Mikel Marketing Newsletter

weekend getaways

I love weekend getaways - simple and refreshing. They are just what I need to keep my stress levels down and my sense of adventure up, all while not breaking the bank. Between my husband and I, our busy schedules don’t allow for many long, drawn out family vacations; so, we do our best to utilize weekend getaways.

These past two weekends, we headed west to San Antonio one weekend and then Austin the next. While neither trip lasted very long, both weekends were filled with fun, action, and most importantly, quality time spent with my family and friends.

SAN ANTONIO
Though I have been to San Antonio quite a few times, I would never pass up a chance to go back. My daughter and I came along for the ride, as it was my husband’s work related conference that brought all of us there this time. The most memorable day of our weekend was spent at the McNay Museum. I have wanted to go here for years, but due to re-construction, I have been unable to visit. Finally, I was able to go!

As I waked up to the museum, I was in awe. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined. I had no idea San Antonio was home to such a magnificent facility. Aside from its beauty, the entire place was surprisingly Zen, which made my experience there even more enjoyable. Built by educator Marion Koogler McNay in the 1920s, the Spanish Colonial Revival-style home opened as the first museum of modern art in 1954. McNay held that the experience of great art should be available to anyone and everyone. Now, more than 100,000 visitors a year are captivated by superlative works of art by 20th-century luminaries including Paul Gauguin, Vincent Van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

The museum has continued to follow the wishes of Mrs. McNay by promoting the advancement and enjoyment of modern art. Mrs. McNay’s collection was strong in French Post-Impressionist painting, early 20th-century European art, modern American watercolors, and Southwest folk art. Since the initial bequest, the collections have strengthened primarily in the areas of 19th- and 20th-century prints and drawings, 20th-century American paintings, 19th- and 20th-century European and American sculpture, and theater arts.

The museum houses over 7,000 works of art, ranging from the medieval period to the present day. The McNay features one of the Southwest's strongest collections of prints and drawings, one of the nation's leading collections of theater arts, and a nationally important collection of modern European and American painting and sculpture.

After spending almost a full day roaming the museum halls, my husband and daughter practically had to drag me out. While I was sad to leave, I am already looking forward to going back this fall. They are launching a new exhibit in October 2009 called Reclaimed: Art from the Collection of Jacques Goudstikker. This exhibition presents rare Old Master paintings drawn from the collection of Jacques Goudstikker, one of the preeminent art dealers in Amsterdam prior to World War II. In 1940, Goudstikker was forced to flee war-torn Europe with his family, yet died in a tragic accident while escaping the Nazi invasion. He left behind approximately 1,400 works of art in his gallery, which were looted by Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering. After years of unsuccessful attempts to recover these paintings, his family recently reclaimed 200 paintings from the Dutch government. Forty of the finest pieces—including Dutch Old Master works and Italian and Northern Renaissance paintings—have been selected for a touring exhibition that will showcase the eye of Jacques Goudstikker and emphasize the importance of both the artworks and their historic restitution. Photographs and documents, including Goudstikker’s gallery inventory notebook, will illuminate Goudstikker’s fascinating story (www.thejewishmuseum.org). For anyone who loves art and museums as much as I do, I definitely recommend you visit this exhibit (Oct. 7, 2009-Jan 10, 2010). You know we won’t miss it!

While my time in San Antonio was spent mostly with family, I did take one evening to re-connect with my good friend Azmina whom I have known for over 20 years. Saturday night, Azmina gathered some of her girlfriends and we all hit the town, well, the suburbs, for a ladies night. I drove about 30 minutes from our hotel on the River Walk, to a place called The Green Lantern, located in suburban neighborhood, which was very casual and pub-like. I probably would have never come here if it hadn’t been for my friend, but I am certainly glad I did. It gave me a chance to venture out to somewhere other than the usual River Walk that we always hung around whenever we were in SA.

