CITY SPOTLIGHT
SAN ANTONIO
Culinary
• Authentic Tex-Mex food is San Antonio’s
culinary and cultural icon, a combo
plate of flavors: Mexican, Spanish, Native
American and even Moroccan.
• Surrounding the old Pearl Brewery is a
16-block complex of food, culture and
entertainment.
STEPHANIE COLGAN
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• Part of the Pearl’s foodie allure is the
Culinary Institute of America—one of
its three campuses in the U.S.—where
groups can dine, tour and take food
and wine classes.
Pick a pepper at the Pearl Farmers Market.
There is no shortage of Tex-Mex dining
spots in San Antonio.
• The neighboring Texas Wine Trail
includes 46 wineries and multi-week celebrations in October and December.
The Culinary Institute of America offers
tours, meals and classes.
July 2016
Cyclists can enjoy sunshine and bluebonnets
along the Mission Reach River Walk trail.
• At Natural Bridge Caverns, groups can take
tours that vary in time, length and difficulty.
And at nearby Bracken Cave, a guided tour
gives visitors an up-close view of millions of
bats emerging for their nightly insect hunt.
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• At the crossroads of four diverse ecosystems, San Antonio is a destination for
birders who are interested in South Texas
species, such as the golden-cheeked
warbler and the black-capped vireo.
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• Sixty-eight miles of urban hike and bike
trails—and 11,000-plus acres of urban
parks—allow visitors to explore the
city. Popular routes include the Mission
Trail, which connects four of the city’s
Spanish colonial missions, and Museum
Reach, a northern extension of the River
Walk studded with culture and outdoor
art installations.
• Down the road is Six Flags Fiesta Texas,
which is designed around four themed
areas: a Mexican town, a German village, a 1920s cowboy boomtown and a
small Texas town. Each features musical
shows and exciting rides.
• San Antonio’s newest theme park is
Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first family
fun park designed for individuals with
special needs. The park offers wheelchairaccessible rides, playgrounds and gardens,
as well as an eight-acre fishing lake.
• Its cluster of diverse restaurants offers
some of the city’s best cuisine, from
Latin and Italian fare to pure Texas
barbecue and wild game.
Active lifestyles
• SeaWorld San Antonio offers Texas-sized
fun at the world’s largest marine life park,
with rides, shows and new immersive
experiences with the park’s animals. Also
at SeaWorld is Aquatica, a new water park
with terraced pools, a giant wave pool and
a raft ride with a weightlessness experience.
Upside down at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.
• Locals and visitors can sample
regional produce and products every
weekend at the farmers market next
to the River Walk.
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Theme parks and
family activities
BOB HOWEN
• Nearby towns in the surrounding Hill
Country offer an array of foods and festivals ranging from barbecue and crawfish to chiles and sausage.
A glimpse of a black-capped vireo can
reward bird watchers.
Visitors and bats spread their wings at
Bracken Cave.
• San Antonio’s bike-share program, B-cycle,
offers an easy access way to tour the
city’s most popular destinations while still
enjoying the great outdoors. Memberships
are available for a day, a week or a year.
• Sports fans can find plenty to cheer about,
as San Antonio is home to top-level professional basketball (men’s and women’s),
rodeo and golf, plus minor league baseball,
ice hockey, soccer and indoor football.