October 30, 2018

San Antonio, Texas: Main Plaza; things to do

Main Plaza  

115 Main Plaza, (210) 225-9800.  Free. 

Situated in the city’s center, San Antonio's historic Main Plaza dates back to the early 1700s.  This innovative public space enhances the city's core with mature trees and bubbling fountains.  Known historically as the "Heart of the City," this plaza is home to San Fernando Cathedral, the oldest cathedral sanctuary in the nation.  Additionally, Main Plaza hosts a variety of events that include farmer's markets, food trucks, and art installations.

exterior of San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas
exterior of San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas


San Antonio/The Saga 
Tu, F, Sat, Sun at 9pm, 9:30pm, & 10pm.  Free. 

The Saga is a beautiful 24-minute video art installation created by renowned French artist Xavier De Richemont.  Using lights and music, it projects on the façade of the cathedral and takes you on a colorful visual journey through the history of San Antonio.  The Saga is Richemont’s first outdoor art installation in the U.S.  Other works by him can be seen in France, Germany, Spain, Morocco, Mexico, and Canada.

San Antonio/The Saga projected on exterior of San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio/The Saga projected on exterior of San Fernando Cathedral
in San Antonio, Texas


Downtown Tuesday 

●On Tuesday nights, parking is free after 5 p.m. at downtown city garages and meters.
This stellar collection of western art is also free for the viewing on Tuesdays  from 4 p.m. to closing.

"Walkara--Hawk of the Mountains" by Greg Kelsey at Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
"Walkara--Hawk of the Mountains" by Greg Kelsey
at Briscoe Western Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas


The Esquire Tavern  

155 East Commerce St., (210) 222-2521.  

Celebrating the end of Prohibition when it opened in 1933, this watering hole has been popular ever since.  The Esquire Tavern is located on the River Walk and makes a great place to enjoy a casual meal.  Newly updated, a cabbie who dropped me here quipped that “it went from tomato to tomahto.”  Now, downstairs is for drinking and upstairs is for dining on tasty tavern fare.

downstairs bar at The Esquire Tavern in San Antonio, Texas
downstairs bar at The Esquire Tavern in San Antonio, Texas


●Arrive at San Antonio's Main Plaza by 9 p.m. for the evening’s first projection of San Antonio/The Saga light show (always free).


More things to do in San Antonio.

Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

October 11, 2018

San Antonio, Texas: San Antonio Museum of Art; things to do

San Antonio Museum of Art  

200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100.  Tu & F 10am-9pm, W, Thur, Sat, Sun 10am-5pm.  $15, 65+ $12, under 13 free; free Tu 4pm-9pm & Sun 10am-noon.

San Antonio is a master at reworking old factories and industrial buildings into museums and living spaces.  The slick San Antonio Museum of Art was once the circa 1884 Lone Star Brewery complex.  To efficiently tour its two wings, start on the ground floor of one and work your way up to the top floor, then cross over to the other wing and work your way down.  Be sure to use the trippy glass elevator situated in the center. 

The museum is known for its Latin American Art Center and Asian Art wing.  Collection highlights include a painted gourd Crane that was one of Nelson Rockefeller’s favorites, a collection of animal mummies, and a colorful Chihuly blown-glass flower ceiling similar to the gigantic one that is displayed in the lobby of the Bellagio casino hotel in Las Vegas.

painted gourd Crane at San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas
painted gourd Crane at San Antonio Museum of Art
in San Antonio, Texas



falcon mummy at San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas
falcon mummy at San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas



Chihuly ceiling at San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas
Chihuly ceiling at San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas


  You can walk to or from here easily from The Pearl via the River Walk pathway.  It take about 10 minutes.  On the way you’ll view more art installations.  On the west side of the river, “The Grotto,” by Carlos Cortes (2009), consists of a cave-like installation with water falls and a hidden grotesque face.  A school of fish also enhances the walk.






hanging school of fish on the River Walk near the San Antonio Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas
hanging school of fish on the River Walk near the San Antonio Museum of Art
in San Antonio, Texas


More things to do in San Antonio.

Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images and video ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

October 9, 2018

San Antonio, Texas: King William Historic District; things to do + restaurant review

King William Historic District  

122 Madison St., (210) 227-8786.  Free.   
    
Located on the south bank of the San Antonio River, the sprawling King William Historic District is filled with 19th-century residences.  Many have been preserved, and some have been transformed into cafes, art galleries, museums, and shops.  It was originally settled by prominent German merchants who brought with them a distinct architectural style, and in the late 1800s this district was the most elegant residential area in the city.  It is now zoned as the state's first historic district and remains a fashionable neighborhood.

The Guenther House  

205 E. Guenther St., (210) 227-1061.  

Built in 1859 as the home for the founder of Pioneer Flour Mills, the stone Guenther House opened in 1988 as a museum and restaurant.  The flour mill is still in business today and operates across the street, which makes it the country’s longest continually family-owned and -operated mill.

Pioneer Flour Mills in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
Pioneer Flour Mills in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas


Guenther House Restaurant  

Daily 7am-3pm.  

The Guenther House Restaurant's main dining room here was added to the house later and is known as the Tea Room.  Another interior room and an expansive outdoor patio are also available.  Locals especially like to come here for the breakfast items, which are served all day.  Favorites include a strawberry waffle and buttermilk biscuits with sausage gravy.  Among the pastries is a very big cinnamon roll.  Sandwiches include a club and a BLT with cheddar that--in true Texas style--is mostly apple-wood smoked bacon.  A taco salad and chicken enchiladas are also on the menu.  Items are made with flour milled at the founder’s original flour mill.

dining room at Guenther House Restaurant in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
dining room at Guenther House Restaurant in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas


lunch entrees at Guenther House Restaurant in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
lunch entrees at Guenther House Restaurant in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas

Guenther House Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


Guether House Museum  

Free.  

A self-guided tour of the small Guenther House Museum is available when the restaurant is open.  The museum is in the house’s original library.  It displays mill memorabilia, including antique baking accessories, cookie cutters, and some Dresden-made and American-made china plates that were given to customers as premiums.

library at Guenther House Museum in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
library at Guenther House Museum in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas


San Antonio River Mill Store  

(800) 235-8186.  M-Sat 8am-4pm, Sun 8am-3pm.  

This shop is well stocked with enticing kitchen items.  Selections include housemade preserves and a variety of mixes for items made in the restaurant, including biscuits, waffles, and cornbread.

baking mix in San Antonio River Mill Store at Guenther House Museum in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
baking mix in San Antonio River Mill Store at Guenther House Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas


dessert plate in San Antonio River Mill Store at Guenther House Museum in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
dessert plate in San Antonio River Mill Store at Guenther House Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas



Edward Steves Homestead Museum  

509 King William St., (210) 227-9160.  Daily 10am-3:30pm.  $10, 65+ $7.50, under 12 free; $5/person for guided tour.     

When Edward Steves opened his first lumberyard in San Antonio in 1866, he lived in a modest little house.  About 10 years later he made the big move up to this grand Victorian period home with a French mansard roof.  It cost him $12,500 then, but is worth about  $4,500,000 now.  The family’s lumber business is still going strong, but they no longer are affiliated with this house.  Restored to its original grandeur, the Edward Steves Homestead Museum has many furnishings that are original to the house (you can see more in the Witte Museum).  With 13-inch-thick limestone walls and 14-foot-high ceilings, the temperature inside is naturally cool.  The house has no fireplaces but does have a wood-burning stove in every room.  Unusual for the time period is that the house had running water and built-in closets, and one particularly noteworthy architectural feature is a set of oversize pocket doors with ornate glass.  It is interesting to note that back in the day the neighborhood kids visited to skate on the attic’s wood floor (the attic is not accessible to visitors).  Out buildings beside the river include the servants quarters (now the visitor center), a wash house, a small carriage house, and a natatorium (indoor pool) built in 1910 that is now boarded over.

exterior of Edward Steves Homestead Museum in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
exterior of Edward Steves Homestead Museum in King William Historic District
of San Antonio, Texas


hedge maze at Edward Steves Homestead Museum in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
hedge maze at Edward Steves Homestead Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas


interior stairwell at Edward Steves Homestead Museum in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
interior stairwell at Edward Steves Homestead Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas


bedroom at Edward Steves Homestead Museum in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas
bedroom at Edward Steves Homestead Museum
in King William Historic District of San Antonio, Texas


More things to do in San Antonio.

Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

October 5, 2018

San Antonio, Texas: Blue Star Arts Complex; things to do

Blue Star Arts Complex  

1420 S Alamo St., Southtown, (210) 354-3775. 

The epicenter of contemporary art in San Antonio, the informal Blue Star Arts Complex consists of pop-up studios in apartments, traditional art galleries, and cafes.  It is fun just to wander, but a detailed map at the website helps bring things into focus.

Blue Star Arts Complex in San Antonio, Texas
Blue Star Arts Complex in San Antonio, Texas


Blue Star Contemporary  

#116, (210) 227-6960.  This non-profit contemporary art institution was established by a group of artists in 1986.

The Brick at Blue Star  

#108.  At this cool venue something interesting is always happening.

Choice Goods  

#103.  The original t-shirts and art here is made by local “low-brow” artists.

Choice Goods at Blue Star Arts Complex in San Antonio, Texas
Choice Goods at Blue Star Arts Complex in San Antonio, Texas


Cinnabar  

#147, (210) 557-6073.  This gallery specializes in contemporary art.  I recently saw the Ana Fernandez “Still Life” show here.  Her "La Gardenia" painting depicts a local restaurant (Taco la Gardenia) I happened to visit the day before.

"La Gardenia" by Ana Fernandez at Cinnabar at Blue Star Arts Complex in San Antonio, Texas
"La Gardenia" by Ana Fernandez at Cinnabar at Blue Star Arts Complex
in San Antonio, Texas


Mockingbird Handprints  

#108, (210) 878-5711.  Fine art and crafts by local artists is the specialty in this colorful gallery.

San Angel  

#110, (210) 226-6688.  An eclectic collection of colorful art and clothing is the specialty here.

exterior of San Angel at Cinnabar at Blue Star Arts Complex in San Antonio, Texas
exterior of San Angel at Cinnabar at Blue Star Arts Complex
in San Antonio, Texas


More things to do in San Antonio.

Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

October 3, 2018

San Antonio, Texas: McNay Art Museum; things to do

McNay Art Museum  

6000 N. New Braunfels, Alamo Heights, (210) 824-5368.  Closed M & Tu.  $10, 65+ $5, under 13 free.

red sculpture in gardens at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
red sculpture in gardens at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas


Founded in 1954, the McNay Art Museum was the first contemporary art museum in Texas.  Situated within a 24-room repurposed Spanish Colonial Revival-style mansion that sits on 23 landscaped acres featuring expansive lawns with fountains and a Japanese-inspired garden and fishpond, its exterior offerings are almost as interesting as its interior galleries.  The museum focuses on 19th- and 20th-century European and American art and has one of the finest collections of contemporary art and sculpture in the Southwest.  The new Tobin Exhibition Galleries wing displays the Modern collection.  Additionally, the museum’s Tobin Theatre Arts Gallery holds a research library with more than 30,000 volumes, and a theater presents films.

courtyard at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
courtyard at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas


goldfish pond at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
goldfish pond at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas


plastic market bags by Chuck Ramirez at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
plastic market bags by Chuck Ramirez at McNay Art Museum
in San Antonio, Texas


sculpture gallery in old wing at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
sculpture gallery in old wing at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas


LOVE in shades of gray by Robert Indiana at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
LOVE in shades of gray by Robert Indiana at McNay Art Museum
in San Antonio, Texas


Jack Skellington sculpture by Tim Burton at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
Jack Skellington sculpture by Tim Burton at McNay Art Museum
in San Antonio, Texas


old wing library at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas
old wing library at McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas


More things to do in San Antonio.

See "LOVE" sculpture photo gallery.

Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers 

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