has a very amusing scene that involves an Alamo tour given by “Tina, the best tour guide in the world” (SNL alum Jan Hooks). The Alamo doesn’t actually offer guided tours, but you can rent an audio guide; lots of people were wearing headphones as they wandered around. For those who appreciate Paul Reubens’ inimitable brand of humor, here’s a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxOm497_ohI The Alamo is downtown just off Alamo Plaza, bounded by Houston, Bonham, Crockett and Alamo streets.