A NHT Preservation Corridor
How does this tour meet your idea of a
NHT Preservation corridor? What
would improve the corridor’s historic
character or setting?
Idea of a preservation
corridor
• Had historical elements – sites and linear
features (acequia, river, El Camino Real)
• Had facilities at places we stopped
• Not preservation behind a glass
• Thematically and time linked
Idea of a preservation
corridor
BUT…
• Do not know what a preservation corridor is
Physical and interpretive linkage
• Sites as presented did not have the feeling of a
“corridor”
• Lack of interpretation of El Camino Real de los
Tejas
• What is the trail and what is the connection
between the trail and the missions/acequias?
Idea of a corridor
ACCESS
• More linkage between trail and sites along
the trail
• More multimodal access (walking,
equestrian, hiking, biking) in addition to
auto/tour bus access
• Design for pedestrians
Heritage improvement
Interpretive signage and documentation
• Maps, consistent and easy to read
• Signage that links and marks the trail
• Docents
• Explain the environmental/ecosystem changes
• Living encounters with locals
• More cell phone and modern information access
• Oral history that is related chronologically
Heritage corridor
improvement
Site/corridor improvement
• More preservation of resources
• Structural: fix cracks and stabilize
• Services for different types of visitors (bike
riders, picnickers)
• Source locally possible
• Get easements to link the segments
together
Heritage Tourism
Along a Historic Trail
What excites you as a visitor? What
would bring you back again? Who you
would bring with you and why?
4/13/2015
2010 NHT Workshop
7
Heritage Tourism – Reasons
to Return
On site activities
• Attend mass
• Active flour mill (add lime kiln, iron forge)
Heritage Tourism – Reasons
to Return
Time journey/authenticity
• Fascination with Spanish colonial period
• Learning about stories of every day people
• “Enjoy the time journey”
• Authentic – 5 missions and acequia
Heritage Tourism – Reasons
to Return
Natural environment
• Native vegetation
Understand contemporary community
• intersection of geography and culture
• Deeper understanding of place and people
“To see what I missed”
Heritage Tourism – who
would I bring
Family
• Spouses
• Children
• Parents
College reunion
History lovers
Tourism improvement
Appealing to the visitor
• Replica items for “kids” to play with and
interact
• Hand’s on activities
• Balloon flights
Tourism improvement
ACCESS
• Horse and buggy tours
• Acequia trail linking the sites, fields
Tourism Improvement
Improved interpretation
• More bilingual interpretation
• Don’t be afraid to be provocative
• More stories – not just one (indigenous, ancient,
church, land, resource/food)
• More x-ray vision w/archaeological sites
• More about bricks and mortar and traditional
building techniques
• Mark/sign the trail segments
Tourism improvement
Visitor Enhancement
• Hands on activities
• More connection between the local plants and
animals
• Living history experiences and events/way of life
• Guided tours
• Multimedia interpretation including film
• More “then” and “now” comparisons
• More artifacts