That Texas Touch Want some spice with your spa? San Antonio’s La Cantera Resort has a winning recipe

By Debra Bokur

I’m drifting along in the sunshine, comfortably ensconced in one of the small tour boats that makes regular excursions up and down the waterways that wind through San Antonio’s River Walk area.Designed in the late 1930s, it’s part river, part manmade canal system, and is lined with interesting-looking shops, cafes and restaurants. It’s what lies between the buildings and overhead that’s caught my interest, though. Art installations by Texas artists are interspersed along the banks, with the sounds of Texas wildlife whispering through speakers along one section, piped live from a remote stretch of the San Antonio River. The undersides of the River Walk’s bridges have also been utilized for display, and I glide beneath one that’s decorated with dozens of huge sunfish, each slightly different, and each illuminated from within.

When I arrive later in the day at The Westin La Cantera Resort, the feeling of being surrounded by beauty continues. Built on the site of an abandoned limestone quarry and surrounded by mountain laurels and live oak trees, the expansive lobby has blue slate floors and richly carved wood features that create a warm and welcoming space. I continue to glide – this time into an elevator, and out at the club level. I’ve just begun to unpack when there’s a knock at my door, and I open it to find the concierge standing outside, proffering a long-stemmed rose and a welcome note. Seems like I’m in the right place.

Local and Fresh

In the evening, I dine at the hotel’s Palmer Grille, where the meal is hosted by local food producers and owners from Uncertain Farms, Broken Arrow Ranch, and Becker Vineyards. I sample an unusual and very delicious butterscotch and cherry hominy stew while discussing the importance of area chefs supporting area farmers. I also learn from vintners Bunny and Richard Becker that Texas ranks sixth in the country in grape and wine production. Their vineyard produces both wine grapes and lavender, and I think I can taste a suggestion of lavender in my glass of Viognier.

The next day, after forcing myself to detach from the Heavenly Bed that the Westin is famous for, I find my way to the Castle Rock Health Club & Spa and find a comfortable chair in the quiet Tranquility Room. Candles, rattan furniture, and water features give a slightly tropical feel to the space, enhanced by the clusters of standing bamboo and plants arranged on the stream of pebbles that runs through part of the room. I’ve chosen a 75-minute Aveda Elemental Nature Massage, designed to be personalized to each guest, from the massage techniques used to the specific Aveda oil scent. My therapist places hot towels on my back and feet, and massages my body deeply with wintergreen oil before moving on to my scalp and ears. The effect of the wintergreen is refreshing and energizing, and I leave feeling far more awake than I did upon arrival.

Nature Calls

Being awake turns out to be a good thing, as my next port of call is the Cibolo Nature Center in the charming nearby town of Boerne. Cibolo, I’m told, means “buffalo,” and is a tribute to the herds that once roamed this part of Texas. Now, Mexican plum trees dot the landscape, which includes an extensive boardwalk meandering over the marshlands. Along the edge of a creek in a different area, cypress trees that are over a hundred years old shade the banks, their knobby knees protruding from the surface of the water.

The center provides safe habitat for numerous species, including tri-colored herons, golden-cheeked warblers, and the aptly named Elusive Ringtail, a small mammal with a bushy, multi-colored ringed tail that stays well out of sight during my visit. Around 4,000 children make their way through the center each year, learning about conservation and ecology in an outdoor, hands-on classroom that includes observing and tracking various species. Nesting boxes for bluebirds are everywhere, and there’s ongoing research dedicated to the study of frog choruses.

I smile at the thought of groups of frogs decked out in choral robes, and leave for downtown San Antonio. The town is, of course, the site of the historic Alamo, and I join a half-day tour of the old mission, filled with artifacts from the famous siege. Built in 1718, the mission complex is surrounded by charming old buildings. The Alamo, I learn, was both a church and a battleground, and I can’t help but think – somewhat sadly – that the two are far too often connected.

Later, I dine at Mi Tierra Café y Panaderia, opened in 1941 by Pete Cortez and his wife, Cruz, and still operated by the fourth generation of family members. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, it’s become something of a San Antonio institution, with seating for 500 people, cheerful, strolling musicians, delicious and authentic Mexican cuisine, and a full service Panaderia, or traditional Mexican bakery. More than a fabulous (and generously proportioned) meal, it’s a cultural experience. My table faces a wall mural depicting multiple generations of the Cortez family, and it’s enjoyable to study their beautiful faces while savoring the freshly made guacamole in front of me.

More History

In the morning, I wander around the grounds of La Cantera – which I know now is Spanish for “the quarry” – peeking into the resort’s various spaces, where history has been officially integrated into the everyday. Meeting rooms bear the names of lost mission buildings, the Esparza Library is named in honor of a fallen defender at the Alamo, and the Emily Morgan courtyard named for the woman known as the famous Yellow Rose of Texas. The private casitas that are part of the accommodation choices are luxurious bungalows, each named after a famous Texas Ranch. In the main building, Tio’s Lobby Lounge, named for cowboy and rancher Stephen “Tio” Kleberg, adds another dimension to the overall sense of history and Texas grandeur.

I’ve got spa business to attend to, however, and head back to Castle Rock for a Caribbean Therapy Hand and Foot Treatment. Both the manicure and pedicure include exfoliation, warm seaweed masques, and Caribbean massage techniques that promise to improve circulation while conditioning my nails and cuticles.

Leaving for the airport – wearing sandals and flashing my fingers so everyone around me who can benefit from my freshly manicured nails – I reflect that my long weekend in San Antonio has been both rejuvenating and educational. And, while I’m sure I’ll remember the Alamo, I suspect it will be less about the history, and more about La Cantera and the beautiful Texas Hill Country. And, quite likely, those fascinating musical frogs from the nature center.