Planning Our Trip W/ Android Apps

In April 2013 we spent a week in San Antonio Texas, for our son's graduation from Air Force Basic Training.   See More Here:

http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/air-force-mom.html

Screenshot of the homescreen I created for this trip

The widget at the top of the screen is from the Tripit App.  The nice thing about this app was that I could forward all of our confirmation emails - flight reservation, car rental, hotel - all to an email provided by the app, and it automatically added all of the information to our itinerary, including the confirmation numbers.  Clicking on the widget showed the overview of our trip, with times for our flights, etc.

The folder on the top left was for directions.  I use Go Launcher on my phone, so it is simple to add shortcuts of any kind.  Click on menu, choose add, flick to the right and choose shortcut.  Then I chose "maps" and created a google map shortcut for all of our destinations.  Hotel, Air Force Base, Car Rental Return Location, Riverwalk, Japanese Tea Garden...  it didn't matter where we were at, I could click on the shortcut for where we wanted to go, and my phone navigated us there, without me having to search for the address, it was already saved.  This was really nice!

The second shortcut, the blue one, is a direct shortcut to the google docs document with the Lackland Air Force Base graduation schedule, so I could reference it quickly whenever I had questions.

The last two in that first row are GOBY, and Yelp.  Goby is more for events nearby, Yelp is great for reviews of restaurants and establishments.  We didn't really use the Goby app, but we did use the Yelp app - that is how we found the great gelati place near our hotel, and Congers Smoke shack for the fabulous BBQ.

The second row of shortcuts was mainly for on the plane  - shortcuts to two books I read on our trip, and the red shortcut on the right is to google play movies.  Before we left, I rented, and downloaded, The Life Of PI to watch on our flight.  This worked so well for my husband that he rented a second movie for the flight home.  (I used the time on the flight home to read a book, and work on our trip diary, which I typed into evernote)

The Riverwalk has it's own app.  It was a handy guide to read through.

We flew on Southwest - the southwest app sort of sucks, but I did use it to check our flight times.  One of our flights was delayed, I could watch the times on here.

Expensify allows you to snap pics of your receipts on you phone to track your expenses and your budget.  

The Trip Advisor San Antonio App was nice, we used that to browse for activities nearby.  It's how we chose the Japanse Tea Garden, our favorite spot on this trip.

http://storyofmylifetheblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/blog-every-day-in-may-challenge.html

Day 2, Thursday:

 Educate us on something you know a lot about or are good at. 

Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)

San Antonio Day 5 - All Day Town Pass

In April 2013 we spent a week in San Antonio Texas, for our son's graduation from Air Force Basic Training.  This is our trip diary from Day 3, our first day on base.  See More Here:
http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/air-force-mom.html

As near as we could tell, ALL the roads in San Antonio are a loop.  Which is nice, because if you miss your exit, no big deal, just take the next one..  

When your airman has a town pass, the important loop to remember is the 1604, shown in red here.  Your airman must remain INSIDE of this loop while on town pass.  He can apply for exceptions beforehand, if you have family nearby, etc.  This is a large loop, you should not have any trouble remaining inside of it.

• Be sure you know where to meet your airman in the morning.  Many chose the parking lot by the baseball field.  We chose the mini mall
• Do not panic if your airman is running late.  It was 9:20 before Luke got to us. 

As agreed the night before, we met Luke at the mini mall.  He came with his duffel of civilian clothes, to sort out.  We could have brought things home with us, but he had packed pretty light, other than some letters, he planned to take everything on to tech school with him.

 

The Japanese Tea Garden was  our favorite place in San Antonio.  There are more pics of it on the Day 2 trip diary.  Here, on the left, Luke is reading the plaque that explains why the sign above him reads "Chinese Tea Garden".  (Hint: the explanation involves the bombing of Pearl Harbor)

We went to the Japanese tea garden first, and walked, and talked, and sit, and talked, and walked, and talked...  it was quiet and peaceful there.  It was not empty, there were a lot of people taking photos, but it was still so much more peaceful than the river walk.  We had tea at the cafe, then called home to talk to his sister & friend who had run a zombie 5k that morning.

