San Antonio, Texas - Proud USAF Mom - Part 1

   

     San Antonio is a major city in south-central Texas with a rich colonial heritage. My first visit was January, 2012 when my oldest son Jesse was graduating from USAF Basic Training at Lackland Air Force Base. My daughter Tiffany, my youngest son Dakota and I met my mom at the airport and we did a little sight-seeing the first day since we weren't able to see my son until the next day. We walked through HemisFair Park, built in 1968 in honor of the city's 250th anniversary. It's a large park with water gardens, a kid-designed wood and sand playground, and plenty of places to sit and picnic. The highlight is the 750-foot tall Tower of the Americas, offering a terrific view of the city.

     There is a lot to see all within walking distance from this location where we parked the car. Next stop was the River Walk. The Paseo Del Rio is San Antonio's favorite attraction located 20 feet below street level with stone pathways connecting shops, restaurants, hotels, and museums. You can enjoy the culture walking the pathways or while taking a River Walk Cruise, listening to the Mariachis serenading diners on the outdoor patios of the many delicious Tex-Mex restaurants. The blend of historic and modern architecture resonates the depth of this centuries-old metropolis (visitsanantonio.com).

     The next day I got to see my son on Lackland's Air Force Base for the Airman's Run and the Coin Ceremony which signifies the transformation of civilians into world-class warrior-Airmen who are ready to serve in the word's greatest Air Force. We spent the day with my son on the base eating at the BX (a mini-mall on base), bowling at Skylark Bowling Alley, and just enjoying his company after not seeing him for 7 weeks.

     

     The following day was graduation day. The Patriotism, the comradery of the "military family", and the pride a parent feels seeing their child become a respectable adult and be honored for it is just an unforgettable moment! The graduates are permitted to leave the base for the day and become tourists with their families for a few hours.

     

   

     Of course we had to visit The Alamo, one of the south's most iconic destinations, the turning point of the Texas Revolution and a Spanish Mission established nearly 300 years ago. There is a beautiful garden outside with Cactus trees and a fish pond with some very large fish swimming around.

Nearby is the Plaza Wax Museum and Ripley's Believe It Or Not which has some interesting exhibits, although some have probably changed since we were there. There are many shops and eateries all within walking distance of these attractions.

      If you're interested in finding a restaurant that serves vegan or gluten-free food, Viva Vegeria (1422 Nogalitos Street) is San Antonio's only 100% Vegan and Gluten-free restaurant serving and preserving Tex-Mex and Spanish culture with plant-based cuisine. You can also try Green Vegetarian Cuisine (10003 NW Military Hwy). They will substitute any cheese for non-dairy Daiya cheese and make any meal vegan off of their non-breakfast menus.

     Jesse was pretty excited about going to the River Walk and finally have a variety of food to chose from. We stopped at Cafe Ole and had some great Mexican food and Margaritas, and got serenaded by the Mariachi Band while we ate. I ordered vegetable fajitas with guacamole and salsa (hold the cheese and sour cream). After walking off our meals, browsing in and out of the shops, we stopped by the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and walked around before taking him back to Lackland Air Force Base.

      In February, 2015 we were back to San Antonio to see my younger son Dakota graduate from USAF Basic Training. FYI...it does get very cold in this part of Texas in January and February, so check the forecast before packing your shorts and sandals. We wore gloves and hats in the morning and were still cold!

         
      On graduation day we found a place to eat called The Guenther House, home of C. H. Guenther who established Pioneer Flour Mills on the San Antonio River.

The house has been turned into a restaurant and museum with the Parlor dating back to 1860 reflecting the late Victorian influence of the period. "Ballroom Style" seating has been chosen for the restaurant, however, there is an outdoor area that we chose to be seated at, although it was still a bit cold outside, it was covered in a heated tent. I especially loved the gift shop which has all sorts of cook books, baking supplies, spices and things I'd love to have if I had my own Bed and Breakfast. I don't recall there being many vegan options, but I was able to get a spinach salad with avocado that was good.

     Back to the River Walk we went, and one of Dakota's first requests was for ice cream! We stumbled on Mr Ice Cream, right along the River Walk, and somehow, with all of those choices, he decided on a cup with two different flavors.

