‘The Retirement Mirage’ by Nancy Hite will be out February 16, 2021. Photo: amazon
Nancy Hite is a certified financial planner, trustee, and author. She is also founder of The Strategic Wealth Advisor ® LLC, located in Boca Raton, Florida. She offers financial advice and workable options to help her clients prepare for and enjoy the current and future chapters of their lives by focusing on their personal goals. In her upcoming book, “The Retirement Mirage: Time to Think Differently,” which will be released on February 16, 2021, she reveals what experts do not tell people about their financial planning. It is available for pre-order on Amazon. (Black Château, 2021)
“The Retirement Mirage: Time to Think Differently” combines Nancy’s years of financial experience with real-life examples to help readers assess their financial situation and give them the tools to plan for the realities of their financial future. Because people are living longer, technology is advancing quickly, and the world is changing due to climate change, COVID-19, and other factors, ideas about retirement savings are becoming antiquated. The book is an optimistic and practical look at the future and how people can prepare.
Driven by her fiduciary duty towards her clients and a desire to help others, Nancy Hite gives actionable advice in her book. She explores education and how children should have a strong financial foundation. She delves into unsteady markets and how they can impact investments. Plus, readers will discover why her mott: Spend it now, spend it later, or spend it never® makes sense today more than ever.
“So many people are still buying into the retirement mirage, the idea that once they stop working, they will have a perfect life. I’m here to show them that the world is changing, and they need to shatter those old ideas in order to adapt. There is so much hope and opportunity if we are willing to think differently, and that’s what people will find in my book.” – Nancy Hite
JL Bar Ranch is located deep in the Texas Hill Country. Photo: JL Bar Ranch, used with permission.
This year, as Americans continue to practice social distancing and seek destinations that are in remote, outdoor-driven locations, one of the U.S.’s hottest regions is the Texas Hill Country and its stunning, off-grid JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa. (JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa, 2021)
Set on 13,000 acres and a short drive from Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas/Fort Worth areas, and accessible via private airplane thanks to its on-property hangar (FBO), The JL Bar Ranch offers an off-grid yet luxurious experience for those seeking to reconnect with themselves and the Great Outdoors. With the following new amenities, offers, and activities for 2021, The JL Bar Ranch is a prime destination for a naturally distanced getaway in the heart of Texas.
Luxury Meets Texas Ranch: The 32-room boutique property acts as guests’ home away from home to relax, unplug and enjoy the tranquility of West Texas. With scenic views in every direction, JL Bar’s grounds offer rolling acres of oak trees and wild grasses to spot local wildlife. JL Bar’s cuisine is reflective of the current seasons with an emphasis on using locally sourced ingredients.
A True Texas Adventure: From a full equestrian program featuring horseback riding to off-road ATV adventures, a Putting/Chipping Green, weekend yoga, wine tasting, and clay and skeet shooting, The JL Bar Ranch’s slew of activities and programming take place primarily outside for the ultimate safe cation getaway. Guests are invited to embrace the Texas Hill Country lifestyle, even if it is just for a weekend stay.
Cowboy Cookout: The culinary team at JL Bar Ranch has designed a decadent and interactive social distancing-approved dining experience with its new Cowboy Cookout. Guests can take in the Texas Hill Country views with a horseback ride to the property’s cookout camp, enjoy cocktails and snacks as the culinary team prepares a lavish steak dinner, and relax to country music while taking in the magnificent sunset.
Wellness Weekend, Anyone? To balance its outdoorsy and adventure programming, JL Bar Ranch guests can unwind and practice self-care at the property’s full-service spa, which offers luxurious massages and spa treatments alongside a full nail/salon menu. Guests can reconnect with themselves and the natural world with one-of-a-kind immersive programming, ranging from a horse psychology experience to spa treatments that incorporate ancient healing traditions.
Set amidst 13,000 breathtaking acres deep in the heart of the majestic Texas Hill Country, JL Bar Ranch, Resort & Spa is one of the country’s premier working ranch experiences and the state’s only luxury ranch resort. Fulfilling the dream of owners James and Lois Archer, the 32-room resort is a study in rustic elegance, providing an intimate, customized Texas experience while connecting guests to nature through a variety of guest offerings and amenities such as equine experiences, hiking, swimming, biking, yoga, and a sporting clay complex. The resort features a spa, outstanding culinary offerings at The Restaurant at JL as well as Lonesome Creek Lodge for dinner series and private events; a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) private airport with a 5,300-foot runway, a general store and more than 35,000 square feet of unique indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, making it the perfect place to relax, unplug and experience the beauty and serenity of West Texas.
