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: 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. Each evening from 5:30-7:00 p.m., the hotel hosts a complimentary “kickback” reception on the second floor with food and drink. Everyone is invited. 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.

Dinner: At the hotel, we will have a catered buffet meal with beverage choices of coffee, tea, water included

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting 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; riding about 1/2 mile (2 stops). Walking up to 2 miles on downtown streets and climbing stairs; standing for up to 2 hours.

Breakfast: Each day in the hotel’s second floor mezzanine, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as make-your-own Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy, coffee and more.

Morning: We’ll be joined by a college professor 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 this the amazing place it is. John Steinbeck once wrote, “I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion.” Next we’ll embark on a field trip by foot 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.

Lunch: We’ll stop at a nearby restaurant for a buffet lunch with beverage choices of coffee, tea, water; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will continue our walking exploration of downtown San Antonio with our local expert. 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 its gallant defense by 182 Texans against General 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. We will then visit the historic Menger hotel, across the plaza from the Alamo. The Menger, the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi, was established in 1859 and set the standard of luxury for its day. Historic events that took place here include Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders cavalry brigade recruitment. 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. From here, we will have some free time to explore the area independently or return to the hotel on foot along the river.

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

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Getting on/off motorcoach; driving approximately 1 hour total, up to 15 miles, over the course of the day. Walking up to 2 miles and standing for up to 2 hours at historic sites. Ability to board a motorcoach with minimal assistance several times a day.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: In our meeting room, we will embrace the essence of San Antonio by examining historical and cultural influences and their presence today. Two "culturistas" will explore aspects of local food, music, family traditions, and festivals that are part of what makes San Antonio one of America’s four unique cities, as per Mark Twain. As we meander through the streets of the city we will see words and names such as Flores, Mi Tierra, La Villita, San Fernando, Presa, and Alamo: names given by San Antonio’s early settlers 300 years ago. They represent the mix of cultures and traditions that make the city so memorable.

Lunch: We’ll venture to South Town for a meal at a popular local restaurant, where we will enjoy a choice of plated main courses. Coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch we'll take a short walk around King William historic neighborhood and learn the rice history of this district. Next we'll travel by motorcoach to explore the San Antonio Mission National Historical Park, a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. Led by our expert Group Leader, we’ll explore the missions that make up this complex and learn about the early settlement and efforts of the Spanish to convert local people to the Roman Catholic Church and an agricultural form of life. We’ll see how the Spanish used “acequia” (irrigation systems) to develop self-sustaining agricultural communities along the San Antonio River. Among the highlights is Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo — the so-called “Queen of the Missions” — carefully restored by the WPA in the 1930s.

Dinner: The cost of this meal has been excluded from your program cost for you to enjoy dinner at the location of your choice. There is a wide variety of restaurants within a short distance from the hotel.

Evening: A San Antonio native will regale us with stories about the city's interesting past and colorful characters. Afterwards, we will set out with our Group Leader to the San Fernando Cathedral to watch a light show by the French artist Xavier De Richemont. This show tells the history of San Antonio, projected onto the cathedral.

Activity note: Getting on/off barge; riding about 1 hour; climbing up/down stairs to access River Walk area of city and restaurants.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll be joined in our meeting room 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. We will learn about the history of the area and the blend of old and new from our barge driver as we float along the river.

Lunch: We'll enjoy lunch at a river walk restaurant near the hotel with a variety of main course choices, with coffee, tea, water included.

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: Getting on/off motorcoach, driving 10 miles total, under 1 hour. Walking up to 1 mile, standing up two 2 hours at museums.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We'll start the day by taking a peek at the system of folk medicine that came to be used by the early Texans, who were often forced to find substitutes for remedies that had been available in their previous environs. They began to share “cures” with people from other cultures such as Native Americans, Mexicans, Germans, Poles, Swedes, and many others. A local educator will join us in the meeting room as we look inside the medical cabinets of these early settlers. 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, we’ll 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, we’ll savor a delicious meal of Tex-Mex cuisine. Coffee, tea, water included; other beverages available for purchase.

Afternoon: Next, we will ride to the McNay Museum of Art, a Spanish Colonial Revival-style home that opened as the first museum of modern art in Texas in 1954, for a docent-led field trip. It features captivating 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. Next, we’ll step back in time with our Group Leader to the 18th century Spanish colonial era of San Antonio at San Fernando Cathedral. It was built from 1738-50 by settlers from the Canary Islands who had been granted land by Spain’s King Philip V. The Cathedral is the oldest religious community in Texas and is still an active parish of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. Santa Anna raised the red flag of “no quarter” from the church tower during the siege of the Alamo. One of the most interesting of the cathedral’s holdings is what purports to be the final resting place of Davy Crockett, William Travis, and Jim Bowie.

Dinner: We’ll enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant and reflect on our week's experiences.

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

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

Breakfast: Hotel buffet. This concludes our program.

Morning: If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!