Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

Winter/Spring 2020

Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine

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WINTER/SPRING 2020 DREAMSCAPES 11 The River Walk is especially pretty at night, but it can be busy during holidays and festivals, and on warm afternoons and weekends. North and south of downtown, the Mission Reach and Museum Reach are seldom crowded and ideal for hiking, biking or kayaking. The River Walk is only one of the city's many unique features. There is a wealth of museums, restaurants and historical attrac- tions. While it exudes a small city vibe, San Antonio, which is home to 1.5-million resi- dents, is bigger than Dallas, bigger than San Francisco or Seattle, and bigger than Boston and New Orleans combined, yet it flies under the radar of most Canadian tourists. If you're looking for a new, fabulous and fun destination, here are some suggestions: A REAL GEM For a city with history around every corner, San Antonio has a vibrant contemporary arts scene. This is largely thanks to the late Linda Pace, the philanthropic artist and daughter of the Pace Foods salsa founders. Pace passed away in 2007, but her goal to create Ruby City—the $16-million-US con- temporary arts centre that opened in October 2019—was brought to life through her foundation. The Ruby City concept is said to have come to Pace in a dream. Upon awakening, she sketched her vision of a glowing red art space topped by turrets. Renowned British architect Sir David Adjaye was commis- sioned to make her dream a reality. For Ruby City, Adjaye—whose major pro- jects include Washington, D.C.'s National Museum of African American History and Culture—designed a 1,300-square-metre building clad in deep red concrete panels. Embedded with shards of red glass, the exterior panels shimmer in the Texas sun. Inside, 900 works from Pace's collection are showcased in three light-filled galleries. The opening exhibit—Waking Dream— includes paintings, sculptures, installations, videos and other works, including some by the late philanthropist. With forest fires raging around the world, Heart of Darkness by artist Cornelia Parker is a particularly poignant installa- tion that depicts a forest devastated by wildfire. Videos by filmmaker Isaac Julien—PLAYTIME and Stones Against Dia- monds—are both visually stunning and thought-provoking. Waking Dream continues until 2022. Admission is free. See rubycity.org. RETRO COOL Situated along the River Walk north of downtown, the former Pearl Brewery com- plex has been transformed from derelict industrial wasteland into what many call San Antonio's hippest new neighbourhood. The 9-hectare reimagined Pearl district is home to live/work spaces, unique boutiques, OPPOSITE: In San Antonio, another world awaits just steps below street level where the San Antonio River Walk meanders its way through the city. Jump on one of the tour barges for a smooth ride through this urban oasis. visitsanantonio.com ABOVE: Waking Dream, the inaugural exhibition at San Antonio's Ruby City, includes Heart of Darkness by Cornelia Parker. The installation depicts a Florida forest devastated by wildfire. Robin Robinson BELOW: San Antonio's Pearl district has been called the city's hippest new neighbourhood. With many chef-owned restaurants, it has also become a hub for dining. visitsanantonio.com/Nick Simonite

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