San Antonio Texas

Institute of Texan Cultures: Visiting Diverse Past of Texas

San Antonio is nothing if not a melting pot for different cultures and ethnic groups, and the University of Texas at the San Antonio Institute of Texan Culture is a 50,000 square foot monument and museum dedicated to exploring and investigating this history.  Each year, the institute produces exhibits, hosts talks and workshops, and maintains a comprehensive library filled with works on cultural and ethnic history. 

The Institute of Texan Cultures is located at 801 South Bowie Street, San Antonio, Texas, in HemisFair Park beneath the Tower of the Americas and adjacent to the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center.

As Eva and Tony's Wedding Approaches, Expenses Adding Up

Since winning their latest NBA Championship, the San Antonio Spurs, no doubt, have largely been taking a much needed and deserved vacation - that is all but star point guard, Tony Parker.  Certainly, Parker deserves a break, what with leading his team to the pinnacle of success, on his way to winning the 2007 postseason MVP award, but these days, he is certainly got more important things on his mind.  Important things like marrying his fiancee and hottest-woman-on-the-planet, Eva Longoria. 

The city of San Antonio is known for many things - great food, wonderful colonial architecture, and a rich history - but its burgeoning dedication to the arts is quickly making it one of the most important cities for Latino artists in the United States. San Antonio is home to some of the finest museums in the state, and has long been home to artisans, craftsmen, and artists of all sorts. The city's Latino community makes up the backbone of the community, and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center is one such organization that certainly does its part to keep San Antonio's art scene thriving and relevant.

The center was formed in 1980, and since then has dedicated itself to serving the community through several disciplines including, dance, literature, media arts, visual arts, and Xicano music. Each year, the organization puts on several events to showcase the talent that it cultivates. Guadalupe produces the San Antonio Cine Festival, Tejano Conjunto Festival en San Antonio, San Antonio Inter-American Bookfair and Literary Festival, as well as the Hecho a Mano series of plays annually to rave reviews. Also, the group puts on numerous productions by their own dance company throughout the year, and hosts open rehearsals for the public to view.

Nothing says that summer has arrived like juicy, ripe, cool watermelons . . . and nothing celebrates the venerable watermelon quite like the Luling Watermelon Thump, held annually in Luling, TX for the last 54 years.  The carnival is a four-day affair, featuring a midway, arts and crafts market, car show, exhibitions, rides and entertainment for the kids, seed spitting contests, watermelon eating contests, and plenty of great musical acts. 

The Thump began in 1954 as a way to draw attention to the watermelon growers in the region, and has grown in size as well as in its events.  Its popularity and fame has grown also.  For years, many of the winning watermelons have been sent to famous people such as Ronald Regan, Art Linklater, and Johnny Carson, and many of the winners of the seed spitting contest have appeared on TV talk shows, increasing the renown of the Thump.  The record in the seed-spitting contest was set in 1989 by Reed Wheelis at an incredible 68 feet, 9 1/8 inches.  This year the winner will receive a prize of $500, and another $500 if a new record is set.

The San Antonio Spurs finished off the overmatched Cleveland Cavs Thursday night, 83-82, and by completing only the eighth sweep in NBA finals history, became a legitimate dynasty.  By hanging their fourth title since 1999, the Spurs have demonstrated that they are not only the best team in the NBA this year, but certainly one of the best of all time.  And with a core group of young, but experienced players (Duncan, 31, Ginobili, 29, and Parker, 25), the Spurs seem to be perfectly situated to continue their championship run over the next few years.