San Antonio Travel and Leisure Guide 2008 - (Page 55) TOP EVENTS, BEST BETS, HIDDEN GEMS TOP EVENTS FEBRUARY: Stock Show & Rodeo MARCH: Luminaria – Arts Night in San Antonio APRIL: Fiesta San Antonio, Hill Country wildflower tours MAY: Cinco de Mayo JUNE: Texas Folklife Festival JULY: Contemporary Art Month AUGUST: Tubing in the Hill Country SEPTEMBER: FOTOSEPTIEMBRE and Jazz‘SAlive OCTOBER: Ford Holiday River Parade and Lighting Ceremony, Oktoberfest San Antonio, International Accordion Festival NOVEMBER: San Antonio New World Wine & Food Festival, Rock ‘N’ Roll San Antonio Marathon, Dia de los Muertos DECEMBER: River Walk Fiesta de las Luminarias BEST BETS UNIQUE GIFTS AND SOUVENIRS: Museums shops at the San Antonio Museum of Art, Witte Museum, McNay Museum, Blue Star Arts Complex, Southwest School of Art & Craft BEST TEX-MEX APPETIZER: Tableside guacamole and prickly pear margaritas at Boudro’s on the River Walk BEST MANGO ICE CREAM: Menger Hotel dining room MOST LAVISH THEATER INTERIOR: Majestic Theatre BEST FRESH TAMALES: Tellez BEST BREAKFAST TACOS: El Milagrito MOST BEAUTIFUL MUSEUM BUILDING: The McNay Museum, in a Spanish colonial revival mansion from the 1920s CIGAR BAR: Club Cohiba in the Havana River Inn BEST HISTORIC BAR: Roosevelt Bar in the Menger Hotel, where they say Teddy Roosevelt recruited Rough Riders; the beautifully carved bar is a scaled-down version of the one in Britain’s House of Lords MOST ENTERTAINING MARATHON: Rock ‘N’ Roll San Antonio Marathon, which showcases urban and rural scenery and entertainment along the way with 70 live bands HIDDEN GEMS The original lobby of the Menger Hotel, with its stained-glass ceiling and painting that was used in the movie “Giant.” The Espada Dam and Aqueduct near Mission Espada, which are still used for irrigation. The 1722 Spanish Governor’s Palace, the spare but elegant home of the outpost’s Spanish ruler, furnished as it would have been in the 18th century. Clockwise from above: San Antonio New World Wine & Food Festival, a folk art Madonna, Spanish Governor’s Palace and Natural Bridge Caverns overlooks, spring-fed creeks and rolling prairies. Guided hikes focusing on birdwatching, wildflowers, cultural history, family fun and other themes are available by reservation on weekends. Other Hill Country favorites for hiking include Lost Maples State Natural Area (especially in autumn), Pedernales Falls State Park and Enchanted Rock State Natural Area. North of Fredericksburg, Enchanted Rock — a massive pink granite dome — is also popular with rock climbers. The easy hike to the dome’s top provides a panoramic view of the surrounding Hill Country. Tubing may be Texas’ numero uno summer sport on this region’s clear rivers. It’s easy to rent inner tubes, as well as canoes and river rafts, for floating down the Guadalupe, San Marcos, Comal and Frio rivers, and most vendors have shuttles to pick you up at the end of your float. It’s not unusual to see a whole flotilla of friends drifting along, complete with a round ice chest in the middle of a special tube. You’ll also find pictureperfect places for swimming, such as Blanco State Park, Guadalupe River State Park and Blue Hole Regional Park. For dedicated anglers, the Guadalupe River is the place for fly-fishing. Just a little north of San Antonio, Canyon Lake offers a recreational playground. Nestled among steep and wooded hills, this 8,230-acre lake is one of the deepest and most scenic lakes in Texas and features eight public parks with camping, fishing, swimming, scuba diving, picnicking, wildlife viewing, boating and other water sports. Mix the Hill Country’s limestone foundation with rainwater percolating down through it over eons, and the result is breathtaking underground wonders. Caves abound here, and among the most beautiful are Natural Bridge Caverns near New Braunfels and Cave Without a Name outside of Boerne. S A N A N T O N I O T h e O f f i c i a l T r ave l & L e i s u r e G u i d e 55
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