Destination: Mill Valley

Thanks to a magical combination of a Groupon*, a grandma, and a 3-day weekend, the hubby and I were recently afforded the luxury of an overnight getaway, just the two of us. Destination: Mill Valley.

It's funny. Once you have kids, the simple act of driving a couple hours (without said kids) becomes pure pleasure, a chance to talk, or be silent, to listen to music or zone out. It really is quite lovely how having children makes you appreciate the little things.

We planned on leaving the house at 9 am but, of course, didn't actually leave until about 11. We swung by the nearest Starubucks for some road snacks and, despite our late departure, decided to park and venture inside because the drive-thru line was suuuuuuper long. It ended up being a good decision because 1) there was NOBODY inside, and 2) we discovered, at the checkout, that The Cars have a new album! Who knew?? Now, I list The Cars as one of my all-time favorite bands, but everything I own of theirs dates back three decades. How could I pass up the chance to hear something new? (The answer is, I couldn't.)

We listened to our new CD on the road, and my very quick, very limited-to-one-listen review is that it is very catchy and extremely reminiscent of their old stuff, but it is missing something I can't quite put my finger on. The old "magic" just isn't quite there. If you're interested in reading a (slightly) more lengthy review, check out this article, from Rolling Stone Magazine's online component. I myself have not read it, so I have no idea what it says (and honestly don't really care; my current reading list is long enough, dammit!), but hey, you may find it interesting!

Snacks and music for the road.

Headed for the freeway with our soy chai lattes.

Me love.

There were a lot of cars on the road that day, but traffic was moving at a steady pace and we made it to our destination in about an hour and 45 minutes, hungry and ready to find some lunch. Before heading out of town, I did a little online research to determine which restaurants in the area were vegan-friendly. For our first meal, we decided to try Cafe Del Soul, a natural foods and organic cafe located in tam junction ("where Tam Valley meets Mill Valley"). They do serve chicken (which they claim is "free-range...antibiotic free and has no added hormones") and cheeses (also hormone free) but ALL of their dishes can be made vegan and their tofu, produce, rice, quinoa, nuts and beans are all organic.

Stephen ordered the Cilantro Lime-Licious Wrap (brown rice, tofu, and feta cheese tossed in a cilantro lime vinaigrette and served in a wheat tortilla). He said it was really good, but it looked to me like it could use some veggies. It was very...beige.

I opted for the Curry Soul Good dish, made up of brown rice, tofu, dried cranberries, spinach, and almonds tossed in a mustard-curry dressing. Oh my god, you guys, this was so freaking GOOD! Years ago, Stephen and I had curried chicken salad sandwiches at a restaurant in Ashland, Oregon and I swear this salad tasted almost exactly like it. Only better because, you know, there weren't any dead animals in it (sorry, I couldn't resist). Stephen and I are now determined to recreate this dish at home. Anyone have a good recipe for a mustard-curry dressing?

Lunch at Cafe Del Soul

I also decided to try one of their organic juice blends. According to The Big Book of Juices by Natalie Savona, "Juices provide nutrients at top speed -- our body absorbs their goodness with maximum efficiency, unhindered by any need to break down and digest bulkier foodstuffs...This is a sure-fire way of getting the most out of the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, cleansing elements and other nutritional goodness from a fruit or vegetable." Sounds good to me! I ordered "Compassion" which is a mix of carrot, celery, spinach, apple, and ginger. I have to say, it wasn't exactly the refreshing concoction I had hoped for. Extremely heavy on the ginger, it kind of burned going down and at one point, I actually gagged. Yes, really. But, I forced myself to drink it down, reassuring myself that it was really good for me and reminding myself that it cost nearly $5. (I also made Stephen drink some of it.)

After lunch, we headed to the hotel to see if we might be able to check in early. We were told that the hotel was completely booked and there was no way we'd be able to check in before the normal time, which was 3 o'clock. So, we asked if we might be able to check out a couple of mountain bikes (part of the Living Social deal we had purchased) to go for a ride before check-in. Again, we were denied. All of the bikes were already in use AND there was a loooong waiting list. We gave them our name and cell numbers and asked that they call us as soon as a couple of bikes were available. (They never called. The entire trip.)

To pass the time, we decided to drive into the downtown area of Mill Valley, a quaint little shopping district surrounded by beautiful homes and towering redwoods. We drove around a bit, eventually parked and walked, took photos, dreamed of living there, and spent entirely too much money on adorable (but overpriced) handmade gifts for the kids.

Driving 'round town.

Now that's a firehouse! Why don't Sacramento firehouses look like this? Oh, that's right, we're not filthy stinkin' rich.

The sign in the window of this quirky little shop caught my eye.

We eventually found ourselves in front of a tiny brewery called Beerworks. We each had a pint of their house IPA and spent some time chatting and people watching. The staff wasn't the friendliest; they all had that sort of cooler-than-thou air about them. But the beer was tasty, the atmosphere pleasant, and the decor simple perfection: clean, natural, artsy. I love the chalk drawing of the giant squid and the way they decorated the window with colored glass and tree branches. Just lovely.

