San Antonio has unveiled a 1.3-mile extension of its River Walk, almost doubling the length of the park. The walk now stretches to venues such as the San Antonio Museum of Art. The $279 million project will add nine more miles by 2014. (866) 517-7771; visitsanantonio.com

This past June, the Dallas City Council approved a $514 million bond plan to cover construction of a $346 million city-owned convention center hotel and to fill a reserve fund for contingencies. The 1,000-room property, to open in 2012 as an Omni hotel, will be built on part of a site that recently was cleared next to the Dallas Convention Center. The hotel will offer 100,000 square feet of its own meeting space, including grand and junior ballrooms, plus several eateries and Omni's signature Mokara Spa. The rest of the site will be used for ancillary retail outlets, entertainment venues and restaurants. The city is trying to woo the College Football Hall of Fame away from South Bend, Ind., for the location. A $500 million development nearby, which will include a minor-league ballpark, also is in the works. (214) 571-1000; dallascvb.com