A milestone victory for animal welfare advocates in California and across the world as it became the first state to ban puppy mills. Late last week the state passed a law banning puppies as well as kittens and rabbits produced on large-scale breeding farm operations from being sold in pet stores.

The law will go into effect January 1, 2019, and require all animals sold in pet stores to be truly rescued animals from shelters or rescue groups. The move will not only reduce the number of animals suffering in the egregious breeding conditions of puppy mills, but also reduce the number of shelter animals euthanized because they can’t be placed.

“This landmark law breaks the puppy mill supply chain that pushes puppies into California pet stores and has allowed unscrupulous breeders to profit from abusive practices,” Matt Bershadker, president and CEO of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, told Business Insider.

Thirty-six California cities including Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco already have puppy mill bans in place, but the new law will help to drive the large-scale breeders out of business. Any store selling animals from breeders could be fined $500 per sale.

“Californians recognize that pet stores enable the work of puppy mills, which cause suffering for dogs and heartbreak for consumers,” Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement. “We are grateful to Governor Brown for putting his stamp of approval on a state policy to dry up funding for this inhumane industry.”

The Humane Society of the United States estimates that 1.5 million animals are euthanized every year as a result of puppy mill and other large-scale breeding operations. Before the law passed, only one percent of pet store animals were rescues.

Find Jill on Twitter and Instagram

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If you want to live in a progressive state, pack up your things and head to California. California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a whole slew of legislation that will help a lot of people (and land) in the state.

1. Right to Die

Last Monday, Governor Brown signed legislation that will allow terminally ill patients to get lethal medication. Patients now will be able to die when and where they want to. Brown came to his decision after contemplating his own death.

“‘I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain,’ he wrote. ‘I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill. And I wouldn’t deny that right to others,’” NPR reports.

2. Women Must Earn Same Wage as Men (for the Same Position)

The state’s new Fair Pay Act “may be the nation’s most aggressive attempt yet to close the salary gap between men and women,” The LA Times reports.

The California Senate passed the legislation unanimously last Monday and it was accepted this week by Brown. It will close any loopholes that once “prevented enforcement of existing anti-discrimination law,” the Times reports. It will go into affect on January 1, 2016.

3. Ban on Microbeads

Last Thursday, California’s governor signed legislation that will prohibit the sale of products that contain small plastic microbeads by 2020. As we’ve reported before, these beads don’t dissolve and end up in the bellies of fish.

4. Ban on Captive Orca Breeding at SeaWorld

SeaWorld will no longer be able to breed captive Orcas in California thanks to new legislation. The breeding ban was a “last minute amendment” added last Thursday and has been hailed by animal rights activists as “the end of SeaWorld.”

5. Schools Can No Longer Use the Name “Redskins”

California is saying no to the use of the term “Redskins” in its public schools. Schools can no longer use the term as a team name or mascot. The ban will go into affect on January 1, 2017. “The new law will affect four California high schools in Merced, Calaveras, Tulare and Madera counties,” The LA Times reports.

6. Passing of Tough Earthquake Safety Rules

Los Angeles City County is now the home of incredibly strong earthquake laws. The new regulations were passed last Friday, and will require “an estimated 15,000 buildings be retrofitted so they will better withstand violent shaking,” according to the LA Times. The vote was unanimous.

7. California Divests Coal

California is taking a big step away from fossil fuels. According to the Sacramento Bee, “Senate Bill 185 will require the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and California State Teachers’ Retirement System to nix investments worth between $100 million and $200 million for CalPERS and about $40 million for CalSTRS.”

8. Marijuana Regulations (With Sights Set on Legalization)

California may soon join the ranks of Oregon and Colorado in legalizing recreational marijuana. While California legalized the use of medical marijuana two decades ago, it has yet to make a move to legalize the drug for recreational use. The newly signed trio of bills that were signed this past Friday (the bills concern statewide rules on the growth, transport, and sale of the drug) could be “adapted for widespread use if voters make it legal by passing a 2016 ballot initiative,” The LA Times reports. “The governor worked out the new regulations with lawmakers after several years of failed attempts by the Legislature to adopt rules that address conflicting concerns of law enforcement and the billion-dollar marijuana industry.”

