Deep in the heart of Texas, you'll find San Antonio, home to the Alamo, Tex Mex and the Riverwalk. With tons of family-friendly things to do and see, "San Antone," as it's often called, is a beautiful city full of history as well as some pretty hip stuff. I had the chance to spend five fantastic days there as a contestant in the 1st annual Race to the Alamo, immersing myself in San Antonian culture. It was an experience I'll never forget as my husband and I teamed up to form Team Healthy Voyager, taking the gold two out of the three race days!
Our challenges took us all over town and we loved every minute of it. Starting with a VIP river barge cruise, we then raced in new Bike World public bikes to the Pearl. We then faced off in a salsa cook off at the Culinary Institute of America and ended our first day at Sea World.
On day two, we explored the San Antonio Zoo, the Shops at La Cantera and scavenger hunted around the Institute of Texan Culture.
The final and most exciting day of all, we began at the San Fernando cathedral. Next we shot videos around the San Jose Mission, trimmed Boanzai trees at La Villita and then raced around the Buckhorn Museum on a fun fact hunt. The last and most adrenaline pumped challenge took us to the top of the Tower of Americas where we found clues that took us to the Alamo where each team had to sustain a conga line with the largest number of people for 15 minutes.
Despite the 105 degree weather, we had a blast. The folks of San Antonio couldn't have been nicer and we saw the city in ways that we may not have had it not been for the grand adventure we were invited on. And of course, there was a lot of eating. No matter what you may think about Tex Mex or BBQ, I found lots of delicious healthy options so here we go.
After the first race night, we headed out to Alamo Heights to dine at Adelante's Mexican Restaurant. Hands down one of the best decorated eateries that I've ever been to, Adelante's boasts healthy Mexican cuisine -- as it has for over 30 years. The menu is large and the options for vegan, veggie, gluten free and low fat are tremendous. Everything is light and fresh, not common words that come to mind when describing Mexican food. I loved my sweet potato tamale, my tofu and black bean enchilada, guacamole salad and, most of all, my vegan crispy taco. I'd never seen a puffed up taco shell and I have to say, it's pretty darn good.
If you're looking for a good time, need to wash your car or clothes or can't find a babysitter on a Friday night, then The Cove is your admittedly out-there answer. This car wash, laundromat, bar, restaurant and playground is one of the coolest places I've ever been to. This concept is all-inclusive, and whether you're single or a family there's something for everyone. Live music and a fun bar, picnic tables outside near the playground and basketball court and a place to take care of your car and clothes business: Who could ask for anything more? Well, the menu doesn't disappoint and that's a fact! I got a great gluten-free beer along with a delicious and flavorful vegan bacon cheeseburger. Hubby got the vegan BLT and we split a vegan chocolate chip cookie afterward. The vibe is way cool and the special diet options rule.
Twin Sister's Bakery and Cafe has you covered on the morning meal. They've got an extensive lunch and dinner menu too that's got plenty for health-minded folks -- but since I popped in for brunch, I'll tell you all about the deliciousness they served me, like the build your own breakfast tacos. I wanted 10 but I opted for sweet potato and spinach as well as black bean with tofu chorizo and avocado. And their tofu ranchero with mashed black beans was so full of flavor that I wanted to eat that for every meal too. Hit up Twin Sister's in Alamo Heights as well as their downtown location any time of day.
When on the road, hunting down vegan pizza is a fun game I like to play. I keep a mental note of the best vegan pizzas I've ever had -- and I'm delighted to report that Fralo's Art of Pizza makes my top five of all time. The crust is fantastic, the veggie topping options are killer and yeah, they've got vegan cheese. Fralo's not only has great food but the ambiance is terrific too, with tons of outdoor seating and a stage for live entertainment, who wouldn't be there every weekend night for delicious Italian food and fun? For gluten free customers, they've got you covered and they are always perfecting their artistic pizzas.
For more information, visit Healthy Voyager.