january 2007 - Professional Photographer Magazine

Fun
DEEP IN THE HEART OF
TEXAS
January 14-16, 2007 San Antonio, TX
HAVE SOME FUN IN SAN ANTONIO!
With Texan roots and Spanish origins, San Antonio is a major melting pot of American and Mexican residents and cultures. Locals joke
about the city’s laidback feel, but don’t be fooled — San Antonio is the ninth largest city in the United States. Its quaintness often detracts
attention from the fact that it’s a major export city, a significant sector for biotechnology and technology, and the location of five military
bases. For the sports fans, the Alamodome is located downtown and is home to the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs. Be sure to make some time to
check out the fun and historic attractions around San Antonio.We've listed some of our favorites below:
Take a stroll along the Riverwalk (Paso Del Rio)
and enjoy the many shops and restaurants in the heart of the
city. Since the early 1950s, tourists and locals alike have strolled
along the amazing San Antonio River and enjoyed the history,
wonder, and beauty that have made the city what it is today. The
lush bankside greenery gives new meaning to the phrase “the
scenic route.” www.theSanAntonioRiverWalk.com
Visit the Alamo. This famous fort marks the spot where
189 defenders fell on March 6, 1836 after repeated attacks by
Mexican General Santa Anna’s army. Mission San Antonio de
Valero (The Alamo) was established in 1718 and was the city’s
first mission. The chapel, one of the most photographed facades
in the U.S., and the Long Barracks area are all that remain of the
original fort. www.theAlamo.org
The Southwest School of Art & Craft offers the
largest art curriculum in south Texas.Visitors can see free
contemporary art exhibitions, attend lectures by visiting artists,
and stroll the picturesque grounds of the historic Ursuline
Campus, once a girls’ school and convent. www.swschool.org
Browse the 32 shops at Market Square (“El Mercado”).
Made to mirror an authentic Mexican market, there are also
80 specialty shops in the Farmers Market Plaza.
www.marketsquaresa.com
The Buckhorn Saloon and Museum dates back to
1881 and is one of the best kitsch values around. Maps of Texas
made from rattlesnake rattles and an amazing collection
of Lone Star Beer paraphernalia adorns the walls, including a
guitar made from pull-tabs. www.BuckhornMuseum.com
P41 www.ImagingUSA.org
Marvel in the beauty of the San Antonio Missions
National Historical Park, home of the Mission Trail.
Four Spanish frontier missions, part of a colonization system that
stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th and
19th centuries, are preserved here. The missions’ churches still
function, and their aqueducts still carry water to local farmers.
www.nps.gov/saan
Built in the mid-18th century, the Spanish Governor’s
Palace was originally the quarters for the of
the area’s Spanish colonial troops. In 1722 it became the seat of
Texas’ colonial government. Today it’s a museum filled with
period furniture that provides a charming background against
the backdrop of the adobe walls, brick ovens and fireplaces.
Call 210-224-0601 for more info.
Check out one of the largest bird collections in the world at
the San Antonio Zoological Gardens and Aquarium.
The facility encompasses 35 landscaped acres and holds over
3,500 animals of 750 species. www.sazoo-aq.org
Stop and smell the roses at the San Antonio Botanical
Garden. More than 33 acres of year-round color in bloom
awaits you. Highlights include an authentic log cabin, seasonal
floral displays, modernistic glass pyramids, and exotic plant
specimens from around the world. www.sabot.org
Located in one of the oldest historic districts in Texas,
Guenther House was built in 1860 by Carl Hilmar Guenther,
founder of Pioneer Flour Mills. The restored house offers a
museum featuring mill memorabilia. www.GuentherHouse.com