No cheap digs here about Vegans… just me flagging up World Vegan Day next month.
Vegans get a bad name when it should be the very opposite.
And like all things which we don’t know we tend to sneer.
Elaine ‘Black Magic’ as I nicknamed her (I gave everyone on our walking trip a mantle as is my way) has her own look.
She wears black, likes piercings and is a vegan.
But she doesn’t shove it down your throat.
In fact the exact opposite. To quote the quietly-spoken and truly warm Black Magic: ‘I’m entering your world.’
Which is why she never kicked up once on our Topflight trip www.topflight.ie to Ehrwald and Garmisch-Partenkirchen about the food.
And, to be fair, mine host Daniella, did cater admirably for her at the Hotel Sonneburg www.hotelsonneburg.com.
Which brings us back to World Vegan Day… which incidentally is on November 1.
With much else on lifestyle California leads the way.
West Hollywood www.visitwesthollywood.com is on point in so many ways so it comes as little surprise that it’s right up there for vegans.
Fine dining
Gracias Madre on Melrose Avenue http://Gracias Madre is the place to go.
It offers 100% organic plant-based Mexican cuisine.
And it’s chic too with hand-woven chairs, wrought-iron fixtures, embroidered fabrics and hanging fabrics.
I found WH one of the most embracing and chilled places I’ve been too.
I promised myself I’d return with our host Kate and my pals Jon, Helen and Heather.
To recreate the Beatles Abbey Road pic… on their rainbow zebra crossing.
Here’s what I thought of WH… https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/06/01/california-screamin-my-weekend-with-marilyn/
If California is all about fitness and health then here’s another state which I’d pitch as even more Outdoorsy… Colorado.
Where man-banned, tattoo-sleeved men called Brad or Dexter make vegan food at their eateries in the morning, climb a mountain free-style in the afternoon and then white-water raft before it gets dark.
Casual dining
Santana’s Vegan Grill http://Santana’s Vegan Grill is proof that these aren’t people from another planet where things are logical and they have pointy ears.
So we’re looking at the only vegan drive-thru in Colorado Springs.
Which serves up plant-based alternatives for bacon cheeseburgers, hot dogs and buffalo chicken strips. Visit http://www.colorado.com.
And here’s how I got on with the hipsters in Colorado…
https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/go-west-denver-buffalo-bill/ and https://jimmurtytraveltraveltravel.com/2019/08/29/the-new-pioneers/
Sweet stuff
You want some sweet treats. Well Portland, Oregon where some of us Murty’s live is the place to go.
Doe Donuts Doe Donuts is the city’s first dedicated vegan donut (they spell it without the ‘gh’) shop.
Look out for the house-made strawberry soy milk and a signature chocolate raised doughnut topped with gold pearls, chocolate shavings and ganache.
Portland is also home to the world’s first vegan mini-mall where visitors can enjoy dining, shopping and even vegan tattoos. travelportland.com