10 Things I'm Loving This July

By the time I post this, I'll be just a few days away from leaving behind Southern California and moving up north! I've been selling off a lot of my items and packing up the rest for what seems like months and I cannot wait to hit the road and start my new adventure with Mister Spooky and my cat Havoc!

As you can imagine, it has been another bananas month, I'm so glad I had some items that brought me joy this month. As per my monthly tradition, I'm sharing 10 things I loved this July. This monthly practice encourages me to reflect on things I'm grateful for this month as well as sharing some of my favorite things with you.

Here are my 10 Things I'm Loving this July:

Scare Valley Farms Halloween Haunt and Haunted Hayride

I had the pleasure of being invited to attend Scare Valley Farms, a Halloween haunt and haunted hayride at Bear Valley Farms in the mountains of Big Bear, California. While I only live two hours from Big Bear I had never been up there before, so I was thrilled to finally make the trek to Big Bear and visit Scare Valley Farms this Halloween season! Check out my review of this Halloween haunt and haunted hayride and photos of the event below:

Halloween Hike to Pumpkin Rock in Norco, CA

Pumpkin Rock is a hidden gem in the Inland Empire region of Southern California that only takes a short hike to get to, but rewards you with the sheer joy of being in the presence of a huge jack-o-lantern as well as stunning views of Riverside and Norco. Not many people seem to know about it, so I wanted to share how to find this gourd-geous monument to Halloween spirit so you can visit as well!

Check-In to the Notorious Cecil Hotel in LA - Guest Post on Spooky Little Halloween

The Cecil Hotel in DTLA
[image source]

Last year I shared the 5 Spookiest Haunts in Orange County on Spooky Little Halloween's blog as part of her Travel Tuesday summer series. This series is really neat since it features many different Halloween bloggers sharing haunted locations from all over and it is just in time for summer vacations! I participated again this year, and my contribution to Spooky Little Halloween's Travel Tuesday features another dreadful destination right in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.

This time, I'm inviting you to check into the old Cecil Hotel (which is undergoing renovations and has been re-branded to Stay-on-Main to distance itself from its violent reputation). This historic landmark has a dark history filled with grisly murders, tragic deaths, and macabre mysteries, and is said to be one of the most haunted locations in LA. It has hosted serial killers (yes, plural), been the location of one of LA's most disturbing deaths in recent memory, and the dark halls have even inspired a season of American Horror Story. Check out an excerpt from my article on the Cecil below, then head to Spooky Little Halloween to read the rest of the article:

Book Review: Drawn to the Dark - Explorations in Scare Tourism Around the World (Plus Giveaway!)

How would you like to travel the world checking out festivals, celebrations, and haunted attractions Imagine the wonder and excitement you would have visiting traditional Dia de los Muertos cemetery celebrations, attending demon festivals in Japan, getting menaced by Krampus in Austria, exploring locations that inspired Castle Dracula, traveling up a mountain to celebrate Walpurgisnacht in Germany, and checking out different haunted attractions around the world! That sounds so incredible, and that is exactly what author Chris Kullstroem did for a whole year.

5 Spooky Haunts in Orange County, California - Guest Post on Spooky Little Halloween

Spooky Little Halloween is one of my favorite Halloween blogs, so I was very excited when I was invited to write a guest post for SLH's summertime #TravelTuesday feature. I decided to stick close to home and write about five spooky haunts in Orange County, featuring historic and haunted cemeteries, a mission home to several ghosts, a creepy canyon, and the "happiest place on earth" where many choose to spend eternity.

Here's a little taste from my article:

Spooky Travels: San Diego Mini Get-Away

San Diego's Museum of Man at Balboa Park

Apologies that I have not been updating as much as I would like here, but things have been so busy lately (in a good way) that I haven't had much spare time to do things I enjoy, like write here! I did want to share with you a mini get-away I was able to take last month. I recently got promoted at work, so I decided to treat myself to a quick weekend get-away in San Diego. San Diego isn't very far from me (about an hour and a half to two hours), but I hardly ever get down there. I had been wanting to try some new vegan restaurants down there, so I booked an AirBnB for Mister Spooky and I and we took a Friday off to visit SD.

