Recognized as the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi, the Menger Hotel opened its doors in 1859. Business-minded men and women followed suit, establishing inns, lodges, motels, and hotels for tourists, businessmen, and passers-through that offered a wide range of amenities. The Crockett Hotel has overlooked the Alamo since 1909. The St. Anthony Hotel was the first luxury hotel in the state of Texas and often hosted celebrities, politicians, and other elite society. The Gunter Hotel was called the "first million-dollar hotel" in Texas by the Austin American Statesman and was deemed to have the "largest hotel lobby in the South" by the San Antonio Light and Gazette. The Fairmount Hotel drew acclaim after being moved five blocks in April 1985, when it was honored with an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "heaviest hotel ever moved." The evolution of San Antonio from military post and Texas's oldest municipality to the fastest-growing large US city, told through the lens of the city's hotels, is filled with unique historical perspective.
This is the definitive account of a beloved hotel that has played a memorable role in San Antonio's history. Generously illustrated, this is the fascinating story of the people who owned the Menger and the noteworthy folk they entertained.
Everything is bigger in Texas—including ghosts—especially in San Antonio, considered one of the ten most haunted cities in the world by National Geographic. As the saying goes, “dead men tell no tales.” Or do they? From its humble beginnings as a Spanish settlement in 1691 to the bloody battle at the Alamo, San Antonio’s history is rich in haunting tales. Discover Old San Antonio’s most haunted places and uncover the history that lies waiting for those who dare enter their doorways. Take a peek inside the Menger Hotel, the “Most Haunted Hotel in Texas,” and just a block away, peer into the Emily Morgan Hotel, renovated after a decade of being vacant, was once the city’s first hospitals where many men and women lost their lives. Explore the San Fernando Cathedral, where people are buried within the walls and visitors claim to see faces mysteriously appear. Uncover the legends behind Bexar County Jail. Join authors James and Lauren Swartz and decide for yourself what truly lurks behind the Alamo City’s fabled past. Includes photos!
A collection of Courtney's columns from the Texas Monthly, curing the curious, exorcizing bedevilment, and orienting the disoriented, advising "on such things as: Is it wrong to wear your football team's jersey to church? When out at a dancehall, do you need to stick with the one that brung ya? Is it real Tex-Mex if it's served with a side of black beans? Can one have too many Texas-themed tattoos?"--Amazon.com.
"Find the Texas of your dreams -- do some two-stepping in a honky-tonk dance hall, float down the Rio Grande through chiseled desert canyons, sample fiery Tex-Mex, visit world-class museums (and historic sights) and watch the big Texas sky light up a field of Hill Country bluebonnets. Our author has personally visited every hotel, shop, restaurant, attraction and nightspot listed in this book -- and hundreds more -- to better guide you on the trip of a lifetime. Here's to the Lone Star State!" -- Back cover.
Virtually every San Antonio citizen over a certain age with any interest in literature will have vivid memories of Rosengren's Books. It was the absolute center of literary culture not only in San Antonio, but in Texas, for decades. Indeed, from the 1930s to the 1980s, Rosengren's Books was considered one of the finest bookstores between New York and San Francisco. It was a mid-continent haven for writers as diverse as Frost, John Dos Pasos, J. Frank Dobie, and Larry McMurtry. Rosengren's Books: An Oasis for Mind and Spirit is the story of a great American family of independent booksellers and the important literary institution they created. Beginning as a rare book store in Chicago, Frank and Florence Rosengren brought the store to San Antonio, Texas, in 1935. Located in various downtown locations, it became most well known as the charming book shop behind the Alamo, where it was visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. At the heart of the story is Florence Rosengren, whom former San Antonio mayor Phil Hardberger calls the "Sylvia Beach of South Texas" and Texas Observer founding editor Ronnie Dugger described as "the chief guardian of civilization from here to Mexico City."
