Schedule of Events & Venues
Welcome to San Antonio. If you arrive by plane, go through the front doors of the terminal, and call an Uber or take a cab (around $30 for an easy 15-minute ride) to the Menger Hotel. It’s a historic hotel in an excellent location. On one side is the Alamo, on the other is the enclosed River Center Mall which includes a Sea Life San Antonio Aquarium, and a block in front of you is the famed River Walk. Upon arrival, stretch your legs, jump in the pool, or relax in the plant-filled patio.
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
The Board of Trustees will meet during the day on Wednesday, May 15, and that evening we will all gather for a cocktail buffet followed by our traditional fund-raising Fun Auction. This is a time to reconnect and/or make new friends. Bob Hopper is requesting manuscripts to be sold; Ed Bomsey will be our auctioneer.
Thursday, May 16, 2024
On Thursday, May 16, we will board our chartered bus to go behind the scenes of some of San Antonio’s historic sites. A Board of Trustees member will sponsor our entrance onto the Army Post of Fort Sam Houston, the site of several museums and collections. AMEDD, the Army Medical Department Museum, has everything from horse drawn ambulances to iron lungs, while the Quadrangle Museum covers San Antonio’s long history as “Military City.” Some may prefer to spend time outside with the peacocks and deer in the enclosed Quadrangle with its clock tower. It hasn’t changed much since Geronimo and his band were housed here in tents in the fall of 1886, while the U. S. government decided on their ultimate destination.
Thursday afternoon we’ll visit the iconic Alamo Church and then walk through the gardens to the two-story Ralston Family Collections Center, which opened in 2023. It includes state owned documents and the Alamo-related artifacts donated by Phil Collins, the musician and collector.
Thursday evening we’ll stroll to the nearby River Walk and the Casa Rio Restaurant, where we’ll board barges for dinner. The River Walk is below street level, and yes, there are elevators if you aren’t comfortable with stairs. While we are enjoying libations and supper, our barge Pilots will regale us with stories about San Antonio.
Friday, May 17, 2024
On Friday, May 17, we’ll board our chartered bus for the hour and a half drive to the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. The staff of the Harry Ransom Center will bring out treasured manuscripts and provide us with lunch. Then we’ll board our bus for the short ride to the Briscoe Center for American History, and the nearby Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library within walking distance. We’ll return to San Antonio in late afternoon. Dinner is on your own.
Saturday, May 18, 2024
Saturday, May 18, we plan a visit to the McNay Art Museum and its library in a 1920s mansion with modern gallery additions. There will be time in the afternoon to pursue your own interests: the San Antonio Art Museum in a converted brewery, the Briscoe Western Art Museum, or Villa Finale, one man’s collection of books, Napoleona, silver–you name it. Or perhaps your interests run to the Botanical Gardens or to the Zoo; both are outstanding and a 10-minute taxi ride.
Saturday evening our bus will take us to the Club Giraud, a private club known for its country French atmosphere and exceptional food. We’ll have a brief business meeting to elect new officers and Trustees and to confirm some updates to the Constitution.
Add an Extra Day in Fredericksburg, Texas
Sunday, May 19, 2024
On Sunday, our chartered bus will take us to Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country, around an hour and fifteen minutes away. Our primary destination is the National Museum of the Pacific War, formerly the Nimitz Museum, now a Smithsonian affiliate. https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/research-collections/center-for-pacific-war-studies
The Director will give us an overview tour and explain how they acquired the planes, PT boat, subs, as well as the research Archives. Some will want to delve into the films and exhibits; others may prefer to walk down main street with its quilt shops, German bakeries, and brew pubs. Midafternoon we’ll head back to San Antonio with a stop at theBecker Winery and Lavender Fields. Whether or not you participate in the tasting, you will enjoy relaxing on the veranda with its sweeping vistas, a tempting shop, and some refreshments. Reminisce about all you’ve seen at the Annual Meeting in San Antonio and Austin.
Venues and schedule are subject to change.