Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites

Untitled Document

WHEELS . . .

Premiere Showcase of City of Santa Barbara Sister Cities Banner & Brochures

First Ever Sister Cities International Regional 2024 All Americas Summit Held in San Antonio Texas

by Bonnie Carroll

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg enjoying Mayor's Welcom with Susan Harper, Consul General of Canada in Dallas, TX

The Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center on the San Antonio Texas Riverwalk was the location of the first Sister Cities International (SCI) All Americas Summit 2024, sponsored by the City of San Antonio, Texas during Memorial Day weekend.

Ricki R. Garrett, PhD, CEO and President Sister Cities International

The four day program included welcomes from City of San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, SCI Chairman Peter Svarzbein, Ricki R. Garrett, PhD, President/CEO Sister Cities International, Greg Abbott, Governor of the State of Texas and Peter Sakai, Bexar County Judge along with the opening day Parade of Flags of the Western Hemisphere, as well as daily presentations from countless speakers representing a bevy of Sister Cities throughout the country and the world all addressing issues pertinent to the needs of attending SCI members at the event.

Mayor of San Antonio Welcoming Guests

Activities included a spectacular Latin inspired Mayor's Welcome Reception at the Tobin Performing Arts Center where guests were treated to a personal greeting from Mayor Ron Nirenberg, special SCI award presentations, music by outstanding musicians including Henry Brun & the Latin Playerz, Volcan, and Mariachi Campanas de America that was presented in an inspired magical Tobin Center atmosphere.

SCI All Americas Summit daily agendas included the SCI Leadership Academy, a unique program designed to highlight SCI's history, current

goals and provide tools for success with tips on strengthening existing partnerships and establishing new ones. The SCI Academy is a powerful showcase of best practices for emerging, new and current sister cities, locally and globally, with panels of presenters speaking on SCI history, economic development trends, and tools for SCI member success. A panel luncheon following this session featured discussion on Diplomacy Across the Americas.

Daily moderated panels included valuable

information on International trade and investment in the Americas, best programs fostered for collaboration, cultural exchange, and community empowerment, challenges and solutions regarding water across the Americas, diplomacy and strengthening hemispheric bonds, sports diplomacy across the Americas, Sister City relationships for business development, evolving landscape of smart city development, supply chains and transportation in the Americas, Transformative and impact Arts in the Americas, Travel and Tourism in the Americas, creative cities collaborating across the Americas and more.

"Getting to Know You" should be the theme song for SCI because everywhere I went there were new people to meet and share information with including Peter Ives from Santa Fe, New Mexico and members of the Pasadena, California Committee, who began their membership in 1948. Chatting over breakfast in the Grand Club at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio Hotel with speakers from Richmond, Virginia, who provided valuable information on the 500 in 5 initiative, a mission to connect 500 cities in Africa with cities in the United States that is now in process and hoping to foster long-lasting diplomatic and cultural relationships, promote peace, respect and mutual understanding across borders.

The heart of this first SCI All Americas Summit was an opportunity for

attendees to experience the wonder of the City of San Antonio through coordinated professional tours of major points of interest that included a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Riverwalk cruises, Arts & Culture, UT Health Education and Clinical Sites, Hemisfair District, Historic Downtown Walk, UTSA School of Data Science, SAWS Tour of Water Recycling Center & Desalination facility, Morgan's Wonderland, lunch & Art at the Pearl, Mural Ride Biking, Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours, City of San Antonio "Economic Development Department, Ruby City, and Visit San Antonio.

The Historic Alamo did not disappoint...it was so inspiring!

Viewing the historic Alamo has been on my list for ages and this exceptional tour featured the Alamo and two of the five San Antonio State Missions featuring Mission Valero (the Alamo), Conception Mission and San Jose Mission; four of the five are active parishes and part of the San Antonio Archdiocese. They are considered to be the most complete group of Spanish Colonial mission complexes in the world. All mission tours were extremely informative, and the hospitality of the State of Texas guides, and gift store staff at each location was impressive. The five missions are pristine and are part of the San Antonio National Historic Parks. They offer visitor centers that include opportunities to shop, eat, view slide presentations and there is an actual air conditioned movie theater in the San Jose Mission Center to enjoy a film history of this missions creation. Our group all appreciated our professional SCI tour guide Theresa, who was both helpful and informative.

Panel Luncheon: Diplomacy Across the Americas Strengthening Hemispheric Bonds

The All Americas Summit closing event was located at the Mexican Cultural Institute, the permanent cultural representation of the Mexican Government in San Antonio, created in 1968 where art exhibitions, performances and public events are featured. The event began with a refreshing toast of locally made aqua frescas, and included remarks from Consul Luis Fernando Alva, representative of the Consul General of Mexico in San Antonio, Texas.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Sister Cities Program in the U.S. was the brainchild of President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956 to establish a "People-to-People Program." His wish was to involve people and organized groups in personal diplomacy, hoping relationships fostered would contribute to building world peace. Santa Barbara currently has six active Sister Cities including Kotor, Montenegro since 2009, Miraflores, Peru since 2023, Patras, Greece since 2010, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico since 1973, Toba, Japan since 1966, and Weihai, China since 1993.

Many thanks to the army of SCI staff and members who created this educational, exhilarating, and delicious event, and Santa Barbara/Puerto Vallarta board attendee Alicia Sorkin for her valued assistance. Major kudos to Kathy Janega-Dykes, President & CEO of Visit Santa Barbara, who provided beautiful Santa Barbara magazines for distribution to SCI attendees.

