Signature City San Antonio

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration: 3:00 p.m. After you have your room assignment, ask front desk staff or check signs in the lobby for the location of our Road Scholar meeting room to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing the up-to-date schedule that reflects any changes and other important information. If you arrive late, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation meeting- 4:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Our Group Leader will then present an introduction of San Antonio, explaining how the River Walk was developed and offering a short explanation about how various cultures converged on the area to make it the unique place that it is today. Each day at 5:30 p.m., the hotel has a reception on the second floor to which all are invited for free with a rotating menu of hot food and cold beverages. Save room for dinner!

Dinner: At the hotel, we'll have a catered dinner with coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: At leisure. Continue gettting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night's rest for the day ahead.

Activity note: Getting on/off public transportation. Walking up to 2 miles and climbing stairs; downtown streets.

Breakfast: In the hotel’s second floor mezzanine, have what you like from the breakfast buffet with choices such as scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, yogurt, granola, fresh fruit, bagels, toast, muffins, jellies and jams, oatmeal, cold cereal, milk, juices, coffee, tea, water.

Morning: We’ll be joined by a professor from St. Philip’s College who will explain why Texas is the most universally famous place in America in a two-hour lecture focusing on the sweeping events and fascinating characters that make Texas the amazing place it is: what John Steinbeck described as "a state of mind…a mystique closely approximating a religion…the obsession, the proper study, and the passionate possession of all Texans.”

Lunch: We’ll walk to a nearby restaurant for a buffet lunch with salads, soups, made-to-order pasta, dessert, coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: We’ll embark on a walking field trip with a local expert to explore some of San Antonio’s most iconic sites. We’ll also learn about the development of the River Walk and its impact on the transformation of the area. The Spanish colonial mission we know as the Alamo was established in 1718, and moved to its current location in 1724. Its history is fascinating and complex. After the gallant defense by 182 Texans against Gen. Santa Anna’s army in 1836, “Remember the Alamo!” became a rallying cry for Texas independence. We'll hear the story of the Alamo, then visit the Shrine, view artifacts, and watch a short movie. The Menger, the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi, was established in 1859 and set the standard of luxury for its day. Among the historic events that took place here, Teddy Roosevelt recruited his “Rough Riders” cavalry brigade. Our expert will take us inside for a peek at the elaborately appointed lobbies and the Menger bar, to see memorabilia from TR's time. We’ll understand more about Texas pride as we visit these historic sites. We’ll return to the hotel at the end of our field trip for some time to relax or enjoy the hotel reception.

Dinner: We'll walk to a nearby restaurant that offers a variety of entrée choices; coffee, tea, water included, other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: A San Antonio native will regale us with stories about the city's interesting past and colorful characters.

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking up to 1 mile, standing in museum up to 2 hours.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We'll start the day at the San Antonio Mission National Historic Park where an expert will lead as we explore the missions that make up the historic park. Learn about the early settlement and efforts of the Spanish to convert local people to the Roman Catholic Church and an agricultural lifestyle. See how the Spanish used “acequia” (irrigation systems) to develop self sustaining agricultural communities along the San Antonio River. We will then have a culinary adventure with all you need to know to begin Tex-Mex cooking at a family owned restaurant. With the head chef and owner, learn how to prepare a delicious Mexican meal with picante while hearing the story of how her mother struggled to start the restaurant and how the family business has expanded to satisfy the hunger of thousands of happy customers.

Lunch: At the family restaurant, savor a delicious meal of Tex-Mex cuisine.

Afternoon: Art enthusiasts will delight in a field trip to one of San Antonio’s finest art institutions. Enjoy a visit to the McNay Museum of Art, a Spanish Colonial Revival-style home which opened as the first museum of modern art in Texas in 1954. Today, its visitors are captivated by magnificent works of art by modern masters including Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Finish off this day of exploration with a stop that takes us back in time to the Spanish colonial era of San Antonio in the 18th century at San Fernando Cathedral. The oldest church sanctuary in the United States, it was completed in 1750 and is still an active parish of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Construction began on the cathedral shortly after the Canary Island colonists, granted land and title by Spain’s King Philip V, settled here in 1731.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions

Evening: If you like, this evening you may walk across the plaza adjacent to the hotel to the San Fernando Cathedral to see it like never before during a light show put together by French artist Xavier De Richemont. This 24 minute show tells the story of San Antonio from its beginnings to present day, projected on the front of the Cathedral. The Cathedral of San Fernando was built from 1738-50 by settlers from the Canary Islands who had been granted land by Spain's King Philip V. Santa Anna raised the red flag of “no quarter” from the church tower during the siege of the Alamo.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll be joined by a local university professor on the intriguing story of German immigrant Mary Menger, who operated two large San Antonio enterprises in the mid 19th century and demonstrated that a woman can thrive during a time when men dominated local commerce. As a widow and single mother, Menger profited from both the Western Brewery and Menger Hotel, becoming San Antonio’s largest employer. After a short break, we'll catch a narrated barge ride on the San Antonio River, located 20 feet below street level and just steps from the famed Alamo. See how stone pathways connect shops, restaurants, hotels and museums with a blend of historic and modern architecture that resonate the depth of this centuries-old metropolis. The barge driver will tell you all about the history of the area and the buildings you pass as you float along the river.

Lunch: We'll enjoy lunch at a river walk restaurant near the hotel with a variety of entrée choices, which inclueds tea, coffee and water.

Afternoon: The rest of the afternoon is an opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Walking up to 2 miles, standing for up to 2 hours. Ability to board public transportation with minimal assistance.

Breakfast: Full breakfast buffet at the hotel.

Morning: From campfires to cracker barrels to front porches, folks have been gathering around campfires for centuries and tales told well still work their magic. Texas history and folklore come alive through riveting tales – some true, some tall – told by our award-winning storyteller, so gather round, sit back, and enjoy. Chuckle at humorous stories and Texas myths told by our storyteller.

Lunch: We’ll venture to “South Town” for a meal at a popular local restaurant.

Afternoon: We’ll head to the historic King William neighborhood to hear the interesting stories of immigrants and others who were instrumental in the economic development of the city. We’ll see mansions and cottages of varied architectural styles built by successful families after the Civil War. Walk along the San Antonio River and imagine when this part of the city served as farm land to support the Alamo complex in mission days. We’ll visit downtown’s newest museum, the Briscoe Museum of Western Art. Learn more about the development of Texas and the Old West as we enjoy seeing art and artifacts from the region.

Dinner: We’ll have a festive farewell dinner at a River Walk restaurant featuring a choice of entrée while enjoying live mariachi music.

Evening: At leisure. Linger over dinner or return to the hotel and prepare for check-out and departure in the morning following our closing session.

Activity note: Hotel check-out by 11:00 a,m.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!