I should have taken today off work too after getting home yesterday afternoon because it would have been nice to unpack, get over jet lag, clean house, sort through photos and notes, and spend time with the dogs after being gone for five days. Lesson learned! We had so much fun in Austin over the weekend, I met so many new bloggers, ate way too much good food, and learned tons that it’s hard to know where to start!
Friday started off leisurely, we slept in a little and hit the hotel gym late in the morning before heading over to the Vida Vegan Con Bazaar. I got there at noon for the pre-party to mingle with new bloggers and stuff on all the Miyoko’s Artisan Vegan Cheeses I could cram onto my plate.
Imagine being able to sample all the artisan vegan cheese you can handle, it’s both amazing and dangerous.
And so delicious, I loaded my plate with every flavor.
It’s a great time to be a vegan when we can get amazing quality artisan dairy free cheese!
After I was feeling pretty full, I moved into the jam-packed vendor area to sample many more foods like vegan ice creams, more cheese, chips, tamales, cupcakes, juices, etc. and check out a variety of vegan products and services.
I was a kid in a candy store here! As many of us were noting, vegans are not used to having so many food and product options and it was a little surreal to be able to sample everything. And awesome. I could have easily spent hundreds of dollars buying clothing, cosmetics, food, and jewelry. I came away with a few goodies and a bag full of free samples.
Upton’s Naturals was sampling jack fruit products and had a huge jack fruit on display, bigger than a watermelon and could feed me for weeks!
One of these days I will buy a whole one, but I’ve heard they’re messy to deal with. They do make a tasty and hearty vegan meat alternative in recipes!
Hubby joined me at the Bazaar just in time to hear Gene Baur speak about animal compassion and take questions from the audience. It was neat seeing him so soon after appearing on The Daily Show.
He’s very inspiring to listen to, he has a lot of positive views on inspiring a plant-based, compassionate life style while being tolerant and patient. I got a signed copy of Living the Farm Sanctuary Life and looking forward to diving into it soon.
After spending a few hours there eating, spending money, chatting, and learning, hubby and I headed out to explore Austin some more and stopped to admire the pro-vegan bumper stickers in the parking lot.
Then headed to explore the many bars, restaurants, and shops of the famous 6th Street where I just loved the bike rental options to cruise the area.
We were there in the late afternoon, just before it got dark and things started getting crazy which is probably good because we heard a lot of stories of just how crazy a street full of bars and ATM machines can get in a college town. All the bars were open and had a great variety of live music going already, but it wasn’t too crowded and we were able to check them out and explore the shops.
We didn’t stick around for dinner, instead we headed to Bouldin Creek Cafe which is a famous vegan friendly casual restaurant with a fun atmosphere and great happy hour. And happy vegan stickers greeted us as we entered.
We started with simple chips and salsa – cheap, crunchy, salty, and spicy. Yum.
I got a beautiful noodle and veggie stir fry topped with peanuts and a spicy sauce.
And hubby got a chickpea salad sandwich that was a beautiful plate and very hearty.
Overall a wonderful dining experience, I would go back at least once a week if I lived in the area because the atmosphere is fun and prices very reasonable for creative vegan dishes.
When we got back to the hotel, I sorted out my loot from the day including a new Cruelty Free necklace from Christy Robinson, tank tops for the gym from Herbivore Clothing, and samples galore!
It was a long and fun day for our first full day in Austin and I was already glad I packed an extra bag for bringing all our loot home!
Great pictures! It was such an amazing weekend. I will say my only regret is I didn’t get to ANY of the restaurants out and about town. I saw so much awesome food on Instagram, but just didn’t wander out much. Alas, a reason to go back!
Thanks on the pictures and so true on the weekend. I couldn’t get to a lot of the restaurants either, would have loved to stay another day and need to plan a trip back! :-)
Darn, I wish I could have gone! Next year for sure. It looks like you had a fantastic time eating your way through it all. :) Thanks for sharing Christine.
It was a great event, but I’m sure we’ll catch up at one soon!
Hiya! Just swinging by to tell you I posted my first vlog not great but a start and a little shout out for you!
I wish I was able to go to VVC and I LOVED living vicariously thru you on instagram! I was lurking on Jason Wrobel’s and EcoVeganGal, too! Did you see them or others???
Your first vlog was great, so cool that you’re getting into that!
Thanks on VVC, I’m so glad I finally made it to one and hoping it comes back next year. I saw Jason and EcoVeganGal too, went to one of her sessions which was very passionate and inspiring, she is quite the entrepreneur.
Sounds like a blast! Wish my husband would order a chickpea sandwich =)
Mine really liked the sandwich too, it was hearty and flavorful.