Day 3 of the Race to the Alamo was a whirlwind! We had so much fun competing and running all over San Antonio. We are sad to see the race rounds come to an end but excited because 40% of the total score depends on your votes and we know you will vote for Team Trekaroo because the Trekaroo community is built on families supporting one another.
We are exhausted from three days of competition in the scorching Texas heat so this recap is going to be a quick rundown of the days events.
Challenge 1: We headed to Mission San Jose, part of the National Park Service, and made this 1 minute video about highlighting a few tidbits and encouraging families to visit.
Watch Team Trekaroo’s Mission San Jose Video
Then we asked our readers to watch the video (and you asked your friends, family, and neighbors to watch the video) because whichever team had the most Youtube views for their video by 3:30 CST would win the challenge. Your votes helped us tie for first on this challenge. The Youtube robots froze both Trekaroo and the green team’s votes at 300 because you wonderful people were voting so much that the robot was concerned you might be spammers!
Challenge 2: This one definitely was not expected- we had a bonsai competition! We were given a short demonstration at Bonsai Arbor by artist Sherry Disdier on how to shape a bonsai tree and then we had 15 minutes to shape our own trees. It felt a bit odd racing when bonsai is traditionally a very slow and spiritual process, but we did our best with the trees we were given. My tree seemed to be particularly bushy and could have used more trimming than the 15 minutes allowed. The bad news was that we came in third according to the official bonsai judging. The orange team won the challenge and really did do a great job with their trees. The good news was that we got to take home our trees which live for decades if properly taken care of. I am thrilled that Michelle and I will each having a living reminder of the crazy experience in San Antonio that we had together.
Challenge 3: This challenge brought us to the Buckhorn, a quirky eatery that features hundreds of mounted animals on the walls and a museum with more difffernt mounted creatures and oddities upstairs. We were given a two page list of questions and had to find the answers in scavenger hunt fashion. Michelle and I broke up the list and ran around finding answers. This was my kind of challenge! We ended up doing a great job and finished well ahead of the other two teams. It felt great to win the challenge and enjoy our lunch at Mi Tierra.
Challenge 4: The final challenge of the day was a two part challenge filled with excitement, stress, and fun. We rode up the elevator to the observation deck of the 750-foot Tower of the Americas. As soon as the doors opened, we all ran and scattered in search of the three clues which were hidden in different locations on the deck. The orange team found their envelope quickly and raced back to the elevator to get back on their bus and head to the Alamo. As the orange team waited for the elevator, the green team found their envelope and from what we are told, an epic foot race occurred on the ground floor as the two teams raced to the buses. Meanwhile, a very panicked Team Trekaroo ran around desperately wondering where the third envelope could possibly be hidden. Luckily, Michelle found our envelope and we made the next elevator down to the ground level. We ran to the bus and discovered the details of part two.
Part two of the final challenge was epic. We had 17 1/2 minutes to gather as many people as possible to join our conga line in front of the the Alamo while samba musicians played a great beat and women danced in traditional samba costumes, adding color to our line. We decided to have Michelle lead our line, crazy headdress and all, while I ran around and recruited participants. The other two teams had the advantage of already finding the most willing participants in the crowd to join their line so I had to do quite a bit of begging and pleading to convince folks to head out into the 100 degree sun and dance. The most important part of this challenge was deciding at what point to take a picture. We were only allowed to snap one picture and it would serve as our final dancer count. After recruiting some teenage boys to reluctantly join our line, I knew we needed to just quickly snap the picture before some of our first dancers got too tired in the heat and abandoned the line. Amazingly, we ended up with 29 wonderful dancers, who helped us come from behind and end up in second place for the challenge! It was the perfect way to finish our Race to the Alamo and a blast to dance around to the samba music and celebrate such a wonderful experience in San Antonio. As nice as it would have been to stick around and go inside the Alamo, we were all suffering from heat and decided to head back to our air conditioned hotel rooms and wait for dinner and the results.
I am thrilled to announce that Team Trekaroo tied for 1st for day three!!!! It was a great way to end the racing portion of the competition and has set us up perfectly for the voting portion of the Race to the Alamo. We appear to currently be leading in the vote so please continue to vote daily for Team Trekaroo to help win the title and give yourself a shot at winning the grand prize trip to San Antonio.
Disclosure: All travel, lodging, meals, activities, and an iPad are being provided by the San Antonio Visitors Bureau so that Michelle and I can compete in the Race to the Alamo. No monetary compensation is being provided and Visit San Antonio did not ask that any specific opinions about their destination be mentioned. All opinions about San Antonio and the Race to the Alamo are those of Michelle and I and reflect our honest opinion of both the destination and the experience.
Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
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The Alamo. In person, the old mission may appear to be small in size, but it will always remain large in legend. This iconic building gained its spot American history during a legendary battle in 1836, during the struggle for Texas liberty. These days, the Alamo is part of the National Park System and serves as the symbol of San Antonio. Tomorrow, Trekaroo Destination Guroo Michelle McCoy and I head to San Antonio for a new adventure, the Race to the Alamo.
