San Antonio Meeting Planner 2007 - (Page 12) WEEKENDS ARE PRECIOUS, SO DON’T WASTE A SINGLE MOMENT WHEN PLANNING AN EXCURSION TO THE TEXAS HILL COUNTRY. IN ONLY 30 MINUTES TO AN HOUR FROM SAN ANTONIO, YOU’LL UNCOVER QUAINT CITIES THAT OFFER EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES FROM FINE ARTS TO THE RUSTIC OUTDOORS. Water Adventures in San Marcos & New Braunfels Embark on a watery adventure in San Marcos and surrounding Canyon Lake and New Braunfels. Gear up for trout fishing at the Guadalupe River, at the base of New Braunfels’ Canyon Dam. At Canyon Lake, home to eight parks, go rafting, tubing or wading. At Aquarena Texas Rivers Center, take a glass-bottom boat tour. Dry off with a nature walk at the Aquarena Wetlands Boardwalk, a 24-hour viewing of plants and wildlife in a picturesque atmosphere, and head underground to the cavernous landmark, WonderWorld Park. Inside this earthquakeformed cave, you can spot a supernatural wonder from an observation tower over 100 feet high. It is home to Prime Outlets San Marcos, recently ranked the “3rd best place to shop in the world” by ABC’s The View. www.sanmarcostexas.com or www.newbraunfels.com. Arts & Crafts Fill the Streets of Gruene Take in a day of art and culture in the historic city of Gruene at its monthly Gruene Market Days, a juried art show incorporating mediums from painting to sculpture.You can also browse the displays of up to 100 artisans and craftsmen. Downtown Gruene comes alive with music and authentic German cuisine, an ode to the heritage of this European-influenced city. As the sun sets, the lights come up on the Gruene Dance Hall, the state’s oldest dance venue that’s sure to entertain with foot-tapping tunes and rug-cutting jams steeped in a rich country and Tejano music tradition. 830-832-1721, www.gruenemarketdays.com. At One With Nature in Boerne Be awakened by nature in Boerne, just 30 miles northwest of San Antonio, and teach your children the value of earth preservation with a day at the Cibolo Nature Center. Families can learn hands-on about the Texas landscape and its unique climate at the center’s 100 acres of Hill Country wilderness. Once a plot of abandoned land, Cibolo Nature Center is now restored to its natural beauty as a haven for four ecosystems and a dynamite site for bird watching. The Boerne Birders set out for sightings from the center monthly – don’t forget your binoculars. 830-249-7277, www.visitboerne.org. Sweet Poteet Feed your sweet tooth with a flavorful experience at the annual Poteet Strawberry Festival, where you can get your fill of dessert, rodeo thrills and live entertainment. This small town produces big fruit – after all, it is the “Strawberry Capital of Texas” and home to the world’s largest strawberry sculpture. The city is also responsible for growing 40 percent of the state’s strawberries. Unwind and familiarize yourself with the hospitality of Poteet, just 20 miles south of San Antonio, and you’ll feel as though you’ve been transported to the home of Strawberry Shortcake. 888-742-8144, www.strawberryfestival.com. 12 http://www.sanmarcostexas.com http://www.newbraunfels.com http://www.gruenemarketdays.com http://www.visitboerne.org http://www.strawberryfestival.com http://visitsanantonio.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.