Tag: Recreation

Briscoe Summer Fun: Workshops, Free Admission, and Scavenger Hunts

Don’t miss the Scratchboard Art Workshop taking place today June 20 with Master Scratchboard Artist Sally Maxwell. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.

There is always something interesting happening at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, especially in the summer. This week’s summer spotlight event at the Briscoe is the Scratchboard Art Workshop, taking place today with internationally recognized, local artist Sally Maxwell. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2024)

Scratchboard Art Workshop
A hands-on session for all skill levels with San Antonio artist Sally Maxwell
Thursday, June 20, 5:30p.m. – 8 p.m., $25 for members, $45 for non-members

Join San Antonio-based, internationally recognized artist Sally Maxwell to leave your mark in art. Scratchboard art, also known as scratch art, is a form of direct engraving where the artist scratches off dark ink to reveal a white or colored layer beneath. Following a presentation to introduce everyone to the scratchboard process and the different kinds of boards and techniques used, guests will work on a 5” x 7” personalized square to complete and take home. The workshop is for all skill levels and all supplies are included. Pre-registration is required. 

Selected by the International Society of Scratchboard Artists to be designated as one of only 12 in the world with the status Master Scratchboard Artist, Maxwell is a Signature member in the Society of Animal Artists, a Silver Signature member of Artists Changing Tomorrow, and a Master Signature member of American Women Artists. Maxwell will have pieces of her work on display during the workshop, as well as copies of her book for purchase.

Can’t make it to the Scratchboard Art Workshop? No Worries. Here are some more events scheduled this summer.

Thanks to the Briscoe Western Art Museum, families can unleash fun and learning to keep kids engaged and educated all summer long with a wide array of programming that includes wildlife, cowboys, movies, art, and more. From free locals days and hands-on education sessions and story fun to a day celebrating cowboy life and a summer filled with art, the Briscoe is the place to be to survive this summer.

Cool Summer Fun: Free Admission and Scavenger Hunts
Locals Days: Free for Local Residents – First Sunday of the month, 10a.m. – 5p.m.

To thank the San Antonio community for its continued support, the Briscoe Western Art Museum greets locals with free general admission on the first Sunday of each month. Bexar County residents can enjoy the Briscoe’s Locals Days through 2024, with free admission on July 7, August 4, September 1, October 6, November 3 and December 1. Online registration for Locals Day is recommended. If you can’t stop in on Locals Day, children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe every day, as do active duty members of the military, making the Briscoe a terrific spot for everyone to enjoy any time.

Scout the Briscoe: Free Scavenger Hunt – First Sunday of the month, 10a.m. – 5p.m.

Visitors of all ages can learn about the American West in the Briscoe’s free monthly scavenger hunt. Test your skills navigating the museum’s 1.4 acre campus and 14 permanent galleries. Everyone who completes the scavenger hunt is rewarded with a 10% discount in the Briscoe’s Hendler Family Museum Store.

Unleash Hands-on Education: Monthly STEAM Learning
The Briscoe’s free monthly education series Full STEAM Ahead educates and entertains from 1p.m. – 3p.m. on the first Sunday of every month. Full STEAM Ahead is included with museum admission and all supplies are provided.

Learners of all ages work together and engage in hands-on, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning experiences about the American West. Each of the activities ties back to the Briscoe’s art and artifacts, bringing the West to life in a new way. From transportation and weather to animals, astronomy and engineering, each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning.

Summer 2024 Full Steam Ahead dates and topics include:

July 7: Full STEAM Ahead – Whose Track is That? – Learn how to identify the tracks different animals leave behind. After a short presentation, families will have the opportunity to identify animal tracks and make some tracks of their own to take home.

August 4: Full STEAM Ahead – Creating Colors – Discover how color is harnessed from nature in this survey of dyes and pigments from around the world. After a short discussion, everyone will have the opportunity to make their own paint to take home or use in creating artwork to take home.

September 1: Full STEAM Ahead – Nature in Art – Bring nature and pottery together, learning about how Native Americans used nature for colors to create designs in their pottery. After the presentation, families will have the opportunity to create a pinch pot and decorate it with pressed flowers and leaves.