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The post 8 Incredible Ways California Just Reiterated Its Progressive State Status appeared first on EcoSalon.

Cell phones have been worrisome for quite some time now because of fears that they cause brain cancer. As a result, Berkeley is attempting to be the first city in the nation to require cell phone packaging carry a warning label. Are cell phones and cancer a real risk?

“Cell phones are a risk, and I believe the public has a right to information that’s credible, readable and understandable about the device they’re using,” said Berkeley City Councilman Max Anderson, who’s co-sponsoring the ordinance and has a background in public health. “I’m not intimidated by the cell phone industry. The legal department might be, but I’m not.”

San Francisco tried without success to pass a similar ordinance back in 2010 warning about the risks between cell phones and cancer. Wary of the failure, Berkeley hired a First Amendment specialty attorney to ensure that the stickers abide by the necessary guidelines. Even still, the telecommunication industry will most certainly be mounting an aggressive legal fight. The cell phone industry has already responded by sending a four page letter to city council outlining how the regulation violates federal regulations.

“Any attempt to place labels on cell phones or their packaging contradicts the clear message of federal regulatory agencies that have carefully considered this issue, which is that devices compliant with the federal standards are safe for consumer use,” wrote Gerald Keegan, senior director of legislative affairs for CTIA – The Wireless Association, an industry group, reported on SFGate.

The ordinance would require that cell phone manufacturers carry a label warning that cell phones emit cancer causing radiation.

Joel Moskowitz, head of UC Berkeley’s Center for Family and Community Health says that cell phones are an emerging public health threat and that the research is quite definitive. Cell phone radiation penetrates the skin and skull, damaging brain tissue. It also reduces sperm counts in men that carry them in their pockets. Though other experts contend that there’s uncertainty surrounding much of the research.

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Designer Myrrhia Resneck’s Spring 2013 collection features elegant, flattering, edgy knitwear, sustainably made in California.

One important part of sustainable fashion is local manufacturing, and it can still be challenging to have a fully “Made in the U.S.” fashion line. Oakland-based knitwear designer Myrrhia Resneck of Myrrhia Fine Knitwear has invested heavily in localized production and made it her goal to provide livelihoods in the textile industry in her community.

After one year of production, Myrrhia decided to invest in a Stoll knitting machine – currently the only one of its kind in Northern California – which she intends to use to create a micro industry for surrounding farms and other knitwear lines (NoCal designers, take note).

Myrrhia uses sustainable materials including locally sourced fiber from Northern California and wool and cotton that is sustainably grown and harvested as well as milled into yarn locally. The company is also involved with the Fibershed movement – an organization dedicated to regionalizing fiber sourcing.

In starting her knitwear line, Resneck continues a long-standing family tradition of fashion-related business endeavors. Her maternal great-grandfather started out peddling clothes out of the trunk of a car, her grandfather and great-uncle operated a chain of women’s clothing stores in the Midwest, and, at age 7, Resneck’s paternal grandmother taught her to knit. That same week, she had designed and completed her first project – a pair of green slippers. Fast forward a couple decades and although her focus has changed, that initial passion for knitwear remains.

Myrrhia’s knits and accessories are inspired by “friends and family, technology, and space.” The recently released Spring 2013 collection features patterned maxi skirts, lace knit tops, cropped and boyfriend cardigans, flowing long dresses of scrolling lace and playful short dresses of scoop and boatneck cuts as well as versatile infinity scarfs made of soft, silky knits. The pieces showcase the designer’s sustainability efforts, using fibers like un-dyed organic cotton (grown only 90 miles from Myrrhia’s studio by Foxfibre) and Lenzing Tencel, which is harvested sustainably from Eucalyptus trees.

The pieces are highly wearable, timeless, yet fashion forward. The geometric shapes, lace-like textures and elegantly paired colors work just as well for day as for night. The rich earthy tones and vibrant shades of blue, purple, and teal are universally flattering and goes beyond seasonality to suggest a style of “elegant-femininity-meets-majestic-warrior-goddess nuances.”

We think we can identify with that.

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Explore a forest.