Restaurant Review: Amy's Drive Thru in Rohnert Park, CA

Vegan milkshake, burger and fries at Amy's Drive Thru!

I was recently up north in Napa Valley for my little sister's wedding, and was absolutely delighted that I had time to pop over the hill to check out Amy's Drive Thru in Rohnert Park in Sonoma County. You may recognize the Amy's Kitchen brand from the frozen/convenience meals they make, of which many are vegan. I love Amy's vegan meals (two of my faves are their Vegan Margherita Pizza and their Dairy Free Rice Mac and Cheeze), and was so excited about their new restaurant, even if it is about 500 miles away from me. I missed the opening by about a month the last time I was up north (they opened in July 2015, I was there in June), so I was SO HAPPY that I finally got to go this October.

Travelogue: Forests, Ferns, and Food on the Lost Coast and Beyond (Part 2)

If you haven't already, please check out Part 1 of the trip!

 Fern Canyon

The next day we drove up to one of the most magical places on earth, Fern Canyon. We got an early start from our cozy AirBnB, and drove up the 101 through foggy coastal landscapes, sunny prairies normally full of elk (sadly, we didn't see any), deep blue lagoons, and so many evergreen trees! Fern Canyon is located deep within Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, and from the 101 freeway you have to drive about 10 miles on dirt roads (and ford several small streams) to get there. It's an adventure from the start! What exactly is Fern Canyon? This description from the Redwoods website says it best: "Imagine walking through a narrow canyon where the walls are completely covered by luxuriant ferns and mosses and are dripping with moisture."

Yup, those are ferns covering the canyon walls, with trees creating a lush canopy

on the cliffs above.

I mean, just take a look at this place and try to tell me it's not heaven!! Fun fact: Steven Spielberg filmed some scenes from The Lost World: Jurassic Park in this prehistoric-looking canyon!

Travelogue: Forests, Ferns, and Food on the Lost Coast (Part 1)

I found heaven on earth! This is the Fleener Creek Trailhead on the
 Lost Coast near Ferndale, CA.

Sigh...can I please go on vacation again? A few weeks ago I had the loveliest of road trips up to Northern California's Lost Coast with Mister Spooky. We left in the dead of night, zooming up the empty freeways while blasting Perturbator, Morrissey, Make Them Suffer, Chelsea Wolfe, Carpenter Brut, and Lorna Shore. Our first big stop (besides rest areas and gas fill-ups) was Oakland, where we had the pleasure of breakfasting at Timeless Coffee Roasters (so much good food I had to put it all in a separate post HERE!) and taking a short stroll through the historic Mountain View Cemetery.

Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA

Then we were back on the road, driving the 101 freeway up into the redwoods and to our final destination of Ferndale, California. I actually grew up in the "Victorian Village" (so called for all of the gorgeous Victorian homes) and my Nonna (Italian for grandma) still lives on the sprawling ranch where I spent my youth. My parents recently moved back up there to take care of her, so I was excited to see them all. Plus, the ranch is very remote (you have to take a small road from town, then it's another five miles up a dirt road to get there) and there is nothing for miles and miles but trees upon trees (in other words, heaven). I loved growing up there surrounded by nature, and I'm not sure why I ever wanted to leave. Nevertheless, I was pretty pleased to have the opportunity to visit and share this special place with Mister Spooky.

Restaurant Review: Timeless Coffee Roasters in Oakland, CA

Timeless Coffee 

On our road trip up to NorCal for vacation, we drove through the night so we could arrive at Timeless Coffee Roasters in Oakland, California for breakfast! It was my first time visiting Timeless, and even after a long night of driving, I was soooooo excited to finally try out this all-vegan cafe that serves up breakfast, baked goodies, and, of course, coffee!

