National Cheesecake Day!

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

It seems like there is a holiday for everything these days. Ice cream (July 19), bourbon (June 14), even Take Your Houseplant for a Walk Day! (July 27) What about the important things in life? The issues that everyone cares about? We’re talking about cheesecake! Never fear. There’s a day for that too. Today is National Cheesecake Day! San Antonio has a lot of really amazing bakeries that you need to check out. Celebrate National Cheesecake Day the best way: with cheesecake, obviously!

BIRD Bakery located in Alamo Heights, uses only the freshest and finest ingredients such as Valrhona Cocoa and Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla. Each day, all of the cakes, cupcakes and other assorted delicacies are baked from scratch right there in-store. At the end of the night, all unsold items are donated to local nonprofits and philanthropies. The next morning they fire up the ovens and start all over again! Some can’t-miss items on their menu include an amazing honey cheesecake and an assortment of delicious cookies to munch on. BIRD Bakery wedding and event catering and custom cakes for any occasion. To see some of their delicious treats head to their Instagram. BIRD Bakery is a 25 minute drive away from us at La Cantera apartments but it’s well worth the trip!

Stepping into the Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery, you won’t believe your eyes. There are so many different kinds of cheesecake here, your head will spin and your mouth will water! From Old Fashioned to Key Lime to German Chocolate to Amaretto Almond, there is a flavor for everyone. In addition to their decadent cheesecakes, UCB also offers layer cakes, cookies, bars, tortes, pies and other specialty items. They certainly live up to their name with their vast array of cheesecakes. Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery is only 20 minutes away from our home at the Residences.

In 2011, the owner of Little Aussie Bakery was nationally recognized as one of the top 10 artisan bakers in the U.S. by Dessert Professional Magazine and the only one of those recognized to bake gluten-free goods. The bakery offers everything from cakes and cheesecakes to breakfast foods and pizzas. The majority of their treats are gluten free and can be altered to accommodate any food allergies you might have. The delicious Little Aussie Bakery is a delight and only a 24 minute drive away from the Residences.

Each of these bakeries are wonderful in their own ways and have something to fit everyone’s needs. BIRD Bakery has only the freshest treats each day, Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery has so many cheesecakes to choose from you won’t know where to begin and the Little Aussie Bakery offers everything from gluten-free cookies to down under breakfasts. When it comes time to get that cheesecake for National Cheesecake Day tomorrow, it will be hard to choose just one. We recommend one slice from each bakery. Or two slices.


Sources Cited
BIRD Bakery
Ultimate Cheesecake Bakery
Little Aussie Bakery

National Ice Cream Month

Image courtesy of Pixabay

What’s better on those hot, steamy, sunny summer days than cooling off with a frosty treat? July is National Ice Cream Month and we have plenty of places to celebrate it. When the sun gets to be just too much you can hit up one of these amazing ice cream shops for a frozen delicacy.

The Texas based Amy’s Ice Creams has been around since 1984 and continues to be delicious to this day. With the first shop in Austin, Amy’s has since expanded with locations San Antonio and Houston. Home to the world famous Mexican Vanilla ice cream, Amy’s has over 350 flavors currently in rotation so every trip to the shop will be an adventure! In addition to ice cream Amy’s offers dairy free fruit ices and frozen yogurt if ice cream isn’t your style. Amy’s offers tours of the facilities throughout the week ending with a delicious scoop of ice cream! Amy’s is located on East Basse Road, a 20 minute drive away from the Residences at La Cantera.

The winner of SA Current’s 2013 Best Ice Cream Contest, Brindle’s Awesome Ice Cream certainly lives up to it’s name! Their amazing made-in-store ice cream, gelato and espresso are to die for and so mouth watering! They have regular, everyday flavors like mint, chocolate, vanilla but they also have flavors you won’t find anywhere else like pineapple, coconut and habanero. These delicious treats are perfect for the hot summer days we’ve been having so stop by and try some of the best ice cream you’ll find in San Antonio. You can find Brindle’s on Huebner Road, only a 7 minute drive away from us at La Cantera.

Culver’s Restaurant, founded in Wisconsin in 1984, has since expanded with locations all across the country. Culver’s has so many flavors it will make your head spin! Each day will find a new flavor of the day. Today’s flavor is Caramel Cashew so stop in and get yourself a scoop! Along with ice cream, Culver’s also serves a full menu of delicious burgers, salads and plenty of other dishes to fill your bellies. Culver’s is located a short 8 minute drive away from the Residences at La Cantera.

San Antonio can get pretty heated during the summer time and sometimes you just need to cool off. The best cure for the heat is ice cream! With all of the options in the area you can try a different kind of ice cream every day this summer!

What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Let us know on our Facebook or Twitter.

Additional Sources Cited

Amy’s Ice Cream

Culver’s

Summer Activities in San Antonio

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

School’s out for summer! With kids home for the summer, it can be hard to find things to keep young ones occupied and entertained with when they have so much free time. This month though, there are plenty of options for kids to not only keep them entertained but to enrich them and further their educations. Check out what San Antonio has in store for kids this month:

This Friday, July 17th, the La Cantera Barnes & Noble (a quick 5 minute walk from the Residences at La Cantera) is holding a free Minion Fun Event in honor of the new Minions movie in theaters now! At this fun-filled event you can become a certified minion and attend Villain-Con where you can help in the search to find the most evil villain to follow! Sign up in the store or call to reserve your space. Register soon, as all the good villains tend to get taken quickly!

