Vegan Roadtrip!!! (Northern California)

Yes, it can be done! With a bit of foresight, and a handy smart phone, an extended road trip can easily be Veganized.

I’m (still!) on a 5-week long road trip before moving into my new house. We hit the road with a loose agenda and a sense of adventure! From SF, we first headed north to visit family in the north woods.

Tips for successful vegan travel:

Organize a dry box and a cooler.
Stop at local co-ops, natural food stores, and Whole Foods. Smart phones are your friend!
Some favorite dry goods we like to pick up are kale chips, pistachio nuts, crackers, chips, protein bars, and rice cakes.
Cooler tip: invest in one with a spout to release water.
Pack marinated tofu, fruit, hummus, pesto, sauerkraut, and chocolate in the cooler.

Day 1, Diesel the Wonder Dog makes some adjustments to being On the Road.

The perfect travel food that also packs a nice punch of protein, Pistachio Nuts:

First stop was at our dear friends’ in Laytonville, CA, who are also both Vegan! They cooked this delicious meal for us, and it was such a treat to be cooked for! I’m usually the chef, but on day one of our travels, I was learning to receive as well as give! Thank you, Janel and Curtis!

Our first Vegan restaurant of the trip was Taste Buds, in Ukiah, CA. This sweet little spot on the main drag serves up combo plates daily, along with tacos, BBQ drumsticks, hot dogs, pakoras, chai, raw desserts, and more. It’s a tiny, calm space, that offers a great respite from the road. Below is their Hot Dog, the Drumsticks, Cauliflower Pakoras, and Tempeh Rueben. All gluten-free and GMO-free!

We arrived in Arcata to visit my sister and stay with one of my best friends in McKinleyville. Below are some pics of the gorgeous landscape of Northern California. It’s a super laid back and relaxed community, which was perfect after our very hectic week packing up our home and putting everything in storage.

We made friends with this lovely goat. Check out her trippy square pupils!

Here are some gems from the Arcata Farmer’s Market. Such bounty!

Tomo is Arcata’s essential Japanese restaurant. Some of the delicious Vegan options below are the Wakame Salad, Edamame, Tofu Teriyaki, and the Buddha Roll:

Another Arcata staple is the Wildflower Cafe, featuring a ton of tasty Vegan options. Below is the freshest salad ever with a tahini dressing, an energy truffle, and a breakfast scramble:

Wildflower also served us up these tasty nachos that I devoured after yet another peaceful nature hike:

One morning, our friend surprised us with the most bomb-ass Vegan French Toast recipe EVER! Huge treat! My Dad used to make us french toast every Saturday and I can’t wait to make this Veganized version for him. Bonus points: it was gluten-free!

Want the best custom-made sandwich you’ll ever find? Hit up the North Coast Co-op in Arcata and head to their deli counter. You can check off all your favorite preferences via dry erase markers about breads, protein, condiments, and veggies. I picked grilled veggies, avo, red onion, mustard, pepper, veganaise, and lettuce. This made my day!

Baby shower, Arcata-style, featuring fresh fruits, drinks, and a lovely quinoa dish:

We finally said good-bye to the North Woods and headed down to Petaluma to visit my in-laws’ new juice bar, the Cold Press. This beet juice was amazing, and the Nature’s Nugget, (date, coconut, granola, and mint!) below, was to die for!

This last stop on the Northern Cali section of our road trip was a visit to our marriage site! Quivira Biodynamic Vineyards is our absolute favorite winery forever. We spent some time drinking by the creek, visiting the chickens, and walking through the organic gardens.

This marked our first visit since our wedding, 8 months ago! From here, we’d be leaving behind familiar territory and heading into the Great American Roadtrip we’d been longing for; complete with unknown destinations, open-ended days, and unseen landscapes.

Diesel finally started getting acclimated to traveling, too 🙂