Community days at the Briscoe Western Art Museum include free admissions, programming and entertainment. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
The Briscoe Western Art Museum traditionally hosts free community events throughout the year featuring complimentary museum access and activities. Due to the undeniable influence of Mexican and Spanish heritage across Texas and the Southwest, the Briscoe also highlights that influence on Western Art. Community days at the Briscoe include free museum admission, programming, and entertainment throughout the museum campus. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)
Fandango
May 1, 2021
Briscoe Fandango celebrates the influences of the Hispanic culture of South Texas with a day that includes music, art, food, and dance. Fandango highlights everything from the important role vaqueros played in cattle drives and ranching, to the heritage’s indelible influence on the region’s food, music, and culture.
National Day of the Cowboy
July 24, 2021
One of the Briscoe’s most treasured annual events, National Day of the Cowboy is celebrated on the fourth Saturday of July each year. Attracting Western fans of all ages for a day filled with fun, music, and art throughout the museum’s home on the River Walk, the day is filled with boots, hats and all things cowboy, cowgirl, and vaquero. The celebration typically includes western lessons like the art of the lasso, cowboy poetry, chuckwagon treats, and cowboy crooning filling the air of the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden.
Yanaguana Indian Arts Celebration
November 20 – 21, 2021
Highlighting the continued vibrancy and artistic traditions of Native American communities, Yanaguana Indian Arts Celebration offers a glimpse into traditional and contemporary Native American culture. Featuring Native American artists, musical performances and dancing, the event features storytelling, artist demonstrations of painting, printmaking, pottery, weaving and carving, as well as Native American-inspired food. Yanaguana Indian Arts Celebration also features workshops and lectures celebrating Native American culture. The event traditionally begins with a Native American blessing, followed by a ceremonial drum circle where everyone is invited to join.
See the West All Year Long at the Briscoe
An oasis of Western beauty just off the River Walk, the McNutt Sculpture Garden and the museum grounds feature 32 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life. Inside the museum’s beautifully restored historic home inside the former San Antonio Public Library building, the Briscoe’s collection spans 14 galleries, with special exhibitions, events, and a fantastic museum shop, providing art, culture, history, and entertainment.
The Briscoe is open Thursday through Monday, 10a.m. – 5p.m. and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is free for children 12 and under and for active-duty members of the military and up to four members of their families. The museum is proud to participate in Museums For All, Blue Star Museums and Bank of America Museums on Us. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. The museum is operating at reduced capacity with health and safety protocols that require both staff and guests to wear masks. Temperature checks are also conducted upon entry.
There is still time to experience Visual Voices: Contemporary Chickasaw Art at the Briscoe. The exhibit runs until Monday, January 18, 2021. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
The Briscoe Western Art Museum is welcoming 2021 with a wide range of exhibitions and programs, celebrating the new year immersed in the art and beauty of the West. The term “Western Art” may suggest cowboys on the range, yet the genre is as expansive as the region itself, showcasing the rugged beauty of the area alongside the diverse people and wildlife who call it home. The following are the museum’s 2021 exhibitions. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)
VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art
Through January 18, 2021
The new year opens with the final weeks of a modern view of Native American art that showcases stories of the West far beyond boots and spurs. VISUAL VOICES: Contemporary Chickasaw Art includes 15 Chickasaw artists and more than 55 artworks, features the artworks of present-day Chickasaw painters, potters, sculptors, metalsmiths, and weavers. In San Antonio on the last stop of its national tour, the exhibition tells a beautiful and compelling contemporary visual story. From oil and watercolor paintings to textiles and metals, glass and bronze, the artworks are unique, intrinsically Southeastern in design and distinctive among contemporary tribal artists. Chickasaw artists featured in the exhibition include San Antonio native Brenda Kingery.
2021 Night of Artists
March 27, 2021 Celebration and Auction
March 28 – May 9, 2021 Public Exhibition and Sale
The Briscoe Western Art Museum’s 2021 Night of Artists Exhibition and Art Sale marks 20 years of celebrating Western Art with an opening event that includes both in-person and virtual celebrations. The Night of Artists includes the viewing and sale of nearly 300 new works of painting, sculpture, and mixed media by 80 of the country’s leading contemporary Western artists. When COVID forced the 2020 in-person event to be cancelled, the museum successfully hosted the Night of Artists sale online. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Night of Artists, the Briscoe will again welcome a virtual audience, as well as host the event in-person, ultimately allowing more art lovers to participate than ever before through the Briscoe’s first-ever hybrid Night of Artists event. The public exhibition and sale will also span in-person and online.
Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western
May 28 – September 6, 2021
Premiering this summer at the Briscoe Western Art Museum, Still in the Saddle: A New History of the Hollywood Western tells the dramatic story of the Hollywood Western from the late 1960s to the 1980s. Against a historical backdrop of social unrest, political turmoil, economic uncertainty, and generational change, competing cinematic visions of the Old West vied for Americans’ attention within the popular culture of the day. “True Grit,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and “The Outlaw Josey Wales” are just a few of the classic Western films highlighted in this exciting new exhibition organized by the Briscoe. Featuring costumes, props, and dozens of vintage movie posters, Still in the Saddle immerses visitors in the history and artistry of the Western, Hollywood’s greatest genre.
Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo: Photography of the Contemporary Northern Mexican Cowboy
September 16, 2021 – January 17, 2022
Making its United States debut, Vaqueros de la Cruz Del Diablo features celebrated photographer Werner Segarra inviting audiences to peer into the world of the Northern Mexican Vaquero – not as a casual tourist, but as an intimate observer. With almost 40 images that span more than 20 years of the lives of the vaqueros, Segarra reflects a complex contemporary composition of the everyday life of the vaquero. Offering realistic moments of how they view themselves, surrounded by the tools of their trade, intertwined with the realities of their existence, the images detail a legacy that reaches back over generations and is the birthplace of the modern cowboy.
The Briscoe is open Thursday through Monday, 10a.m. – 5p.m. and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is free for children 12 and under and for active-duty members of the military and up to four members of their families. The museum is proud to participate in Museums For All, Blue Star Museums and Bank of America Museums on Us. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online. The museum is operating at reduced capacity with health and safety protocols that require both staff and guests to wear masks. Temperature checks are also conducted upon entry.
Pearl’s Bottling Department Food Hall now offers tableside delivery using QR codes at select outdoor tables. Photo: Pearl, used with permission.
Pearl continues its dedication to small businesses by announcing new initiatives to better serve customers and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting Wednesday, January 6, Pearl’s Bottling Department Food Hall will offer tableside delivery using QR codes for customers seated at select outdoor tables at Pearl Park. (Pearl, 2021)
With a quick scan of a QR code, visitors can access Bottling Department menus, order, and pay in one seamless transaction. Twenty-six tables in Pearl Park are equipped with this service; guests must scan the QR code located at the specific table at which they are sitting to use tableside delivery. This offering enables visitors in Pearl Park to avoid going indoors, skip lines, and order from multiple vendors in one transaction and to re-order additional food and drinks in a seamless transaction.
All Bottling Department vendors will be available for tableside delivery, including Bud’s Southern Rotisserie, Fletcher’s Hamburgers, Tenko Ramen, Mi Roti, Chilaquil, and The Bar.
Pearl, located north of downtown San Antonio, provides a unique experience as a top culinary and cultural destination. The mixed-use space features retail, dining, picturesque green spaces, paseos riverside amphitheater, and the third campus of The Culinary Institute of America. As a former brewery operating from 1883 to 2001, Pearl reflects a vivid past while embracing the future with environmentally sustainable buildings mixed with historic architecture.
“Pearl Park is a great place to spend time with your friends and family and we want the Bottling Department Food Hall to be a dynamic amenity for our guests and customers. With this new service, you can order from any Food Hall operator and the bar and have everything delivered directly to you at your table. No lines, no going inside. It will feel like restaurant style service in the park – we’re really excited about using new technology to enhance our park experience and support our amazing operators in the Food Hall.”- Elizabeth Fauerso, Pearl’s Chief Marketing Officer
The Beyond Meat bowls and tacos are back on the menu for a limited time. Photo: Taco Cabana, used with permission.
Launching this week, Taco Cabana welcomes the New Year with the introduction of several all-new items and returning menu favorites at all Texas locations. (Taco Cabana, 2021)
For the first time ever, Taco Cabana will introduce Pork Adobada, delicious pork marinated in dried guajillo peppers and adobo spices. Guests can enjoy the Pork Adobada in a Cabana Bowl or in a taco. Taco Cabana guests can also enjoy a four-pack of new cheesy Gordita Bites, filled with mozzarella cheese, and topped with Cilantro Lime Ranch and cotija cheese.
Beyond Meat bowls and tacos are now back on the TC menu. For a limited time, guests can order a Beyond Meat bowl or a Beyond Meat taco served with salsa roja.