Michelle and I were asked to compete as Team Trekaroo in the Race to the Alamo, a 3 day Amazing Race-style competition. During the 3 days, we will compete against two other teams in a variety of challenges and awarded points based on our performance. At the end of each day, the team with the most points will win a daily prize for both their team and their readers! The days will be long and hot (the forecast calls for daily highs of 105!), but the excitement of competing will definitely keep our energy up.
Ultimately, each day of the race will account for 20% of our score, making the competition 60% of our final score. The other 40% is in your hands. That portion of our score is determined by how may votes our team gets on the Race to the Alamo site.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? Well besides helping the only family travel blogging team prove that moms can compete just as well as any other team, every time you go to the Race to the Alamo site and vote for Team Trekaroo, you will be entered to win a trip to San Antonio which includes 3 nights at one of San Antonio’s great hotels, attraction passes, and a voucher towards travel expenses!!! The approximate value of this prize is $2500. Now that’s a great incentive!
Grand Prize details:
A three night stay at the Grand Hyatt, Paella lunch for four at Citrus, $500 Visa gift card for airfaire and attraction passes for four to:
- The Alamo Trolley
- Enchanted Springs Ranch
- Guiness World Records Museum
- IMAX, Institute of Texan Cultures
- Laser Legend
- McNay Art Museum
- Ripley’s Believe It or Not & Louis Tussaud’s Wax Works Ripley’s Haunted Adventure
- San Antonio Botanical Garden
- San Antonio Children’s Museum
- San Antonio Rose Live – Country Music Show
- San Antonio Zoo
- Schlitterbahn
- SeaWorld San Antonio
- Six Flags Fiesta Texas
- The Buckhorn Saloon & Museum/Texas Rangers Museum
- Tower of the Americas
- Wildlife Ranch Witte Museum
What a prize!!!!! Everyone can vote for Trekaroo once per day through August 31, 2011, and every time you vote you will receive another entry for the grand prize. We know that we can count on Trekaroo members to vote for Team Trekaroo and we hope that you will ask all of your friends to vote for us as well!
Look for Michelle and I to be live blogging, tweeting, and sharing on Trekaroo’s Facebook page during the competition this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. We hope you will follow along, cheer for us along the way, and help us if we need to turn to Trekaroo members for assistance in a challenge.
GO TEAM TREKAROO!!!!
Thanks to Contest for Moms, Online Sweepstakes, CashNet Sweepstakes, and Sweepstakes Advantage and Contest Girl.
Disclosure: All travel, lodging, meals, activities, and an iPad are being provided by the San Antonio Visitors Bureau so that Michelle and I can compete in the Race to the Alamo. No monetary compensation is being provided and Visit San Antonio did not ask that any specific opinions about their destination be mentioned. All opinions about San Antonio and the Race to the Alamo are those of Michelle and I and reflect our honest opinion of both the destination and the experience.
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Hippity hoppity, Trekaroo officially has Easter Egg Hunt fever! Our Superoos and Destination Guroos have been working at a feverish pace, gathering info on some of the best hunts across America. If you don’t see your neck of the woods represented, help your community out and create a list of your own. Once its created, we will be sure to add it to this post and spread the word about your fabulous tips.
Photo by: Flickr/wealhtheow1
If you are looking for an Easter Egg Hunts in the South then check out:
Easter Egg Hunts in and around Tampa Bay
Easter Egg Hunts in Northern Florida and the Panhandle
Easter Egg Hunts in Central and South Florida
East Coasters should check out these egg hunt lists:
Easter Egg Hunts in Massachusetts
Easter Egg Hunts in Washington
Easter Events in New York City and New York State
God blessed Texas…. with plenty of great Easter Egg Hunts:
Easter Egg Hunts in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex
Enjoy the California sunshine at one of these great hunts:
Easter Egg Hunts in California
Easter Egg Hunts in Northern California
Easter Egg Hunts in Orange County and San Diego
Easter Egg Hunts in the Temecula area
Easter Egg Hunts in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
San Antonio is rapidly becoming a favorite vacation destination for families. It’s a city filled with unique culture, fabulous food, and plenty of great activities that are sure to entertain kids and parents alike. From its lively downtown area to a new park dedicate to making sure people of all abilities can have fun, San Antonio truly has something for everyone. Here are Trekaroo’s top picks for things to do in San Antonio with kids.
Spend some time strolling the River Walk: 
A wide variety of shops, restaurants, and attractions line the scenic pathways that flank the river as it meanders through downtown, creating a beautiful urban experience. There always seems to be sort of festival or arts and crafts show going on during the weekends, including children’s festivals. Strollers are best left at the hotel because most access points to the River Walk from the street level involve stairs. A fun way to experience the river is on a guided boat tour. Tours take passengers on a 2.5 mile cruise down the San Antonio River which lasts 35 minutes while guides talk about the history of the river and surrounding area. Dining options range from locally owned eateries such as La Margarita’s (the first restaurant to serve fajitas in the US) to boisterous chain restaurants like Dick’s Last Resort. The Alamo is located within walking distance and while younger children may not understand the historical significance, it would be a shame to visit San Antonio without at least taking pictures of the kids out front.
