OH, San Luis Obispo ; )

San Luis Obispo is a sweet town half way between LA and San Fran and is super close to the famed Hearst Castle. I dig the sleepiness of it as well as the great old mission architecture. It's a nice place to relax, take in the calm coast and possibly a tour of the castle in San Simeon as well as to get your grub on!

Every time I pass through SLO, I dine at Big Sky Cafe. It's a southwestern with asian flair style health joint and I dig it! I normally get a steaming bowl of their killer veggie chili but this time I got their bean burger with a side of my fave, sweet potato fries. There is something for everyone here and it is delicious. Info for Big Sky Cafe can be found online ; )

For a swell dinner, we like Vieni Vai trattoria. It's an authentic Italian eatery and I really enjoy their choices for veggies ; ) My boy and I split their yummy bruschetta and a big green salad and then I go for a hefty helping of the basil and tomato gnocchi. Prrrrr!! Vieni Vai serves lunch and dinner and is worth a try!

If you're with a bunch of non-veggies who have a hankerin' for some carcass but you still need to eat, Firestone Grill is a popluar pit stop. It's always packed and people drive from LA just to eat here. I was none to excited that I may have ot suck it up and eat fries but they had a really tasty veggie burger and they assured me it was made on a different grill ; ) Yay!! I loaded it with onions, mushrooms and avocado and it was super yum ; ) To appease everyone you may be traveling with, step into Firestone Grill located at 1001 Higuera St Ste A, San Luis Obispo, CA 9340,
(805) 783-1001.

For a drink and a good meal, Corner View is a great choice. They serve brunch, lunch and dinner and everything is hearty and fresh. I love their salad selection as well as great veggie appetizers, sandwiches and dinners. I like their veggie penne with a crispy salad ; ) Peruse Corner View's menu online.

So if you are on your way to see the crazy Hearst Castle or just stopping in for a relaxing weekend, San Luis Obispo doesn't disappoint the hungry ; )

Braving Black Rock City

It's labor day weekend and how will you be saying goodbye to summer 2008? Well, there is this thing called Burning Man that we go to this time each year. It's this week long event out on a dry lake bed in Nevada which for that week is called Black Rock City. For those in the know, it is a phenomenon that is hard to describe and in fact, words can't do it justice. For a week, more then 50,000 people create their own city and live it up sans usual creature comforts like running water, electricity and money. You must be self sufficient, self reliant and properly prepared. Yeah, so how does the healthy voyager survive? I'll tell ya!

For any of you who are thinking of going or plan to go in the future, here is what you need to know to stay healthy and happy in this other wordly, harsh climate:

• Bring an drink tons of water and electrolyte replacer beverages like gatorade
• SPF it up because shade is hard to come by
• Buy your food for the length of your stay just before you arrive. The closest big city is Reno so I always stock up there. Fresh fruit, luna bars, easy sandwich making materials like soy cheese, tofurky, peanut butter & jelly as well as trail mix are great food stuffs as once you are out there, cooking and preparing stuff can get in the way of your fun. Easy yet nutritious options are key to keeping nourished and full. Stay away from over processed foods like chips and junk food as it these foods leech the water out of your system and drag your body down. If you do have a generator and can plug in a toaster oven, mini pizzas made on english muffins or bagels are a nice treat ; )
  
• Bring petty cash to buy ice (ice and coffee is the only thing money can buy in BRC). Ice will keep your food fresh and your makeup from melting (I learned the hard way my first year!)
• Bring layers! It's hot as Hades during the day and cold as can be at night. Of course make sure you are looking snazzy (see above) but be smart. No one wants to get sick out there cause the drive out takes forever!
• I'm sure I'm the minority here, but I make sure I get sleep. It is a non stop party but it is easy to achieve exhaustion from being an energizer bunny and constant exposure to the sun. I'm not saying I get a full 8 hours each night, but definitely budget your time wisely and take care of yourself as it will not be pretty on the drive home.
  
• Baby wipes are essential in keeping "fresh" as are personal fans and misters. My boy and I carry a little lunch box everywhere out on the playa to ensure we always have a refreshing drink and a snack ; )
• Zip lock bags are great to store any electronics, clean clothing and valuables. Keeping playa dust off of your belongings makes things much easier when you get back to the real world.
• Bring fun and creative stuff to give, barter and/or contribute to your fellow burners.
  
• Party smart!! Just cause there are no rules doesn't mean there aren't any consequences!!

If I don't see you out on the playa this weekend, maybe I'll see you at the burn next year!!!! Otherwise have a safe and healthy labor day!!!!

Yes Sir, I Ate In Big Sur!!

Driving down the coast, we didn't anticipate a stop in beautiful Big Sur. However, due to a blazing wildfire we were forced to turn around and go back through it so we stopped in for some essentials. The small town on the scenic 1 highway is tiny and cute and surprisingly offered up some grub for this traveler who was blown off course!

We rolled into the Fernwood Resort for some roadtripping supplies and ended up staying for din din. The resort was an adorable cabin like place tucked into the trees and had a nicely stocked convenience store with a baby sized deli. They had soy milk for coffees and a fridge full of vegan goodies like a bbq tofu wrap, veggie hummus wrap and vegan staples like tofurky and the like. They've got a camping area, cabins and a proper motel and I promise you won't starve! If you are driving up the Cali coast, make sure you look up Fernwood.