Saturday, July 18th at 10 AM at the Rainbow Gardens join the Kids Garden Club in creating your very own terrarium! Bring your own soda bottle or wide mouthed jar to create your very own living ecosystem. This event is free but spots fill up quickly so reserve your child’s spot soon! The Rainbow Gardens are only a 20 minute drive away from the Residences at La Cantera which should make it pretty easy to get there!

On Friday, July 24th, the Harlem Globetrotters’ Summer Basketball Camp will be dribbling into San Antonio for one day only! The coaches will teach kids the fundamentals of basketball while the Globetrotters will be on hand to encourage the players and impart knowledge that will help them sharpen their skills. Campers will take part in games, ball handling tricks, and plenty of fun. Stars of the Harlem Globetrotters will be available after the camp to sign autographs and take photos with the campers. The Mission Concepcion Sports Complex is only a 20 minute drive away from the La Cantera Apartments.

If your child is a bit of a ham, then you definitely need to sign them up for Happily Ever After Summer Theatre Camp. Starting July 27th through August 7th, your little performer can perform songs as their favorite princess, pirate, hero or villain. Final performances will take place August 7th and 8th. The classes take place from Monday to Friday 9AM to 4PM and before and after care is available if needed. Register early as spaces fill up fast! The Woodlawn Theatre is only a 15 minute drive away from La Cantera.

This month is heating up not just with the heat but with plenty of fun things to keep kids happy and entertained. There is something for all ages and interests, from basketball to theater to gardening classes, your kids won’t have time to sit down! Do you know of any other kids’ activities happening in the area this month? Let us know on Facebook or on Twitter.

Sources Cited
SA Current 1 2
Rainbow Gardens

National Picnic Month in San Antonio

Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Grab your checkered blanket and your wicker baskets because July is National Picnic Month! San Antonio has an abundance of beautiful parks just asking for you to throw down a picnic blanket and break out the snacks. Just make sure you clean up after yourself when you’re done! For a full directory of San Antonio's gorgeous parks go to the city of San Antonio's website.

Brackenridge Park is a 343 acre park located north of the city, just a short 20 minute drive away from the Residences at La Cantera. Within the park, you can find the San Antonio Zoo which contains over 750 different species of animals! You can also find the Japanese Tea Gardens or the Sunken Gardens, which found their home in an abandoned rock quarry. Within the park grounds you can take a ride on the San Antonio Zoo Eagle Train Ride. Brackenridge Park is a beautiful place to plant yourself for a weekend picnic. After your meal you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied!

McAllister Park, an 18 minute drive from La Cantera apartments, might not have a zoo located within its boundaries but it has so much for you to do! The park is outfitted with baseball, soccer and rugby fields for some pick-up games. The 15 miles of scenic trails will have you huffing and puffing your way through them. And don’t forget the dog park! Bring your furry four-legged friend down to the McAllister dog park and set him/her free to play with other pups.

Government Canyon State Natural Area has over 40 miles of hiking and biking trails for you to explore and navigate. The park is rife with opportunities for geocaching, guided hikes and ranger programs. The Natural Area is also home to 110 million year old dinosaur foot prints! So follow in the footprints of ancient dinosaurs and take your picnic baskets to Government Canyon State Natural Area.

While exploring these gorgeous parks make sure to follow the Leave No Trace 7 Principles to minimize human impact on the lands. The only way we can continue to enjoy these beautiful parks is if we maintain them and do our part to keep them clean.


Each of these fascinating parks has something to offer from hiking and biking trails to dog parks to geocaching, there’s something for everybody. After your picnic you can stick around and see what events are happening in the parks. Check the event calendar to see what's happening this weekend. Bring your picnic baskets but don’t leave anything behind!


Sources Cited
San Antonio.gov

4 Events for Your 4th of July

This week we celebrate the birth of the United States of America. The 4th of July marks the anniversary of the day we adopted the Declaration of Independence, signifying our emancipation from Great Britain. There are plenty of ways to celebrate. This Saturday, San Antonio has tons of fun things to do to commemorate the day.

1. For three days, from July 2nd until July 4th, you can browse through the craft show taking place at the San Antonio River Walk. Starting at 11 AM each day, different vendors will gather to display their crafty wares for sale. Only 20 minutes away from La Cantera apartments.

2. Starting early in the morning on the fourth, you can get the celebrations going early. Starting at 8 AM you can participate in the first annual Zumba-thon by the SA Parks Foundation, take part in a cook off, proudly march in the children’s parade, and listen to live music and see fireworks, until 11 PM that night! Woodlawn Lake Park is a quick 20 minute ride from La Cantera apartments.

3. From 6 to 10 PM you can bring the whole family to the Alamodome. Stars and Stripes Over San Antonio will have live music, all the food trucks you can count and a kids zone for the little ones. Make sure to stay for the fireworks display at 9:30! From the Residences at La Cantera, the Alamodome is only a 20 minute drive!

4. For the first time since 2010 the fireworks display at Jones Beach is back for 2015! The fireworks show will last 30 minutes and start at 9:30. The fireworks will be bursting alongside patriotic music to top it off. Jones Beach is only a 40 minute drive from La Cantera.

Celebrating patriotism in San Antonio is easy. There are so many choices this year if you’re looking to have fun for the Independence Day this year. There are options for the kids, adults and everyone else in between! For more information on all of these events you can check out each of their respective websites listed at the bottom of the page.


Sources Cited:
Jones Beach
SA Parks Foundation
Stars & Stripes Over SA
SA River Walk