San Antonio Educational Tour Programs
800/451-5552
San Antonio Field Trip
| Day 1 Tuesday, May 25 | |
| 8:00 AM | Depart from XX Airport on your XXX Airlines Flight # XXX, for San Antonio Airport! |
| 1:30 PM | Arrive at San Antonio Airport. Deboard your plane and head to your flight's luggage carousel, where you will meet your Winged Victory USA tour guide. |
| 2:15 PM | Meet your deluxe, climate controlled and restroom-equipped motorcoach and depart for downtown San Antonio! |
| 3:00 PM | Check in to your rooms at the 4-diamond Adam's Mark- San Antonio Riverwalk Hotel.
You will be impressed by the grandeur of Italian marble blended with original artwork and design incorporating the unique colors of the city. The open atmosphere, vibrant Riverwalk location and multiple dining and entertainment venues welcome you with a sense of excitement. |
| 4:00 PM | Reassemble in the lobby, and depart for the River Walk Center. |
| 4:30 PM | Depart on a 35 minute river boat ride which includes a narrated tour of the beautiful San Antonio River.
The jewel of the city is the River Walk. The river is shaded by towering cypress trees, oaks and willows, bordered by gardens of flowering ornamental plants. |
| 5:15 PM | Transfer to an authentic Mexican dinner. |
| 5:30 PM | Enjoy a Mexican dinner at Casa Rio on the Riverwalk!
The restaurant was founded in 1946 by Alfred F. Beyer, and sits on land first granted title in 1777 by the King of Spain. The Spanish Colonial period hacienda became the core of the new business. The cedar door and window lintels, the fireplace, and thick rock walls, are still evident inside the building. Casa Rio was the first San Antonio business to open its doors to the River and take advantage of the River's setting. Canoes, gondolas, and paddle boats, evolving into tour and dinner boats, began here and helped create the Riverwalk of today. |
| 6:30 PM | Despues de la cena, you'll have a few hours to browse throught the Riverwalk and shop at the downtown shops before you IMAX film. |
| 7:40 PM | Make your way over to the IMAX theatre. |
| 8:00 PM | Enjoy an extraordinary IMAX film! |
| 8:45 PM | Return to your hotel. |
| 9:30 PM | Overnight security begins. | Day 2 Wednesday, May 26 |
| 7:00 AM | Full breakfast buffet in the hotel, which will include: scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast, juice, milk, cold cereal. |
| 8:00 AM | Meet your guide in the lobby, board the bus, and depart on a historic city tour, narrated by your tour guide, which will include visits to the Spanish Governor's Palace, San Fernando Cathedral, and Mission San Jose. |
| 9:00 AM | Arrive at The Spanish Governor’s Palace: This building has been labelled the 'most beautiful in San Antonio' by the National Geographic Society. Completed in 1749, it housed the officials of the Spanish Province of Texas and features the Hapsburg coat-of-arms. Splendidly restored, complete with eighteenth-century antique beds, tables, chairs, and cooking utensils. |
| 9:30 AM | Your city tour will continue to:
San Fernando Cathedral: the nearby cathedral with sections dating back to 1731, making it the oldest cathedral in the United States. The church is also (debatably) the final resting spot of the remains of the defenders of the Alamo. Afterwards, proceed to Mission San Jose: San José, as it became known, was the largest of the missions in the area. At its height, the community contained about 300 Indian neophytes sustained by extensive fields and herds of livestock. Viewed as the model among the Texas missions, San José gained a reputation as a major social and cultural center. It became known as the "Queen of the Missions." Its imposing complex of stone walls, bastions, granary and magnificent church was completed in 1782. So rich an enterprise was a natural target for Apache and Comanche depredations. With technical help from the two presidial soldiers garrisoned there, San José residents learned to defend themselves. Already proficient with bow and arrow, Indians also learned the use of guns and cannon. |
| 11:00 AM | Your next stop will be the authentic "El Mercado": From early morning until late at night, Market Square is alive with activity: mariachis, Tejano bands, folkloric dances, and food booths. Visitors browse through the 32 shops at "El Mercado," an area patterned after an authentic Mexican market. In addition, there are 80 specialty shops in Farmers Market Plaza. Market Square is also the scene of many Hispanic festivals. |
| 12:15 PM | Transfer to lunch at your own expense at a nearby Food Court. |
| 1:15 PM | Meet the bus and transfer to The San Antonio Museum of Art. |
| 2:00 PM | Begin your visit to the San Antonio Museum of Art! It is the mission of the San Antonio Museum of Art to educate by collecting, presenting and preserving the significant artistic achievements of the world's cultures from ancient times to the present, and through aesthetic and educational experiences develop a deeper understanding of human cultures, values, and traditions for visitors of all ages. Highlights & Collections:
Since opening in 1981, the San Antonio Museum of Art has become home to the region's finest display of Greek and Roman antiquities, Asian art, Latin American and folk art, and American paintings. Housed in the historic Lone Star Brewery, built in 1884, the 104,000-square-foot facility is San Antonio's finest museum exhibition space. And, it continues to grow. |
| 3:45 PM | Transfer back to the hotel to have a little relaxation time, and freshen up for dinner. |
| 5:30 PM | Reassemble in the lobby, meet your guide, and transfer to dinner. |
| 6:00 PM | Enjoy dinner at "The Original Mexican Restaurant".