Kathryn “Kat” Jensen’s new audit consulting job quickly becomes extremely dangerous. Investigating a notorious drug trafficker’s bank accounts can lead to life-threatening complications! When Kat Jensen, an out-of-work internal auditor in New York City, joins Melville Consulting, a friend’s secretive consulting firm, she unravels the elaborate money-laundering scheme used by a notorious drug lord nicknamed El Rey, or The King. Based on her analysis, the banks freeze his accounts. Furious, El Rey storms their office, threatening to kill her boss. The drug czar gets arrested, but Kat is badly shaken and wants to quit. Except auditing jobs aren’t easy to find after she took a year off to go on an unusual bucket-list voyage, and now she is broke. Memories of Kat’s brother, who lost the battle against drug addiction, and the much-needed paycheck convince her to try again. But when Kat unexpectedly meets El Rey, her life is in danger, since now he wants revenge. PROJECT ONION features an unexpectedly resilient businesswoman who decides to fight back. This suspense novel blends crime, time travel, and romance with multiple twists and turns. What book reviewers are saying: “Following the typical format of crime fiction, Stensgaard delivers an entertaining set-up to her series. Kat’s motivations for joining the Melville Consulting team are clear and her emotions are apparent and relatable.” - The BookLife Prize, part of Publishers Weekly “Project Onion by Karen Stensgaard is an engrossing read, packed with suspense, a little romance, and even some time travel for good measure. It has a very strong female lead, plenty of action, and no small amount of stunning twists and turns that will leave you dizzy. The main character is the kind of woman that others might dream of being - a sophisticated, smart decision-maker who isn't afraid to stare danger in the face and the thrilling plot marks the start of what looks to be a great new series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and am looking forward to more of Kat Jenson's adventures.” - 5 Star Review by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite “A riveting, impossible-to-put-down novel… Stensgaard kicks start her The Melville Consulting Series with this very clever, unpredictable genre mash-up tale. Stensgaard’s shrewd observations about a woman struggling to gather her courage in the face of unexpectedly trying circumstances register beautifully. The pacing is fast and tension stays high with relentless suspense in the back. This action-packed time-travel thriller delivers on its promising concept.” - The Prairies Book Review “An incredible story from a great storyteller with realistic and elaborately developed characters, Project Onion is a spellbinding opening that will create a lot of anticipation in readers as they wait for the next installment in the series. The narrative is enriched by the beautiful prose and Karen Stensgaard's deft creation in setting and atmosphere.” - 5 Star Review by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite “This book is one of a kind … The drama and romance set among the mystery make it an even more intriguing read and keeps you hooked and invested in the plot. I would love to read more such work or even more about these same characters. Kudos to the author for coming up with this story, and I hope the upcoming ones are just as great!” - 5 Star Review from Instagram Book Blogger read.with.emilee
With Explorer’s Guides, expert authors and helpful icons make it easy to locate places of extra value, family-friendly activities, and excellent restaurants and lodgings. Regional and city maps help you get around and What’s Where provides a quick reference on everything from tourist attractions to off-the-beaten-track sites. Along with Amish farms, rolling countryside, and interesting history, Kansas offers rodeos, powwows, pancake races, Renaissance fairs, and spinach festivals. Kansas is known for wheat, cattle, and wide-open spaces, but it also has day spas, boutique hotels, museums, concerts, and vital urban scenes. There’s a lot to see and do here; with an insider guiding you, you can expect extras, like a detailed look at the exciting cultural centers of eastern Kansas, with their fine restaurants, nightlife, and art. There really is no place like Kansas!
San Antonio is in the national spotlight as one of the fastest growing and most dynamic emerging major cities in America. Yet local lore has it that every Texan has two hometowns—his own and San Antonio. The Alamo City's charm, colorful surroundings, and diverse cultures combine to make it one of the most interesting places in Texas and the nation. In San Antonio Uncovered, Mark Rybczyk examines some of the city's internationally known legends and lore (including ghost stories) and takes a nostalgic look at landmarks that have disappeared. He also introduces some of the city’s characters and unusual features, debunks local myths, and corrects common misconceptions. Rybczyk embraces San Antonio's peculiarities by chronicling the cross-country journey of the World’s Largest Boots to their home in front of North Star Mall; the origins of the Frito corn chip and chewing gum; the annual Cornyation of King Anchovy; and Dwight Eisenhower's stint as the football coach at St Mary’s University. This completely updated, new edition of San Antonio Uncovered highlights San Antonio as a modern, thriving city with the feel of a small town that sees beauty in the old and fights to save it, even something as seemingly insignificant as an old Humble Oil Station; and its diverse inhabitants as those who appreciate the blending of the old and the new at the Tobin Center and fight to save what’s left of the Hot Wells Hotel.
