Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia (in a 2016 Toyota Highlander)

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

For the past week now, my wife and I have been experimenting with the gluten-free experience (no wheat); on top of the fact I’m already a vegan and she’s already a vegetarian, as has been the case for years now.

In theory, it was a very inconvenient time to much such a change in our diet, since we were on our first family road trip as a family of 4, to Atlanta from Nashville, in a 2016 Toyota Highlander to test out the 3rd row seat in particular.

However, we are not victims- we instead choose to be victors every day in life, so we held true to our current gluten-free principals the entire time; never once wavering in the face of inconvenience.

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

In our years of road tripping as a vegan/vegetarian family (our kids are vegetarians too), we have learned the importance of basing our destination and related activities in proximity to the nearest Whole Foods Market or any similar “plant-based friendly” grocery store.

It turns out that Atlanta has 3 or 4 Whole Foods Market. But because we were staying in downtown Atlanta, the nearest one to us was the Ponce de Leon location.

With only one exception, our family ate every meal there.

(I should note our kids are not participating in the gluten-free project; especially as our daughter is only 2 months-old. Again, both of our children are vegetarians, but not currently gluten-free as well.)

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

My wife and I found that sushi was a good staple for us, as it contained brown rice, seaweed, cucumbers, and avocado (which contains protein, good fat, and zero percentage of our daily cholesterol which is the case with all vegan food).

Here’s what we can eat: vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans, and wheat-free grains; like rice, oats, and corn).

Obviously, we ate from the hot bar a few times.

Plus, we enjoyed a couple simple meals consisting of a Core Meal bar and a Synergy Organic Kombucha drink with chia seeds.

We were very grateful for the Ponce de Leon Whole Foods, as they were just a few blocks away from our hotel in downtown Atlanta (where some of the stars of Fast and Furious 8 are staying- I know this because I accidently met one of the stars of the cast in the elevator on the way to the gym- I think it was Branislov R. Tatalovic).

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

So speaking of the exception, we finally got a chance to go to the much acclaimed Sunflower Café; which is gluten-free friendly and vegan friendly.

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

Our family loved this place so much, we ended up buying the restaurant’s cookbook, in an effort for my wife to broaden her skills from a vegan chef to a gluten-free vegan chef.

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

I know Atlanta is full of plenty of other gluten-free vegan restaurants, but we never made it past the Ponce de Leon location, as well as Sunflower Café.

That’s how good both places were.

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

Thanks for reading my blog post today on our family’s recent gluten-free road trip to Atlanta. I hope you found this helpful in making decisions for your own family.

Gluten-Free Vegan Road Trip to Atlanta, Georgia in a 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited

I am Featured This Week on Care2.com: 10 Vegan Bloggers Share Their Favorite Money Saving Tips

I am Featured This Week on Care2.com: 10 Vegan Bloggers Share Their Favorite Money Saving Tips

Like I mentioned a few weeks ago, I’m a rare minority: I’m a male vegan.

I explained how we male vegans make up less than 1% of Americans, as most vegans are female.

Therefore, it should be no surprise that there is only one other male vegan blogger featured in Care2’s post this week about saving money as a vegan.

Care2 is “the largest online community empowering people to lead a healthy and green lifestyle” so I take it as a major compliment they found me and asked me to participate in their money-saving post for vegans.

I decided to take a different route, and instead of making my tip about food, I made it about fitness. Here is what I said in the article:

“One smart and easy way I save money as a vegan is that I refuse to pay for gym membership. Granted, I still work out regularly: I mountain bike, I run, I do push-ups while my five year-old son sits on top of my back. I even do pull ups at a nearby playground. Plus, I do a minimum of three 10 minute walks per day while I record my daily YouTube videos.

I believe America has a double standard when it comes to working out: that you must have six pack abs to be ‘healthy.’ That’s asinine. That’s like when a person goes on a diet by eating nothing but salads and drinking diet soda.

Instead, you can have a healthy heart by not only committing to a vegan diet (which causes you to never consume more than 0% of your daily cholesterol allowance) but also by finding practical ways to ‘work out’ for free, like I do. No, I don’t have six pack abs, but my doctor tells me I’m one of the healthiest patients he has for my age.”

I now invite you to check out the entire article, which features the other 9 vegan bloggers as well:

10 Vegan Bloggers Share Their Favorite Money Saving Tips

I also invite you to watch my video I made on how to become a vegan and still be cool:

 

 

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show (Repticon)

5 years, 7 months.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack,

A year and a half ago your Pre-K teacher at the time, Ms. Aimee, got you interested in live reptiles, as she had them as pets in her classroom. She also informed you of Repticon, the Reptile and Exotic Animal Show that comes to Nashville every year.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

So not only did we take you last year when you got Snakey, your giant red snake, but we also took this year as well. Actually, it was this past weekend.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

It was a family affair; even Baby Holly came along… even though she slept through the entire event.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

While you definitely loved seeing all the live animals, your main incentive to go is knowing that Mommy and I are going to buy you a stuffed animal souvenir. As a family, we went there knowing that was the main agenda.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Though you had been planning on buying a spider and naming her Charlotte, you ended up getting swept away by a giant poison dart frog who you named, of course, Froggy.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Next, as any stereotypical vegan/vegetarian family would do, we had lunch at Whole Foods. Needless to say, Froggy accompanied you.

