Author Archives: emrichwithlife

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Things to do in Tucson for People with Disabilities

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This post should really be “suggestions of a few things to do” because the options here are nearly endless. If you have physical limitations, and live in Tucson or are visiting, there are all kinds of great activities for recreation. Those of us who are residents are lucky to live in a very accommodating city! *Note – it is always possible something has changed and although I try and keep this list updated, prices and accommodations change regularly, so always call first.

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  • Attractions
    • Old Tucson
      • Wheelchair accessible, but dirt streets
        • Fee for chairs to rent
      • Pet Friendly (but not indoors)
      • $17.95 adults, $10.95 kids (4-11). Seniors & military save $2
    • Reid Park Zoo link
      • $9 adults, $7 seniors 62+, $5 kids 2-14
    • Tucson Botanical Gardens link
      • $13 adults, $12 students/military/seniors, $7.50 kids 4-12

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Gluten Free in the Tucson Airport

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Gluten Free Food in the Tucson Airport

There aren’t a whole lot of gluten free options at the Tucson International Airport, but there are definitely a large variety of pre-packed foods in Cibo, Arizona Marketplace, Ikes, and Desert News. There are a few options in the restaurants as well, and they are listed below. If you have an experience or find gluten free food items that are not listed below, please share with me by commenting below!

A Concourse (Gates A1-A9)

Southwest, American, Frontier

Arizona Marketplace

Various pre-packaged GF snacks

Boar’s Head Deli

Ask for meat rolled up, without bread. I ordered an Italiano sandwich, no bread, no cheese. It had salami, lettuce, tomato, and roasted red peppers. It was wrapped in a paper wrap. See photo below. (this was from the other terminal, but same restaurant)

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Cibo Market

Various pre-packaged GF snacks

Ike’s

Surf Sweet candies and gf snacks

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New Years Resolution

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Last year, for my new years resolution, I took part in the OneWord365 movement, to choose just one word to live by, each day of the year.

I like the idea of choosing one word, because it’s simple and easy. So, not only do you remember what your resolution is, but it’s much more manageable to stick to it than, say, many of the diet and fitness fads that tend to float around this time of year.

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This year, my word is “Trust.” Trust in Him. Trust in the process. Trust in myself. This year has been a bit of a roller-coaster. Moving back home to Tucson for a year and having shoulder surgery were both unexpected bumps in the road. But through it all, I tried to remind myself that it was all a part of God’s plan for me. And sure enough, it has been a pretty life-changing few months. I’ve learned all kinds of new lessons that will stick with me in many different aspects of my life. I learned that, if God brings you to it, he really will bring you through it.

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Restaurant Review: Page, AZ

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Page, Arizona – some of the most beautiful land I’ve ever seen, with some of the most poor food options I’ve encountered. Page has a population of 7,000, just a few thousand less than Sedona. Granted, Sedona likely has more tourism, but Page has the most incredible selling point, in Antelope Canyon!

After we saw the wonders of upper Antelope Canyon, it was really downhill… and I mean steep… from there as far as Page’s food goes. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which I must admit was very nice – simple, but clean. The internet was incredibly spotty and slow, and since the place was packed (don’t go between Christmas and New Years), by 8:30 the next morning the free breakfast was nearly all gone, including the coffee, yogurt, and most everything else. They did not have good options for me to eat to begin with, but it would have been nice for Gabe to had something to eat. Overall though, I would stay there again, (or maybe the courtyard marriott) since there doesn’t seem to be much else in Page.

I hate writing a review like this, but it needs to be said.

The options for food looked great when I went on the Find Me Gluten Free App! Two places, called Bonkers and Rivers End Cafe, looked to be very promising! Rookie mistake: I didn’t check to see their hours of operation. Bonkers is only open March through October (since it’s a big lake town) but does have a gluten free menu if you’re there in the warmer months. Unfortunately, I was there in December. Rivers End Cafe looked exciting, except that it closed at 3 and our tour didn’t end until about that time.

