Da na. Da na. Da na...Whoa.

I say. I think me and my fellow Weekenders were spared this weekend and breathless from the adventure. I mean c'mon you know you had a time in your life where you experienced that near ending moment when everything FLASHED before your eyes. 
JUST. LIKE. THAT. 
It was insane!!!!! (OK i am exaggerating, a bit)
But leave it to Texas to make EVERYTHING Bigger and Better.

Of course being downtown has its perks and one of them is being closest to everything that happens in good ol' Bexar County.

FIRST FRIDAYS on South Alamo. Tell me fun from Country to Bachata had to happen with Breweries to Boozy Ice Cream. I mean it was crazy fun from the Acoustic vibes of John Moses to the Bachata  and salsa fun at Azuca with the trumpet sounds of Orquesta Tropicante . IT WAS GREAT!!!!! (Check these musicians out)
Every first Friday of the month (when weather is good, which is always) the Southtown neighborhood of SATX has Art museums, open mic, dancing, great food and drink deals, local artisans and vendors with great items on display and for sale. This neighborhood is one of the coolest places to be in the city. 
We listened to the soulful artists at Rosella Coffee that were amazing to check out like John Moses and Sierra Lynn . Swung around the corner to Azuca and The House Boozy Ice cream (my faves), And THEN worked our way around to Blue Star Brewery checked out the Fab painting artists and Riverwalk and nightcapped at Tucker's Kozy Korner for "Soul Spot"
And that was just Friday.

Saturday: You should definitely try if you are into eating FRESH & INTERESTINGLY. Just a good evening at home we created an indoor picnic (blankets and all, plus it was blazing outside) and made our own Farm-2-Table Picnic. It was incredible what everyone brought when challenged. With only fresh ingredients used from local farmers, markets, and sources no more than 30 miles away food was prepped healthy and tasty. Even local beer was on the menu like Freetail Brewery and their great Bat Outta Helles. :)  From stuffed figs with honey to homemade pesto squash and BBQ pork avocados, WE feasted.

And of Course SUNDAY , when you are suppose to rest...we couldn't help ourselves but to go to Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Road Show with "Jaws on the Water"! Dancing sharks, wake-boarders doing tricks,a  great classic film (Jaws), and your coolest buds at Texas Ski Ranch in New Braunfels. 

Oh, and the Bboys at The Paintyard were dope with hip hop and soul for a great Sunday Funday. You gotta check out Sam, he knows his stuff and looking for new artists for a festival coming up soon!

Lets just say this week is playing catch up and I am ready for the next shindig in the city!

Adventure on peeps. 
IG: @paparazziJ 

Belly Happiness Trail

If you are human, animal, or alien you like to eat one way or another. My buddies and I certainly like to adventure wherever the food is popping (occasionally healthy) with classy bevvies to boot. So recently, since we were on break from Grocery Adventures, we trekked the downtown area of San Antonio. Though a heat box while riding and rolling, we hit the city.

Here we go:

Just hop in your AC car or take into consideration of the environment and ride a bike to these spots. All are very close to each other and worth the social ride on a nice day. (not like the 100 degree day we did, whoa) We hopped on our B-cycle banana seats and rolled over to Alamo Beer company on Lamar and got some awesome hospitality with neato pints and great entertainment with board games and witty conversation (the games are hilarious).

As we thought our regular spot to the Pearl would suffice, we gasp at the relief at a cool biker joint at the Alamo Ice House. They had some really good apps and choices of cold cold cold bevs that certainly led to fancy conversation of how to stand up to the man. Yup, we got a good dose of "What you tell that Big Sir" to go sip on while you set the Man straight. Once again very hilarious.

As it was getting ridonkulously hot, that even a mule would kick our butts for being outside in the middle of the day, we biked homeward. Beading up sweat the size of the baseballs and seeking our cold break again we Epiphany the idea of our Icee Major. That would feed our fix. So after our "MAN" talk we race to Big Daddy's by Cevallos.

Talk. About. Major. Ice heaven. (check out photos) this was the papa of all icees if I ever seen. And ones with pickles (yes, you see correct), cucumbers, strawberry, coconut, and gummie bears! This place knows how to do CHILL.