Beerworks Brewery

As the three o'clock hour rolled around, we finished our beers and made our way back to the hotel, where we were greeted by a long line of people snaking through the lobby, each person waiting to check in. It was then that I realized I'd made our reservation on the very last day before the Living Social deal expired. No wonder the place was so packed! To make matters worse, everyone wanted in on the mountain bike action and with a measly EIGHT bikes to go 'round, it was becoming quite clear that we weren't going to be pedaling our way through the redwoods anytime soon. Perhaps to make up for this, the front desk was adorned with a tray of shot glasses, each filled with a mysterious, watermelon colored liquid. I read the first two ingredients: Rock Star energy drink and vodka. Uh...no thanks. Can't you just offer me a complimentary bottle of wine? Or, I don't know, A BIKE!?

Stephen and I were determined to have a good time, despite the disappointing bike situation. We headed to our room and settled in for a while. The room was nice enough, and clean. But I certainly wouldn't jump to recommend the place to a friend. It felt about on-par with a Holiday Inn Express -- nothing fancy, but nice enough if the price is right, which it was, thanks to Living Social.

Our Room at Larkspur Hotel, Mill Valley

The pool area was really quite nice, probably the best thing about the hotel. This was the view from our balcony.

My husband didn't seem interested in taking any photos of his own during our little getaway, leaving me NO CHOICE but to take photos of myself, with terribly dorky results...

Dork.

At one point, we talked about going down to the pool (and even put our swimsuits on!) but decided at the last minute that it was too crowded and we'd rather stay in, drink wine, and wax philosophical. Okay, okay, so really we just watched a documentary about Hugh Hefner and took this cheesy photo:

Oh, I forgot to mention, the weather was GORGEOUS. Low 70's, bright sun, light breeze. In the midst of all the rainy cold weather we've been having lately, we felt really lucky to score a day such as this for our overnighter. Below is a pic of the wetlands that reside directly outside of the hotel.

Looks like the perfect day for a bike ride. Oh, wait.

After sufficient lounge time at the hotel, we decided to head out to dinner. We were very excited to try Cafe Gratitude in San Rafael, a 100% organic, 100% vegan cafe specializing in gourmet raw and cooked cuisines. My dear friend Melanie recently visited the Healdsburg location and, after reading the review she wrote on her blog, I knew it was a place that Stephen and I would enjoy greatly.

The drive to Cafe Gratitude in San Rafael

You guys, I love this place so much. As a vegan, it is so refreshing to be able to order anything I want from a menu, without having to scrutinize the ingredients list or ask the server a million annoying questions. And the atmosphere was so fantastic. It is by no means a "fancy" restaurant; the decor is quite casual, homey, eclectic. And even though Stephen and I knew no one other than each other, it felt as if we were among friends. It felt like home. The servers, the other patrons, everyone was so kind and the general mood and energy of the place was positive and uplifting.

The servers singing to a patron celebrating his birthday.

And don't even get me started on the food. Oh holy yum. With so many tempting choices, Stephen and I had a hard time deciding what to order. We settled on "I Am Elated" (Enchilada in a live spinach tortilla with a sprouted seed filling topped with spicy mole, cashew sour cream and scallions. Served with spicy Mexican coleslaw) and "I Am Hearty" (Deep-dish pizza with sun-dried tomato marinara, pesto, olive tapenade, brazil nut parmesan and ricotta cheese** on a live onion sunflower pizza crust). Both entrees were from the "raw" portion of the menu. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, "raw" refers to foods that have not been exposed to temperature above 105 degrees. According to the Cafe Gratitude website, "this preserves the full enzymatic and nutrient content of foods from degradation, which occurs when food is heated. Enzymes are responsible for digesting food once it is in your stomach. 'Live' foods with active enzymes can digest themselves, leaving less work for your body to do, and leaving you vibrant and full of energy." I can attest that I felt superb after finishing this meal, but I would eat here again even if it had made me feel gassy and bloated. The food is just that good.

Stephen and I ordered extra plates so we could split the two entrees. Unfortunately, I neglected to take a photo prior to the splitting of the food.

With our meals, Stephen had a rich chocolate stout, while I enjoyed a pleasantly hoppy IPA.

I wish this hadn't turned out so fuzzy. Cute sign, right? I kinda' want one in my kitchen...

After dinner, we ordered dessert and extremely large mugs of coffee. They did not disappoint.

I Am Cherished -- Cheesecake (flavors change daily): cashew cream cheesecake with almond-date crust. Ours was key lime flavored.

I Am Magnificent -- Chocolate Mousse: rich, creamy raw cacao mousse.

