USA Archives - How Far I'll Go

Best Vegan Options in Williamsburg that Even Non-Vegans Can Enjoy

September 21, 2020 by Val 10 Comments

One of my favorite things in life is food and trying new ones along the way. Sometimes it’s a challenge when traveling to places like Paris or Amsterdam to find plant-based options. Living in Long Island City, we’re pretty close to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which lucky for us has plenty of great restaurants. And since my boyfriend is vegan, here’s a few vegan spots we like to hit up (that even the non-vegans like myself can enjoy):

Jungle Cafe

When we first moved to LIC, and searched for vegan spots, Jungle Cafe is one the top places that pop up. It’s a quaint little spot, with a painted wall of various animals, nature motif, flower of life design on the floor and another wall with pictures of famous vegans and vegetarians (not sure how true some of them are….like Jesus? Nikola Tesla? lol, i mean really who really knows for sure ) Before COVID, you could do buffet-style, where they charge by weight. I don’t think they have it currently but the items off the menu are top-notch! Plus, they recently set up this colorful outdoor seating section.

My favorites off the menu: The Egyptian lentil soup, mushroom/potato tacos, and mac’n cheese.

Address: 131 Greenpoint Ave, Brooklyn NY 11222 (between Franklin St & Manhattan Ave)

Hours: 11:00am-10:00pm Monday-Saturday, Sunday 12:00pm-9:00pm

Pickup – Yes | Delivery – Yes | Outdoor Seating – Yes

Champs Diner

Now everyone like to indulge in junk food occasionally. Yes, even vegans like to pig out (pun intended) too every so often. At Champs Diner, you don’t have be vegan to appreciate the cuisine here. For the ambiance, the place has a diner feel to it with black and white tiles and the leather (presumably vegan leather) seating to match. (unfortunately there’s no dine-in or outdoor seating at the moment). They’ve got a great breakfast menu, that includes pancakes, waffles, croque madames, and for lunch/dinner a variety of sandwiches, burgers, milkshakes and tasty appetizers.

My favorites: Spinach/artichoke dip, tater nachoes, the mac daddy, the smores milkshake (best milkshake ever!!)

Address: 197 Meserole St, Brooklyn, NY 11206 (between Bushwick Ave & Humboldt St)

Hours: 12:00pm-8:00pm Monday-Sunday

Pickup – Yes | Delivery – Yes | Outdoor Seating – No

Screamers Pizza

Screamers Pizza is a God send for vegans who have missed their pizza eating days. It does not disappoint! Their menu has downsized a bit but they have the classics — cheese, pepperoni, seitan sausage, supreme and a few others. Their cheese bread is also awesome. It’s a small venue with only a few tables inside but of course with our current situation, indoor seating is not available at this time.

My favorites: cheese bread, garlic/broccolini

Address: 620 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222 (between Nassau Ave & Driggs Ave)

Hours: 12:00pm-10:00pm Monday-Sunday

Pickup – Yes | Delivery – Yes | Outdoor Seating – No

When I tried the food at these places, I was amazed at how good the vegan versions of these dishes could be. Hey, good food is good food. I hope that indoor seating comes back soon. Actually being there at the venue, taking in the ambiance is a huge part of the dining experience which many people enjoy. In the meantime, eating these delicious dishes at home is the next best thing.

Bon appetit!

Trying the Easy Trails at Promised Land State Park

September 1, 2020 by Val Leave a Comment

Since having a taste of the hiking life at Watkins Glen, I wanted have another go at it. In these Covid times, choices are limited in how far I can go ( see what I did there? haha ). Anyways, I wanted to try somewhere out of New York but not too far. I had heard of the Poconos area of Pennsylvania has a ton of trails to choose from, plus it’s only 2 hours drive from New York City. In my Poconos search, I discovered Promised Land State Park. That’s a great name for a park, by the way. Who wouldn’t want to go there?

Thanks to AllTrails, it states the most popular trail here is the Little Falls Trail. More waterfalls? I’m in! Luckily, it’s also rated “easy” as far as hiking difficulty and just over a mile round trip. I had to keep the difficulty in mind since we were having some company on this trip, my younger brother (who’s also a newbie to hiking) and my boyfriend’s mom (who has some arthritis).

Tip: If it’s your first time being there, I’d recommend checking out the Park Office first. They have loads of information about the park’s campgrounds, trails, and other local activities. Be sure to grab a map of the area. Google maps is not all that helpful when you’re trying to find a particular trail, plus cellular reception is not the best.

Little Falls Trail

Almost 5 minutes into the trail, we came upon the stream and crossed a short bridge. We followed another Little Falls Trail sign, which pointed us to path next to the stream. The path seemed easy enough for everyone. Though sometimes I felt when I took a step, my ankle would bend weirdly from the areas of intertwining tree roots. So be mindful of your footing or you might twist an ankle or fall on your face, like I almost did. (Note to self: it’s probably a good idea to invest in proper hiking shoes/boots).

Little Falls Trail is a beautiful one, with the stream and little waterfalls scattered along the way. Covering a little over a mile in the loop, we tackled this thing in about an hour, taking in the scenery at a leisurely pace.

Conservation Island

So what’s next? There was still plenty of sunlight left for the day. We decided to take another one of the easy trails — on Conservation Island, which is located at the center of the park and is also 1 mile in length.

We stuck to the perimeter path, which was pretty flat and dry. No waterfalls on this trail. But there were plenty of benches where you can take a break and enjoy views of the lake. It is said that you could see the bald eagle’s nest on this hike. Truth be told, I only found out about the nest after the hike was done. Unfortunately I didn’t see it but I wasn’t actually looking for it either. Boo on me, but good on you since now you know!