It was probably a good thing that they didn't have non-dairy ice cream at the time since I had already been doing a lot of eating and no working out. As if there wasn't enough shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, etc...we came across the Shops At Rivercenter, a mall on the River Walk that includes San Antonio's first Lord & Taylor, an IMAX theater, and is anchored by Macy's,  H & M and a 38-story Marriott Hotel. There's an outside area to sit and eat, drink, and listen to musicians perform while people-watching.

     

     

     The day before we were leaving was a beautiful, sunny day so we decided to visit the San Antonio Botanical Garden (555 Funston Pl.). There are indoor and outdoor gardens and displays, a conservatory, many different classes and programs for adults and children, and a gift shop where I bought a hat and some other souvenirs.

     Our last stop was at Rosario's for dinner (they have two locations) which had traditional Tex/Mex food, cocktails, and a friendly atmosphere. Being the only vegan in the whole group, I did not get to try any of the vegan restaurants, but I found that all of the restaurants we visited were very accommodating and would make something to my liking.

     There are so many things to see in the area to satisfy the whole family. If you're looking for an amusement park for the kids, there's Six Flags Fiesta Texas. For those more interested in Art and History there is La Villita Historic Arts Village (418 Villita St.), a square-block enclave of art galleries and shops, the Witte Museum (3801 Broad St), or the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum (318 E Houston St) all in San Antonio. One week from today I will see my daughter Tiffany graduating from USAF Basic Training as her brothers have done before her. I am so proud of her and cannot wait to see her! Since the first trip to Texas, my daughter is now vegetarian and my one son tries eating mostly a plant-based diet, so maybe we'll get to check out one of these other restaurants I just wrote about. To be continued...

Tampa With a NY Yankees Fan - Eat, Shop, Relax, Repeat

     The first 24 hours of my trip to Florida this past week was spent in Tampa with a woman I met about 15 years ago at a gym in Secaucus, NJ when she hired me to train her. She's closer to my mother's age, and although we have little in common, we've remained friends ever since.  Miriam Weiner  is a Jewish genealogist, author, and lecturer who specializes in the research of Jewish roots in Poland and the former Soviet Union. Weiner is considered to be one of the pioneers of contemporary Jewish genealogy through her work to open up archives and is described as a trail-blazing, highly respected guide and leading authority on archival holdings and resources in pre-war Belarus, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine. (excerpted from Wikipedia.org). Although I am not Jewish, Miriam has done an extensive family history chart for me that is amazing. I think she was even a little challenged since my Nana's family history traced back to the 1600's!

 
      I got to Tampa's Springhill Suites Marriott in about 6 minutes by Uber coming from Tampa Airport. Miriam was waiting outside for me so we could make it to our 8 pm reservation at Seasons 52 Fresh Grill on Westshore Blvd. The name is appropriate since they change their menu as the seasons change. I was pleased they are currently serving their Harvest blend through November which means a variety of squash and other Fall vegetables to choose from to go with the Malbec wine I ordered. Miriam said some of the New York Yankees players are occasionally spotted in there. I believe she told me she saw Derek Jeter in there during one of her visits.

     I'm not much of a soup person but the Butternut Squash Soup was very good! We then ordered a couple of appetizers, one being the brussel sprouts which was delicious, but luckily after eating one or two the server told me that there were some pieces of bacon mixed in. Thank God I did not chomp down on a piece to find out! I ordered the Roasted Mushroom Flatbread and asked the server to add tomatoes and remove the goat cheese. It was delicious!

     Of course after all of that delicious food, I felt the need to hit the hotel's gym in the morning after our coffee (free continental breakfast). A little workout is better than no workout!  Miriam is a big fan of the New York Yankees, as is most of my mom's family. I grew up watching the Yankees play in the late 1970's when Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, and Lou Piniella played. The George M. Steinbrenner Field (formerly known as Legends Field) located in Tampa, is home of the Tampa Yankees, the New York Yankees' affiliate in the Class A Advanced Florida State League and also the Yankees spring training home. Miriam wanted to take me to their gift shop since she shops there every time she's in Tampa to watch Spring Training. She even bought me a really cute Yankees necklace. My Aunt Ethel (who recently passed away) was a huge Yankee fan and took me to my first Yankees game when I was a child. I thought of her often during this trip and just had to take a photo of Mariano Rivera's plaque when I saw it since he was one of  her favorite players.