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After much searching online, I realized the town had very little else to offer. Since Mexican food tends to be easily made safe, we decided to head over to Fiesta Mexicana. You can find the menu here, but the gluten free items are not marked, and there is little to no training for the staff. We were greeted by a gentleman who took our drink orders, and when I asked for a margarita with no mix, just lime, tequila, and soda water, he replied that the margaritas are pre-mixed and walked away. Ooookay! Gabe ended up going over to the bar and getting one for me. The waiter finally came to our table 20 minutes later and hurridly asked for our order. I ordered the chicken taco (yes, only one taco, Fiesta Chica), told him I needed to be gluten free, and that I needed corn tortillas. “He said, you want extra on the side?” I said, “No, just corn with the meal.” He continued arguing, not understanding, and moved away from me to Gabe, before I could finish ordering. As he left the table I said, I need rice with that, no beans. He didn’t even give me the chance to finish my order! I Was Appalled. It wasn’t looking good.

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Travel: Page, AZ

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Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

-Albert Einstein

The most beautiful thing I’ve seen to date: Antelope Canyon.

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Last week, Gabe and I made a relatively impulse decision to drive up to northern AZ after Christmas. I’ve been looking at taking a trip to Antelope Canyon for about a year now, as it pops up on every must-see AZ list; and with such amazing photographs being taken, how could it not. Recently my mom and I were at a farmers market when I met a photographer who had been to the canyon and many of his pieces were displayed at the market for sale. They were breathtaking. The light shines down so majestically, casting shadows and creating intricate lines along the canyon walls. I just had to see it for myself.

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Through my research I learned:

  • You cannot see the canyon without paying a fee ($8).
  • It is on the Navajo reservation.
  • To prevent vandalism and scribbling into the rocks, tour guides are mandatory for both upper and lower antelope canyon.
  • The $8 fee is either included in your tour reservation, or if you’ve already paid it, then it can be taken off for most tour companies.
  • Children under 13 are less expensive, and the lower canyon is less expensive than the upper canyon.
  • Upper canyon tours are taken by jeep right up to the entrance to the canyon and from there you walk in at ground level. Lower canyon tours have a 10-15 minute walk before you get to the canyon and then you take a series of ladders to get down, with no vehicle travel.
  • Make your reservations at least a day or two ahead of time, especially for the prime hours. We were there during a very busy week (between Christmas & New Years) and every single tour was sold out for that day (Sunday).
  • The upper canyon has prime times for sunlight (late morning, early afternoon). The lower canyon does not have a more prime time than another.
  • Tripods are not allowed in the canyon on regular tours, but there are special photography tours.

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Travel & Restaurant Review: Sedona, AZ

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Traveling to Sedona, AZ on a special diet (gluten and dairy free)

On our holiday roadtrip, Gabe and I stopped for a few short hours in Sedona on the way home from “up north.” For those who don’t know, Sedona is a hidden gem, just a short detour between Flagstaff and Phoenix. It is most known for the red rocks and artsy culture. I had been once before, but not for long, and Gabe had never been so we decided to drive the extra 30-60 minutes to check it out.

Driving in to town, the week between Christmas and New Years, proved to be anything but easy. There were a huge number of tourists, especially foreigners, just as there were at the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon. It took us nearly 20 minutes to go 4 miles on the two lane street. We took a little jig and drove up on some residential streets where we stumbled upon a beautiful church built into the rocks!

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The Chapel of the Holy Cross is one of the most scenic churches I have ever seen, and if weddings were allowed at the chapel, there’s a good chance I would want to get married there! We parked at the bottom of the steep hill and hiked our way up to find a beautiful view, with tall windows, and lit memorial candles with even a gift shop inside the chapel. The entry doors reflect the red rock from behind – quite a view. If you find yourself there at 5 pm on a Monday, you can join for a prayer service.

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This church is not the only spiritual aspect of Sedona, however. In fact there are even vortexes, where people claim to have found a very spiritual connection. We didn’t get to check any out, but it’s worth looking into. I’ve also heard the Pink Jeep tours are pretty awesome for a tourist-y vacation.

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Restaurant Review: El Charro Cafe

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El Charro Cafe

Tucson, AZ (3 locations: NE, Downtown, NW)

Website and Menu (GF denotes Gluten Free)

“high grade Mexican foods since 1922…Established in 1922, El Charro Café of Tucson, Arizona is The Nation’s Oldest Mexican Restaurant in continuous operation by the same family.”

