My Maasai Mara Experience

Maasai Mara, Kenya, was one of the most incredible places I have ever had the good fortune to visit. Beautiful landscape and breathtaking animals roaming everywhere but the part that will always stay with me was the wonderful people I met. The Kenyans and the Maasais were hands down the kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I was lucky enough to be able to stay at the Sarova Mara Game Lodge and I can't express what a lovely time it was. And yeah, they took care of this finicky vegan!!

I was in Kenya documenting a charity project organized by Virgin Unite. Virgin and the Sarova Hotel chain joined forces to help build new dorms and other facilities for the Sekenani Primary School. It was a week of fun and hard work for those who were chosen to aid in the construction of the school and I was so excited to be a part of it all.

The Sarova Mara Lodge was paradise. Complete with a tropical pool, putting green, rustic bar and luxury tents, the Sarova knows how to make their guests feel special. On top of the serene accommodations, the the animals that roam the grounds are out of this world.

Prior to my trip, I was worried that my dining would consist of my stash of Luna bars, lots of bread and bottled water. I couldn't have been more wrong! The meals were all buffet style with numerous stations with every dish clearly labeled and this was the case whether we ate at the lodge or we had a special meal out in the bush or anywhere off site. There were always happy staff members around to answer any questions and they kept all of the veggie dishes on one side of the dining hall so I, as well as 2 fellow veggies on the trip, had no problems loading up our plates with local delicacies. There was always a delicious selection on rices, bean dishes (both Indian and African) and tons of veggies! Some days there was a stir fry or pasta station and I would load up on helping of freshly made goodness ; ) In addition, I was always able to get fresh juice or huge bottles of water to take with me for the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was always something to look forward to at the lodge because I knew I could always find something tasty and satisfying and it always came with a smile!

So the lodge was amazing, the food was delectable and the staff was extraordinary, need I say more? One more thing,if you do find yourself in this part of Kenya, make sure you spend time with the Maasais. I learned so much from them and made lifelong friendships. These people are so steeped in their traditions and yet live amongst a world filled with cell phones and internet without being swayed. Again, they are some of the kindest and happiest people I have ever come across and I look forward to visiting my new friends very soon. In the photo above, the Maasai chief, Ole Tira, walked me to the plane that took me away from one of my happiest adventures yet; )
(My friend Andrew Luck snapped this shot - Thanks!!)

For more information on the charity and others like it, visit Virgin Unite. And to check out the Sarova Mara Lodge, pop over to Sarova Hotels.

Going Overseas

So I'm heading out today to go across the pond and checking out a couple countries and continents! I will be back in 2 weeks with new and exciting places to see and feast!! In the mean time, check out the new titles to the shows that we will be re-launching this summer! Ciao for now!!



Artwork by Dan Hamilton
Animation by Graphissimo
Music by Arye Rosenschein

KC Masterfeast!!

Who knew that the city known for it's steaks and bbq would be so darn tasty for health nuts like me!! I was floored with what's called "The Paris of the Plains". Every place I stopped at had healthy choices and they were more then happy to accommodate me and my crazy ways of ordering ; ) The city is growing and has a lot to see and do so if you are planning a trip, bring your appetite!

The first place we stopped into was Figglio's in the Plaza. It's a cute Italian place perched on the 2nd floor and overlooks one of Kansas City's most famous fountains. I got a tasty pasta dish and loaded it up with veggies along with a yummy glass o' wine. Figglio's on the plaza is a great place to pop into after doing some shopping around the Plaza.

The next day I almost fell out of my booth at Waldo Pizza. It was one of the best vegan pizzas I had ever had and it was in a regular pizza joint. My pals split a pie while I kept the vegan one all to myself. I ordered it on gluten free and dairy free thin crust and covered it in awesome veggies from artichoke to broccoli and all in between. They offered soy cheese and vegan cheese which I thought was super cool and the establishment itself is super cute. Outside of downtown, Waldo Pizza is worth the drive.