The new "no shine" shoes.  They do not need to shine them..  they remind me of the gel nail polish that you use the led light to set.

Hat check!  

Congers Smoke Shack

From there we drove to congers smoke shack for more of that amazing BBQ. 

Ordering Tip: get the three meat platter.  Make sure it includes the turkey.  I know, I know - trust me - it's amazing!  The brisket and pulled pork were my other two favorites.  For sides, get the potato salad (which is not like any other potato salad I have ever had) and the spiced cream corn (which is not really creamed - it is corn in a spicy cream sauce - but it was SO good!)

 We took it half a mile down the road to Robbers Baron park, to eat it.  Airman cannot walk & eat in their blues - they must stand absolutely still, or sit.  It is easier for them to slit.

Robber Baron park is a tiny little park, with a huge cave under it.  There was a group of scouts there when we arrived, with two cave guides.  Our airman is an eagle scout, so he enjoyed talking with them for awhile before we ate.  After we ate we walked down to see the cave entrance, which is so tiny!  It is hard to believe that this used to be open to commercial tours.

Next we went back to our hotel and Luke spent a couple of hours Skyping back home. :-)

 

Groupon had a deal for Monster Mini Golf, we took advantage of that.  It was fun - a place like this would be very possible here at home.

We used Yelp to find a restaurant nearby, Luke thought Greek food sounded good, so we tried Zorbas.  Compared to main street grill here at home (owned by a Greek family, with fabulous greek food) it was very disappointing.  But as with most things this week-end, it was more about sitting and talking with Luke than anything.

From there we stopped for gelati, before taking Luke back to base.  Dan & I had been to Brindles Awesome Ice Creams for Gelati earlier this week, we knew it was fabulous.  

Note: When taking your airman back to base, he will need to show his military ID at the gate, along with your base passes and drivers licenses..

Day 3 - Airmans Run, Coin Ceremony, Base Liberty
Day Four - Graduation Day!

San Antonio Day 4 - Graduation Day!

Buses start running for graduation at 7:15am, and after the crowded bleachers yesterday, we knew we wanted to be on the first bus.  But an accident and the traffic made us a little late - we didn't arrive on base until 7:15.  (It is amazing to me that there are not a LOT more accidents, the roads here are insane!)  We drove past the parade field and there was a ton of parking available, so we decided to skip the bus and just park at the field.  It filled in quick, we just happened to get there before it did.

It was windy and cold, not at all what we expected of Texas in April.  The gift shops and stands were selling out of hoodies as fast as they could put them out.

There was a large variety of dress, but most of the women, especially the wives and girlfriends, had dressed up in pretty dresses and heels.  There were a lot of people in jeans too.

After the ceremony it was a mob.  It took us awhile to get through the crowd to our son.  We snapped a few pics, then went to the dorm to see where he had lived for the past 9 weeks, and to see his nicely made bed!  :-)

 

 

Luke was the laundry chief.  I was surprised to see that he did the laundry for 50 guys with just these regular sized washer and dryers!

The area with the picnic tables is the "patio" where the guys made their phone call home most Sunday evenings.

 

At this point Luke was able to give us the photos he had ordered.  He spent $70 on photos.  Around $26 of that was for 2 5x7's of himself, and one large flight photo.  The biggest expense was the cd. He hasn't seen what is on the cd yet, we will look at them on the hotel computer tomorrow.  

Note - the flight photo included a roster, but it did not have the boys listed in the order they are standing in the photo. We had Luke list off who was who while he was with us, so I could label the photo when we got home.

At 11:10 the boys were told to get out.  Their off base leave began at 11:15.

 The ceiling at Mi Tierra

 A small part of the bakery counter at Mi Tierra

 another part of the ceiling at Mi Tierra

We headed to Mi Tierra, parking in a lot on Pecan street for just $5 for the day.  Mi Tierras came highly recommended, and it is a fun place. http://mitierracafe.com/ 

 

We walked through a bit of fiesta, but the people spilling beer and waving bbq , turkey legs around made us nervous - the airmen need to keep their dress blues immaculate. 

