Tipping my hat to the Lone Star State
My wife Margaret and I recently enjoyed a trip South, thus shaving off a few days of braving the cold New England weather! Our first stop was in the Greenville, South Carolina, area. We enjoyed catching up with and spending time with several of our clients, touring new homes, and visiting booming businesses. Dining out on delicious Southern cuisine was also a treat. We struck out, however, in trying to find a special bottle of French Champagne—plenty of moonshine, but no Champagne! One of the proprietors even asked if we were from “North,” but he meant “North Carolina.” We had to answer, “Worse—New England!”
The area surrounding Greenville is loaded with luxury car manufacturers: Mercedes, BMW, Audi, etc. It was a thrill to drive around in a brand new black 2019 M5 BMW. Bat Man would have been jealous!
Next, we journeyed to Austin, Texas, and the Dimensional Funds Seminar. We spent three days immersed in the Dimensional methodology for investing and building portfolios. We were treated to a discussion with Eugene Fama, one of the three Nobel Laureates who formed or are Directors of the Dimensional Funds.
Meanwhile, Margaret was back at the hotel, lounging in the heated pool for hours despite temperatures in the high 50’s. The staff took bets on whether she was from Alaska or New England! Austin is a huge, booming, sprawling city with cranes and construction everywhere. It’s a young person’s city filled with technology and music. Night life is incredible, steaks are huge and delicious, and the music is loud! Austin City Lights Texans are friendly, fun, and welcoming.
We ended our trip with a long weekend in San Antonio. Wow! We plan to head back there soon! The River Walk area is amazing—one of the nicest walking trails ever, and if you don’t want to walk, you can travel it by boat.
And yes, we even saw the Alamo! Remember that famous battle we all thought “we won” until high school history class told us otherwise. Fortunately, the Texans did win the war and San Antonio became ours. The Tex-Mex food we enjoyed there was incredible—fresh salsa everyday with our eggs and bacon. I think it might even taste good on oatmeal!
Our staff was so kind to give us a gift certificate to Boudro’s, a fabulous restaurant on the River Walk. Guacamole made right at the table with fresh avacados, lime and orange juices, salsa, and the “piece de resistance” tomatoes and onions roasted over a mesquite grill. The smokiness gave such a rich flavor and depth to the guacamole, which was served with tortilla chips made on the premises. We washed the “guac” down with the very best prickly pear Margaritas. Nothing quite like authentic Mexican premium tequila! We moved on to delicious Texas dishes like grilled quail, spicy gulf shrimp and cheesy grits. We loved the Texas Lone Star beer and even had some interesting Texas wine.
We look forward to seeing more of our 28th state on a future trip!