Splash and be splashed at Sea World:
It can get hot in San Antonio, especially in the summer, so why not visit a place where sea life is celebrated through interesting exhibits,spectacular shows starring a variety of ocean mammals, and water rides that keep visitors cooled off in between? Older children will love roller coasters with aquatic themed names such as the Steel Eel and the Great White, while little ones will love the Sesame Street Bay of Play which features rides, play areas, and places to meet their favorite Sesame Street characters. Of course, the true stars of Sea World are the animals. Families will have a blast at a variety of animal encounters where they can feed dolphins, touch juvenile alligators, and watch sharks swim overhead.
Get in touch with your wild side at the San Antonio Zoo:
The San Antonio Zoo is home to 3500 animals representing 600 different species and is ranked as one the best zoos in the country. The zoo has undergone exhibit renovations lately, and reopened it’s Africa Live 2 exhibit last year which houses a large aviary, hippos, monkeys, and rhinos. An enclosed butterfly exhibit is open March through November, offering guests the opportunity to enjoy a variety of butterfly species up close. The zoo’s Tiny Tot Nature Spot is geared towards children ages 5 and younger and features an indoor pond, child-sized aquarium, Coati/Sloth Hang and Dig Area and many more exhibits geared towards the pint sized crowd.
Enjoy some outside time at Brackenridge Park:
This 343 acre park, located near the San Antonio Zoo, is a great place to spend the afternoon. The San Antonio River winds through the park which features tree lined paths, playground, and a miniature train that takes visitors on a 3.5 mile loop around the park. Brackenridge Park is also home to lovely Japanese Tea Gardens. The gardens feature shady walkways, attractive horticultural displays, and a 60-foot waterfall.
Escape the heat and have fun at the San Antonio’s Children’s Museum:
When the temperatures rise and the Texas heat and humidity become too much to bare, a great place for some air conditioned fun is the San Antonio Children’s Museum. The museum is geared towards children ages 2 through 10 and features plenty of great hands on exhibits on three different levels. Favorites include the HEB kid’s market, Power Ball Hall, and the all new Science City.
Visit the world’s first ultra accessible family fun park- Morgan’s Wonderland:
Designed specifically for children with special needs, Morgan’s Wonderland is a place for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy. Specially designed carousels, swings and playgrounds allow wheelchair bound individuals to be a part of the fun. The music garden, sand circle, and Sensory Village are designed to give children with special needs all the sensory input they need to thrive and have a great time. Other highlights include the Wonderland Express train and Pirate Island Playground which sits near the property’s 8 acre lake. All family groups visiting Morgan’s Wonderland are assigned RFID locator wristbands for safety and security and in order to streamline this process, reservations are highly recommended.
Looking for a place to stay while in town? Check out these family friendly hotels in San Antonio.
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
Welcome to 
I am a sucker for a good food festival. In their four short years on this planet, my kids have sampled heirloom varietals at the Tomato Festival, enjoyed some bayou home cooking at the Crawdad Festival, and even chomped on deep fried asparagus at the Asparagus Festival. Food festivals help bring people together to experience good music, interesting vendors, a social atmosphere, and of course, incredible food.
As the fall weather settles in and most crop based festivals have retired for the season, the country turns to a dish known to warm up our bellies and clear our sinuses with incredible flavor and comfort- chili. Texas prides itself on being the chili capital of the world, and to show it love for all things chili, it hosts the Terlingua International Chili Championship. This is the granddaddy of all chili cook-offs, drawing 10,000 chili fanatics every fall to Terlingua, which is a ghost town for the rest of the year. The competition literally doubles the size of Brewster County, a sparsely populated county in the Big Bend region of Texas. Just reading about how serious these cooks take their chili makes me want to plan our future trip to Big Bend National Park around chili cook-off time.
Photo courtesy: Jason Ezell/CASI/Brewster County Tourism
I have to admit, I make a pretty darn good chili- but evidently, my chili would be inadmissible for competition. You see, Texans believe beans have no place in real chili, and I happen to disagree. However, beans or no beans, the thought of taking the kids out to West Texas to sample the best chili in the country sounds like a blast to me. In addition to chili, competitions for the best salsa, beans, and hot wings, all in a makeshift campground/fairground out in the desert. So strap on those boots, grab yer hat, and head on down to Terlingua with the kids for a nice bowl of red.
Do you have an outing that you would like to spotlight this week?
Perhaps its a post about a vacation you just took or a day trip that you think our readers should know about. Or maybe its a post about the vacation you are currently planning and going to book through Trekaroo! Link up something fresh from your blog using the Mr Linky below.
PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.
Step 1: Pick a recent post (past couple of days)
Step 2: Under “Name” write: “Title of your blog post (blog name)” – blog name in parenthesis
Under “url” paste: the link to your blog post (not your home page)
Step 3: Grab the Spotlight Thursday image and link to this post so your readers can see who else is playing along this week.
We want to be sure that everyone who participates in Spotlight Thursdays gets their moment in the spotlight so blogs that don’t link back will unfortunately have to be removed.
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA | CO | DC | FL | HI | IL | MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