     After getting our fill of Yankees souvenirs, we headed over to Barnes and Nobles to look around for a while. I was ready to hit up the Starbucks in there for my second caffeine fix...Iced Coffee with Vanilla Soy Milk. Although I have two other books I've started reading and have been procrastinating with them, I couldn't resist buying another, "Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man" by Steve Harvey. I'm reading it with an open mind and have to say I have been enjoying it. I think it's great for women to read to get a little insight as to why men don't love and act the same way most women do. The last book I read that I wanted to give to all of my single girlfriends before this was "He's Just Not That Into You" by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo, a funny and insightful book. We purchased our books and decided to get some lunch.

     P.F.Chang's is in the Westshore Plaza and has plenty of vegetarian/vegan options that I would eat. We split some sort of Asian Salad that was healthy and tasty and then ordered two entrees to split...the stir-fry eggplant and some sort of Tofu with vegetables. Both were very good but too much to eat, so we wrapped the rest to-go.

     It wouldn't really feel like a Florida vacation to me if I didn't get to sit out by the pool in a bathing suit and get some sun. I took my new journal and my new book and relaxed on a lounge chair. I had the whole pool to myself! I kept thinking that 86 degrees back in NJ feels so much hotter but I guess it's because there was no humidity. It really did feel perfect! Miriam came down to sit in the shade and we just chatted for a while since we didn't have to be anywhere until 7:30 pm, which is when I had to be back at the airport to meet my son who was flying in from NJ.

 

      Miriam and I looked at some brochures to see what else there is to do in Tampa. The Tampa Riverwalk is something to check out had we more time. Not only is it very "exercise-friendly" with people walking, jogging etc...but there are many shops, restaurants, parks, and museums to keep busy all day. We also looked into some of the dinner cruises such as Yacht Star Ship Cruises & Events, Star Lite Dining Yachts, and a more family-oriented cruise called The Pirate Ship Royal Conquest. 

     The whole reason I was in Florida last week was to visit my family who lives in Springhill, Florida and fortunately I was able to fly in a day earlier to spend the day with Miriam. I planned to have my sons meet me there since it's been five years since my younger son Dakota had been down to see his grandfather, aunt, and cousins. My older son Jesse just finished four months of computer training in Mississippi for the US Air Force and drove to meet us for a mini-vacation.

     I found a photo of my son at the airport from the last trip we took 5 years ago and couldn't resist taking another photo of him sitting in the same spot waiting for my mom to pick us up. The rest of my trip was spent in Springhill and Tarpon Springs, Florida. To be continued...

          

My Birthday Getaway Part 2 - New Paltz, NY

   

     The first time I went to visit Woodstock Farm Sanctuary two years ago with my family we passed through the quaint little town of New Paltz, NY. I thought it looked like a great place to hang out but we had an agenda that day and didn't stop. When I signed up to volunteer with my daughter at the farm for the first time I thought it would be fun to find a room in that area the night before so we could explore the town that I originally found so appealing.

   New Paltz is the home to State University of New York (SUNY), a four-year public liberal arts college in the Hudson Valley region of New York. It is not uncommon on any given day to see college-aged people walking around with book bags or musical instruments hanging out in the coffee shops, music stores and of course the many pubs of the area. Each time my daughter and I visit we try to spend some time in a different store, restaurant, or pub. The sweatshirt she's wearing in the photo under the peace sign was a gift I bought her from Mixture Inc (48 Main St.) during our first visit to New Paltz. Since it was a weeknight and many of the shops close earlier, we decided to keep moving.

     As tempting as it is for many to indulge in an old-fashioned chocolate shop, I don't eating any dairy products and also try to avoid sugar as much as possible...unless it's in a wine glass in the form of red wine! For some reason, I cannot resist going into an old bookstore though. Inquiring Minds Bookstore is open later than most of the other shops, so Tiffany and I always stop in there to browse (and sometimes purchase) at some point during our trip to New Paltz.