The day was still young, and we were still feigning for super relief, so because we live in a city where there are cool spots on every corner on our way home, we stop again. And the spot was: The House. I cannot explain more than to give them their own feature on here because they are the coolest of cool.

But before I go and you need some places for the weekend to chill, Go to The House Boozy Ice Cream and Bar. One of the many great new businesses to hit the South Alamo stretch. I have been working on this feature for a while because they are truly a family with awesome work and connection values and a great vibe to the city. Check them out.

Back to our riding:
To wrap up our night we get so fresh and so clean for some food trucks, more quirky glasses and new friends along the way. we travel back to Alamo Beer because they are cool for skool and have a lil bit of brew talk with the peeps there and order some crazy tastes from The Box Street Social food truck and order pork BBQ stuffed avocado and a burger with mac n cheese and pork. Just brilliant.
 Shout out as well goes to Big Hops on N Alamo and the food truck of dynomite BLT with apple-wood smoked bacon and cheese galore by food truck Say She Ate and duck fat fries...ommmmmmnononononononononoom

      

And we attacked National Cheesecake Day.

Next up: The House
After that: White Elefant performance at the Alamo Lounge


SATX you rock. And we are still rolling...

Adventure on folks.

J

The Groove of Bike and Soul

Passion is why I do this. Go places and challenge my environment, people around me and the next day to be better and exciting. It is incredible what just "Hey. How are you?" can have on someone. You may not have thought that someone walking up to you and asking whats going on with you may matter but it does. And getting to know folks here in Texas has been nothing short of amazing. 

The person I got to know, through his awesome chica Valerie, is Matt Vasquez and the Soul Spot Crew at Tuckers. They are the real Soul for tonight's Bike and Soul Event in Downtown San Antonio. Hosted by yours truly, I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate with DJs and riders with the passion they hold to keep wheels up and rolling in SATX.

So, I asked how Matt was doing...and see his Soul Story:

How did you start in this DJ game? Once upon a time…

  I started DJing at Tuckers Kozy Korner on Thursday nights in 2012. Having been influenced by JJ Lopez, Founder of “The Soul Spot” and DJ at Trinity Jazz Radio Station KRTU 91.7 FM. The very first time I went to Tuckers was on a Friday night in the summer of 2010, having been invited by a friend. JJ Lopez was there spinning Disco, Soul, and Funk vinyl classics during the very beginning of “The Soul Spot”. From that point on I decided I wanted to share music with others and start DJing. 

What song/melody/mix/artist made you decide, “Music is what I must live through?”

                             The Artist known as James Yancey AKA J Dilla probably influenced me most in music. The “Art Of Sampling” was very interesting to me when I first stumbled upon it and J Dilla was one of the very best in that aspect. Something about the way he put his beats together gave it this very unique dynamic in sound.

1 If there were 3 songs to describe your music story, what would they be?

     1. Tom Browne - Funkin' for Jamaica. I don’t think this “Soul Spot” staple has ever had the dance floor empty. This is also a song that JJ Lopez played, that I knew and loved, the very first time I went to Tuckers. I couldn’t have been happier.
2. The Brand New Heavies – Sometimes (The Ummah Remix) w/ Heavy Jay Dee aka J Dilla production along with the rest of the Ummah production crew. It has such a warm, smooth, chest thumping rhythm that just makes you want to groove... and never disappoints upon repetitive listening.
3. Minnie Ripperton – Inside My Love. This tune resonates with me deeply as it reminds me of when I first met my girlfriend. 

 It’s just perfect.

Certainly is. 

Come out tonight and every 1st and 3rd Friday at Tuckers on Houston St  for Soul Spot in Downtown San Antonio at the Soul Spot. The best hidden jam spot with great people, vibes and changing the music scene one groove at a time. The passion of Texas from gearing up with our cycling crew to keeping the dance floor packed at vintage spots, is happening and growing. This city is going to be beyond out of this world before you know it. I would love to see you out there and being a part of it. 

Adventure on.

Jess

Special Thanks to Bike World, The Rivard Report, mySA, Downtown Highlife Bicycle Club, Blue Star Bike Shop, The House (boozy ice cream), Tucker's Kozy Korner, The Soul Spot DJs, and all the great bicycle peeps of San Antonio. Yall have been awesome! Much luv

I promise...I am ALIVE!!!