Stories and More
The younger set – and their caregivers – can stampede into the Briscoe on the third Saturday of the month, 10:30a.m. – 11a.m. to enjoy Storytime Stampede, then enjoy the Briscoe’s collection. With stories told and acted out, books read aloud, movement activities, songs and art fun designed for young children ages 18 months to 5 years, the short session is timed to keep young children engaged and entertained. Adults bringing children to Storytime Stampede receive half-off general museum admission and children 12 and under always receive free admission at the Briscoe, making Storytime Stampede affordable family fun.

Summer dates include:
July 20: “Rio Ruby Invents the Pecan Pie” by Robin Davis. Rio Ruby makes the yummiest pies this side of the Rio Grande, but one day after she’s closed her pie shop, she finds out that she’s almost out of ingredients. Even worse, all the animals seem to have eaten all the pie-worthy fruit! She sets out to find a new ingredient to invent a new kind of pie, but one just as delicious and yummy.

August 17: “Way Out West Lived a Coyote Named Frank” by Jillian Lund. Frank’s the coolest coyote around. Whether he’s hanging out with his friends, chasing rabbits, mixing it up with a Gila monster, or pondering the setting sun, coyote Frank is one smooth character. Grab your shades, because you’re in for a bright and colorful cruise through the desert with Frank!

RV resort Camp Landa now open in New Braunfels

Created by Schlitterbahn’s founding family, the new boutique RV resort brings a high-end and personalized approach to camping. Photo: CoPilot Creative, used with permission.  

With Memorial Day marking the unofficial start to summer, if you’re looking for vacation ideas, here’s a new RV resort that just opened in New Braunfels.

The family who founded the iconic Schlitterbahn waterpark recently announced that Camp Landa, a new boutique RV resort in the heart of New Braunfels, has opened to the public. With a prime location in historic downtown New Braunfels – and conveniently situated by the edge of the Comal River – travelers can now experience high-end camping in the Texas Hill Country in its entirety. RV sites and cabins are now available for reservations online. Follow Camp Landa on Instagram for special announcements, such as summer programming.(Camp Landa, 2024)

Camp Landa was previously the site for manufacturing water attractions for Schlitterbahn dating back to the early 1980s. The land has since been reconstructed to ensure an authentic yet upscale camping getaway for the entire family, with amenities like a heated pool, Wi-Fi, a camp store, on-site laundry, a fire pit with s’mores available for purchase, pickleball courts, basketball, and cornhole boards. Food and beverage options at the swim-up bar include cocktails like Camp Landa Agua Fresca and Blackberry Jalapeño Margarita and a café that features a menu with selections such as Rueben Egg Rolls and The Hurta Loaded Bavarian Pretzel which is topped with sauerkraut and Rust Meat Market old world bratwurst. Grilling ingredients can be ordered through Camp Landa’s personal text app, as well, for campers who want to barbecue at their leisure.

There is also a rotating programming schedule and organized activities for kids, along with a jump pad, a crafting station, and a playground. Families can choose between multiple level sites with a total of 110 to choose from – plus unique offerings, such as picnic tables and grills – all of which provide fast and easy hook-up for their RV. For travelers without an RV, there are five cozy cabins that sleep eight guests and come with a fully stocked kitchen, an outdoor dining area and a personal grill. Located less than a mile from Landa Falls – the longest float on the Comal – there’s a dedicated shuttle to and from the resort to the river. A text concierge is also available to provide insider tips for exploring New Braunfels.

“Our family is ecstatic to welcome the community and roadtrippers to our destination RV resort in picturesque New Braunfels. I promise you, Camp Landa is luxury camping made simple. We’ve thought of it all so that guests and families can just show up and enjoy an elevated camping experience curated by our team of experts.” – founder Stuart Blythin

Husband and wife duo Stuart and Tasha Blythin created Camp Landa after time spent traveling across the country with their four kids during the pandemic via their own RV, where they developed a shared enthusiasm for exploration. They connected with the fellowship found at campgrounds and RV parks across the American West.

The locals – and their children, who also work at the resort – intend for Camp Landa to become a must-visit destination RV resort for travelers from around the country. The Blythins are guided by a genuine love for hospitality, and the family has more than 50 years of experience in hosting and entertaining generations of Texas families.