"Quite simply, our place pays tribute to the Original Mexican Restaurant owned and operated by the Farnsworth family across the river on Losoya Street from 1899 to 1960. As ‘the oldest Mexican restaurant in the United States’ it defined San Antonio style Mexican food. Today, we celebrate the memory of the Farnsworths' restaurant and their contribution to the cuisine of San Antonio in our Original Mexican Restaurant". Enjoy entertainment provided by a Mariachi band while enjoying your authentic Mexican meal. |
| 7:15 PM | Despues de la cena, weather permitting, depart for the Tower of the Americas. |
| 7:45 PM | Arrive at the Tower of the Americas.
Spectacular is the sight as you approach and gaze all the way up at this 750-foot, (to the tip of the antenna) free standing structure - one of the tallest in America. Anchoring the slender tower are 2,400 tons of reinforced concrete, placing its center of gravity below ground level. The glass enclosed room has telescopes, panoramic photo panels with multi-lingual descriptions and special interior lighting which affords spectacular night-time viewing. Then, step outside and take a walk around the entire circumference! |
| 8:45 PM | Return to your hotel. |
| 9:30 PM | Overnight security begins. |
| Day 3 Thursday, May 27 | |
| 7:30 AM | Full breakfast buffet in the hotel, which will include: scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast, juice, milk, cold cereal. |
| 8:30 AM | Reassemble in the lobby, meet your guide and depart for the Institute of Texan Cultures. |
| 9:00 AM | Begin your visit to: The Institute of Texan Cultures, which is one of the three campuses of The University of Texas at San Antonio, and is a museum dedicated to enhancing the understanding of cultural history, science, and technology and their influence upon the people of Texas. Through exhibits, programs, and publications that encourage acceptance and appreciation of our differences as well as our common humanity, the Institute provides a forum for diversity and the dynamics between cultural history and scientific discovery. |
| 10:45 AM | Afterwards, transfer to The Alamo. |
| 11:15 AM | Arrive at The Alamo, the most visited site in Texas and a solemn shrine to the Texans who fought and died here nearly 170 years ago.
Upon arrival, your guide will take you on a walking tour of the grounds, which will include a visit to the old church that displays artifacts associated with the Alamo Heroes: Travis’ ring, Crockett’s buckskin vest, a flintlock rifle used in the battle; a period Bowie knife, and more. The Alamo Gardens and the Wall of History are two other sites you will explore. Time permitting, visit the Long Barrack Museum for a 17 minute film, produced by the History Channel, about the Alamo. |
| 12:15 PM | Walk to the Riverwalk for lunch at your own expense in the food court. |
| 1:15 PM | After lunch, transfer to the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum. |
| 1:30 PM | Arrive at the The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum: Voted "2002 Best Attraction" by the Downtown Alliance/San Antonio! Discover more than 120 years of history.... Texas style . Marvel at two stories of the most exotic collections you've ever seen, from our unique horn collection, to cowboy memorabilia and fish from the Seven Seas. See a two headed calf and a lamb with eight legs! Test your hand in our authentic shooting gallery and arcade. Don't miss the world's only Wax Museum of Texas History. And, don't forget to swing by the Buckhorn Curio Store, where you'll find extraordinary Texas collectibles and authentic Buckhorn souvenirs |
| 3:00 PM | Return to the hotel to dress casually for your evening activities at El Rio Cibolo Ranch. |
| 4:00 PM | Reassemble in the lobby, then board your bus and depart for El Rio Cibolo Ranch. |
| 5:00 PM | Arrive at Rio Cibolo Ranch and enjoy a real Western dinner before an evening of cowboy activities and fun!