Cafe Gratitude was founded by Matthew and Terces Engelhart as a place where people could meet, eat, and play The Abounding River, a board game also created by the Engelharts. The Abounding River is an interactive way of practicing "being" Abundance in your life, through exercises that help focus attention on qualities we all aspire to: Love, Acceptance, Generosity, Worth, Gratitude, Creation, and Responsibility. Each table at the cafe is adorned with a basket filled with game cards and dice. Upon being seated, we were told about the game but also felt no pressure to play, which was nice. As we leisurely sipped our coffee and nibbled at our desserts, we read a few of the cards. Here are some of our favorites:

"Your problem is you are too busy holding on to your unworthiness." - Ram Dass

I am enjoying letting go of wants I no longer "need". I am completely fulfilled in this now moment.

I am now present to the magnificence of my life!

My life is a picture of my thoughts, speech, beliefs, actions and attitudes. I am grateful now!

Okay, I realize that to a lot of people, this sounds like a whole mess of New Age Hippie Bullshit (I can practically hear some of you rolling your eyes). But, I can't help it: I am a born-at-home, natural birth-lovin', extended-nursing, co-sleeping, tree-hugging, Power of Now-reading NERD. I eat this stuff up.

Eventually, we were able to tear ourselves away from Cafe Gratitude (after being there for at least a couple of hours), but made sure to stop at the "gift shop" area on the way out. We purchased two bumper stickers (one for each car) and a necklace for me:

The necklace is original artwork on tea-stained paper, encased in recycled metal...

...with sheet music on the back.

We made it back to the hotel by 10 pm, just in time for s'mores by the fire pit.

Afterwards, we decided to hit up the hot tub. The sign outside the pool said no swimming after 10 pm, but we heard other people in there and felt that we were somehow "owed" this luxury since we never got those bikes we were promised. The hot tub felt great at first, but eventually the heat was overwhelming (I can only sit in hot water for so long, especially after drinking), so we decided to take a dip in the pool. Oh my goodness, this was the most pleasant pool water I have ever experienced; it felt like the ocean waters of Hawaii. We were probably in the pool for about an hour and a half, long enough to turn into raisins, and nobody ever kicked us out, so the hotel gets points for that. Afterward, we retired to our room, had some wine, and stayed up entirely too late.

Come morning, the only one swimming in the pool was this duck:

Quack!

Continental Breakfast, enjoyed on our patio.

Due to a deadly combination of too much wine and not enough sleep, we weren't exactly feeling 100%. So after breakfast, we spent the morning lounging in bed, surfing the internet, reading magazines, and watching TV. I watched the movie "The Back Up Plan" and was actually really surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I don't care what anybody says, I think Jennifer Lopez is a decent actress (singer? that's another story...), incredibly charming, and of course, easy on the eyes. The movie was cheesy, sure. But it was also really funny. I mean, I laughed out loud several times (Stephen did too, although he'd never admit it).

When it came time to check out, we were starving. We decided we had to go back to Cafe Gratitude for one more meal before heading home to Sacramento.

Instead of beers, we opted for fresh green juice this time. The concoction we ordered was titled "I Am Healthy" and consisted of kale, celery, cucumber and lemon juice. This mix was light, clean, refreshing, and worlds better than the one I forced down at Cafe Del Soul. I sipped it happily during the course of my meal and imagined the pretty green juice coursing through my veins, healing the damage I inflicted on my cells the night before. Also, I love that they serve the juice in large wine glasses. Makes it feel kinda' fancy, don't cha think?

Drink me and be cleansed!

As for food, we decided to try something from the "Cooked Specialties" portion of the menu this time 'round. I ordered "I Am Trusting": a handmade corn tamal made with stone-ground heirloom masa and summer squash. Served with salsa verde, black beans and spicy Mexican coleslaw. It was super tasty (the spicy coleslaw is to die for) but definitely "heavier" than my meal the night before; I wasn't able to finish the whole thing.

I Am Trusting!

Stephen ordered "I Am Transformed": Two handmade corn tacos with brown rice, black beans, salsa roja, guacamole and cashew nacho cheese. I was feeling a little overwhelmed, so I didn't try his, but he said it was delicious and consumed every speck (and then finished my meal). We are both interested in trying out some recipes for nut-based cheeses in the near future. So good!

I Am Transformed!

Talking to one of the servers, we learned that the Engelharts were planning on opening a Cafe Gratitude in Sacramento (they even had a location picked out!) but at the last minute, plans fell through and they decided to head south instead, opening a cafe in Santa Monica. No fair! The options for vegan and vegetarian dining in Sacramento are definitely improving, but we've got nothing that compares to Cafe Gratitude. It is now my personal mission to convince the Engelharts to re-focus their sights on Sacramento. We need you, Cafe Gratitude!!

After lunch, we drove home, which brings us to the end of this very long tale. In closing, I feel I must include the following photo. It's a repeat, but an absolute favorite of mine...

Elinor running to greet me upon our return.

It's always nice to get away for bit, but really, there's no place like home.

*Technically, it was a Living Social deal, but the word "Groupon" is much catchier for opening line purposes.

**All food at Cafe Gratitude is vegan. Any time "cheese" is listed as an ingredient, it is a non-dairy, nut-based cheese.