We will board a motor coach with a certified tour guide for our ride to the Texas Hill Country.  The guide will indicate points of interest and share the fascinating history of this beautiful countryside. 

Fredericksburg, Texas, settled by German immigrants in the early 1800’s, is rich in heritage, culture and charm.  Within a four to five block area are numerous historical buildings, restaurants and museums.  Our visit starts with a tour of the National Museum of the Pacific War, the only institution dedicated to the story of the Pacific Theater World War II battles (originally The Admiral Nimitz Museum, after native son Chester Nimitz).  Then we will have a short time to browse through the shops in the town. 

Lunch on your own, water and snack on return bus ride.

After boarding the motor coach, the guide will begin the story of San Antonio’s 250 years of fascinating history.  Our first stop will be The Alamo, “The Shrine of Texas Liberty” and San Antonio’s first Mission.  We will tour the chapel and walk the grounds as we learn about the “Battle for Texas Independence”. 

From the Alamo, we will drive by the San Fernando Cathedral, built in 1731 and one of the oldest churches in continuous use in the US.  Our tour continues past the Spanish Governor’s Palace and on to the Mexican Market known as El Mercado.  Here we will disembark to visit the shops and restaurants that offer arts, crafts and freshly baked Mexican pastries.  

Next is a tour of the Guenther House, an elegantly restored home built in 1860.  The house is located in the King William District, one of the oldest historical districts in Texas.  

From the Guenther House, it’s back on the motor coach for a short trip to the workshop of Gini Garcia Art Glass to see the kilns and visit the gift shop.  Our tour ends as we board the motor coach and return to the hotel by 1 pm.  

No lunch included.

We begin our walking tour with the historical Buckhorn Saloon and Museum, established in 1881 by Albert Friedrich.  Known for its rare and unique collection of more than 75,000 artifacts and 10,000 different species, the Buckhorn has been delighting locals and visitors to San Antonio for more than 117 years.  Special features include the Buckhorn bar, first installed in the late 1890’s, and its 1913 cash register.  The newest addition is the Texas Ranger Museum, which holds the history of these famous crime fighters. 

After our self-guided tour of the Buckhorn, we will walk to La Villita, “The Little Village” to shop and explore, enjoying the wonderful assortment of arts and crafts shops.  We will return to our hotel by 1:00 pm. 

No lunch included.

After boarding the motor coach, we will proceed to the lush and tranquil 33-acre San Antonio Botanical Gardens and it’s Lucile Halsell Conservatory.  Here you will experience the sights and smells of Hill Country wild flowers, a fragrant herb garden, formal rose beds and a garden that features botanicals mentioned throughout the Bible.  There is a children’s garden, a garden for the blind and a traditional Japanese garden which was donated by Kumanmoto City, Japan, San Antonio’s sister city. 

Next, we will visit the San Antonio Zoo, ranked as one of the best zoos in the United States. The zoo includes exhibits appealing to children and adults, including “Butterflies! Caterpillar Flight School” and “Lory Landing”, an outdoor aviary. 

On our way back to the hotel on the motor coach, the guide will relate fascinating stories of San Antonio’s 250 years of history as we wend our way past the Alamo, the Spanish Governor’s Palace and San Fernando Cathedral, all examples of the Spanish influence that exemplifies early San Antonio architecture. 

No lunch included.

Central Market, with 63,000 square feet of retail space, is composed of 14 separate markets under one roof.  We will take a guided tour of the Produce, Meat, Bakery, Deli, Cheese Bar, Flower Market, Humidor and Beer and Wine Shop.  There will be a flower arranging demonstration in the Floral Market and a talk about the Ready-To-Go area.  In the Ready-To-Go area, there are several food selection types (hot, cold, sushi, etc.) and a seating area where our lunch can be enjoyed.  We will make our choices for lunch up to $20 here.  While eating, a food specialist will tell us more about this unique store. 

Lunch included.

First stop will be Grape Creek Vineyards, located in the Pedernales Valley, where white wines are aged in French oak barrels and red wines in American oak.  Then, it’s on to Herb Farm Gardens to learn about the many herbs and enjoy a lunch accented with these herbs.  The final stop is at the Becker Winery, south of Fredericksburg, Texas.  Established in 1992 with classic grape varieties, Becker is a state-of-the-art facility with a wine and gourmet food shop and expanded tasting room. 

Lunch included, water and snack on return bus

The uniquely named town of Gruene (pronounced “green”) is less than an hour from San Antonio.  The restored buildings in this 19th century town house shops featuring unique hand-crafted furniture, antiques and silver pieces, an old-time drug store and many dress shops.  We will tour the Old Grist Mill before proceeding to Gruene Hall.  Gruene Hall is over 100 years old.  It is the location for the dance scene in John Travolta’s movie, Michael.  George Strait and Lyle Lovett started their careers in this old dance hall with a tin roof, open rafters and fold down shutters. 

Lunch on your own, water and snack on return bus

Boerne (pronounced “Burn-e”) is a delightful German community approximately 20 minutes from San Antonio.  This small town is filled with antique stores and boutiques galore, with many shops having merchandise indigenous to the Texas Hill Country and popular Texas folklore. 

Upon arrival in Boerne, there will be an orientation to the various locations and popular spots for browsing and shopping.  Weaving and knitting, along with painting skills will be demonstrated at the Collection, a store of handcrafted artwork.  After being turned loose to shop, we’ll meet at 12:30, at Ye Kendall Inn for a lunch of Chinese Chicken Salad with assorted cookies for dessert.  Then we will enjoy more shopping until we board the bus back to San Antonio. 

Lunch included, water and snack on return bus

After boarding the motor coach, the first stop will be the Alamo, “The Shrine of Texas Liberty” and San Antonio’s first mission.  Then it’s off to visit the grandest mission in terms of size and architectural detail, Mission San Jose, termed the “Queen of the Missions”.  Established in 1720, it is the largest and best restored of San Antonio’s five missions.  Last, we will visit Mission Espada.  Established in 1731, but never completed, the outline of the  intended church can still be seen. 

Then it’s on to Boudro’s Restaurant and a cooking demonstration in a private room.  Our group will see a demonstration on how to prepare a delicious Guacamole and Prickly Pear Margaritas, with an opportunity to participate and make our own servings.  Then we reboard the buses to return to the hotel. 

Includes recipe cards to take home, snacks and two Prickly Pear Margaritas.

We start with a walk to the IMAX theater to watch “The Alamo: The Price of Freedom”, followed by a tour of the Alamo itself.  Next will be a tour through the historic Menger Hotel, complete with stories about ghosts and of Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders.  We’ll continue with a 45 minute tour of San Antonio by riverboat, viewing historic buildings and WPA-built bridges before returning to the hotel. 

No lunch included