San Antonio, Texas, is an excellent site for the "Future Directions in Karst Research" Workshop. San Antonio is the 8th largest city in the USA - and more than 1 million residents rely on the karstified Edwards Aquifer for their water resources.

The Workshop headquarters will be the Omni San Antonio Hotel (9821 Colonnade Boulevard, San Antonio, Texas 78230), approx. 9 miles NW from the San Antonio International Airport. The Omni is off of I10 (exit 562), and there are numerous hotels nearby (within a few miles). If you want to stay someplace other than the Omni, look for hotels in the "Six Flags or the Medical Center" area.

Metro map of San Antonio: Download metromap.pdf

Downtown map of San Antonio: Download downtownmap.pdf

Map of Omni: Far out (View this photo); close-up (View this photo)

What would a karst-related workshop be without considering the caves and karst in the area?  So, while we are going to be working hard during the day, it might be entertaining to find something fun to do in the evenings. The following information is provided if you would like to spend some more time in San Antonio, beyond the workshop.

Below ground things to do in the area - ranked based on proximity and beauty

Natural Bridge Caverns - this cave is fairly close to San Antonio, off of Interstate 35 to the north (25-40 min from the Omni Hotel). It has spectacular rooms and formations, and the tour is long (75 min).
 

Caverns of Sonora - this would be a short drive (~2 1/2 hr) from San Antonio, but it is a spectacularly beautiful cave.

Cave Without A Name - this cave is in Boerne, TX, and would be a 45 min drive from the Omni Hotel San Antonio; the trunk passage of this cave is absolutely amazing - very large tube passages that intercept the aquifer.
 

Cascade Caverns - this cave is in Boerne, TX, and has a rather large waterfall. It would only be about a 30 minute drive from the Omni Hotel.

Inner Space Cavern - this cave is in Austin, TX, which would be about  1 1/2 hr drive away. The cave is on the smallish side, compared to the others on this list. 

Above ground things to do in the area - ranked on the absolute "musts" if you've never been

The Alamo - Nothing to add here; it's a must see downtown.

The Riverwalk - the "World Famous" Riverwalk is tourist attraction. The San Antonio River has drawn people to it for hundreds of years and was important to the missionaries (see Missions link below). Today, the RiverWalk is lined with shops and restaurants. Usually the 1st week in May is the Tejano Conjunto Festival, so there may be some exciting things going on along the RiverWalk when we're in town.  Transportation from the hotel to the Riverwalk will be provided to meeting participants for dinner and festivities on Friday evening of the workshop.

The Tower of the Americas - built for the 1968 World's Fair, this 750 ft tower offers amazing views of the city and the Hill Country.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and the Missions Trail - The Franciscans and Spanish built missions in the area in the 18th century (with The Alamo being established in 1718). The five missions are located along the San Antonio River. The missions San Jose, San Juan, Concepcion, Espada are operating Catholic churches and are all open to the public. The old aqueduct (The Acequia) is also pretty cool; the best preserved section is new the Espada Mission.

Lastly, a visit to the Hill Country in May would be nothing without taking time to smell the flowers - the wildflowers, that is. In late April-early May, the Hill Country is awash with color, from the Texas Bluebonnets to the Indian Paintbrushes. In some places, fields of bluebonnets look like lakes of the purest blue water you've ever seen. If you will have some time, and have a car - while on your way to one of the tour caves or getting some good ol' Texas BBQ..., be sure to take a side trip or two on the Texas Hill Country Wildflower Trail.