And I must say, I have survived my surgery, conquered goals, and I am back in the socialite game!

This past 4th of July has been a memorable one as my I joined great friends and location on Woodlawn Lake in San Antonio, Texas. The house was excellent, the company was hilarious. Great stories, childlike feeling of fireworks and yummy food all weekend long. 

That reminds me...What did you do to make your weekend adventure top notch?

Well, as the weekender vibe closed, and like this boot on my foot, I am ready to kick off another adventure sooner rather than later. 

Second Thursdays at McNay Museum is happening this week and I hear to get there early. So as a mobile citizen again I am ready to see and hear some amazing things for that evening. From digital to musical art, McNay has something that has drawn quite the crowd to their events. Check them out at: Second Thursdays and see the special performance and the artist herself, Lesley Dill compose a digital form with vocalist Pamela Ordoñez in Drunk with a Starry Void


Catch up with the latest and greatest soon Weekenders!


Cheers!

It. Has. Been. Crrrraaaaaaaazy Fun!

I cannot imagine the things that I have been able to see and do over the past few weeks. (My apologies on my absence) But there is sooooo much that y'all need to know about to prep for your summer to come on down here and explore. I mean tonight alone it is going to be simple fun with country charm.

In the next few posts I will totally catch you up on what is happening, about to happen and get your boots ready for some dirt kicking as we paint this town together.

First off: If you don't know, I have an obsession with Pearl Brewery and the quirky things that go on in that plaza. From the history to the current retrofit of its establishment, I am impressed beyond a Hipster's fad hopes.
Tonight at The Pearl Brewery Amphitheater Stable they are showing a Movie Trio starting at 7:30 (get there early) of the Movies "Big" "Peewee's Big Adventure", and "The Big Lebowski". Get the theme???? Cool.

It's all to start off The Big Give SA helping out South San Antonio "One Gift at a time". Pretty awesome stuff there. So get eyeballs and your donating hearts ready for a big event.

Oh by the way, don't forget your moms! It's almost here. I hope you didn't get her IOU coupons.

H-town Wanderer

I gotta ease yall into this venture here.

Houston broke my feet.

I mean,  I didn't think I could tucker  myself out, but I did. I did all that I  thought the city had with my strict time table...I guess I'll be visiting again.
So as I ran amuck in the theater district, tall somber cellist of white stone graced my ears with beautiful music amidst the traffic behind me.  He was the serene beginning.
Then onto the Buffalo Bayou park,  I won't say where, but you can make the water burp and scare the cahoots out of people. Lol,  so Bart like.  It's a great art installation by Dean Ruck. (Classic)
I didn't stop there,  I needed to get a bit more educational with my adventure so i decided to go see some stone cold dead guys. And I mean DEAD. 
SOOOOO I came upon this crazy stone yard filled with presidents heads and of all people Charlie Chaplin towering over everybody!  It was crypt creepy as smog. A serious roadie attraction to get caught into seeing with Saint Arnold Brewery right around the corner! 
You know I can't forget about the brews.

Oh and all this was free. I'm cheap so it happened with the wallet in mind. That's why I have so much fun.  Free.  Free allows more absurd adventures.

Which in the next Houston venture you must read of you like the following: better beer, yoga,  baseball,  and seeing my worn out eyeballs from the conference & touring.

Holla to my new followers!  Glad to see you are up for the adventure!

Cheers ☺

Venture On,
Jess B

P.S.: Free views of the city at JP Morgan Tower or at the Hilton of the Americas. Spectacular.

Houston, oh yeah

Aside from my morning commute...Yall rock!
I gotta put my spot slot out for these peeps in Houston. And look tomorrow night for post one (of who knows) of the incredible excursions I had while visiting on my work trip.  (See, you can hedge fun at a work conference! )

Souls searching slot outs to:
8th Wonder Brewery
Hilton of Americas-Houston
SPAR International  :overload of incredible 3D tech
Minute Maid stadium : get a tour!
St Arnolds Brewing Company
Ride the fantastic Houston Rail
This place...whiz whoa The Galleria

And of course...my GPS and intentions on not following it to discover my own path .
See you on the country road!

Adventure on,

Jess