Remember the Lorax who spoke for the trees? As colorful as they may be,Truffula Trees have nothing on the ones in our own backyard. These six magnificent trees would leave even the Lorax speechless — and you don’t have to venture into a Dr. Suess book to find them.

1. The Banyan Tree; Lahaina, Maui. (Pictured above)

Don’t you just want to stretch out on one of these branches and read a book in the Hawaiian sun? Yeah, we do, too. Planted in 1873, this banyan tree was only eight feet tall. Today it stands 60 feet tall and has 11 more trunks than when it was first brought to Maui from India. It’s also a community center for the town of Lahaina, providing shade for almost an entire acre of land next to the beach.

2. The Lone Cypress; Monterey Peninsula, California.

The Lone Cypress earned its fame for its solitary cliffside location on the rocky California coast. We understand why — this tree is insanely photogenic! At 250 years old, this cypress is a landmark for California’s beautiful 17-mile drive on the Monterey Peninsula.

3. “Methuselah” Bristlecone Pine, California.

Gnarled and mangled, the Methuselah pine tree stands as the oldest living thing in the world. This tree has seen it all, and its twisted branches hold stories over 4,800 years old. No wonder it was named after the oldest person in the Hebrew Bible!

4. Pando Aspen Tree Grove; Utah.

Head to this grove of quaking aspen trees in southern Utah and you’ll find yourself face to face with the largest living organism in the world. Yeah, we’re talking about the trees. Turns out, these trees share a connected system of roots, making them all essentially one giant organism. Pretty neat, huh? The grove was named “Pando,” after the Latin word for “I spread.”

5. General Sherman Sequoia; Northern California.

Who is General Sherman? The person, William Tecumseh Sherman, was a general in the Civil War. But we mostly care about the tree named after him — the Sherman Tree, the biggest tree (by volume) in the world. With a circumference of 102 feet, it would take almost 20 people holding hands to circle its entire trunk!

6. Ancient Angel Oak Tree; Charleston, South Carolina.

The Ancient Angel loves to spread its wings, with a canopy reaching almost 17,000 square feet. Visitors have described this tree as elegant and enchanting, with a Southern charm all its own. Ancient Angel may also be the oldest tree east of the Mississippi at the age of 1,400 years.

Bonus: Hyperion coastal redwood; Humboldt, California.

Discovered in 2006, the Hyperion redwood is considered the tallest tree in the world at almost 380 feet. Scientists are insistent on keeping the Hyperion safe — the giant continues to tower over the forest in an undisclosed location.

READ MORE:

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This post originally appeared in Sierra magazine.

Image: Bevis Chin, Tim Pearce, Clinton Steeds, msn678, mikebaird, Charleston’s TheDigitel,

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We’re celebrating what?

Leslie and Steven Ticktin are gearing up for their annual Cinco de Mayo fiesta in San Francisco, ordering the taco truck and buying the beer and tequila to entertain their social circle – parents clad in peasant shirts  and sombreros and munching on cheesy nachos as they celebrate the holiday. What’s the history? Why are we doing this?

Californians are crazy for Cinco de Mayo but what’s ironic is the day is more of a big deal in the various Mexican restaurants in the border town of El Centro, California than in neighboring Mexicali, Mexico.

El Centro is where Bay Area architect, Steven Nielsen, will be celebrating. Stationed in the town near San Diego and Palm Springs while renovating its main hospital, he was invited to join the Ticktins’ annual party, but declined, saying “Why would I come to San Francisco on Cinco de Mayo when I live right near Mexico?”

Authentic Mexican at Rosa’s Plane Food

While Nielsen might only get as far as the local favorite Rosa’s Plane Food in Calexico at the border crossing, stop by a picnic hosted by the regional medical center at a park, or take in the 150th annual Cinco concert at a local theater, it might feel more like the real McCoy because of the influence of the large Mexican-American population inhabiting the quirky border town. Better at least to be near Mexico than in San Francisco when celebrating the food and culture.