Inspired by Tasha Blythin’s family history as a sixth-generation Texan and her ties to Schlitterbahn – where she and Stuart met in 2004 before her family sold the waterpark in 2019 – the essence of Camp Landa draws upon the original Camp Landa which Tasha’s grandparents purchased in 1966 and eventually developed into Schlitterbahn, along with its New Braunfels’ German heritage. It evokes “Fernweh,” the longing feeling in our hearts to pack a bag and discover a place, known or unknown. Original aspects of Schlitterbahn have been saved and are reflected at Camp Landa, including a smoke stack from one of the main buildings, which was sourced from the original slide manufacturing plant for the waterpark.

Camp Landa is located at 723 N. Walnut Ave., New Braunfels, TX 78130. Hours of operation for the café and other staffed amenities are 8a.m. to 6p.m. daily and 8a.m. to p.m. during the summer months.

Hiatus Spa + Retreat monthly retreat packages

hiatusspa
Hiatus Spa + Retreat has monthly packages to fit every style and preference. Photo: Molly Culver, used with permission. 

Each month, Hiatus Spa + Retreat creates special “Monthly Retreat” packages for customers to escape their daily routines and enjoy unique body treatments that end with a specialty cocktail. The upcoming monthly retreats include Black Magic in October, Abundance in November and Solstice in December. (Hiatus Spa + Retreat, 2018)

October Monthly Retreat: Black Magic
80 minutes. $195 | $128 h-circle
Make time for a little magic this October with the detoxifying Black Tea and Charcoal Body Experience. Fragrant Black Tea joins forces with Activated Charcoal and Organic Sugar to create a gentle full-body polish. Afterwards, a warm body wrap using a potent triple-clay Masque with Activated Charcoal and Magnesium balances and mineralizes the skin and includes a scalp and foot massage. A warm Vichy rain gives way to a moisturizing massage with a blend of cocoa and shea butters, touched with essences of Orange, Bergamot, antioxidant-rich Marigold and Black Tea Extracts. The spell wouldn’t be complete without a bewitching corpse reviver cocktail to close.

November Monthly Retreat: Abundance
80 minutes. $195 | $128 h-circle
A handmade enzyme rich pumpkin scrub mask with earthy yet fresh essences of Carrot Seed and Ginger Root gently peels away tired skin, while a nourishing foot treatment with Boabab and Tamanu Oils will restore a sense of groundedness. After a refreshing Vichy cleanse, delight in a hydrating massage with a vitamin-rich Jojoba body butter and a spiced bourbon pumpkin punch.

December Monthly Retreat: Solstice
80 minutes. $195 | $128 h-circle
Escape to the peaceful tranquility of the forest with the uplifting December Retreat. Pure essences of Red Spruce, Northern White Cedar and Eastern Hemlock blend in a gentle body polish to recreate a nostalgic serenity of the woods. A warm Vichy rainfall, soothing massage and frozen blackberry gin fizz are sure relieve Holiday tension; and without forgetting the spirit of giving, purchase of this service supports regional forest protection organizations.

Additionally, Hiatus Spa + Retreat has added SAINT Cosmetics to their list of products sold at all spa locations. SAINT is an organic makeup line that uses formulas that instantly transform complexion for a flawless finish without compromises. SAINT is the first nontoxic makeup brand that photographs like an Instagram filter and offers flawless full coverage completely untraceable by high-definition cameras or in-person. SAINT’s natural cosmetics are the standard in nontoxic makeup by being free of parabens, petrochemicals, nanoparticles, sulfates, silicone, polyethylene glycols (PEGs), phthalates, mineral oil, triclosan, petrolatum, coal tar, artificial preservatives and synthetic fragrance ingredients, making them one of the most complete brands for best natural makeup.

SAINT products sold at each Hiatus location include: Angel Face Primer, Pressed Powder Foundation, Illuminating On-The-Go Flawless Concealer, Diabolical Liquid Liner, 24K Glow Highlighter, 24K Glow Highlighter, On Cloud 9 Bronzer, Blush, Longwear Lipstick, Lip-gloss, Eyeshadow Palettes and Mascara.

Hiatus Spa + Retreat
312 Pearl Pkwy, Building 4, Ste 4112
San Antonio, TX 78215
(210) 202-3355