2006 RESNET Building Performance Conference
About Our Host City: San Antonio
February 27 - March
1, 2006
Plaza San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San
Antonio captures the spirit of Texas. Now the ninth largest city in the
United States, the city has retained its sense of history and tradition,
while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress. The city has always been
a crossroads and a meeting place. Sounds and flavors of Native Americans,
Old Mexico, Germans, the Wild West, African-Americans and the Deep South
mingle and merge. Close to eight million visitors a year delight in the
discovery of San Antonio's charms.
Amidst
the daily hubbub of the busy metropolitan downtown, sequestered 20 feet
below street level, lies one of San Antonio's jewels - the Paseo del Rio.
Better known as the "River
Walk," these cobblestone and flagstone paths border both sides of the
San Antonio River as it winds its way through the middle of the business
district. The River Walk is only two blocks from the RESNET Conference
hotel. The River Walk has multiple personalities - quiet and park-like in
some stretches, while other areas are full of activity with European-style
sidewalk cafes, specialty boutiques, nightclubs and gleaming high-rise
hotels. The River Walk stretches for approximately two-and-a-half miles from
the Municipal Auditorium and Conference Center on the north end to the King
William Historic District on the south. Rio San Antonio Cruises, the river's
floating transportation system, provides a novel method of sightseeing and
people-watching in downtown San Antonio. Groups can also dine aboard
open-air cruisers as they wind their way along the scenic waterway. River
taxis deliver visitors to Rivercenter, a dazzling three-level glass
shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and to the newly expanded Henry
B. Gonzalez Convention Center.
For
history buffs, San Antonio is a mecca. Native Americans first lived along
the San Antonio River, calling the area "Yanaguana," which means "refreshing
waters," or "clear waters." A band of Spanish explorers and missionaries
came upon the river in 1691, and because it was the feast day of St.
Anthony, they named the river "San Antonio." The actual founding of the city
came in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares, when he established Mission San
Antonio de Valero, which became permanently etched in the annals of history
in 1836 as The Alamo where 189 defenders
held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops for 13 days. The cry
"Remember the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texan revolution
against Mexico. Located in the heart of downtown only three blocks from the
RESNET Conference hotel, today The Alamo is a shrine and museum. A tour of
downtown San Antonio will uncover centuries of history, including:
- La Villita,
one of the original settlements was comprised of Spanish soldiers and
their families.
- The Spanish Governor's Palace, which was
the seat of government when San Antonio was the capital of the Spanish
Province of Texas
- The
San Fernando Cathedral, whose construction started in 1731 by Canary
Islanders
-
The Jose Antonio Navarro
State Historical Park, home of Navarro, a central figure in the
formation of Texas
-
Market Square, the largest Mexican marketplace outside of Mexico
- The Steves Homestead, a mansion open to
the public in the King William Historic District, a short walk from the
RESNET Conference hotel.
- San
Antonio Missions National Historical Park, a short drive to the
historic missions. Start your adventure at the Visitors Center at Mission
San Jose and explore the other jewels of San Antonio's mission period.
San
Antonio is home to two major theme parks -
Sea World San Antonio, the
world's largest marine life park, and
Six Flags
Fiesta Texas, the town built just for fun! Sea World San Antonio
combines fun with education and appreciation for some of the ocean's most
fascinating creatures through more than 25 shows, educational exhibits and
rides. Six Flags Fiesta, Texas Theme Park is a non-stop celebration of San
Antonio and South Texas. It's created around four themed areas: the Mexican
town of Los Festivales, the German village of Spassburg, the 1920 cowboy
boom town of Crackaxle Canyon, and the small Texas town of Rockville during
the golden age of rock'n'roll, which includes Fiesta Bay Boardwalk, a
'50s-'60s seaside boardwalk complete with a 90-foot Ferris wheel.
San Antonio has two impressive art museums.
The McNay Art Museum is set in a
Mediterranean-style mansion and has wide-ranging collections, including
post-impressionist and modern art, theater art, Medieval Art, Native
American art and more.
The
San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) is housed in the castle-like former
headquarters of the Lone Star Brewery. This museum is noted for its
antiquities collections, Mexican folk art, modern art, pre-Columbian art,
Spanish colonial art, and the 30,000 square foot Nelson A. Rockefeller
Center for Latin American Arts.
San Antonio is
the home of the 2005 National Basketball Association's World Champion San
Antonio Spurs. NBA MVP Tim Ducan and the Spurs will have home games at the
nearby SBC Center on Monday, February 27 against the New York Knicks, and
Tuesday, March 2 against the Dallas Mavericks. For ticket information click
here San
Antonio Spurs.
For additional information on
San Antonio be sure to visit the
San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, an information site on the
attractions and events in and around San Antonio.
Other San Antonio Attraction Links:
Transportation
- VIA
Street Car - VIA's historic streetcar is the perfect way to the many
downtown San Antonio destinations for shopping and sightseeing. Streetcars
run from early morning until late evening with stops conveniently located
throughout downtown. Streetcars come by each stop every ten minutes and
the fare is 80 cents.
- Alamo
Trolley - Explore San Antonio aboard the friendliest trolley tour in
town. The entirely narrated 60 minute fun tour will take you to the heart
of San Antonio and to the city's cultural attractions.
-
SATRANS Airport Shuttle - Service between the San Antonio Airport and
the RESNET Conference hotel from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily for $9.00 one way
and $16 round-trip.
Attractions
- San Antonio
Botanical Garden - Celebrate the glorious world of plants just four
miles north of downtown. Explore the beautiful Lucile Halsell Conservatory
with its striking glass pyramids. Hike the Texas Native Trail, and stroll
though the formal gardens.
- San
Antonio Zoo - The San Antonio Zoo exhibits a vast collection of over
3,800 animals. Just five minutes from the River Walk situated at the
headwaters of the San Antonio River and surrounded by towering cypress
trees and limestone cliffs, the Zoo is uniquely suited for viewing animals
from habitats around the world.
- San
Antonio Missions National Park - San Antonio National Historical Park
consists of four Spanish frontier missions that were part of a
colonization system stretching across the Spanish Southwest of the 17th,
18th and 19th centuries The park's visitor center is located about four
miles from downtown.
Shopping
-
Market Square - Market Square is the largest Mexican market place
outside of Mexico. It is San Antonio's most unique shopping, dining and
entertainment experience. Authentically Mexico and enriched with a
fascinating legacy of public markets.
-
River Center - Shop San Antonio style on the famous River Walk. You
will discover 125 fine stores plus the IMAX theater.
Day Trips from San Antonio
- Spoetzl
Brewery - The little brewery in Shiner, Texas was established in 1909
by Czech and German immigrants It is the home of the nationally renown
Shiner Bock. The heart of the little brewery is the brew house. It is here
where the Shiner legend endures. You are invited to visit this little
brewery. See how they handcraft every brew and enjoy a brew.
- Historic Gruene Hall - Gruene Hall's legacy is more than being the
oldest, continually operating dance hall in Texas. Gruene Hall has been
instrumental in starting the careers of Lyle Lovett, George Strait and
many others. The stage has seen the likes of Bo Diddley, the Dixie Chicks,
Jerry Lee Lewis, Garth Brooks, and Willie Nelson.
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