Elite Traveler Spring 2022

EXPLORE SAN ANTONIO

Clockwise Savor restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America; Missions National Historical Park; the Pearl

WHAT TO DO

McNay Art Museum They called quixotic oil heiress Marion Koogler McNay the Gertrude Stein of San Antonio. But what she truly had was prescience. An art lover, her fi rst purchased painting was by Diego Rivera in 1927; her talent was falling for an artist before they became famous. Today, in the stunning Italianate mansion she built to hold her vast trove, this little-known gem holds some 20,000 masterpieces, many considered the best of their genre. Look for works by Picasso, Dufy, Monet, de Kooning and Giacometti. mcnayart.org Bike to the Missions BCycle bikes promise a carefree and athletic way to cruise along San Antonio’s Mission Reach Trail, an out-and-back route that leads to the stretch of hinterland that houses the various Unesco-listed old Spanish missions. Begin at The Alamo, then pedal through the eye-catching King William Historic District with its array of architecturally signi fi cant homes and leafy streets. Onward to the mission area, where wild fl ower- fi lled meadows, cacti, wildlife and pecan groves connect the 2.5-mile expanse between

space of the city’s most famous brewery while keeping history alive. With modern artistry, tribute has been paid to the space’s original craftsmen: coopers, stone masons and brewers. Visit at any hour to fi nd throngs delighting in the on-trend restaurants, shops, businesses and galleries, each housed in repurposed buildings. Weekend visitors will want to roam the year-round Farmers Market, an alfresco assembly of tasting tents, food artisan demos and farm-to-Pearl produce stands. For a spa reset, there is no better place than Hiatus Spa + Retreat. atpearl.com; hiatusspa.com Wine tasting Recently rated the number three wine region in North America by USA Today , the Texas Hill Country unfurls just outside San Antonio’s city limits. With rolling orchards and hamlets, and peppered with farm animals and cattle galore — look for Texas’ indigenous longhorns with their vainglorious, characteristic rack — the terrain features more than 50 wineries. Leave the driving to Elegant Tours or Majesty Wine Tours so you can tipple at will. elegantride.us; majestywinetours.com

each historic site. For another way to see the missions, try the San Antonio Missions tour. sanantonio.bcycle.com; sanantonio.gov; sanantoniodetours.com Culinary delights Playing o ff the Lone Star State’s boastful saying that ‘everything is bigger in Texas,’ the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) o ff ers gastronomes and wannabe chefs a “larger-than-life culinary experience.” Located right on the River Walk, the nationally recognized school features hands-on courses and chef demonstrations (with Covid protocols in place) for every level of cookery experience. On another food lover’s note, Food Chick Tours o ff ers private VIP foodie forays around town, ensuring gastronomes get to taste the best of the best. ciafoodies.com; foodchicktours.com The Pearl The Pearl’s positive impact on the Alamo City boggles the mind. A bold and iconoclastic reuse of what might have been wasted real estate, the entertainment district has left no stone unturned, rede fi ning each tiny