The Green Lantern was quite perplexing actually because to tell the truth, I was little skeptical. Let’s just say you probably won’t see this place in an episode of Sex and the City. However, after I got over the fact that it was located in a neighborhood—which I later found out is known as the Beverly Hills of San Antonio— I realized that it embodied lot of character, inside and out. The giant aluminum fork statue out front added a little corky-ness and pizzazz, while the interior possessed a very welcoming and “Cheers-like” atmosphere…a nice change from the Houston scene. Right when I walked in, I was greeted by the friendly manager who promptly escorted me to the basement where the bar was located. As we were walking, I mentioned that the drive out there took me what seemed like forever. Delighted that I traveled so far just to come to his establishment, he gave me a complimentary bottle of wine to share with the girls just to show his gratitude. Astonished by his generosity, I knew that this was only the beginning of a great evening. We stayed for hours just laughing, chatting, reminiscing and girls just being girls – the evening was an absolute blast a blast, even by Sex and the City’s standards!

AUSTIN
You may not know this but I’d been anticipating this trip to Austin for quite some time now. Back in November, my husband and I and a group of friends signed up for the 2009 Austin Marathon & Half Marathon and have been training for it ever since. Upon checking in at the Omni Hotel in Austin, we immediately dropped our bags and headed over to the marathon registration center, held in the Austin Convention center. I was extremely surprised to see how well organized the process was, as we promptly received our marathon bibs and t-shirts. Aside from just registration tables, there were all kinds of booths and kiosks selling sporting goods, nutrition bars, running equipment, etc.; it was really a sight to see so many people in one room, all connected by the same passion for running!

After getting our marathon business taking care of, it was time to find a good restaurant, so the six of us could celebrate our reunion and our first marathon/half-marathon together. Finding a place to eat dinner that night was fairly tricky considering it was Valentine’s Day. As we were walking around trying to find a good restaurant where we could reserve a table, we stopped by Whole Foods to get some water bottles, and noticed a large crowd of people congregating around what looked like an “open kitchen.” Curious, we walked over and saw several chefs making all different kinds of pasta dishes, exactly what we needed since running is the best excuse for all of us to load up on carbs. What a brilliant concept! Why didn’t other markets think of it before? And why don’t all of them do it? All the fresh ingredients are right there within reach, so why not cook and serve them right there? We had what seemed like every kind of pasta imaginable: linguini, risotto, ravioli, cannelloni, tortellini, you name it! The chef then infused our dishes with olive oil, cheeses, fresh vegetables, oregano, and basil, tossed with fresh vegetables. It was a meal to die for! While waiting for our dishes, we walked around the store and brought over some baguettes, a bottle of wine, some pulled pork meat for appetizer, and served ourselves at our table. What fun!

The next morning, we woke up at 5:30AM, ate breakfast, and immediately went to the “starting line.” It was actually quite overwhelming as there were over 5,000 runners. Aside from just being excited about running, I was very proud to be a part of The Austin Marathon & Half Marathon because of its green initiative. They incorporated countless green alternatives such as: 100% Online Registration, Waste Disposal and Recycling, Plastics and cardboard recycling, Composting dumpsters for surplus waste and food, Solar-powered main stage, Biodiesel and solar-powered generators for all electricity needs, Team of kayakers from the Austin Rowing Center will retrieve items discarded in Lady Bird Lake as runners pass over the Ann B. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge and the South First Street bridge, among many others.

While most of us did a half marathon, one of our friends decided to do the full 26 miles, who amazingly finished at 4 hours and 14 minutes. After crossing the finish line at 2 hours and 22 minutes, I remember feeling excited, accomplished, and yes, tired. All of my months of training had finally paid off, and it was definitely worth it! I was just as proud at each one from our group as I was myself, all beaming with enthusiasm and pride.

After the race, we returned to our hotel, showered, rested, and met again for lunch one last time before we headed back home. Because we loved Whole Foods so much the day before, we decided to go back for round two. As we were eating, I noticed how animated we all were, reliving each moment as we shared each other’s stories. As our excitement escaladed, we actually started discussing when our next marathon would be. Countless cities and venues were passed around when finally someone mentioned Paris; at that moment everyone smiled in agreement. Of course, Paris; just the thought of running through places the Eiffel Tower, Place de la Concorde, and Champs-Elysees was almost too much for us to handle. I can’t wait! Will keep you posted!