"Goodbye God, I'm Going to Bodie!!"

That's a direct quote from a little girl whose family was moving to the infamous and wicked mining town in the 1880's. Now a genuine ghost town, Bodie, CA, is quite a step back into our nation's nutty past. On our way back from Black Rock City (Burning Man), we stopped into this town frozen in time before we passed through Yosemite.

Bodie has a great story and is worth the 8,000 ft mountain drive to get there. There are no inhabitants or services beyond the gift shop in Bodie so we stopped for dinner and slumber about 45 minutes past there in Lee Vining at Mono Lake. Lee Vining is a town of 300 people so you would think there wouldn't be a healthy morsel in sight. Wrong!! It was so easy and the people couldn't have been nicer.

Our first meal was at Bodie Mike's BBQ and I pigged out. They had a great veggie mexi burger (salsa in the veggie patty with guac on top!!) as well as a delicious soup and salad bar. I also saw that they had teriyaki veggie kabobs!They are at Hwy 395, Lee Vining, CA 93541, (760) 647-6432.

After a good night's rest, I popped into the Latte Da cafe (a few doors down from Bodie Mike's) where they served up organic soy lattes ; ) I broke fast with my travel buddies at Nicely's, directly next door to Bodie Mike's, where I got a big bowl of yummy oatmeal and fresh oj.

If you happen to pop into Lee Vining for some lake activities or before you head over the Tioga Pass into Yosemite, you can stock up at their local market with fresh produce and a ton of vegan, veggie and other healthy products like Amy's frozen goodies, tofurky and Odwalla juices. The selection was incredible and I highly recommend you poke in if you are thinking of heading into Bodie or Yosemite. Or if you miss the turn for Mammoth!!

Passin' Time in Pasadena

Home of the Rose Bowl and some beautiful architecture, Pasadena is one of the prettiest areas in Los Angeles. It is swarming with people every day as their Old Town section is perfect for a nice walk, shopping and unique restaurants.

One of the first places I ate at as a vegan 8 years ago was Orean. It is like a vegan dairy queen with ice cream, shakes and wicked vegan junk food. I love their tacos and burgers!! They are at 817 N Lake Ave,(626) 794-0861.

Among the many chain restaurants in old town like Cheesecake Factory, Louise's Trattoria and so on, there is one that I adore and that is Le Pain Quotidien. In the recent years they have sprung up across LA but it's so damn good ; ) Their soups are almost always vegan, their salads fresh and their tartines delectable. My choice is always the black bean hummus tartine. Look them up at Le Pain Quotidien.

Despite the commercial, mainstream shops and restaurants, there are still many unique places such as this terrific Brazillian spot, Chiara, 43 E Colorado Blvd,(626) 564-8696. I was able to munch on some plantains and rice and share some of their hummus that was actually very good. I had a little to much of their caipirinas as they went down super smooth!

Just outside of Pasadena, you can find one of the best veggie places around, Fatty's. Fatty's, despite the name, is veggie fine dining in the heart of Eagle Rock. It really is amazing and I urge you to try their ravioli, moussaca or strudel. You must stay for dessert and have their Fudgey!! All info for them is online at Fatty's Cafe & wine bar.

So whether you live across town or across the country, if you find yourself in Pasadena, there is no shortage of yumminess ; )

S-deux-dio City ; )

So I couldn't leave out the rest of my top places to chow in my old neighborhood. And might I add that it just keeps getting better and better. The nightlife, shopping and dining is becoming more and more hip and bringing the valley some good street cred ; )

All around town, I've been seeing these vegan thai places pop up. 2 of my faves are in Studio City. Vegan plate, 11943 Ventura Blvd(818) 506-9015 and Vegan Express, 3217 Cahuenga Blvd W,(323) 851-8837, have similar menus but are equally good. Plate has lots of combo dinners and sandwiches as does Express but they have breakfast all day ; ) The cowgirl breakfast with tofu scramble, faux chicken and pancakes will fill you up all day. And at Vegan Plate, I love their chicken wrap and chicken satay.

Tapas are super cool and trendy and Ole hits that spot. They have flamenco dancers a good music most nights as well as some tasty sangria. They have veganizable dish that will fill you up as will their yummy wine! 13251 Ventura Blvd,(818) 986-3190.