Loved the interior of Timeless!

We arrived around 9am, and the place was packed, with a long line at the counter. That only gave us more time to ogle the pastries behind the counter (such cakes! such pastries! so many other goodies!) and admire the cute decor. Gah, if I lived in Oakland I would be here every day!

Restaurant Review: Millennium in San Francisco, CA

I finally made it to Millennium in San Francisco! Toasting with an 
Ingrid Bergamot signature cocktail!

Millennium in San Francisco has been at the top of my vegan bucket list for a loooong time, but for one reason or another I just never made it there. With the news that the restaurant would be closing their current location permanently by May 1st, 2015 (newsflash: they recently announced they are raising funds through a Kickstarter campaign for a new location where they may re-open as early as this summer!), I didn't hold out much hope that I would ever be able to visit this historic vegan restaurant (they have been open since 1994!). However, as luck would have it, I needed to travel to San Francisco to go wedding dress shopping for my sister, and one of the first things I did after finalizing my trip was to book a reservation at Millennium!

Vegan Options at Universal Studios Hollywood

Written by Sarah E. Jahier

Mister Spooky surprised me last month with an impromptu trip up to Los Angeles to visit the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. I was super-stoked to go since I hadn't been there since I was a kid! Plus, I hadn't yet been to their "House of Horrors" maze or ridden The Mummy ride yet! However, I was a little concerned about finding vegan options at Universal, since I hadn't exactly heard good things from other vegans regarding the theme park's food.

Visiting my friend Norman at the Bates Motel.

Whatcha got there, Norman?

My Visit to The Gentle Barn and Vegan Bake Sale Fundraiser

November's visit to The Gentle Barn - 

(from left to right, clockwise) Vegan Bake Sale, vegan baked goodies, 

a cute piggie, me grinning (I was so happy to be able to buy so many vegan 

sweets and support The Gentle Barn at the same time!), and a turkey friend!

Last weekend I had the pleasure to visit The Gentle Barn, an animal rescue and sanctuary located in the hills of Santa Clarita, California, to participate in a vegan bake sale that raised money for the sanctuary. This was my second time to this magical place, and it was so amazing to spend time with the loving animals, be around like-minded individuals, and help raise money for a worthwhile cause.

31 Days of Halloween: Apple Festival in Julian, CA

Cute roadside pumpkin patch!

This past weekend I finally got to cross something off my bucket list...a trip to Julian, California to visit their world-famous apple orchards and attend their 100+ year-old apple festival! I have always wanted to visit Julian during the fall, when the colors on the leaves are changing, temperatures are cooler and the apples are ripe for picking!

Mister Spooky and I were actually visiting San Diego for a concert, and so did a little sight-seeing / food-eating there before heading up into the mountains to Julian. Our first stop on the way down was at Stone Brewing Company, a craft brewery that makes Arrogant Bastard and other awesome beers (that also happen to be vegan, huzzah!). When we arrived, we grabbed a few beers from their awesome bar and strolled their beautiful grounds. I got an Autumn Maple brew from The Bruery and sat in a shady spot overlooking their turtle pond - it was bliss! We then took a tour of their brewery where we learned all about their production and even had a beer tasting! So fun! For lunch, we dined at their restaurant since they had vegan options (huzzah again!)! I had the vegan tempeh shepard's pie and it was delicious!

NYC Travelogue (Part 2)

Yesterday I shared part one of my trip to New York City, and below you will find the continuation of my travelogue!

We left off after I had eaten myself silly through Manhattan and Brooklyn, strolled through Central Park and attended the goth/industrial Triton Festival...

NYC Travelogue (Part 1)

Hello Foolish Mortals,

I apologize for my absence…I am usually chock full of updates this time of year (the most wonderful time of the year!), but I recently got back from vacation and then got overwhelmed with work, etc. upon my return. I wish I could be permanently on vacation (doesn't everybody?)!

