Vegan Vacation in Mendocino

The vegetable and herb garden at Stanford Inn By the Sea.
(Photo © Maria Wakem)

Have you ever come home from a vacation feeling like you need to go on one? Too much food, too much wine, not enough sleep. It makes returning to reality—especially work—really hard to do. I swore off vacations like that after one left me bloated and eight pounds heavier a few years ago. So now I’m always on the lookout for getaways that will leave me feeling good. And I just found one.

My husband Matthew and I recently had the pleasure of being guinea pigs for Stanford Inn By the Sea’s  Vegan Getaway. During our two-night stay, we had a nutrition class with Sid Garza Hillman, helped plant fennel in the resort’s vegetable and herb garden, learned to cook our own gourmet vegan meal, and sat outside admiring the scenic Mendocino views.

To be clear, the getaway was less about becoming a vegan, and more about eating wholesome, locally sourced, organic food. There were no lectures about animal rights and no pamphlets to make you feel guilty about eating that steak the other night. Ultimately, it was about learning why you should care about the health effects of the food you're putting into your body and why you should care where your food comes from.

If you're searching for something different to do one weekend, save your "Where do you get your protein?" questions for Sid, and give it a shot.