I know this is a chain but it's oh so good to us greenies! Panera has the bomb vegetarian soups like black bean, garden vegetable and southwest stew. Their salads and sandwiches can be veganized and their iced green tea is extra zingy!! Look for their Studio City location online at Panera.

Lastly, for nightlife, definitely Firefly. This bar and restaurant has a neat atmosphere that is library meets Moroccan patio chic.If you need to munch they have wonderful salads and the occasional garlic fry won't kill you. But the drinks are reasonable and the vibe is rockin' Firefly is at 11720 Ventura Blvd,(818) 762-1833.


Luckily, I'm only a 15 minute drive away from all my old faves ; )

Ode to Studio City

Ahh, the view from my daily hike at Wilacre Park that overlooked my old hood ; ) Studio City is a great little area in Los Angeles and jam packed with healthy and yummy places. This valley town is right at the base of the hill and offers shi-shi shopping and dining but with the feel of a small community. Some of my most favorite eateries are in Studio City so if you live in town or are visiting, it's just a stone's throw away from Hollywood, Universal Studios and just off the 101 freeway.

My first fave is Kung Pao Bistro. When I'd have a hankerin' for Chinese take out, this was the only way to go as they have a a fully vegan menu in addition to their traditional fare. Their veggie chicken drumsticks would make a carnivore salivate as do their veggie beef and broccoli and veggie orange chicken. They have all kinds of veggie stuff like shrimp, skewers, dumplings and more as well as plenty of real meat for your non veggie pals. They have 3 locations however, the one is Studio City is at 11838 Ventura Blvd, (818) 766-8686 .

My next addiction is Leonor's vegetarian Mexican. Yumm-alicious! They make the bomb vegan pizzas, enchiladas, empanadas and so on. Their guac could use a little salt but other then that it's really cheap and they give you a boat load. They have great sandwiches as well as again, non-veggies will enjoy this place as well. They have 2 locations, in Studio city you can find them at 12445 Moorpark St Ste C, (818) 762-0660.

Mexicali & Casa Vega are valley staples for killer mexican food and nightlife. Both places are always busy and full of hotties for those of you singles trollin' for love ; ) Mexicali has fantastic salads as well as awesome veggie burritos, enchiladas and more. If you are in town to star gaze, this is a prime place for it too. Be sure to come by on Monday's for their all night happy hour where the whole menu is 30% off - 12161 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 (818) 985-1744. Vega has my favorite spinach enchiladas (I order with no cheese) and the most ridiculous vegetarian mexican pizza!! And of course, huge Margs ; ) Casa Vega is at 13301 Ventura Blvd, (818) 788-4868.

For brunch, lunch and dinner, Hugo's is the place. It's quite busy so expect a wait but it's totally worth it. Vegans and non-vegans can enjoy great meals from pancakes to pizzas to yummy entrees. They also specialize in great teas and juices and opened a taco stand across the road that is so good you'll want to run around the block screaming ; ) Hugo's valley location is at 12851 Riverside Dr, (818) 761-8985 and the Hugo's Taco Stand is at 4749 Coldwater Canyon Ave, (818) 762-7771.

And for those every now and again treats, Studio Yogurt and Humphrey Yogart are an absolute must. Trying to satisfy your sweet tooth and stay healthy is very difficult but either of these places can hook you up. Studio Yogurt always has a dairy free yogurt selection and each day is a new and unique flavor. You can choose any toppings you want from fresh fruit to sprinkles and carob chips. Humphrey's is just as delish with soy yogurt options that you can mix in any toppings and they also have wicked vegan milk shakes!! The mystic union is to die for - chocolate and peanut butter!!! Studio Yogurt is at 12050 Ventura Blvd Ste 105, (818) 508-7811 while Humphrey's is just up the road in Sherman Oaks at 4574 Van Nuys Blvd, (818) 906-2490.

There are still some of my Studio City haunts left to mention so check them out next week!!