Since I can’t be forever on vacation, I wanted to share with you my vacation to New York City I took earlier this month! Mister Spooky and I jetted off to NYC for Triton Festival, a goth/industrial music festival held every year there. We've always wanted to go, and this year we decided to do it! Below you'll find my travelogue of the trip, though I want to share so much that I'll be breaking it down into several posts over the next few days.

Our vacation began with a red eye flight on Wednesday night that got us to New York in the early morning on Thursday. Our friend that lives there was gracious enough to meet us and show us the ways of the subway back to his place on Wall Street, where we stowed our luggage and went off to explore! The streets of Wall Street were eerily empty and hauntingly beautiful just as the sun was rising. Then we hopped the subway and ended up in the East Village near Sustainable NYC, so I took a look around at this adorable eco-shop and grabbed a vegan muffin to go!

White Trash Weekend at Hicksville Trailer Palace

Three trailers at Hicksville Trailer Palace - 

The Ingratrailor, The Fifi and The Lux

I finally got the chance to go back to Hicksville Trailer Palace for a friend's birthday a few weekends ago! I positively adored celebrating my own birthday there a year and a half ago (read about it here), so I was super-excited when our friend (go check out his web comic dot problems!) rented the whole place in honor of his birthday!

Hicksville is a small resort tucked far off the beaten path near Joshua Tree, California. They feature amazing restored Airstream trailers, each decorated in a different theme. They have a pool, archery, BB guns, fire pits, ping pong, a library, a jukebox loaded with cool tunes, and much more for their guests! I love going there and relaxing in the gorgeous desert! 

Let's start at the beginning of the trip, shall we? We went to Hicksville in late July, so I knew it was gonna be hot, hot, hot! I packed a cute sundress, new sunnies, and a witchy hat to protect my paleness from the sun, plus tons of sunblock (I use Trader Joe's cruelty-free 50 SPF sunblock spray, which is cruelty-free and vegan)!

A Visit to The Gentle Barn Animal Sanctuary

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to visit The Gentle Barn, an animal rescue and sanctuary in Santa Clarita, California. The Gentle Barn was founded in 1999 by Ellie Laks as a place to rescue, rehabilitate and provide sanctuary for animals. The 6-acre Santa Clarita location has been open since 2003 and currently provides a safe haven for more than 170 animals! Besides saving animals, The Gentle Barn also provides rehabilitation to children and adults from the inner-city, group homes, mental health care facilities, foster homes, and schools by giving them an appreciation for all life through interaction with the animals.

 Vegan Bake Sale was a huge success and raised more 

than $1,300 for The Gentle Barn!

I wanted to show my support for all the wonderful things The Gentle Barn does, so I went last Sunday since they were having a vegan bake sale to raise money for the sanctuary! All proceeds of the bake sale were going directly to The Gentle Barn - vegan sweets for a good cause?! How could I not go?!

Petting Faith the cow!

This was my first time going to The Gentle Barn, and it was a very special experience! I got to hug cows, brush pigs, feed horses, scratch goats, and spend time with chickens, a peacock, turkeys, sheep and all the other animals! Founder Ellie gave a touching talk about starting the sanctuary and everything they do for animals.

One of the Barn's beautiful rescued horses

Her talk was really heartfelt and she spoke how all animals feel and experience emotions just like humans. Just because we have different bodies, we are still all same on the inside and feel pain, joy and sorrow no matter what species we are. I am sure her talk inspired others to respect animals and truly love them by not eating them. Ellie even recommended a vegan diet and provided hand-outs to people who wanted to learn more about a cruelty-free diet.

Jewel, the Barn's resident peacock!

Of course, I enjoyed the vegan bake sale and got to try some yummy treats! I also got to meet fellow vegans that I had only known through Facebook or Instagram! It was so cool to connect with people who shared the same values and beliefs as I did!

 Giving Linus the pig a nice brushing!