It was an honor to represent the City of Santa Barbara Sister Cities Board and experience this first ever SCI Regional Summit, which was also the first introduction of our newly designed City of Santa Barbara Sister Cities Committee brochure and banner and a first visit for many to the renowned San Antonio Alamo. Will always remember the Alamo!

Grand Hyatt San Antonio was the official event hotel and was a beautiful venue located next to the Convention Center steps from the Riverwalk. The staff at the hotel were so kind and deserve gold stars for their guest service excellence. The food and beverage service, especially in the Grand Club was outstanding and the coffee in the rooms was exceptional. Look forward to visiting them again soon when I can just roll along the lazy river for a bit.

Santa Barbara Sister Cities Committee membership information can be found on the City of Santa Barbara website http://www.santabarbara.gov.

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Coasting with Bonnie Carroll

Along the California 101 to Carmel-by-the-Sea

Carmel Mission

May & June are ideal times to travel the Hwy 101 from Santa Barbara to Carmel-by-the-Sea. Mornings can be a bit foggy, but not a problem on this lovely drive through gorgeous ranch country and historic side stops like Harmony and Cambria.

My favorite destination in Carmel-by-the-Sea is a favorite family owned hotel, Hofsas House Hotel. Owner, Carrie Theise is always hostess with the mostest and so welcoming to guests at her lovely family owned property located in the center of Carmel, with a pool and ocean view.

Lovely rooms at Hofsas House Hotel

Between Santa Barbara and Carmel their are so many amazing destinations to visit and enjoy. San Liuis Obispo is a darling community with great boutique hotels in their center, the SLO Mission, and the renowned Madonna Inn, located right off the Hwy 101, where breakfast at the Copper Kettle is always a welcome and delicious experience.

Hwy 101 Wineries or 5th Ave Deli in Carmel offer great local sips

Beautiful ranches and wineries dot this California route, and provide nice side-stops to do wine tastings, buy wine or have a quick bite on your way up the highway.

It is difficult to think of Cambria and not get a vision of Hearst Castle located above the coast nearby. I've visited the Castle on many occasions prior to the pandemic, and highly recommend it for a beautiful history lesson on the family who built it, and California history in general. It is also an opportunity to purchase Hearst beef and wines at their winery just off the highway. Hearst Castle, on a clear day offers a unique and heavenly view of the Hearst property site.

Cambria is in a world of it's own, and offers some of the best food delights on this favorite journey of mine. Robin's Restaurant is outstanding for unique and delicious healthy recipes (celebrating 38 years) in a colorful flash to the past 70s environment. Linn's Bakery is world renowned for their ollieberry delights and delicious home-made favorite recipes. This town is literally overflowing with delightful and artistic shopping venues and offers some cosy and inviting hotel/motel accommodations.

There are 21 missions along the California coast from San Diego to San Francisco, and traveling from Santa Barbara to Carmel-by-the-Sea there are eight missions including Santa Barbara, Santa Ines, La Purisima, San Luis Obispo, San Miguel, San Antonio, Le Soledad, and San Carlos Mission. The California Missions offers maps and detailed directions and information on the mission sites that enables travelers to obtain informtion on these sites, including picnic and touring availablity. They are beautiful and offer valuable historic information on their locations. (photos: Carmel Mission interior & Sanat Barbara Mission external).

Arriving in Carmel-by-the-Sea is always a joyful feeling and the small city is always buzzing with locals and tourists. Sometimes more than others depending on what event s are happening. If you check the chamber schedule you will note there are special events that draw large numbers to their community. My most recent visit was for the Carmel Restaurant Week in it's third year, with a delicious Giovanni's evening, and also the Monterey Artichoke Festival, a long running event featuring chef demonstrations and everything to love about the California Artichoke.

Other events I've covered included their amazing Art Festival, featuring talented artists from the coastal area that offers personal introductions and art purchases. Carmel is such a perfect environment for these kind of gatherings, and so many visitors are 'be backs' who plan their vacations around visits to Carmel-by-the-sea to attend events of interest. It is such a walkable town, minutes to the beach and Clint Eastwood's Mission Ranch for an unforgetable brunch with an ocean view.

Driving around this area and discovering what's happening is so much fun! Just a few minites to the Monterey, featuring an amazing sea aquarium, cannary row, the lovely Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa that has a super spa with the best ocean view in the area, along with countless seafood restaurants and some totally blissful weather.

However, even during fall or winter when the weather gets cooler, it is also fun to travel up the coast with my puffer jacket or sweater in hand and do the tourist routes to visit countless wineries, art galleries, museums and specialty shops where restaurant menus change to comfort foods and yummy flavored coffee, hot chocolate or brandy become the number one beverage of choice.

I am looking forward to my revisit in October to enjoy my room with a fireplace at Hofsas House where I enjoy writing, working on an annual painting to raise funds for a local charity, while sipping hot tea. Long walks to enjoy the ocean and visit with favorite friends and business owners is always a pleasure.

This is such an enjoyable way to travel, and savor our California coast that I love so much, and highly recommend for locals and people wishing to experience the best of well known and secret little coastal cities like Harmony, California.

Hope you can visit your AAA office for helpful maps and travel information to assist in planning your opportunity to experience some of my favorite haunts while visiting Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Cambria, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and more. It's an easy peasy Hwy 101 trip with great opportunities to enjoy everything fabulous about many of our California historic sites and small coastal communities. Happy Coasting!

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