Glorious Glendale ; )

So, this is no travel for me but it may be for non LA folk ; ) We just moved from "The Valley" to Glendale so exploring our new place of residence has been somewhat of a trip ; ) It's still LA but a cute city in itself. It's got a great downtown area with a grip of high rises that give some small towns across the U.S. a run for their money. There is some awesome shopping, theatre, galleries, the historical Brand park and library as well as http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.photo.gifsome good eats!!

Driving through our picturesque little neighborhood, I found this quaint commercial area right in the middle of the residential hood. It looks like a gingerbread village with cute shops and a small market. This small market happened to be a gem! The Village Market is a natural grocery store and cafe. They have a deli that makes RIDICULOUSLY good vegan sandwiches!! It is a must if you are popping into LA or live here and want to jump on over to Glen-dizzle for some yumminess on bread! Their info can be found at The Village Market Place .

Another gem that I found is right on the border of Glendale and Burbank and it brings me back to my hometown of Miami. Mambos is the closest thing to real Cuban food you can find in LA which means it kicks some serious butt!! Not only is the Cuban food super authentic, they have a vegetarian section on the menu to boot!! They have the staples: black beans, rice, plantains, yuca and awesome bread; but they also have veggie tamales and a veggie version of the Cuban favorite, picadillo. It really is the bomb!! Mambos is at 1701 Victory Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201, (818) 545-8613.

Keeping in the vein of delish Cuban food, there is Porto's Bakery. They have 2 locations, 1 in Glendale and 1 in Burbank. When I saw there was one in biking distance from my "casa" I almost lost it! They have the bomb mariquitas which are thinly sliced plantain chips with garlic, lemon and olive oil dressing. They are finger licking good! As are their veggie sandwiches and variety of fresh made juices. Check out Porto's and go to their about us page for address and info.

I'm off to unpack some more stuff but keep an eye out for the next installment of The Healthy Voyager!!

Summer Lovin'

If you haven't noticed, summertime is wedding time. One of my many hats is that of a wedding planner so I definitely get my fill come fall be it from working them or going to them ; ) And it is very difficult to stay healthy at such events but have no fear as the healthy, voyaging, event planner is here to help ; )

The trip is exhausting enough as flights or road trips are an excuse to eat fast and convenient. Then you get to the hotel and eat a nice, expensive, in room meal that is most likely greasy and eaten at an ungodly hour. Fast forward to wedding day where you spent all morning getting ready so all you had was coffee and maybe a starchy bagel. You arrive at the glorious event famished so you gorge on hors d'oeuvres and alcoholic beverages. You pick at your lame and tasteless chicken or fish or for us veggies, cold pasta, and you feel like a cow come the bouquet toss. Sound familiar?

Here are a few tips to keep your trip to, at and from the festivities enjoyable and guilt free:
* Pack enough protein bars for the flight/ride, wedding day and trip home. Cliff bars and Luna bars are yummy and Vegan!!
* If you are stuck at an airport, there is always a food court that has some kind of place to get a sandwich or a salad that you can order your way. Smoke may come out of the fast food person's ears but just ask and they will do it with proper instruction. I know it's easy to run to Mcd's but take an extra few minutes to scour your terminal. A lot of ports have "Chili's to gos" now and you can great a salad there or my personal fave, a black bean burger with all the fixin's (sans cheese). If you are running late, don't!!! Plan ahead, eat breakfast and get there on time!!
*At the hotel, try to resist temptation and instead of ordering room service, find the local grocery store, get a cheap cooler and stock up with veggies, fruit and sandwich stuff for dinner and breakfast!
*On wedding day, eat breakfast and don't forget to pack your protein bar. Drink lots of water so you feel full and don't cram a million spring rolls in your mouth at the cocktail hour. Make sure you have told the bride and groom what your diet needs are so the caterers have no surprises the day of. Or else your dinner will be worse then dog scraps since they didn't account for you. Again, plan ahead!!
* Try not to eat all of the bread at the table before dinner starts. If you're starving, then you must have forgotten your bar or snack!! I give you permission to devour your salad and be mindful of your portion size at dinner ; )
* If you're not vegan and neither is the happy couple, eat cake! And if you are vegan, reward yourself by boozin' it up!! For Pete's sake, you're at a wedding!!

Enjoy!!!!!