IN THE MIDST OF ITS TRICENTENNIAL anniversary, San Antonio celebrates 300 years of progress and looks forward to 300 more. Not only are programs and events going on city-wide and year-round to commemorate this milestone, but also the city is undergoing a major overhaul to prepare for the next phase in its history.

At nearly every turn, a new project is either unveiling or getting underway to celebrate the city’s rich heritage and big plans for the future. Bexar County, the city and the temporarily commissioned Tricentennial Office joined efforts to make San Antonio the place to be in 2018.

Officials have been hard at work to combine what Laura E. Mayes, public relations officer, the San Antonio Tricentennial Office, calls the guiding principles of the tricentennial — “inclusivity and creating a lasting impact” — with a long list of upgrades to the city’s infrastructure that will drive an increase in commerce and tourism.

Travelers arriving at San Antonio International Airport get to see some of the latest improvements immediately upon arrival. The brand-new, 1.8 million-square-foot Consolidated Rental Car Facility, located just steps from the terminals, offers convenient car rental service from 14 companies in one location. The CONRAC welcomes visitors with an expansive mural by local artists Suzy Gonzales and Michael Menchaca depicting the details of the aviation history of San Antonio.

The Henry B. González Convention Center recently experienced a major $325 million overhaul, the largest in San Antonio history. With an ecofriendly and energy-efficient design, state-of-the-art technology, 70 meeting spaces and one of the biggest ballrooms in the country (54,000 square feet), the HBGCC is ready to host conferences and events of all sizes and is prepared to meet the needs of generations to come. The renovation, completed in 2016, incorporates into the 2018 tricentennial celebration with 20 new public art installations unveiled in February.

Witte Museum © VISITSANANTONIO.COM

In addition to the artwork on display at the CONRAC and HBGCC, public art all over the city gets an upgrade. A visit to the Witte Museum on the banks of the San Antonio River proves a great way to unwind and enjoy some of the local culture, thanks to the $100 million renovation and expansion project that includes numerous artistic, historic and healthrelated exhibitions. Ruby City, expected to conclude construction by the end of 2018 with a grand opening scheduled for early 2019, will offer 14,000 square feet of art exhibits on Camp Street with free admission for the public.

Nicknamed River City, San Antonio is ideally situated along the San Antonio River and home to River Walk, a winding path of hotels, businesses, shops and eateries along the beautifully landscaped riverbanks.

With its centralized location, River Walk offers a convenient way for visitors to get to know the city’s personality by enjoying lunch at a riverside café or by exploring the local nightlife. With many of the city’s primary meeting centers and hotels located near or along River Walk, it will host many improvements and celebrations as the year goes on. With more than 34 million visitors to San Antonio each year, there exists a growing need for quality hotel accommodations. The Thompson San Antonio Hotel and Arts Residences broke ground in December 2017 for a new $116 million hotelcondominium project. Expected to open in early 2020, it will offer 167 luxury hotel rooms along River Walk along with 58 luxury, individually owned condos on top. The city hopes these latest projects will encourage additional development in the future.

Hotel Valencia, also along the picturesque River Walk, already re-opened for business after a $10 million renovation that pays homage to San Antonio’s Spanish colonial heritage. Other hotel additions in the near future include the Canopy by Hilton with more than 3,000 square feet of meeting space and due to open in 2019, and the 100-room Saint Hotel, slated to begin construction next year on its nine-story design.

Fireworks at HemisFair Park © VISITSANANTONIO.COM

The city’s ongoing improvements embody the essence of San Antonio — a diverse population with a strong sense of history and culture that takes pride in its city. As the seventh-largest city in the nation, San Antonio’s upgrades and improvements revolving around this tricentennial year leave it perfectly poised for an upsurge in business and tourism.

“We are a city that’s really a snapshot of what the country’s going to look like in the next few years,” says Mayes. “San Antonio is a melting pot of a city, and in the spirit of the tricentennial, that’s what we’re celebrating — the confluence of all cultures coming together, thinking about the legacy of the past and what legacy we want to start for the future.”

SCENIC DRIVES

To get out of the city for a while, head into Hill Country for breathtaking scenic drives. If you are short on time, drive about an hour and a half north on U.S. Highway 87 to Fredericksburg and take State Road 16 toward Willow City. There you’ll find the 13-mile Willow City Loop on Ranch Road 1323, a two-lane trail through rolling meadows of wildflowers, meandering creeks and rocky cliffs. The loop, open year-round, is best when visited in spring or fall. Take this trip during a weekday, as it gets crowded with tourists on the weekends.

If you’ve got more time for exploring, head deeper into Hill Country to view the Texas Swiss Alps in Leakey. From Bandera, about 50 miles out of San Antonio on State Road 16, this beautiful drive through verdant mountains and several Hill Country towns can run anywhere from 80 to 130 miles, depending on your route. The best path is south from Bandera to Hondo, then over to Concan before turning north to Leakey for some of the best vistas. From there head back to Bandera along Highway 337, and be sure to stop and enjoy the scenery along the way.