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Fortunately, there happened to be a special on the sorbet (vegan) and gelato (vegetarian)…

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

The afternoon, you and I went to the movies for “boy time” as Mommy puts it. We decided to dress up in our matching tuxedo t-shirts.

Obviously, you took Froggy with us to the movies. After the show, as we were walking out of the room where our movie was show, a lady approached me:

“Excuse me, my granddaughters are dying to know where your son got that frog. Would you mind telling me where you found that?”

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Imagine that. You aren’t the only kid who that it would be cool to get a giant poison dart frog.

That night, you found a clear Tupperware container big enough to hold Froggy in, as you had seen the frogs at Repticon, and then attempted to place the whole thing in the bed with you.

But by the time I came to check on you later that night, you decided she was cozier to sleep with outside of her container.

I guess real poison dart frogs prefer a clear container, but the stuffed animal version prefers a soft bed and a young child.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Your Giant Poison Dart Frog from the Nashville Reptile Show

Dear Jack: Bug Hunting, Base Jumping, & Going to Chili’s with Grandma

5 years, 5 months.

Dear Jack: Bug Hunting, Base Jumping, & Saying Goodbye to Grandma

Dear Jack,

This week Grandma left to go back to California, as she’s been here since a week before your sister Holly was born on April 24th; as we’ve transitioned into life with a newborn again. It’s been so nice having her here.

On Sunday, for one of our last meals with her before her flight, we took her to Chile’s; a place that actually serves vegan burgers for me and has mac-and-cheese that you are crazy about: “Daddy, this is the best kind!”

On Sunday, for one of our last meals with her before her flight, we took her to Chili’s; a place that actually serves vegan burgers for me and has mac-and-cheese that you are crazy about: “Daddy, this is the best kind!”

Dear Jack: Bug Hunting, Base Jumping, & Saying Goodbye to Grandma

The day before, I took you out for some adventure as Grandma helped Mommy with Baby Holly back at the house.

Dear Jack: Bug Hunting, Base Jumping, & Saying Goodbye to Grandma

Since it was raining, we drove to Jump Street in Cool Springs, which is an indoor trampoline park. It was the best decision. Not only did you burn more energy more efficiently there compared to any other way I can think of, but you truly impressed me.

Dear Jack: Bug Hunting, Base Jumping, & Saying Goodbye to Grandma

You showed no fear with jumping off a 10 foot ledge several times. Granted, you landed on an inflated cushion each time, but there’s no way I would have done something that daring when I was your age.

Dear Jack: Bug Hunting, Base Jumping, & Saying Goodbye to Grandma

We took a picture of ourselves together right before we left. You were soaked in sweat! And that’s a good thing, because like I said, it was raining outside and you had too much reckless energy to stay home with Grandma, Mommy, and Baby Holly.

Dear Jack: Bug Hunting, Base Jumping, & Saying Goodbye to Grandma

That afternoon after your nap, the rain had stopped so we decided to go “bug hunting” outside. I taught you the trick over turning over big rocks, in hopes of finding bug underneath.

Dear Jack: Bug Hunting, Base Jumping, & Saying Goodbye to Grandma

The only luck we really had though, was apparently discovering the skeleton of a crawdad (crayfish). You proudly placed it in your bug case and took it home to Mommy and Grandma.

Maybe we’ll find more interesting bugs this weekend.

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Bug Hunting, Base Jumping, & Saying Goodbye to Grandma

Dear Holly: Will You Be Born on the Pink Moon and Earth Day, April 22nd?

40 weeks (due date).

nick_drake_pink_moon

Dear Holly,

Okay, you decided not to be born on my 35th birthday. That’s cool.

We can have our own separate birthdays after all- at least we can share the same week and the same half of April.

So how about this? You can be born tomorrow instead:

It’s Earth Day… and, it’s the Pink Moon (which is the “smallest” full moon of the year).

Until today, I simply knew the phrase “pink moon” as referencing musician Nick Drake’s album and song; both of which are classic.

But today, your Nonna texted me and educated me on the subject:

“The April full moon is nicknamed the ‘pink moon’ even though it will not have a pinkish tint. Symbolizing the start of spring and pink colored flowers. It will peak at 1:25 AM on the 22nd. Interesting to me. Your full moon was 1:59 AM and cramping and contractions started at 10 PM (a few hours before). You were a full moon baby.”

I realize there are people out there who will quickly deny any connection between more babies being born on the full moon, as the gravitational pull of the moon affects pregnant mothers like it affects the tide each day.

However, I believe it.

And I believe that there’s a good chance you will be born on this upcoming Pink Moon tomorrow, which also happens to be Earth Day.

Seriously, how appropriate would it be for the baby girl of a vegan daddy and a vegetarian mommy to be born on Earth Day.

It almost feels like your destiny, doesn’t it?

You being born tomorrow helps me make better sense of you not being born on my birthday yesterday.

So, we’ll go to bed tonight as normal, but I am fully expecting that as the pink moon peaks around 1:25 AM, Mommy will go into labor and you will be born on Friday, April 22nd: both Earth Day and the Pink Moon.

Love,

Daddy