San Antonio, Tex.



	Destinations * Directions

By Simon Mounsey

Famous for its expansive history from the Alamo to its River Walk, San Antonio, Tex. has been a top tourist destination for decades. Not only does San Antonio have many historical destinations but it also has its fair share of other popular tourist spots such as museums,

its Botanical Garden and the Tower of the Americas as well. So, let's take a trip to the heartland of Texas to see all that the Alamo City has to offer.

History of San Antonio:

Native Americans initially lived on the San Pedro Springs area which now is known as the San Antonio River. In 1691 though, the city got its name from a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries that found it on June 13th during the feast of St. Anthony, thus naming the area San Antonio. However, the founding of the city itself wasn't found until 1718 by Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares who would create the Mission San Antonio de Valero, one of the very first Spanish settlements found in the Americas.

In the late 1800's and early 1900's steps were taken that fixed the problematic flooding of the San Antonio River by building structures that prevented problems in the case of severe rainstorms. After these plans were implemented, many people in the surrounding area realized the great potential economically to develop along this river bank.

In 1836, the battle of the Alamo ignited where 189 defenders including James Bowie, Colonel William B. Travis and Davy Crocket defended the mission against an overwhelming 4,000 Mexican troops for 13 days with Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna leading them. It was during this long bloody battle that the famous quote, "Remember the Alamo" was uttered. Present day, the Alamo symbolizes historic resistance, which is why it is so important to Texans today.

Today in San Antonio:

The population in San Antonio has almost doubled in the last 35 years to 1,296,682 people, but unlike other cities nearby, there is not a surplus of independent urban cities surrounding it.

San Antonio's economy has four main industries including financial services, health care, national defense and tourism. The South Texas Medical Center has become the largest medical research and medical provider in South Texas and is a $14 billion biomedical industry that employs 27,000 people with a budget of $2.8 billion. Not only that, but San Antonio is the only city across the country that has three Level I Trauma Centers including 2 military and 1 civilian. San Antonio is also home to some of the largest military bases in addition to military training facilities. It employs over 89,000 and produces $5.2 billion to impact the city's economy annually.

Twenty million tourists travel to San Antonio yearly and the San Antonio Convention Center by itself takes part in more than 300 events and has 750,000 delegates from around the world.

Within San Antonio there are three freeways, Interstates 35 and 37 as well as U.S. Highway 90/Interstate 10. Sixteen districts are located downtown including but not limited to the Historic Civic District, La Villita and the Central Business District.

Here to there:

The San Antonio International Airport is found in north central San Antonio and it contains two terminals with 15 airlines including but not limited to Delta, American and Northwest serving at least 35 destinations. The airport is only eight miles away from downtown. There are nine rental car agencies and there is a large bus and trolley system with 78 bus routes and four trolley routes. Bicycling is used in San Antonio and is indicated by specific bike lanes on some streets but not all. It is said that San Antonio is not one of the more bicycle friendly areas in the country though.

Top Attractions:

When traveling to San Antonio, the top attraction with more than 2.5 million visitors is the Alamo. With over 300 years of history, this 4.2-acre complex showcases the history of the men that fought in the famous. Featured at the Alamo are three buildings that consist of a shrine, long barrack museum and a gift museum in addition to the gorgeous Alamo Gardens. When at the Alamo, take a look at the original cannons used in the fight, artifacts that belong to the original heroes and view a 17-minute film that was created by the History Channel.

Next on the list to see is the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum. In 1881, a lone man named Albert Friedrich opened his own business known as Albert's Buckhorn Saloon where he persuaded patrons to bring in their deer antlers for shots of whiskey. From that point forward, Friedrich created one of the most unique experiences in all of San Antonio by expanding his business to a saloon and a museum that now showcases many bizarre exhibits from the hall of fins and feathers to the Wax Museum of Texas History. Within the museum there also is a bar, café and "the world's oddest store."

Another popular attraction in San Antonio is the Tower of the Americas. Having been built in honor of the city's 1968 World's Fair celebrating the 250th anniversary of the city, the Tower of the America's has the largest view of the city. However, it is not only an observation deck. From the very top there is a revolving diner and bar for people to enjoy while viewing the spectacular views of the city. In addition, the facility has been upgraded and now contains a 4-d multi-sensory theater, a ground level café and a retail shop.

One of the most highly regarded attractions in San Antonio is its botanical garden. This garden, which encompasses 33 acres in the downtown area, was initially a limestone quarry but due to droughts and other such problems it was turned into a vast Botanical Garden with hundreds of flowers and birds. It has eight different gardens; in addition group travelers will find Water Saver Lane, a neighborhood of several miniature cottages with gorgeous gardens with the sole purpose to influence homeowners to create water conservative landscapes. Texas Native Trail is full of plants that are native to Texas and the Lucile Halsell Conservatory contains plants that range from desert to rainforests and are housed in several glass buildings that have been tucked into the earth. If you are a flower lover or are interested in nature, you can't miss the San Antonio Botanical Garden.

The final attraction is the beautiful River Walk, which consists of several shops for both the high spender or for the more conservative shopper in addition to various restaurants of local flavors as well as chains. Another prime feature of the River Walk is to go on a 40-minute cruise, a charter featuring dinner and cocktails or take the river taxis to get from place to place.

Events:

Throughout the year, San Antonio has various special events for the community and tourists. The first of any significant importance is Cinco de Mayo, which celebrates the Battle of Puebla between French and Mexican forces. During this even that starts in April and

continues through the beginning of May, there are various Mexican foods served and live music performed that takes place at both the Tower of the Americas and Market Square.