El Charro, in my opinion, defines mexican food in Tucson. Everyone has their own opinion, and some would rather go to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant on the south side, but most of those places don’t cater easily to gluten-free customers and typically have a more difficult language barrier. One restaurant that many argue is better than El Charro, or more authentic, is La Parrilla Suiza. While I agree that they have amazing flan, since going gluten-free I have only dined-in one time, and it was a scary experience. I arrived armed with my spanish translation cards, defining what I could not eat, and was given a completely blank stare. I doubt the card ever made it back to the chef, but I had to have faith in the fact that most mexican food is safe.

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Restaurant Review: Zayna Mediterranean

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Zayna Mediterranean

Family-owned restaurant

Tucson, AZ: Central (Speedway/ E. of Alvernon)

Website and Menu

Step into the quaint restaurant of Zayna and you have found a mediterranean gem in the middle of the Sonoran desert. The entire building consists of two rooms, (during the weekdays and non-busy times, only one room) with seating for about 30 in each room. Although the restaurant does not explicitly offer a gluten-free menu, there are an abundance of options of those with food allergies.

When it comes to gluten, the only menu items that do contain gluten, are the gyro meat, pita bread, tabbouleh (bulgar wheat), sandwiches, beer, and all desserts including the obvious baklava. Check it out – you can have falafel and fries (which are both fried in a fryer without any gluten), hummus, chicken shawarma, and more!

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If you’ve never had Mediterranean food, don’t let that keep you from going! If you like chicken and some seasoning (nothing too crazy), then you will love the chicken shawarma. It comes with green beens (which I sub for rice), hummus, a tomato, pickle, and garlic sauce. Be sure to let them know you’re gluten free so they don’t bring hummus on your plate, and if they make a mistake and bring it out with hummus (which they never have for me before) just be sure and ask them to re-make it! The staff is friendly and the restaurant is family-owned, so all the cooks are related and truly care about the authentic food they make. When I go to Zayna, there’s no competition, I order the chicken shawarma plate every time.

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If you order a side of fries (which I highly recommend :] ) Be sure to ask for a side of garlic sauce. It compliments the fries beautifully (as well as the chicken shawarma plate, which comes with the sauce). This garlic sauce is also dairy free, because it’s basically mayo and lemon juice. Some other entrees come with yogurt sauce which is not dairy free and has a completely different flavor with cucumber, garlic, and mint. Be sure to read the menu and talk to your waiter if you are dairy free, as I’m sure you can sub the garlic sauce.

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The fries are safe in their own fryer with the falafal, which is a great thing for gluten-free folks! My understanding is that as in any restaurant cross contamination is always an issue, but generally all the chicken is cooked on one side of the grill, separate from the gluten-containing foods. You can also tell the chef if you have celiac or need them to be extra-careful and they are willing to wipe down the grill. Going in at a slower time, such as a weekday or between lunch and dinner is always a good idea for your first visit.

It’s a great to-go dinner too!

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Zayna Mediterranean specializes in light and healthy vegetarian, Middle Eastern & Mediterranean cuisine made from fresh ingredients and served in a casual setting.

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Restaurant Review: Chick-a-Biddy

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Chick-a-Biddy

Atlanta, GA (downtown)

Website and Menu

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A southern Celiac heaven! Serving up a huge gluten free menu, in a kitchen where everything that’s fried is gluten free! That means no cross-contamination in the fryer. Not only that, but Chick-a-Biddy specializes in fried foods, so that means you can find fried chicken, wings, french fries, chicken tenders, and alllll the sides you want. Not to mention the mac & cheese!

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Gluten Free in the Atlanta Airport

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Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport:

Gluten Free Food Options

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A few years ago, had I written this post, it would have been filled with disappointment and a lot more empty space. I am proud to say that this Delta Airlines hub has made huge improvements in their restaurants offering gluten free items since that time. If you find a new restaurant, or notice that one has closed, please comment below to let me know. The airport is constantly adding new restaurants and switching out old ones so it can be hard to keep up! I hope this helps serves as a guide to navigating what can be a very large and stressful airport, during difficult times for those with food allergies/ intolerances.

*The options with asterisks are my favorites.

**Those with 2 asterisks are the safest for celiacs, based on my experience.

Note: Not all options on this list have been verified, and ingredients always change, as does employee knowledge and level of cross contamination. Use this list as a guide, but always speak up and ask about cross contamination and current ingredients.

Terminal T
Terminal A
Terminal B
Terminal C
Terminal D
Terminal E
Terminal F
Domestic Terminal

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