Day 1 - Society of Petroleum Engineers

16
SPE TODAY
City’s Art and History Mix Vibrantly, Providing Much to See
Adam Wilson, SPE Today Editor
Welcome to San Antonio, deep
in the heart of Texas. Certainly,
visiting a city for a convention doesn’t
leave much time to explore; but, if
you find yourself with time to venture
outside of the convention, the city has
many gems to be discovered. Because
San Antonio is such a varied and vibrant
city, the following is just a sample of
things to do while you’re in town if you
have a bit more time. If nothing else,
take time to stroll down the Riverwalk
and mosey over to see the Alamo.
Paseo del Rio
The San Antonio River snakes through
the heart of the city, cutting through
the convention center where SPE’s
Annual Technical Convention and
Exhibition is being held. One floor
below street level, the Riverwalk winds
for approximately 5 miles, although
an expansion project will extend the
trail to 15 miles by 2013. The paths
along the river connect the convention
center and the Rivercenter Mall across
the street to many of the area’s hotels,
restaurants, and attractions.
Open-air boats ferry people up and
down the river, taking visitors on tours
of the area and stopping along the way
at restaurants, hotels, the convention
center, and the mall. Some of these
boats even double as places to dine. A
boat tour costs USD 8.25 for general
admission. The Rio Taxi service costs
USD 5 one way or USD 10 for a 24-hour
pass and USD 25 for a 3-day pass.
Tour boats drift gently down the San Antonio River. A tour costs USD 8.25 per person. Credit: SACVB Photo/Al Rendon.
Overview
The Pearl Brewery originally opened
as a brewery in 1881. It functioned as
a brewery until 2001, when it began
its transformation into the dining
and shopping center it is today. The
brewery is now home to several
restaurant and shops, giving visitors a
slice of San Antonio in one spot.
If you’re looking for more than just
a sample of the city, the Tower of the
Americas can show you the whole
enchilada. Rising 750 ft above the
convention center, the tower provides
full 360° view of the city. The Chart
House restaurant sits at the top of the
tower, slowly rotating so diners can
see the whole city without leaving
their tables. Tickets to the tower are
USD 10.95 and include access to the
observation deck.
History and Heritage
For those looking for an even broader
view, The Institute of Texan Cultures
showcases the diversity of culture
in Texas. The museum, which is
associated with the Smithsonian
Institution, is just across the street
from the Tower of the Americas. Built
along with the tower for the 1968
HemisFair, the museum now serves
as Texas’ center for multicultural
education, with exhibits designed to
entertain and educate.
San Antonio has plenty of
opportunities to get in touch with
its Spanish history. The Spanish
Governor’s Palace downtown near
City Hall was the seat of government
when San Antonio was the capital of
the Spanish Province of Texas. It is
open to the public and is next to the
A full moon shines over the Alamo, the most famous of San Antonio’s five
missions and site of the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution.
Credit: SACVB Photo.
San Fernando Cathedral, which houses
the nation’s oldest cathedral sanctuary;
construction began in 1731.
The city is also home to the Mission
Trail, a route dotted with remnants
of Spain’s conquest of the area. The
first mission was constructed around
1720. Ultimately, five missions were
constructed, and they still stand as
historical monuments. The missions are
open for visits from 0900 to 1730 and
give a glimpse of life when San Antonio
was the frontier.
The most famous of these missions
is the Alamo, originally known as
Mission San Antonio de Valero. The
Alamo was the first mission established
in San Antonio and was already 100
years old when it fell during the
Battle of the Alamo during the Texas
Revolution in 1836. Approximately 200
people, almost the entire population
of the mission, died defending the
mission against 1,500 Mexican troops
during that battle. To this day, Texans
remember the Alamo as a symbol of
struggle against insurmountable odds.
While the Alamo is the most famous
of San Antonio’s missions, Mission
Concepcion has been called the most
beautiful. Restoration and preservation
efforts ensure the mission looks almost
as it did more than 200 years ago.
More remote than its sister
missions, Mission Espada houses the
best-preserved part of the medieval
irrigation system used to water the
fields. Parts of the system remain in
use today.
Mission San Jose and Mission
San Juan complete the collection of
missions in and around San Antonio.
San Jose was established in 1720 and
has been called Queen of the Missions
because of its grand stone walls,
bastions, and church. San Juan has a
still-functioning, open bell tower and
includes a self-guided nature trail.
The Art of Texas
The San Antonio Museum of Art
is down the Riverwalk from the
convention center at Jones Avenue.
The museum is closed on Mondays
but is free on Tuesdays from 1600 to
2100. Current exhibitions are “Rostros
de Maria: The Virgin as Archetype
and Inspiration,” a look at how the
Virgin Mary has been portrayed in
art throughout the centuries; “Adad
Hannah: Intimate Encounters,” staged
photographs and video tableaux that
reinterpret historical art masterpieces;
“Love in Three Capitals,” prints from
the late 17th and early 18th centuries
that portray life in the three capitals
of Japan—Edo, Osaka, and Kyoto; and
“Aphrodite and the Gods of Love,” a
collection of ancient Greek statues
and other representations centered
on Aphrodite.
The city also is dotted with eclectic
art districts. La Villita and Market
Square are two great collections of art
and culture. La Villita, “the little village,”
was one of San Antonio’s original
settlements, developed in the late 18th
century. Now, it is a haven for artists
and craftsmen selling jewelry, stained
glass, and other handcrafts, as well as
fashions from Mexico and Guatemala.
Dating to 1840, Market Square (El
Mercado) is the largest Mexican
marketplace north of the Rio Grande
and a great place to find mementos of
your visit to the Lone Star State.