All menu items can be ordered online for front counter and curbside pick-up, via the drive-thru or by mobile order when using the MyTC! App or online. Select Taco Cabana dining rooms and patios are open for onsite dining.
Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGI), was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, burritos, tacos, flour tortillas, and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of beer and tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up, and delivery. As of Jan. 1, 2021, Taco Cabana operates 144 company-owned restaurants in Texas.
Fiesta Restaurant Group, Inc., owns, operates and franchises Pollo Tropical and Taco Cabana® restaurant brands. The brands specialize in the operation of fast casual/quick service restaurants that offer distinct and unique flavors with broad appeal at a compelling value. The brands feature fresh-made cooking, drive-thru service, and catering.
“We’re excited to bring new innovative tastes to TC, and our pork adobada and gordita bites are a great start to our 2021 menu. For those guests looking for plant-based options, we’re happy to re-introduce Beyond Meat tacos and bowls as well.” – Richard Stockinger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fiesta Restaurant Group, parent company of Taco Cabana.
Southerleigh Haute South will kick off 2021 with the launch of a brunch menu. Photo: Southerleigh Hospitality Group, used with permission.
Southerleigh Haute South is set to begin offering brunch service on Saturdays and Sundays starting January 9, 2021 from 10a.m. to 3p.m. The restaurant recently opened at the RIM shopping center in September 2020 and offers a selection of coastal cuisine and southern comfort food. (Southerleigh Haute South, 2021)
Southerleigh Haute South’s brunch will include cocktails like the classic Mimosa, a Breakfast Old Fashioned, and a couple varieties of Bloody Marys, including one served with shrimp, a crab leg and fried chicken. The food selection will include Soft Shell Blue Crab Benedict, Southerleigh Chicken and Donuts, Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs in addition to other southern comfort offerings. The full brunch menu is available online.
Southerleigh Haute South – The RIM is located at 5822 Worth Parkway #112 San Antonio, TX 78257.
Based in San Antonio, Texas, Southerleigh Hospitality Group is an independent fully integrated restaurant and hospitality company, owning and managing various restaurants and food concepts such as Southerleigh Fine Food & Brewery, Southerleigh Brewery, Southerleigh Haute South and Brasserie Mon Chou Chou. Southerleigh Hospitality Group is a strong group of foodies who are obsessed with connecting people with savory, comfort, flavorful food experiences and they make no excuses about it. With an unwavering passion for palette tantalizing menus, the restaurants serve up decadent cuisine along with distinguished hand-crafted beers for food lovers abound. The friendly neighborhood gathering places make every visit an unforgettably fun social dining experience.
Hiatus Spa + Retreat has four packages available for Valentine’s Day. Photo: Molly Culver, used with permission.
This year for Valentine’s Day, Hiatus Spa + Retreat has four spa packages available. These include The Greatest Love of All, The Love Everlasting, The Unforgettable, and the Take the Romance Home. (Hiatus Spa + Retreat, 2021)
The Greatest Love of All – Invest in yourself this year with The Tailor-Made Facial and The Signature Massage. Two hours to just do you. 2 hours $179 | $138 H-Circle ($220 value)
The Love Everlasting – Give built-in me-time all year long with a one-year membership to H-Circle our spa lifestyle. Includes a signature Hiatus neck wrap and a $50 spa credit to use toward products or other services as our gift. $69/month on credit card
The Unforgettable – The super-customized Yours Truly Massage is paired with The One & Only Mani-Pedi and The Honey-Dew Facial for a spa day that will leave you glowing, and forever ours. 4 hours, $349 | $287 H-Circle
Take The Romance Home – Give both you and your sweetheart what you really need – some space. Pick between two 90-minute Essential Services and relax simultaneously, from separate rooms. Then take a special package with you complete with champagne, a sweet treat, and a Hiatus Everyday Aroma Oil to experience Hiatus at home. $350 | h-circle $239
Hiatus Spa + Retreat is a fresh kind of full-service spa that has changed the wellness industry with eight locations across Texas, eight years on Inc. 500’s fastest-growing companies, and an innovative spa subscription model. Powered by products with real green ingredients and a high-touch experience, Hiatus’ personalized approach to wellness is driven by the view that regular relaxation should be an empowering part of a healthy, happy lifestyle.
Amor Eterno, a new craft cocktail bar in Southtown, will open on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. Photo: Amor Eterno, used with permission.