Later that evening, we all made out way into McCoy's Public House. It's a microbrewery bar & grill in the hip Westport area. What could I eat besides a plain old salad at a microbrewery you ask? Plenty!! They had vegan items on every page!! A black bean burger, veggie stir fry, the vegan wrap (which I ordered and was so sad when I finished it because it was scrumptious!) and more. They mark all of the veggie items on their menu and I was so stoked to find a fun, hip bar & grill where I could really chow down and my friends could too. Salivate and giggle over the menu at McCoy's.

On my way out of town, I went to Blanc Burger, based on a recommendation by our server, Jason, at Figglio's a few nights previous. This ultra cool burger joint had one of the tastiest veggie burgers I'd every had. It was called the spicy lentil burger that I ordered without the yogurt sauce and got it as a lunch special with sweet potato fries. Holy smokes!! It was the bomb. The owner of Blanc also co-owns another hip spot called The Drop, not to far from Blanc. It is a bar and restaurant that offers fresh foods soups and salads as well as being known for some killer bruschetta. Look up The Drop online and check out Blanc at 419 Westport Rd. Kansas City, MO 64111 (816)931-6200.

Since I was only in town for a short time, I missed a few more places I wanted to try but I know I will be back and when I do, I'm walking everywhere to work off all the treats!!

Presidential Eats ; )

Did you hear that there's a big election coming up? Yeah, it's hard not to go anywhere or watch anything that isn't covering the race. So feeling patriotic and trying to stay local to conserve that other big topic, gas, we decided to take a couple of day trips around the LA area and check out some of our former presidents'presidential libraries. In SoCal we have 2 big ones, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Fan of them or not, both of these libraries boast some pretty nifty artifacts from our nation's colorful history ; )

The Gipper's library rests on top of a great hill in Simi Valley, CA. It's really a very comprehensive and interesting place and good ol' Reagan's final resting place is on the grounds as well. I got sucked in to he and Nancy's love story while Dan sketched Air Force One. Yep, the original aircraft that flew him around during his presidency is right there for anyone who visits to walk through. It is a pretty neat sight as is the archives of everything from his acting days all the way to the day he left the building ; ) Food wise they had 2 cafes where a hungry veggie could sink her teeth into. The was the Ronald Reagan Pub, located underneath Air Force 1 as well as the Reagan Country Cafe. Both a cafeteria style but the cool Irish pub by the plane had a bunch of salads and sandwiches that could be doctored up for a gal like me. The cafe upstairs had a view of the valley and I asked if I could make my veggie pizza cheeseless and that was A-ok with them ; ) After our day at the library, we made our way over to Don Cuco's for dinner. I got a huge veggie tostada salad and it was delish! More info on President Reagan's library can be found online at Reagan Library. Don Cuco's is a chain and worth looking up as well!

The following weekend we headed south to Orange County and we paid a visit to Tricky Dick, Richard Nixon's presidential library. His had a special attraction as the house he was born in is on the grounds and like Air Force 1, you can get an inside tour. The library is on the acreage that young Nixon played on while his parent's farmed lemons. It's got some great info about the era he "ruled"and apparently they are updating their Watergate exhibit so it's worth a visit. They had a very small cafe on site where they had pre-made sandwiches and fruit cups available. We popped into Chili's afterwards for dinner and I got my usually yummy portobello fajitas! Go visit Pat and Richard at the Nixon Library.

Some exciting stuff to come so keep checkin' back!!

The Healthy Voyager Turns 2 Today!

Just wanted to thank everyone who has supported the site and show over two years! This year will be even more exciting with new episodes, new cities and a cool new interactive site!! Keep checking in while we re-model and grow!!

xoxoxo

Spring Break

The Healthy Voyager is going on Spring Break! I will be gathering up new info, tasting more healthy food and revamping the show and site while on break. I will be back in a few weeks to celebrate the anniversary of The Healthy Voyager Site & Show so in the meantime, catch up on past posts and have fun welcoming spring!