Museum Reach - Clamshell at the Grotto

Taking a closer look at the Clamshell feature of the Grotto, you will notice that in addition to the comfortable (for concrete) bench there are also several sea shells that have been modeled based on "real" sea shells. In face some of them are hard to distinguish from ones you might find on the beaches of Corpus Christi or elsewhere where Texas meets the Gulf of Mexico. As always, you can check out more of my photos of the Riverwalk or other areas I've photographed at my Portfolio on 500px.

Museum Reach - Interior of the Cave at the Grotto

Inside the cave section of the Grotto sculpture are a number of  features designed to reflect what you might see in a real cave in this area of South Texas. The image on the left has my daughter (5ft 6in) for perspective on the size of this installation. Moving closer to the stairs, you can see the winding path it takes up to the surface which lets you either get up to street level, or take a look at the Grotto from on top.

Museum Reach - Cave and Clamshell Sculptures - the Grotto

These two photos give you a couple different views of the Cave and Clamshell Sculptures created by Carlos Cortes as a man-made Grotto for the Riverwalk. I also like how these demonstrate the different moods you can get from visiting the same area even if it's just at different times on the same day. Both photos were taken on July 2nd of 2011, but the first (on the left) was taken just at daybreak, while the one on the right was taken right around lunch time. One day I need to post a photo or two showing how this area as it is lit up at night. In any event, the next post will take a closer look at the interior of the cave area.

Museum Reach - Walking Along

Here we see examples of some of the paths leading further south from the Pearl Brewery area. By getting here early in the morning, it is light out enough to see where you are going, but still dark enough to have the small lanterns in this area lit up. A nice, peaceful transition from the Pearl Brewery to one of the major Art Installations on the Riverwalk - coming up next :-)

Museum Reach - Pearl Brewery Entertainment Area

As you enter the next section of the Museum Reach on the Riverwalk, you find that there is a long curved path that serves as a bridge here, with a number of man-made islands and waterfalls.

This is the northern end of the portion of the Riverwalk where you can take boat rides, and is also the home to the Pearl Brewery Entertainment area.

As the name implies, this area is where the old Pearl Brewery (Beer, not Jewelry) was located. The main factory is being renovated into a Performing Arts Center, and other out buildings have been converted into a parking garage, some restaurants, and the San Antonio branch of the Culinary Institute of America.

You might also notice in the bottom right picture that an outdoor amphitheater is being created for music and shows, or just if you feel like getting some lunch to enjoy on a grassy area on a warm, summer day. You can probably also make out the "PEARL" sign on the old factory chimney in the left of the picture.

Just a reminder that if you want to see more of what I am doing, I have a Portfolio on 500px where you can check out my photos, and even order prints if you are interested.