Your San Antonio CME conference.

San Antonio after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM San Antonio time. For an easy afternoon, walk a stretch of the River Walk, visit the Alamo, or browse the Pearl. The Alamo says reservations are required for the church and that the site is closed on Christmas Day, so read its visit page before you go. The grounds include a living history encampment, a replica 18-pounder cannon and a sculpture trail of bronze statues, and the site is owned by the State of Texas and run by Alamo Trust, a nonprofit. Leave time for getting there and for parking.

Travel, lodging and attraction entry are arranged separately by you. The city is the setting for your own plans, and nothing here is scheduled around your study day.

Three stretches of the River Walk

The River Walk is about 15 miles in all, according to the tourism board, and each stretch feels different. The downtown stretch has riverboat tours, the Shops at Rivercenter, La Villita Historic Arts Village, the Briscoe Western Art Museum, and many restaurants and rooftop bars. The tourism board also lists a video projection at San Fernando Cathedral.

The Museum Reach runs north and is the quieter, arts-focused stretch, with the San Antonio Museum of Art, public art, and the Pearl. The Mission Reach runs south for about eight miles of trails and restored natural habitat, with hiking, biking, kayaking, canoeing and bird watching. The visitor guide says it has no boat tours, and it lists Confluence Park, the Blue Star Arts Complex, Southtown and the King William District along this stretch. The San Antonio Museum of Art, at 200 West Jones Avenue, sits on the Museum Reach with a landing for riverboats and taxis; it is closed on Mondays and on several holidays.

The Spanish missions

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park protects four Spanish colonial missions: Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada. The National Park Service says mission communities began forming along the river in 1718, and the park describes itself as the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas. It describes Concepción as having original colonial architecture and frescos, San José as the largest mission site and home of the park’s visitor center, and San Juan as having a short nature trail, a historic acequia and a demonstration farm.

The park says it is about 10 minutes south of downtown. The missions are about 2.5 miles apart, and VIA bus route 42 serves only Concepción and San José. The Mission Reach Hike and Bike Trail runs about 10 miles along the river to connect all four, with little shade and possible closures at high water. The park also lists the Espada Aqueduct, built between 1740 and 1745, and Rancho de las Cabras, Mission Espada’s historic goat ranch. Ranger-led programs run daily at Mission San José, and visitors are asked not to sit, stand or climb on the structures, since walls can be uneven or crumbling. The mission churches are active parishes, so stay out during services. The park’s missions close on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and individual facilities keep their own hours, so compare them with your 2:00 PM finish. Parking is available at each mission, and the park says B-cycle bike stations are at each one.

The Pearl and Hemisfair

The Pearl, on the Museum Reach, stands on the site of the historic Pearl Brewing Company. Its own site lists 31 dining options, 15 shops and a section on markets, and the visitor guide mentions a farmers market there. Check each business’s hours against your 2:00 PM finish.

Hemisfair is a redevelopment of the site of the 1968 World’s Fair, the first held in the Southwest, into three parks: Yanaguana Garden, Civic Park and Tower Park. It is open daily, and its page says the springs in Civic Park stay open year-round. The same page traces the land from the Payaya people, who called the river Yanaguana, to Alamo Mission farmland and, in the 1800s, a neighborhood known as Germantown.

When to visit San Antonio

San Antonio’s tourism board says any time of year works for a visit and the right choice depends on what you want to do. It reports average annual precipitation of about 33 inches, with May the wettest month at about 4.7 inches and October at about 3.9 inches. The monthly figures put January as the coolest month and August and July as the warmest, and the board’s page also carries a forecast section for current conditions. The missions trail has little shade, so plan for the sun and carry water on warmer days.

Getting to San Antonio and your study setting

San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is at 9800 Airport Boulevard. Its website lists rental cars, rideshare, public transportation, taxis, limousines, charter buses and hotel shuttles as ground transportation. Choose your lodging and ground transport with both your study setting and your afternoon plans in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.