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Seminar 2011 |
How Does Your Garden Grow?Saturday, August 27, 2011 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. We will begin our tour with a visit to the tranquil San Antonio Botanical Gardens, which sit on 33 acres in the heart of the city. While at the gardens, you will have the chance to explore the beautiful formal gardens, the futuristic Halsell Conservatory, and the Texas Native Trail. Reacquaint yourself with older flower varieties in the Old Fashioned Garden, savor sweet fragrances in the Rose Garden, engage your senses of touch and smell in the Sensory Garden, and experience the beauty of the Sacred Garden, Shade Garden, and Gertie's Garden, along with other garden displays. At the conclusion of the Botanical Gardens tour, guests will enjoy a few minutes to shop in the Carriage House, located at the entrance of the gardens, which houses the Garden Gate Gift Shop and Carriage House Bistro. Guests will reboard the transportation for the short transfer to the Japanese Tea Gardens while enjoying a box lunch along the way. In 1915, the city requested a Japanese immigrant and his wife transform an old rock quarry into a Japanese-style garden with winding pebble walkways, stone bridges, waterfall, tranquil pools, and lily ponds, creating the Japanese Tea Gardens. Price: $68/pp; includes box lunch |
Highlights of San AntonioSaturday, August 27, 2011 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Our first stop is the IMAX Theatre in River Center Mall. The feature film, Alamo...The Price of Freedom, is a 45-minute docudrama that tells the story of the 189 defenders who chose to die for freedom at The Alamo. Guests will enjoy popcorn and a soda while at the theater. After this film, we will visit the famous Alamo, established in 1718, and originally known as Mission San Antonio de Valero. Guests will see remains of original structures, including the chapel, which is now a shrine to the fallen Alamo heroes. Within the beautifully landscaped grounds is the Long Barracks Museum, which chronicles the colorful history of the Cradle of Texas Liberty and the Alamo Library, a significant research library for The Alamo's history, as well as that of San Antonio and Texas. We will continue the tour with a visit to the Witte Museum, which for 80 years has embodied the universal goals of museums: to engage the imaginations of young and old, and provide encounters with artifacts and information only available in a museum setting. From the black bear of East Texas to the cowboy saddle made by hand to the state-of-the-art virtual simulation journey through the Edwards Aquifer, the Witte offers a look at a still natural world. Guests will also view the Fiesta Gown collection - a treat for all those who love embroidery. Price: $89/pp; includes a box lunch |
Celebrating San AntonioSaturday, August 27, 2011 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. We invite you to explore the Heritage San Antonio. Our first stop is the Spanish Governors Palace, once home to the Spanish Province of Texas. Although not palatial in size, the building represents an important time in the history of Texas. Over the entrance is the hand carved keystone with a double-headed eagle of the Hapsburg coat-of-arms and the inscription in Spanish "Finished in 1749." Next you will journey to the border-style El Mercado or Mexican Market. Serving as a hub of commerce years ago, it has retained much of its charm of the past, with quaint shops offering local crafts, art, clothing, and food. There are also two indoor markets filled to the brim with vendors. You will have time to do some retail therapy before you enjoy a delicious lunch at one of the most popular restaurants in San Antonio. Family-owned since 1941, Mi Tierra is a tourist destination as well as a hometown hangout. Price: $88/pp; includes lunch |
Spanish Mission TrailWednesday, August 31, 2011 9:30 a.m.- 1:30 p.m. First we will explore the largest and most restored of the missions, Mission San Jose. Known as the “Queen of the Missions,” Mission San Jose was established in 1720 and is the showpiece of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. We will tour the Indians’ quarters, the Spanish soldiers’ quarters, the granary that was the storage area and the remains of an old mill, all within the walls of the mission. San Jose’s church is one of the most beautiful in the country with its elaborate carvings on the chapel facade. Guests will also have the opportunity to view the film Gente de Razón, which tells the story of the native people of 18th-century south Texas, their role in colonizing New Spain, and the results of entering the Spanish missions. Then we will explore Mission Concepcion, the oldest un-restored mission church in Texas, which was established in 1731. Twin towers, a beautiful cupola, and rare original frescos helped make it a construction project of 20-plus years. Our tour guide will tell the stories of the three remaining missions: Mission San Antonio de Valero, better known as The Alamo; the reestablished Mission San Juan Capistrano, established in 1731; and Mission Espada, which was established in 1731 but was never completed. As an everlasting memory of the beautiful missions, every guest will receive a book of the Spanish Mission Trail to take home and enjoy. Price: $68/pp; includes a box lunch |
Opening the Doors to the PastWednesday, August 31, 2011 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Founded in the early 1700s by the Spanish crown, San Antonio's unique history and multiethnic heritage have greatly enriched the city's architectural beauty. Native American, European, Spanish, Mexican, German, French, African-American, and Anglo-American cultures all have had a profound impact on the historical roots. Our tour will unlock some of the great secrets and stories as we visit some of the city's most unique doorways. We begin with the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, located in the heart of downtown, which holds a very special surprise as we enter the beautiful, old wooden doors: every square inch of the interior is hand-painted in dazzling colors and patterns. Next, we will drive by the Spanish Governors Palace, once home to the Spanish Province of Texas. Although not palatial in size, the building represents an important time in the history of Texas. While the next secret is unlocked, we will pass through the entrance gates of the old Mission San Juan and see a wonderful example of the Romanesque arches found throughout all of the San Antonio Missions. Within the compound grounds, Indian artisans produced iron, wood, cloth, and leather goods. Our last doorway unlocks a very different time in history at the Scottish Rite Museum and Library. The elaborate sculpted bronze front doors were commissioned from artist Pompeo Coppini and feature George Washington and Sam Houston, both members of the Masonic Fraternity. From the Italian marble to the gilded statues, these doors open to an incredible building of our past. Guests will enjoy a box lunch during their tour. Price: $57/pp; includes a box lunch |