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SITE REVIEW# 2 SUNNY SAN ANTONIO OFFERS SUPERB MEETING SPACES, DINING AND MORE BY EDITH BILLUPS Planning a trip to sunny San Antonio? Note that one of Texas’ most endearing cities has lots of new things to explore this year. I recently packed my bag for a four-day visit and found that besides the famous River Walk, there are many new sights and sounds to take in, including Marriott’s new San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa with two Tournament Player’s Club (TPC) golf courses. Designed by Sergio Garcia, Pete Dye, and Greg Norman, the Norman-designed course recently hosted the Valero Texas Open. Situated in Texas Hill Country, the new Marriott Resort is the largest of its kind in the world and touts a 26,000-sq. ft. spa; 1,002 luxurious rooms and suites; and over 140,000 sq. ft. of unparal- leled meeting space. Arriving on a Wednesday, I promptly checked out the new Lantana Spa, inspired by the romance and the folklore of the Curanderos (village healers), who captured the curative properties and indigenous plants and herbs along the Texas-Mexico border. The spa embraces the healing culture and rituals that have surrounded the Texas Hill country for centuries, featuring a variety of herbal massages and body treatments. After a relaxing massage, I dined at the resort’s airy Cibolo Moon restaurant that fea- tured superb dining in an open and relaxed atmosphere. I was delighted to learn that the fresh vegetables I ordered were grown in the resort’s 5,000-sq. ft. organic garden that also grows herbs and lavender and houses a work- ing greenhouse. The resort prides itself on casual elegance, and that theme was repeated throughout the picturesque, 600-acre property that boasts rolling hills, meandering creeks, and a six-acre water park with multiple pools and water rides. If planning a meeting or special event, the resort offers the largest convention, meeting and event space in the market, including its 40,000-sq. ft. Grand Oaks Ballroom; a 40,000-sq. ft. Exhibit Hall; and 20,000 sq. ft. of space in 19 breakout rooms. On my second day, I took off to explore the local culture and cuisine and visited the Institute of Texan Cultures. Dee Russell, volunteer program coordinator, immersed me in the history of the indigenous people of the area and the contributions of peo- ple of color. If visiting, be sure to read about the Native tribes that inhab- 44 Crooked Branch Lobby Mi Tierra restaurant, which features superb Mexican cuisines, and which is open 24 hours day, seven days a week. The restaurant’s founder, Pete Cortez, prided himself on being involved in the community, and the family helped to fund the nearby Museo Alameda. During my visit, I took in an impressive exhibit, Arte en la Charreria: The Artisanship of Mexican Equestrian Culture. The stunning clothing and saddles used by the skilled charros (horsemen) and charras (horsewomen) left me breathless. My Texas visit coincided with San Antonio’s annu- al Fiesta Week, an 11-day array of festivals, carnivals, Black Meetings & Tourism May/June 2010: www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com ited the area, including the Coahuiltecos and the Caddos. You also can read stories of Black Texans, including baseball great Frank Robinson; Pearl Harbor hero Doris Miller; and educator Artemisia Bowden, president of St. Philips College. For lunch, I dined in the King William Historic District, once home to German families who helped define the city in the mid-19th century. Highly recom- mended is the lovely Guenther House museum and restaurant, located in the Pioneer Flour Mills. Built in 1859, the stately structure features a Victorian parlour with the Guenther’s family carefully restored period furniture; an original piano from Stuttgart, Germany; and a special collection of Dresden china. The entire facility can be rented for a private event after hours, and the spacious upper floor Roof Garden can be used for business meetings or conferences. Don’t leave without checking out the impressive architecture of the nearby homes, many with colorful gardens. Changing scenery, I headed to the west side of town to Market Square, considered the largest Mexican market outside of Mexico. I chatted with Eusebia Trujillo, a member of the Cortez family that owns the