Oceanside, California: One of the things I loved immediately about California was that there are farmer's markets everywhere---literally everywhere. For someone whose farmer's market season ended in October--this was amazing to me. Even though I have a CSA box for the winter--still not the same. It was amazing, vibrant, and full of stalls that had endless wonders. I felt like I was Alaadin, in Agraba--except I didn't steal anything.
My favorites?
Petrou Food L.L.C.
https://www.petroufoods.com/
This man was the sweetest thing imaginable. He was a famous fashion stylist and now he is a producer of delicious foods instead! Really, really incredible stuff. He also told me I looked like Sofia Loren. That had a lot to do with my love for him.
Conscious Coconuts: http://consciouscoconuts.com/
A wonderful company, trying to make a real difference and improve access to clean water--all through the deliciousness of coconuts!
Sari Lady: http://sarilady.com/
I fell in *love* with these things. They are up-cycled saris that can be worn about a million different ways. Such impressive stuff--it's amazing what beautiful stuff you can make from old clothes!
Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah:
Now, I didn't have the greatest expectations of Utah--however, by the end it was hands down my favorite state. Hands down. Beautiful, polite people, and lots and lots of rocks. It was amazing. And--much to my surprise, we ended up staying at one of the 'greenest' cities in Utah.
http://www.springdaletown.com/green_springdale.html
It was awesome. Solar panels, recycling programs, these are all the things that I love the most! It was a wonderful place full of wonderful things. I was so excited about it. I'm totally team Utah now.
Alright--besides that, there were other green things we did whilst we were driving. We also went through: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. However, the midwest actively tried to murder us because it was so rainy--so we sort of drove straight through those states without stopping. Yet, we tried to stay as green as we could: buying minimal tourist junk, using cruise control to save on gas, stuff like that.
All in all a magical journey full of beautiful, beautiful scenery. It's a gorgeous country, and I'm so glad I got to experience it.
Ps.
Behold, the beauty of Utah:
Alright, that's all for now. I'll post again on Monday with some more wonderful challenges.
Love
Manicpanic