 

 

From there we went to the riverwalk.  We just walked and talked, stopping to sit a few places along the way.  We toured the Alamo, and sat on the benches there to talk some more.  He was obviously more tired today than yesterday. 

We returned to the riverwalk intending to take the boat tour, but the line was sooooooo long, we decided we had seen enough, and headed towards our hotel, planning to go to a whataburger for supper.  We found one near our hotel, which was on prue st, and it was almost empty.  After constant crowds, this was a great choice for us.  It was quiet and relaxed.

At our hotel we skyped and called home - we had arranged in advance for our kids to be at their grandparents house, so we could skype with all of them at once. 

Going back to base today was easier - we went to the valley hi gate and it was a faster entrance for us.  Luke had to show his id to return to the base, along with our id & passes.  The drop off was the same as yesterday.

• Make sure your airman has his id ready at the gate
• Make sure you know where you will meet your airman the next morning
• Pack a small lint brush & tide to go stick in your car, so your airman can keep his blues clean

San Antonio Day 3 - Airman's Run, Coin Ceremony & Base Liberty

In April 2013 we spent a week in San Antonio Texas, for our son's graduation from Air Force Basic Training.  This is our trip diary from Day 3, our first day on base.  See More Here:
http://fieldsofhether.blogspot.com/p/air-force-mom.html

For the airmans run, many suggested using the valley hi gate onto lackland.  My husbands pass has the wrong first name on it, a clerical error, so we chose to use Luke gate, just in case.  The visitor center is located there, it is where to go if you do not have a guest pass, or if there is a problem with your guest pass.

We could have used any gate.  The name wasn't a problem at all, and it is easy to get to the reception center from any gate.

We got there early - just after 6am, and got one of the last parking spots in the lot in front of the BMT reception center.  There was a long line waiting outside the door for the 7am orientation.  We had a nice time chatting with the family behind us.

• At the BMT, get a map.  We did not, and we regretted it.  The maps I had from online did not show us where the restaurants and museums are located.
• At orientation, write down where you are not allowed to be.  You think you will remember, but you won't.  :-). We didn't have a problem, but we did spend the whole day wondering if we were traveling where we were not allowed to be, since we could not remember.  The biggie is to not leave base, that was easy.

They seated us for orientation around 6:30.  First a representative from the production company (photos) spoke, followed by a representative from sea world.  Airmen & their spouse, or airmen & their mom & dad, can attend sea world free of charge this weekend. 

There was a short video on the history of the air force, followed by a slide show with rules and guidelines. 

From there we went out the side doors and lined up for the airmans run.  You cannot stand on the bleachers for the airmans run.  They had to announce that over, and over, and over again.  Once the run starts, you may not cross the road.  That was another concept parents had trouble with.  Please follow the rules.  You are not special when you are here, and acting as if the rules do not apply to you only makes it harder for the trainees assisting with graduation.  We watched one trainee get hollered at by a TI because parents at graduation were pushing past him to get into an area they were not supposed to walk into.  Like anywhere on earth, we met some of the nicest, kindness people - and also some of the most rude and obnoxious people as well.

About 5 minutes before the run, it started raining.  Then it poured.  Even with umbrellas, we were soaked clear through.  Homemade signs ran, many didn't have umbrellas along...  and we all stood together anyway, and watched our trainees run in it.  The trainees run from the bridge past you, then they turn and pass a second time, so it does not matter too much what side of the road you are on.  Taller trainees are in the front.

A Note - many families will order banners and signs professionally printed, and have t-shirts made up..  those are great, but they are for you, not for your airman.  Especially if it is raining. They will not really see them when running past, and there is NO room for them in the stands at the ceremonies..  so they are pretty much for you to pose with and get your photo taken.  They did make extra umbrellas on this day, when it started raining hard..