Charreada, which is held in both June and August, has been a part of San Antonio history for 400 years. During this event there is a western rodeo. During this event you will witness bull ridding, horse ridding, famous rope and cape work. In addition to this, groups will be treated to talented flamenco guitarists, mariachis and dancers perform all while dining on some great Texas Mexican food.

If you happen to find yourself in San Antonio in July you will be treated to its annual Contemporary Art Month which is a celebration of many of the diversified artists in San Antonio's art community.

Arts and Culture:

There is a lot of culture and art to see in San Antonio. The best idea to start is to see the McNay Art Museum that sees over 100,000 visitors a year. McNay started out as the first museum of modern art in 1954 with 700 pieces and today has over 17,000 with such famous artists as Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollack.

The next must-see cultural attraction of San Antonio is the very famous Missions of San Antonio; the spot of the initial

history of San Antonio began where both Franciscans and Spanish representatives developed the first mission. The point of the mission was to acculturate and Christianize all people in the area in order to make them Spanish citizens. While at the Missions of San Antonio, there are free guided tours that help people understand what really happened in addition to movies and demonstrations. There also is a 270 year-old irrigation system with both a dam and aqueduct.

If you want to find out more about San Antonio's culture, check out Casa Navaro State Historical Park, the registered home of Tejano Patriot Jose Antonio Navarro which features his furnished adobe home that contains period antiques and writings of his. Your groups can also visit the Guenther House, the home of flour mills' founding family and the Spanish Governor's House, which is unanimously known as the most beautiful building in San Antonio and is the one remaining example of an 18th century Spanish aristocratic home in Texas.

Sense of Adventure:

San Antonio offers a variety of things for the adventurer including. The first of these is to take a ride down the San Antonio River with a 40-minute river tour. If you want to discover the Indiana Jones in you, come and go on one of four tours inside the Natural Bridge Caverns where you can walk 180 feet below ground to witness unique stalagmites, stalactites, flowstones, chandeliers and soda straws.

Make an afternoon of it and take

a trip to Africa by going on the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. Here you can take your vehicle on a tour of over 50 different species of animals such as Rhinos, Giraffes and Lemurs. There also is a walking tour available.

Shopping:

Shopping is one of the most important features when visiting San Antonio, with many different malls and market places alike, you won't run out of shopping destinations. If you are into the Mexican culture of San Antonio, you should stop by the Historic Market Square- El Mercado which has over 80 stores, encompassing cultural, artistic and ethnic influences.

For a different shopping experience, head off to La Villita, known for being the first neighborhood in San Antonio where Spanish soldiers initially settled at mission San Antonio Valero. Present day, La Villita serves as an art community with a variety of architectural styles with buildings that are art shops, exhibitions and restaurants.

Finally, head off to San Antonio's much treasured River Walk that most consider to be the pride of the city. It features shops for both the high spender and the tourist who is trying to find the best deal.

Culinary Scene:

There is a wide array of dining experiences found within San Antonio ranging from American to Southwestern to Indian. No matter what your taste buds want, there will always be a restaurant in San Antonio for you.

One of the best of these places to eat is Biga on the Banks, an American Restaurant that features among other items, a mouth-watering 3-course meal consisting of a three-onion potato soup, smoke-roasted pork tenderloin and a warm, brown butter pecan cake. This appetizing restaurant features five private dining rooms accommodating anywhere between two and 200 people and is located on the River Walk. See why Biga on the Banks is considered one of the best five places to eat in all of Texas according to Gourmet Magazine.

Another restaurant that is guaranteed to please your appetite is the Zuni Grill. The Zuni Grill specializes in food of the Southwest in almost every dish ranging from breakfast tacos to Scorpion Shrimp Stuffed Red Chiles and Blue Corn Enchiladas. Rest assured, if you want to go for the taste of the southwest, this is it.

Tee Time:

With an abundance of warm temperatures all year long, San Antonio is the perfect place to play golf. There are 29 golf courses to suit your needs. La Cantera Golf Club was voted best new golf course in 1995 by Golf Magazine.

Group Hotel Rooms:

San Antonio offers many different hotel accommodations to patrons encompassing more than 15,000 rooms in the downtown with over 30,000 rooms in San Antonio as a whole. These hotels range from small inns to larger hotels and resorts with the larger hotels and resorts based in the downtown area of San Antonio.

Fast Facts:

Getting There (driving times):

Oklahoma City, Okla.: 7 hours
Houston, Tex.: 3 hours
Austin, Tex.: 1 hour, 14 minutes
Jackson, La.: 7 hours, 39 minutes

Population:

1,296,682

Geography:

San Antonio is 400 square miles in the northern border of the Central Texas region and the southern edge of the Central Texas Region. The City is 650 feet above sea level with 407.56 square miles being that of land with only 4.51 square miles being water.

Weather: Spring: 55^o-88^o
Summer: 68^o-95^o
Fall: 53^o-90^o
Winter: 39^o-66^o

Don't leave without:

Visiting the Institute of Texan Cultures. While San Antonio has many good museums, none of them are quite as unique and different as the Institute of Texan Cultures, which is an education experience that shows 20 different ethnic and cultural groups that are vital to Texas' history in a 50,000-square-foot exhibit floor. Among other things, this museum showcases publications, audiovisuals, educational resource kits as well as an overwhelming historical photo collection with over 3 million images.