Next to the resort, we ate at the Redwood Grill. Again, I was surprised at my options ; ) They had the Carolyn's salad which was a no brainer for me to order along with a pretty good veggie pasta. They had a veggie burger available and other salads but I was way happy with my choices ; ) Check them out online at the Redwood Grill site.

The next day on our way out, we dined at the Big Sur River Inn and it was awesome! I had a great tofu salad and split some sweet potato fries with my honey before we hit the road. Their dinner menu looked just as nice and I look forward to passing through again. Big Sur River Inn is a hit off the 1!

This stretch of the famed Pacific Coast Highway is breathtaking and even if you are only driving through for a photo op, make sure you drive through hungry!

Santa Cruz is Veggie Paradise ; )

As I searched for vampires, as I always do when I visit Santa Cruz, I had to fuel up the tank. And there is plenty of good fuelin' no matter where you go in tow. It really is a veggie paradise amongst those pesky bloodsuckers ; )

Famous for their surf, their amusement park pier and yes, the Lost Boys, Santa Cruz is also very crunchy! There isn't a place in town that doesn't accommodate their green patrons. My favorite place when I'm in the SC is The Acapulco. A Mexican joint on Pacific Ave that has the yummiest veggie taco meat and cilantro rice. You can get any variety of Mexican dishes made with veggies or the veggie meat and their guac and rice is mega yummm! And you can drag anyone there for margs and meaty dishes while you get to feast on the healthier side south of the border ; ) You can find the melt in your mouth tortillas and beans at 1116 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz, CA, (831)426-7588.

For kitsch and late night grub, The Saturn Cafe is the place to go. It's fun spacey decor goes well with a killer vegan milk shake and tuno melt! Definitely not lo-cal but they do have great salads and soups as well as "regular" diner type food for your non-veggie pals. It's great fun with an even "funner" menu, check The Saturn Cafe out online.

If your craving some good Mediterranean while hanging ten on the Pacific, try The Falafel House. They've got traditional medi plates like hummus, dolmas, babaganoush and so on but they are big and fresh and tasty ; ) It's easy and wallet friendly to pop in and out of The Falafel House.

Hula's Island is way fun and way yum!! If you happen to be in Santa Cruz or Monterey, dining at Hula's has to be on your to do list. Hula's has what you would expect, a tiki theme and seafood BUT they do cater to peeps like me! Veggie spring rolls and a ridonkulous tofu and veggie wrap totally hit the spot. I also saw that they had a big ass veggie burger and tofu tacos!! Hop on the Hula's site and salivate ; )

Santa Cruz is full of great health food stores and even more leafy eateries but the Healthy Voyager has to keep movin'!

How To Eat In Half Moon Bay

Of all the small towns we visited, Half Moon Bay was the smallest by far. However, it was beautiful being by the sea and did not disappoint in the healthy food arena. Half Moon Bay is a farming town and most of the restaurants support their local organic farmers and that was music to my ears ; )

Italian is usually a good choice where I can gorge as well as Dan and his buddies so we sauntered into Pasta Moon. I had a lovely artichoke pizza sans cheese along with a hot cup of their minestrone. Seaside in Norcal is quite chilly for this native Floridian so soup and pizza was a hit ; )

The next morning we had a late start so we had lunch at the Mainstreet Grill. It was a simple local diner and I was perfectly happy with my garden burger and a salad. They are a cute breakfast joint and seem to be quite a staple in their community. Look them up online at Mainstreet Grill.

Dinner with our friends was a special one at Cetrella Bistro. This was quite the elegant Northen Cali seaside town establishment! I had an extraordinary seasonal veggie plate with cous cous on flatbread, yummmmm, as well as a ridiculous artichoke appetizer. If you are even passing through Half Moon Bay, Cetrella Bistro is a must!!

Plating it up in Petaluma

On our NorCal trip we spent some time in Petaluma. It had some cute architecture and had a quaint small town feel. And with the small town feel came the small town hospitality and with small town hospitality comes food!!

McNear's Saloon is where I'm standing under the marquis in the photo. It seems to be the town staple for fun bar atmosphere and live music. And with it's big theatre it had a big menu to go with it. Nothing goes with a good band and a beer like a garden burger or their California sandwich (hold the cheese and mayo. To bad we missed the Billy Bob show but I bet it would have been fun while I dug into a veggie burrito with a side of fried zucchini! Check out the menu and the upcoming entertainment at McNears.

We walked along the river and spotted a cute spot called Dempsey's. I was thoroughly impressed with the knowledgeable and helpful staff that we stayed for dinner. The chef was more then happy to veganize anything I wanted and whipped up his Chef Selection veggie plate. They had beautiful salads and Dan was happy with his meaty mcmeat dish so we waddled out of their happily after our tummy filling evening. Make sure you let them know of your dietary restrictions as they will bend over backwards to feed you well at Dempsey's.

The next day on our way out of town we had a refreshing lunch at Cafe Zazzle! With a name like that you just expect fun!! I wanted to keep it light as I knew we would be eating our way south so I grabbed the Mediterranean wrap with no cheese but I added tofu. I was torn but because of the heat I chose not to order the noodle dish but it looked great as it was chock full o'veggies and tofu. This was a great and healthy find and comes highly recommended by yours truly!Cafe Zazzle is at 121 Kentucky St, Petaluma, CA 94952,(707) 762-1700.

Once again the small town delivers and there is even more in the weeks ahead!!