After they passed a second time, we went into the BMT reception center, at the same time that families were arriving for the 9am orientation.  Mass chaos.  Had it not been raining so hard, most would not have went back inside, and this would have been avoided.  There were people jammed everywhere, trying to go in several directions, but few actually moving.  One woman had a panic attack and had to be escorted out.  After a few minutes of this, they started announcing that some squadrons families should go upstairs, and some downstairs, that busses would be arriving for us - they apparently planned to move the ceremony indoors.  (Luke later said it would not have been indoors, but it would have been under cover)

A little while later they announced that the rain had stopped and the ceremony would be outdoors.  We are from PA, so this kind of chaos over a little rain caught us off guard.  We would never have a big event like this without a clear rain plan, but Luke said it only rained 3 times in the 9 weeks he was here.  Which explains why their river walk river is smaller than many of our creeks. :-)

On our way out, we stopped by the production studio & checked to see if our son had picked up and paid for his photos.  He had.  We ordered a DVD of graduation there - $49.  

Note: The production studio can be missed easily. If you enter the reception center through the front door, turn left, go through the snack bar area, and there will be a tiny room off to your right.

We went to our car to try to dry off a bit.  I wish we had thought to bring a change of clothes.  We sat in our car until 10am - a big mistake. The bleachers were PACKED by 10am.  

• You cannot stand between the bleachers for the ceremony
• There is standing room only behind the cement barriers
• You cannot walk on the cement in front of the bleachers.
• You cannot walk in front of the bleachers. Walk behind them to get where you want to be.

We did find two seats, which a kind gentleman helped pull me up into.  There are no steps, no walkway, so once the bleachers fill in, it is very hard to get to the top - or to any place in the middle.  Ideally everyone would move to the center, but I don't think that ever happens.  Remember that most of us stood in the downpour an hour earlier...  so we are all soaked.  Crammed together.  You can't even lift your camera without jostling others.  The man in front of me was taking photos with a huge tablet.  Please do not do that.  It blocked everyone's view - the equivalent of holding a piece of construction paper in front of everyone trying to see.

The retreat was cancelled due to the weather.  It had stopped raining long before...  But no retreat meant we got to get to our son, and tap him out, sooner.  This sounded like a much more formal event when we read about it, but it was really just get to your son and hug him, then he can leave with you.  Even though our son knew we were coming, he had not spoken to us for a week, and did not know we had arrived.  So even though he knew his mom would have crawled on her hands and knees, from PA, on broken glass, to be here, he was still nervous that something had happened and we were not in the stands.  He did not see us during the airmans run (I think they have a better chance of spotting their families if it is not pouring down rain during the run) and could not possibly spot us in the stands.  There were VERY few airmen that did not have family in attendance.

I had worried that I wouldn't recognize my own child, as were many others waiting with us.  For us, it was needless worry - we picked him out quickly.  They do all look very much alike!

one of the first things we did was go back to our vehicle and skype home so his siblings could see him

 I loved seeing his name on his uniform. 

We had read that he would be exhausted, starved, and have things he needed to do...  none of that was true for us.  His stripes were all already on his uniform.  The shoes they wear now do not need shined.  He was not overly hungry, nor overly tired.

And he knew nothing about the base.  We hadn't done any research on the base, we had no ideas about where to go or what to do.  We did know about Godfathers pizza, and like just about everyone else, we went there for lunch. It was a loooooonnnnggggg line, but it didn't matter, since all we wanted to do was see him & listen to him.  The pizza was good - similar to pizza hut deep dish.  It was nice to just sit and eat with him.

 

The Parade Field was a good place to have him pose for some photos.  This was the only day we saw him in his ABU's, the rest of the week-end he was in dress blues.

From there he wanted to show us the parade field, and where to sit for graduation, so we walked around there.  His flight had helped with a lot of the graduations, so Luke was very familiar with where we should sit, and that we should get there early.

We went to the airmans museum, which was nice, then to the BX to look around - he was curious what it was like.  We skyped home (from my phone - they do not get their phones back until Monday) so he could see and talk with his siblingsThen we went to the minimall he was familiar with, and ate in the food court, sitting there and talking more.

There is a huge flag in the airmans museum that makes a great backdrop for a photo!

Drop off is very organized.  There was a sign, and a coned off area.  Only the airman may exit the car there.  You pull up, he gets out, you pull forward - say your goodbyes before you get there.

• Airmen need to be back at 8pm, drop them off at 7:30, so they have time to sign in and be in their dorm at 8pm.  7:45 probably would have been early enough on Thursday.

Day Four - Graduation Day!