   

     As we walked down Main Street we found the Water Street Village, which is like a mini European-inspired village in which all of it's little shops are independently owned and operated. We stopped in Paws of Distinction to get a snack to bring home for our dog, Willie. Apparently Friday nights are "Yappy Hour" for the furry friends, but I'm not sure exactly what goes on since my dog doesn't play nice with other dogs. Some of the other unique shops we stopped into were Eden Boutique, Himalayan Arts, and the Antiques Barn where we spent time looking at so many old collectibles, knick knacks, old furniture, jewelry, and books like the Nancy Drew Mystery collection that I remembered my cousin Lori reading when we were kids.

     Many of the shops were closing by 5 pm so we stopped in Jar'd Wine Pub during Happy Hour. Something about this intimate little funky pub put me in the mood to try one of their Port wines which was very good. Although they do have some snacks to pick on, we decided to move on to the next place to see if we could find something I would eat.  I have to say that New Paltz is a great place to be when you're vegan because many places have meatless and nondairy food options!
   

     Right across the lawn from the Water Street Market is this Bohemian type of boutique called Groovy Blueberry. I thought for sure I'd end up buying an outfit there, but I didn't want to walk around carrying bags.They sell all sorts of Tie-Dyed clothing, toe rings and other jewelry, baby clothes, patches, and many other gifts you don't see in the malls.

 

     A coworker told me about Gilded Otter Brewing Company (3 Main St.) which has a large bar, plenty of tables for eating and a friendly atmosphere. I'm not really a beer drinker so I just ordered a glass of red wine with our appetizer. They had a nice vegetarian platter of hummus with pita and Dolmadokia (grape leave wraps stuffed with rice and herbs).  That held us over while we played a couple of games of pool at Snugs Tavern, also right on Main Street.

   

      For my birthday this year, my boyfriend offered to pay for the vegan B & B I love to go to, so I planned to stay in the Hungry Ghost Guesthouse again with my daughter and volunteer the next day at the Woodstock Farm Sanctuary. This  B & B is owned by a very nice couple who are hospitable and keep a very beautiful and clean home. Petra is always trying out new vegan recipes to serve her guests in the morning and accommodates for any food allergies. She was even so thoughtful as to put a birthday candle into my pancakes in the morning! The photo to the right is the back of the house, which we spend most of our time when we're there.
   

     We didn't know the first visit time visiting that there was a hot tub but we made good use of it on a chilly spring night. This last time it was very hot even though it was September 15th so we brought our bathing suits and did some sunbathing on the deck, read magazines, and drank Sangria that I brought with us before heading out for dinner.

     After baking in the sun for a while we decided to go out and grab an appetizer at one of our favorite places, Bacchus Restaurant and Bar. They have these delicious "Tofu Wings" that have a buffalo-type sauce, but if you're looking for the "vegan" version they can make a Thai sauce instead. We walked around and stopped into one of the few shops opened late called Kon-Tiki Trading Co. which sells ethnic clothing/accessories, natural herbal tobacco, sterling silver jewelry, etc...

        After walking around a bit more we stopped into McGillicuddy's Restaurant and Tap House. The bartender gave us a drink menu and the first thing I saw was "The Birthday Bowl"...free drink inside the fishbowl if you can prove it's your birthday. How could I resist that on my birthday? We shared that and a plate of french fries and called it a night!

     Most of our visits have been limited to about 24 hours from start to finish so we still have not seen all of what New Paltz has to offer. Nearby is the Mohonk Preserve in the majestic Shawangunk Mountains, a perfect place to enjoy nature at it best! The Mohonk Mountain House is an upscale resort for golf, dining and a variety of spa treatments available, besides all of the activities offered to their guests.

     My daughter and I have been perfectly happy spending time at the B & B since it is set back in the woods surrounded by nature. Considering my own condo back home is located 15 minutes from New York City, I feel a tremendous sense of relaxation and rejuvenation during my little getaways.  I love waking up and having my coffee out on the back porch and writing in my journal. It gives me time to reflect on all of the good things I have in my life, the amazing family and friends I'm surrounded by and all of the experiences the universe has to offer me...and I got to have another blessed birthday :)