Above all, though, the most special part of the trip was being able to see animals happy and seeing people being able to connect with the animals. I'm hopeful that many made the connection that these loving creatures don't belong confined in a factory farm or on a plate, but free to live their lives in sanctuaries like The Gentle Barn. 

Brave Heart was such a sweetheart! He loved getting

scratched behind his ears 

The trip to The Gentle Barn was really amazing...it really made me re-connect with the reason I went vegan in the first place - the animals! It was so great to see all the different animals with their different personalities and to see them so happy! And eating some vegan treats was an added bonus!

A vegan candy apple from the bake sale! 

It was soooooo good!

I highly recommend everyone, vegan or not, visit an animal sanctuary like The Gentle Barn. It is a wonderful experience to connect with other sentient beings and show them they love they deserve. 

To learn more about The Gentle Barn, please visit their website. 

A Visit to the World's Largest All-Vegan Grocery Store, Viva La Vegan!

Viva La Vegan Grocery Store

This past weekend I made the pilgrimage to the world's largest all-vegan grocery store, Viva La Vegan, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA! It is only about an hour away from me, but I had never made the trip up there before. They carry all sorts of vegan groceries, plus beauty and health products, clothes, shoes and even have a deli on-site! It is like mecca for vegans - everything in the store is vegan!

I have the luxury of having several natural health food stores (Mother's Market, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Trader Joe's) less than 10 minutes away from my home and these usually carry all the vegan necessities and treats I need. However, it was so nice to be in a store where I knew EVERYTHING was vegan and I didn't have to constantly check labels. Plus, they actually carried some vegan products I had been lusting for but had never found (hello, Cocomels Coconut Milk Caramels!).

Go Vegan! - Viva La Vegan Floor plus deli dining area

I wandered around the store for at least an hour, discovering new vegan products or gleefully finding products I'd seen no where else. Some highlights included finding their large selection of Hurraw! and Crazy Rumors lip balms, browsing their book section, snagging their last bag of Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon, checking out their huge Beyond Meat selection and discovering their expansive vegan candy section!

My haul from Viva La Vegan included (pic below): Earth Balance Vegan Aged White Cheddar Flavor Puffs, Vegan Bunny Patch, Alternative Baking Company Pumpkin Spice Cookie, Surf Sweets Fruity Bears and Sour Worms, Wayfare Pig Out Whole Grain Bacony Bits, Go Raw Pizza Flax Snax, Nacheez Dairy Free Nacho Sauce, Road's End Organics Alfredo Style Chreese Sauce, Butler Soy Curls, Cocomels in Java and Original Flavor, Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon, Go Raw Banana Bread Flax Bar, Deva Vegan Hair, Nails and Skin Vitamins, Hurraw! Lip Balm in Green Tea and Coconut flavors, Crazy Rumors HibisKiss Lip Color in Breeze, "None More Vegan" pin!

Their staff was friendly, even when I bugged them to check if they had any more Go Max Go Thumbs Up bars (they were all out) and Phoney Baloney's Coconut Bacon (I had to be content with just one bag). Everyone there was nice and even the shoppers themselves seemed so joyful to be in an entirely vegan store!

The only downside were that the prices tended to be a bit high for products I could normally find in other stores (their Veganaise was pretty pricey at around $8 when I could find it elsewhere for $5 or $6), but on average I found that most of their prices were comparable to other health food stores. Plus, for hard-to-find items the prices were worth it! And I don't mind paying a bit more to support an all-vegan business!

Viva La Vegan truck in the parking lot

Viva La Vegan is located at 9456 Roberds Street in Rancho Cucamonga, California. There is plenty of parking in the parking lot adjacent to the store or on the street. Plus, there are lots of beautiful neighborhoods to drive through on the way there!

If you are in the Southern California area, I highly recommend making the trip to Viva La Vegan! I am already planning on going back sometime soon!

Viva La Vegan Grocery - website