While El Centro boasts some of the best Mexican restaurants and markets on the West Coast, it also scores #1 in U.S.  unemployment. Despite its rich agriculture and potential for growth, the nondescript town of about 42,000 is mostly distinguished by box stores and homes with foreclosure signs. The best jobs are working with the border patrol and keeping your own people from crossing over illegally and into a better life. In other words, the challenges facing the population are not quite reflected in the day of recognition. Add to that the scorching climate which has earned the border town the name “Hellcentro.”

Cinco parade in Puebla, Mexico

Perhaps an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the Latino culture in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo is hardly marked in Mexico except for the state of Puebla and for good reason. This is because it is not Mexico’s Independence Day, as some falsely believe, but rather the commemoration of the 1862 Battle of Puebla, where General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin and his army of mostly Mexican Indian soldiers defeated the invading French forces of Napoleon III. It was heralded as an important movement in the American Civil War – the French prevented from disrupting the Union by setting up shop in Mexico. This might be one reason Cinco de Mayo has been embraced by Americans.

It was popularized as a Hallmark holiday by Mexican Americans in the 1970s as a way to focus on civil rights issues in Texas and California. That’s when it migrated from the southwest to other U.S. regions, becoming an annual festival of color and spirit. As writer Robert Lovato pointed out, the whole Cinco push as a start to summer happened in the late 70s and 80s by white people feeling unsafe in predominately Latino neighborhoods like San Francisco’s Mission District and Old Town, San Diego.

Some of the feedback on the web points out the hypocrisy of celebrating Mexican culture in other border areas like Phoenix, Arizona where wars are being waged over the immigration laws. “Perfect day to wear the classic Kiss Me (but don’t deport me) I’m Mexican t-shirt,” writes one resident of Tijuana, Mexico. “I wonder if the bars in Arizona make any pesos or dollars out of this wonderful marketing scheme.”

As CNN tells us this week, you can find plenty of Mexico in the U.S. since much of the Southwest was once part of our neighbor to the South. We’re told to consider “a more authentic Mexican experience than simply ordering a margarita and chips at the local sports bar.” Make a trek to the Alamo; Check out the first Spanish settlement on the West Coast at San Diego State Historic Park; Travel to Colorado’s Fort Pueblo, incorporated as territory in 1870, home to the Chile & Frijoles Festival each September.

According to Rosa Maria Barahas, who opened her Plane Food restaurant some 23 years ago alongside a runway strip at the Calexico International Airport, it is mostly Americans who dine at her authentic restaurant on Cinco de Mayo.

“They are excited about the decorations, the beer and the special plates I make with customs from Mexico,” she says.

For border town celebrants like Nielsen, it’s just nice to be closer to the culture while honoring the day, something he might not be able to experience at a purely white bread affair in San Francisco with a taco truck parked outside.

Image: Maverick2003

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The Orchard Garden Hotel in San Francisco is a wallet-friendly city-center green retreat.

When you’re travelling on business, how green are the places where you choose to stay? The Orchard Garden Hotel is slap-bang in the heart of Frisco, near Union Square, so you’ve got no excuse for not taking public transport to get there. They’ve even got bike stalls.

What the hotel lacks in interior-design zing, it more than makes up for with its eco-credentials. Made from recycled materials – glass and steel – it was one of the US’s first LEED-certified hotels. Its interior decór doesn’t have us singing, but the green agenda seals the deal: paper and carpets are made from recycled materials, the inks are soy-based, the paint is non-toxic and the cleaning products are citrus-based and chemical free.

The 86 guest rooms, spread over 10 floors, are decorated in the natural tones, and furniture is made from FSC-approved wood, with organic Aveda bath goodies for pampering (being good has its rewards). As in many hotels these days, you get a large-screen HD TV, DVD player, iPod dock and WIFI.

Now, listen up: when you leave your hotel room, do you remember to turn off all these electronic toys? Really? Honestly? (I don’t.) Doesn’t matter – your eco-conscience is safe, as this hotel has the genius keycard system, as used in Europe. When you enter your room, the (recycled plastic) card goes in the slot, all the lights come on and everything is ready to go. When you leave, you take it out, and – hey presto – all systems go off (bar one outlet for charging a device). All this saves a whopping 20% in energy costs. And potential second-guessing.

