Following the Mission Trails

Sunday February 27, 2005 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Cost: $27.00 per person, (includes refreshments) Minimum 30 guests, maximum 52 guests per tour

On the Mission Trail we will first visit one of the country's few National Parks within an urban setting, The Alamo ; a Texas shrine since the war for Texas independence. Our nextl visit will be Mission Concepcion , the oldest un-restored mission church in the United State, established in 1731. Then the The "Queen of the Missions", Mission San Jose is our next stop. This site was established in 1720 and is the largest and best restored of San Antonio's five missions. San Jose is the show piece of the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. San Jose's church is one of the most beautiful in the country with its elaborate carvings on the chapel facade. The famous "Rose Window", an intricately carved window, said to be dedicated to its creator's lost love, also contributes to its charm.

Next we will visit San Juan Capistrano, originally christened San Jose de Los Nazonia in East Texas, then made its permanent home on the banks of the San Antonio River in 1731. Within a short time, San Juan became a regional supplier of agricultural produce. We will also visit Espada Dam, an engineering marvel which has withstood floods for more than 200 years . Completed in 1745, it still diverts river water into an acequia madre (mother ditch). We will visit quaint Mission Espada, which was established in 1731, but never completed.

Hill Country Charm…where heaven and nature meet

Monday February 28, 2005 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Cost: $54.00 (includes continental breakfast and refreshments) Minimum 30 guests, maximum 52 guests per tour

We depart this morning to quaint Fredericksburg, located in the very heart of the beautiful Texas Hill Country while enjoying a continental breakfast! Founded in 1846 by German immigrants the town has retained much of its historic color. The restored 19^th century buildings now house interesting shops that you will enjoy visiting. There are over 150 boutiques, art galleries and antique emporiums to keep you busy. For those not too jazzed about shopping there are two outstanding museums located right on Main Street, along with a brew pub and the Fredericksburg Winery, the Admiral Chester Nimitz Museum of the Pacific War and the Pioneer Museum Complex. Be sure to step outside to the Japanese Garden of Peace located behind the hotel which was a gift from the people of Japan. Next we will visit the Fredericksburg Herb Farm, and Wild Seed Farm Market Center. The herb farm sits on four acres and boasts a 1880's farmhouse turned apothecary over flowing with fresh and dried herbs, along with homemade oils, vinegars and herbal potions and aromatic candles, restaurant and bakery that will intrigue all. The Wild Seed Farm Market Center will showcase how wildflowers are grown in rows to be harvested for seed at the largest working wildflower farm in the United States. If you choose you may select your own bouquet in the self picking area.


Our last stop is the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park which tells the story of our 36th President in a unique and encompassing way. The story begins with Lyndon Johnson's ancestors, tracing the influences his family and his beloved Texas Hill Country had on the boy and the man. We will tour for one-half hour on the parks own trolley that will allow us to view the one room junction school that the president first attended when he was fours years old. As we tour we will pass by LBJ home that Mrs. Johnson "LadyBird" still resides, the show barns, ranch lands and cattle on property. We will also visit the Sauer-Beckmann farm that operates as it would have in the early 1918. Interpreters in period clothing do all of the farm and household duties just as they would have in 1900's.

Capitol Salute

Tuesday March 1, 2005 8:30 am to 4:00 pm Cost: $64.00 (includes continental breakfast and refreshments) Minimum 30 guests, maximum 52 guests per tour

Guests will enjoy a deluxe Continental Breakfast while enjoying the drive along the old Chisholm Trail, now known as I-35, which takes us to the State Capitol, Austin. Get a first hand look at where our Texas legislature meets, and the history behind our great lone star state. Our tour offers a stop at the State Capitol Building and Visitors Center.

Yes, everything really is bigger in Texas - if you don't believe it, just asks a Texan. We begin with the Story of Texas, The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Bob Bullock was one of Texas' legendary politicians! . Our favorite exhibit, and where we will start…is "It Ain't Braggin' if It's True!" Showcasing some of the most outrageous pieces of our great history. We will see The Texas Spirit Theatre is a multimedia event entitled "The Star of Destiny". Where you will feel the fury of the hurricane that rocked the Gulf Coast, experience the heat of the explosions that flattened the countryside.

We end our day with a tour of The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum. One of ten Presidential libraries administered by the National Archives and Records Administration, it was LBJ's hope that those who shared in the history of this time will remember it and see it in perspective and the young people who come here will get a clearer comprehension of what this nation tried to do in the eventful decade of the 1960's.

Growing Art

Wednesday March 2, 2005 9:00 am to 1:00 pm Cost: $32.00 (includes continental breakfast and refreshments) Minimum 30 guests, maximum 52 guests per tour

The Mc Nay Art Museum, our first Texan museum of modern art is our first stop. This is a treasure trove for both the serious and casual art lovers. Set within the former Mediterranean-style mansion of the eccentric Marion Koogler McNay who bequeathed her art collection, 24 room mansion and the 23 acres upon which it sits to "the advancement and enjoyment of European modern art" including 19th- and 20th- century European and American art, the McNay features Artists including Cézanne, Picasso, Renoir, Monet, Gauguin, Matisse, O'Keeffe, Cassatt, and Hopper.

We then move onto the beautiful San Antonio Botanical Gardens who's mission statement is " Connecting people to the plant world through experience, education, and research" and The Lucile Halsell Conservatory. The Botanical Gardens encompass 33 acres of hundreds of varieties of floral and fauna.

Considered by many to be the most elegant and beautiful neighborhoods in all of Texas, the King William Historic District, recalling a more gracious era. Prosperous German merchants who made their fortunes in San Antonio in the late 1800's built the grand homes of this area. . The Victorian-era mansions and perfectly kept gardens provide a welcome backdrop for an afternoon stroll. In the 1870's about one-third of San Antonio's population spoke German.

A visit to King William would not be complete without a tour of the Steves Homestead built in 1876. It is now a museum owned and operated by the San Antonio Conservation Society.

Our last stop is at Southwest School of Art and Craft. Once home to the cloistered Ursuline Order of Nuns, it is now a nationally recognized art center, offering educational programs for children and adults in a variety of mediums and classrooms featuring pottery, weaving and wood carving. The old convent and beautiful gardens offer a special retreat along the San Antonio River.

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