Dinner to include: Starter: Unlimited Popcorn served upon arrival with iced water, lemonade, tea, and sodas. The Western Round-Up: (Your choice of two) Slow smoked beef brisket, sausage, mesquitegrilled chicken quarters, orbeef ribs served with tangy potato salad, crisp cole slaw, ranchbeans with onions and special sauce, all the condiments, barbecue sauce, and freshly bakedsourdough rolls. Unlimited iced water, lemonade, tea, and sodas will be served throughoutentire event. DESSERT: Bunuelo Bar: Crispy sugar bunuelos, sliced fresh strawberries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. SPEND THE NEXT THREE HOURS PARTICIPATING IN LOTS OF FUN EVENTS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE: COWBOY OLYMPICS Teams compete for an hour and half of fun and games. Elect a team captain, establish a team name, develop a team “cheer” and compete in games such as the Daffy Cowpoke Relay, Wild Horse Barrel Race, Looney Volleyball, Wild and Wacky Water Balloon Launch, Lone Star Shuffle, Loop the Hoop Basketball Shoot, Chowchip Toss, Potato Sack and Bat Races. MISCELLANEOUS GAMES Participants can enjoy miscellaneous games such as volleyball, horseshoe pitching, washer toss, tin cup puttin’ course, tug – o - war, two regulation sized softball fields, fishing (guests bring their own bait and tackle) and basketball. ROLL-A-ROPE A mechanical horse with a mechanical calf. Sit in the saddle on the horse, release the calf and try to rope him. Lots of fun! WRANGLER ROOM Our Texas sized game room which includes pool, bumper pool, ping pong, fooz ball, air-hockey and sawdust shuffleboard. Fun for all ages. HAY WAGON RIDES Tour around the Ranch along the trails that follow the river shore where you might spot our resident blue heron crane as well as wild deer, turkey, and yellow winged hawks and feeding of our resident Longhorn cattle ROASTING MARSHMALLOWS & STORYTELLER Resident Sixth Generation Texan Living Historian, Tom Jackson tells amusing tales of the Alamo and Texas Revolution, or life as a cowboy on the range to entertain around the fire pit while guests roast marshmallows around the open fire pits. |
| 9:00 PM | Meet the bus and return to your hotel. |
| 10:00 PM | Overnight security begins. |
| Day 4 Friday, May 28 | |
| 8:00 AM | Full breakfast buffet in the hotel, which will include: scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, toast, juice, milk, cold cereal. |
| 9:30 AM | Check out of your rooms, place your bags on the bus, meet your guide in the lobby and depart for "La Villita" for a last chance of souvenir shopping before you return home. |
| 9:45 AM | The Original "Heart of San Antonio,"La Villita, Spanish for "little town," is the original settlement of "Old San Antonio." It's one square block in the heart of downtown San Antonio, alive with artists and craftsmen, shops and restaurants.
La Villita was developed in the mid to late 19th century as a settlement adjacent to Mission San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo). Today, La Villita is an active arts and crafts community amidst beautifully landscaped grounds and historic buildings. Architectural styles range from simple adobe structures to early Victorian and natural cut limestone buildings. The Village is a National Register historic District and a facility of the City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department. Morning option #2: Depart for San Pedro Springs Park— San Antonio’s oldest designated park— which is located on land reserved for public use by the Spanish government in the 18th century. Only one public park in America is older— Boston Common, which dates to 1630. People have gathered around the springs and creek that originate here for some 12,000 years. Hunter-gatherers found water, food, and rock to fashion weapons, and Spanish explorers first established their camps here in the late 17th century. |
| 11:00 AM | Transfer to a nearby food court for lunch at your own expense. |
| 12:00 PM | Depart for the San Antonio International Airport. |
| 12:30 PM | Arrive at The San Antonio Airport and check in for your flight. |
| 2:00 PM | Depart for home exhausted yet forever enriched! You should arrive back at XX Airport at XX:PM. |
| Your trip also includes: | |
| Winged Victory carries $2,000,000 in professional liability insurance and all students whose names are included on a final room list, received in our office at least six weeks before departure, will be covered by an additional medical insurance policy through Travelex.
A customized, keepsake videotape will be made from photos taken during the trip for each student and chaperone. The photos will be set to music, and mailed back to school for your enjoyment for years to come. (We will provide 1 single-use camera for each 10th student.) |
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