Staying downtown in a city, even if you’re here for work, it’s a crime to miss the view: suites have their own terraces, as well as a sofabed for tagalong buddies. If your budget doesn’t stretch to that – prices for interior rooms are impressively reasonable – you can always check out the skyline from the roof terrace.

Rates start at $125/night plus tax, city buzz and bike parking included, car parking definitely not.

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A premier example of eco-chic, Bardessono is one of only two U.S. hotels that are LEED Platinum certified.

Imagine going away on vacation without leaving the faintest trace? This is not a plot point for an episode of CSI, in which, should the aforementioned happen would make for the most unpleasant vacation ever. We’re talking footprint, your carbon one, while still relaxing, getting pampered, and using no fossil fuels.

Bardessono, in California’s Napa Valley, will make you feel wonderfully smug about your time away but this sense of environmental satisfaction comes at a formidable price.

Built from recycled materials, almost completely self-sustaining in terms of energy, and using only local food, the hotel is hard to fault on environmental grounds. Unsurprising, then, that it won LEED’s highest certification, awarded to only three hotels in the world.

Its list of building materials reads like a lesson in green construction practices: salvaged wood, including redwood wine casks, was used for doors, desks and tables, while stone reclaimed from an old wine store at the owner’s family home was reused on the exterior walls. Even the concrete and stainless steel have a high recycled content. The overall feel is modern and unfussy, yet warm.

Air temperature control comes from a geothermal pump, which also provides naturally-heated water – cooling is by automatically-lowered exterior blinds first, to keep the sun out (unusually rare in hotels, but so simple and effective), and by room thermostat second. Most of the hotel’s electricity is provided by nearly 1000 solar panels on the roof.

The best suites have bathrooms with their own treatment beds, for your in-room spa, and outdoor stone tubs; all of the 62 luxe-sized guest rooms have private patios or balconies (as they should, at this price). Take a dip in the rooftop pool, with views to tree-covered hills. As you’d expect, food and wine are both largely organic, with some grown on-site.

Apart from the knowledge that you’re treading so lightly on the planet, we like the free wine tastings and free yoga classes (I wonder if the two are connected, by any chance? Purge your Pinot with some hard-core sun salutations). Even better, go on a bike tour of nearby wineries and enjoy Napa Valley’s finest vintages, pedaling off the dizzying grapes between stops.

Rates start at $399/night plus tax. Clean conscience and shiny eco-halo included.

Places & Spaces is a travel guide that will inspire you to carve out a vacation on your calendar. All of the gorgeous locations and accommodations in our guide share our concern for the environment. From tent glamping to lavish built environments, fair warning, you’ll feel compelled to pack your suitcase.

The post Places & Spaces: Bardessono, Yountville, California appeared first on EcoSalon.

Fashion writer Johanna Björk continues her drive from New York City to Ojai, California, eating good food the entire way.

During the first part of my six day roadtrip across America, I made it through New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and about half of Nebraska, all without eating any junk food — which is harder than it sounds when you’re on the road. Over the course of the three days that lay ahead, the plan was to make it all the way to California, a mere 1,626 miles.

Day Four – Nebraska, Colorado
We woke up on the late side, which was probably due to several glasses of good wine we had at The Drover in Omaha the night before. The plan was to make it to Denver where we had friends to stay with. After a while of driving we saw a roadside sign advertising a “Museum of the Prairie Pioneer” and just had to go check it out. The Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer turned out to be a living history museum with a mix of indoor exhibits and outdoor built environments.

The Stuhr Building, designed by Edward Durell Stone

Yes, indeed, I am

The main building, designed by renowned architect Edward Durell Stone, is surprisingly modern. There, you will find exhibits featuring everything from old farm equipment to period-specific clothing. Across the way, the Gus Fonner Memorial Rotunda houses beautiful collections of Native American and Old West memorabilia reflecting the contrasting cultures of the Plains Indians and the early western settlers. After this, we took a walk through Railroad Town, which is a replica of an old frontier town, complete with storefronts, wagons and trains. Since it was a weekday, none of the buildings were open, and the only other visitors to the museum at the time was a class of school children. It was actually quite nice to feel like we had the place to ourselves.