Amor Eterno, a new craft cocktail bar concept, is excited to announce its grand opening date in Southtown in downtown San Antonio on Wednesday, January 6, 2021 from 5p.m. to 12a.m. Amor Eterno will offer an elevated experience of craft cocktails and food in an intimate setting and atmosphere, paying homage to family history and the city’s culture. (Amor Eterno, 2021)
Developed by local bar owners Aaron Peña (owner of The Squeezebox) and Brian Correa (owner of Bar America), Amor Eterno is in the space formerly occupied by Don Martin’s Coffee Co. The entire food menu is being developed in partnership with ¡Bucho!, a popular pop-up concept that focuses on chef-inspired “Tejano street fare.” The food menu includes Ceviche Wonton Tacos, Pinche Hot Chicken Tacos, Tejano Cubano, Ol’ Fashion Donut, and more. The cocktail program, overseen by Peña, will offer handcrafted cocktails including the ‘Who’s That Lady’ featuring gin, PX sherry, lemon, orgeat, and Peychaud bitters; ‘Noches de Amor’ featuring tequila, lime, strawberry, angostura bitters and bubbles, and other house and classic cocktails. A curated selection of wine and beer will also be available.
Amor Eterno is located at 540 S. Presa St. and the hours of operation will be Wednesday – Thursday: 5p.m. to 12a.m., Friday – Saturday: 5p.m. to 2a.m., and Sunday: 1p.m. to 10p.m. Closed Monday & Tuesday.
COVID-19 safety precautions:
During the era of COVID-19, Amor Eterno will be taking all the necessary precautions to make sure the experience is safe for both staff and guests—including additional sanitizing, frequent hand washing, mandatory masks for guests, associates, and operators, socially-distant tables, and offering hand sanitizer stations.
Pluckers Wing Bar set to open third San Antonio location in Fall 2021. Photo: Melissa Skorpil, used with permission.
With the success of Pluckers Wing Bar’s Selma and Landmark locations and the support for expansion into other parts of town from San Antonio locals, Texas’ favorite sports bar and wing restaurant, Pluckers Wing Bar, is pleased to announce its third San Antonio-area location will be opening near North Star Mall in early fall 2021. The new Pluckers Wing Bar will be located at 92 NE Interstate 410 Loop, San Antonio, TX 78216. (Pluckers Wing Bar, 2021)
Known for their perfect combination of homemade food and a great atmosphere for watching sports, the iconic Pluckers menu includes fan favorites, such as Fried Pickles, Holy Macaroni, the Bypass Burger, and the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Family Meal Packs and Kids Birthday Party Packs are also available for purchase through online ordering. Pluckers’s famous wings are available in-bone or boneless, grilled, and paired with signature sauces, like Buffalo, Spicy BBQ, and Spicy Ranch, along with such unique flavors as Ginger Peach Sriracha, Gochujang, and Spicy Mandarin.
The new Pluckers location will also offer their legendary “Fire in the Hole” contest, requiring each participant to finish 15 wings dressed in their hottest “Fire in the Hole” sauce. The winner will be added to the famous Pluckers Wall of Flame. Customers will be able to participate in Pluckers’s signature rewards program, Pluckers Club. Members can enjoy a variety of rewards, including, but not limited to, free birthday meals, food and drink specials, and more. Pluckers Club specials are redeemable for dine-in only.
The Selma and Landmark Pluckers San Antonio locations are currently open for dine-in service at 75% capacity and offering curbside pickup. Pluckers is continuing their fun restaurant traditions, such as live streaming their popular Trivia every Wednesday at 7:30p.m. on their Facebook, as well as their Family Trivia Game Night hosted every Sunday at 6p.m.
Owners Mark Greenberg, Dave Paul, and Sean Greenberg, 2017 Ernst and Young Central Texas Entrepreneurs of the Year, opened their first Pluckers restaurant in Austin in 1995. Over the past 25 years, Pluckers Wing Bar has opened 29 locations, expanding to Baton Rouge, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston Killeen, San Marcos, and San Antonio. Pluckers is known for its signature wings and is consistently recognized as the best sports bar and chicken wing restaurant in the cities where it is located. Offering guests a fun, laid-back atmosphere where friends, family, and co-workers can enjoy a great meal and watch sports, Pluckers has been named in USA Today’s “Top Ten Wing Restaurants,” ESPN’s “Top 5 Sports Bar in North America,” and Dallas Observer’s “Best Sports Bar,” along with being named one of “Austin’s Best Places to Work” for three years by Austin Business Journal.
SA Examiner 