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Spring 2011
The Stars at Night are Big and Bright…
As I sat at my desk, staring at the gloomy morning, wishing for some sunshine and warm temperatures, I decided to check the weather in San Antonio, Texas. Why San Antonio? In addition to being a place that I’ve always wanted to visit, I was working on the department budget for next year, and wanted to make sure I factored the 2012 GMN Annual Conference into the professional development numbers.
To my delight – 74 and sunny! I made a mental note to bring some sunscreen along with my business cards. This got me thinking about what else I would need – some good walking shoes to enjoy The River Walk, the famous network of walkways along the banks of the San Antonio River that would lead me right to the Alamo. Remember the Alamo?!
I started doing more research and saw that San Antonio boasts two art museums – the San Antonio Museum of Art, with a collection of works from all parts of the globe, and the McNay Art Museum, located in the Spanish Colonial Revival house of Marion Koogler McNay, an oil heiress. The McNay collection has more than 20,000 works including Medieval and Renaissance art, 19th- through 21st- century European and American paintings, sculptures, and photographs, and a unique art glass collection.
Remembering the good weather, I wanted to see what other outdoor activities the area offers. Online, people raved about the Natural Bridge Caverns, located 30 minutes from San Antonio. This vast network of caverns was discovered in 1960, and you can tour the first ½ mile to see rare rock formations. Now which one is the stalactite?
All of this exploring had my stomach growling. As with any city, there are strong opinions about which restaurants serve the best of the best – in all categories of cuisine. I concluded that no matter what I wanted, from tacos and guacamole, to steak and fish, San Antonio would have something tasty.
My dreams of enchiladas were interrupted by the phone, and I went back to work. But I saved my San Antonio information in a new 2012 GMN Conference folder, and am looking forward to some adventure next March…along with great sessions and speakers of course!