The Log Cabin Settlement

Hanging out by the teepee

The Log Cabin Settlement is an interpretation of the 1850s-60s “road ranches” that were built (using Cottonwood logs) along the pioneer trails and served travelers heading west. The Pawnee Earth Lodge is a 38-foot wide replica of an 1830s lodge that would have been home to about thirty to fifty people. The Pawnee were once the most influential and populous of the native peoples of Nebraska, and their towns ranged in size from forty to two hundred of these earth lodges. Before leaving, I just had to go lay down inside the teepee for a while to stretch before the long ride ahead.

The Pawnee Earth Lodge

Thirty to fifty people would have lived inside one of these Earth Lodges

After a minor WordPress incident (I accidentally deleted most of a post on my blog trying to fix a spelling error using the WordPress iPhone app), a desperate search for wifi took us to the Coffee Cottage. Located right off the highway, in the midst of gas stations, fast food drive-ins and chain motels, is an independently run coffee shop (with free wifi), where the owner herself will make your cup of ice coffee for the road. That’s what I call a happy accident.

The Coffee Cottage

Original Pony Express Station in Gothenburg, Nebraska

We stopped in Gothenburg, Nebraska to check out the original Pony Express station, a small log cabin that once was a stop along the Pony Express route that ran from Missouri to California. During the period of about eighteen months when the Pony Express was delivering mail, a total of 183 riders did the route. They had to be “young, skinny wiry fellows not over 18” and “expert riders willing to risk death daily.” Orphans were preferred and the wages were $25 per week. The average weight of a rider was 120 pounds, and most of them were around 20 years old, but the youngest of them was merely eleven and the oldest in his mid-40s.

The Sod House Museum

An authentic replica of the sod houses built by early settlers in the region

On our way back to the highway, we made one last stop, at the Sod House Museum — an authentic replica of the sod houses built by early settlers in the region. Apparently, the museum is also home to one of the world’s largest plows (we managed to miss that one, somehow). Had we not already had our coffee, we would have definitely visited Lasso Espresso next door.

Lasso Espresso

After being on the road again for a while I got my very first close look (and smell) at a CAFO, a sad sign that all is not always as picturesque as it seems. We arrived in Denver a little before 9 pm. The friend that we were supposed to stay with for the night had suddenly become sick and we found ourselves using the Kayak and Priceline apps, looking for hotels for the night.

Driving past a CAFO

Gorgeous skies on the approach to Denver

Apparently, bed bugs are sort of an issue in Denver, and after finding several of the hotels we were looking at on bedbugregistry.com we freaked out and decided that instead of risking waking up with itchy skin we should spend a bit more on a hotel without bed bugs. So, we used a great app called Hotel Tonight, which lets you find deals on nice hotels in major cities for that same night. We ended up at a Hilton Garden Inn, so much for no mainstream motels. Oh well, sometimes you have to make tradeoffs.

Day Five – Colorado, Utah
Before leaving Denver in the morning, we stopped in at a Whole Foods to stock up on healthy stuff to eat during the day. I had been craving a green juice since we left New York, but to my great dismay, this location did not have a juice bar and I had to settle for an organic tea.

Snow-capped mountains

After four days of driving through the plains, the snow-capped Rocky Mountains in the distance was quite an impressive sight, and driving up through them was amazing. We were finally entering the Wild West. Going through the winding roads and tunnels carved through the mountains makes you realize just how amazing it is that people managed to build all this.

A gold mine

Gorgeous lakes

Red cliffs

The outskirts of Vail

We passed an actual gold mine, red cliffs, lakes and small skiing towns. When stopping for a bathroom break we lucked out and found what has to be the most spectacular rest stop in Colorado. There were stairs that led down to a small beach, where the Colorado River rapidly flowed by. I wanted to put my toe in the water but decided that it was probably not the best idea. Instead, I sat on one of the rocks for a while, admiring the splendor of nature’s beauty.

Watching the Colorado River flow by at the most beautiful rest stop in Colorado

Mountain pass

As we drove further through Colorado, the formerly green and red landscape turned all different shades of beige as the trees disappeared. When we entered Utah, a vast landscape of nothing but majestic mountains and canyons was spread out in front of us. It looked like a big storm was stirring up ahead and we decided to stop at the next town and find a hotel for the night.

Entering Utah

Dark clouds looming above the mountains

The nearest town, Salina, turned out to be about three hours away. It was kind of scary to drive through the winding mountain roads in the dark, with rain pounding the windshield. When we finally made it there, we looked up the cheapest thing on Kayak and found a small, fairly new motel. The people in the reception had never heard of Kayak, but were very sweet and honored the rate for us. For dinner, we had a big salad that we had picked up at Whole Foods in Denver that morning. I fell asleep watching a Storage Wars marathon on TV.

Day Six – Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California

It’s amazing how much stuff one can fit in a MINI

On the road again

Hitting the road again in the morning, we were once again mesmerized by the beauty of the landscape. Every time I put my camera down after taking a photo something new turned up. It was kind of ridiculous, in a good way.

Majestic mountains in the distance

…every way you looked.

One of the most spectacular parts was the drive through the Virgin River Gorge, which follows I-15 for 20 miles across the corner of northwestern Arizona and slices right through a scenic desert canyon.

The drive through the Virgin River Gorge is quite spectacular

Majestic canyons — just like a scene from an old Western movie

Entering Nevada, there was no sign to formally welcome us to this new state. There was, however, casinos, lots of casinos. The landscape became more desert-like and the temperature started rising — at one point it showed as 101 degrees Fahrenheit. As we approached Las Vegas, we saw more and more power lines converging in the distance. I guess it takes a lot of power to run all those lights in Sin City.

You pick: Sin or Salvation. Elvis or Jesus

As we approached Las Vegas, the power lines got larger and more plentiful

The strip was enveloped in a big storm cloud, so we decided, since we had both already been to Vegas, that we would find a raw food place to have lunch. I used Yelp to find a place, on the west side of town, called Go Raw Café. Located in a strip mall adjacent to a man-made lake in an upscale residential neighborhood, it was a bit hard to find, but the food was definitely worth it. The house salad was divine (and huge) and came with dehydrated crackers. We also tried the chips, salsa and guacamole (house salsa and guacamole served with flax chips) and half a Portabello Mushroom Wrap (marinated portabella mushrooms, veggies, kale, and “almond cheese” wrapped in collard greens served with house slaw). Such a treat. I also (finally) got a green juice for the road.

Big delicious raw salad

Raw Portabello Mushroom Wrap

Sipping a green juice outside Go Raw Café in Las Vegas

Entering California, you have to pass through an agriculture checkpoint, where they make sure that you are not bringing in any invasive plants or pests. I was worried that they would take my goji berries, but we were just waved through. Finally, we had reached California! It was getting dark and pretty soon we were stuck in LA-traffic on a five-lane freeway. How classic.

Traffic congestion outside of LA

Almost there — Ojai, California, my new home

Rolling into our new home in Ojai, it was pitch black outside. It felt great to have arrived, but I was also sad that the journey was over — 2,872 miles. Maybe some day I will do it again.

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Top five delicious and vegetarian friendly dishes in Long Beach, California.

Earlier this summer we ran a contest to find your favorite locavore picks. Reader Annabel Adams sent us her top five from Long Beach, California, and we couldn’t stop drooling over the vegan friendly list, so much so, that we had to choose it as our winner.

1. Grilled Veggie Rice Bowl at Kafe Neo
2. Fried Cauliflower at Magic Lamp 
3. Fried Potatoes at Open Sesame
4. Coconut Oatmeal at Roots Gourmet 
5. Teriyaki Tempeh Bowl at Zephyr Cafe 

Head on over to Foodspotting and start spotting – and testing – these dishes yourself!

In Foodspotting Friday we highlight one of Foodspotting’s – or our own – top picks from our Foodspotting guides. Be sure to check them out and tip us off to your own favorites in our Readers’ Picks guide. Want to start spotting food on your own? Join Foodspotting and take part in the food spotting revolution. It’s visual, it’s positive, it’s global and we are in love with it.

Image: Magic Lamp

The post Foodspotting Friday: Top Veggie Friendly Dishes in Long Beach appeared first on EcoSalon.