Beach

After a decent day of hiking for a couple hours, we headed to the beach area. It’s located in the center of the park, on the northwest edge of Promised Land Lake. On the map we got at the Park Office, the site is referred to as the Day Use Area. They also have several picnic tables, restrooms, a playground, and boat rental. We laid on the sand for a bit, getting our tan on. Then we ventured to the water, which as only 2-3 feet deep. The water was clean and cool, giving us a refreshing break from the heat and satisfying end to our day.

Tip: If this area gets too crowded, they also have another beach area at Pickerel Point, which is toward the eastern part of the park.

Final Thoughts

Not a bad way to spend the weekend. Well, it’s always a good idea to be around nature, decompress and just be. With it being close to New York, we’ll likely come again to try the other trails. The park offers several more trails of varying length, with the longest one up to 10 miles (Bruce Lake Trail–I’ll have to build up endurance for that one).

In the meantime, the search goes on for the next adventure…

Take A Hike!…In Watkins Glen, A Gem of New York’s Natural Beauty

August 9, 2020 by Val 14 Comments

I finally got to travel somewhere in 2020 ! Ok ok, it’s not exactly like Paris or Costa Rica. But hey, I got to get away from the city for a bit and enjoy nature. That’s always a win-win. Here we go, to Watkins Glen!

Now why Watkins Glen? Well, why not? It’s been on my radar for quite a while as a nice hiking option complete with natural gorges and waterfalls, but dang that 4 hour drive was keeping it on the back burner. Since COVID happened, I might as well explore my home state and finally take that hike.

After getting settled in our motel, we explored the town, got to know the surroundings before hiking the next day. We saw many small businesses along the main road, N/S Franklin St, lined with few shops that seem to be closed permanently (probably from covid) and most of the open ones were restaurants. On the sidewalks were plaques commemorating race car drivers. We learned the town is a big Nascar hub, hosting annual races and even has a museum dedicated to the field (International Motor Racing Research Center). It wasn’t my cup of tea, but interesting nonetheless.

On our walkabout, we found the south entrance to Watkins Glen park — did a quick look around – signs explaining the park’s history, including that the area was once under a mile-high sheet of ice thousands of years ago. How interesting!

So there’s no fee to enter the park itself, which is a big plus. However, if you want to park near the entrance, it’ll cost you $8.00. I thought, “Yeah, no way. Call me a cheapo.” Especially, because across the street is a residential area where there’s plenty of spots, and get this my city dwellers, no alternate side parking!

Seneca Lake

Now, aside from Watkins Glen State Park, Seneca Lake is also a local attraction, with its marina, multiple seafood restaurants, lake cruises and kayaking. I had read about an area where people can go swimming. Due to time constraints of our stay, I thought we could at least swim a bit at some point. Since it was only a few minutes from the park, we decided to do some more recon. To our disappointment, we saw the Beach Closed sign. Oh well, better make the most of this then. There was a pier-like path made of huge flat rocks jutting into the lake. We sat at the end of it, dipping our feet into the cool waters and watched the glorious sunset. Not a bad way to end the day.

Alright! After scarfing down breakfast, off we went to the park – armed with my camera, some water and a couple oranges. Looking at the trail map, I was a little intimidated that the main Gorge trail (1.6 miles) was marked for “moderate” level hikers, considering I haven’t done any kind of exercise in months! Ah, we’ll see how it goes…

The Gorge Trail

It was sunny and hot that day but the trail provided many shady spots for relief. Thank goodness because there were many steps to get to the top of the glen, 832 steps! At least that’s what my souvenir magnet told me. How hard could it be? Families with small kids were doing it. Speaking of families, we were surprised to see so many show up. From our initial quick-look the day before, we thought this site is not too well known or visited. I was hoping we wouldn’t have to wear our masks most of the time and maintain social distance but yeah, that was not happening.

The trail, perfectly built into the gorge, using presumably local stones for the walls, gave the appearance as if nature herself had put it there. (Also providing photo ops that even this amateur can pull off). It led to our first waterfall at Cavern Cascade where the path led underneath the falls itself. Hooray! I got to touch the falls! Let me tell you, after feeling cooped up for months in a city setting, this little contact with natural energy felt awesome . Feeling energized and refreshed after the first waterfall, I couldn’t wait to see the rest of this place. 832 steps in this place? Let’s go!

Rainbow Falls

And here’s Rainbow Falls, a popular photo op for all who pass through. Seems it was named so, when someone noticed how the rocks at the bottom of the falls reflected all sorts of colors and subsequently made an oil painting of it ( The artist name escapes me but it can be found on one of the panels at the entrance of the park ).

The trail is actually not so bad. Yes there are many steps but it’s not continuous, with intermittent flat areas to take it easy. I’ve read that there are 19 waterfalls to admire along the way. From what I could tell the Cavern Cascade and the Rainbow Falls are the most prominent, with the rest of them being of variously smaller sizes.

As with other trails we’ve been on, we came across several prayer stone tributes.

After this point it was mostly downhill, which made things easy-peasy. The trail took us about 2.5 hours, walking at a comfortable pace. Not bad for novice hikers. Having conquered our mission, we treated ourselves at the local ice cream parlor with its suitable name.

After having dinner at the Village Marina (which included some of the greasiest sweet potatoes and onions ever), we then set off we for Seneca Lake to take in another sunset. We took our spot at the end of the stone pier.

After a little while, a few teens came by…to go swim in the lake. Guess the Beach Closed sign doesn’t mean much around here. Oh, to be young and carefree…And it’s no wonder. They waded about 20 feet off the pier into the water and the water was still at waist level! So risk of drowning was slim to none. Ok, noted for next time.

Conclusion

Watkins Glen is a wonderful little getaway from the city. With easy access to the natural beauty of the park and waterfalls as well as Seneca Lake, I felt refreshed and recharged for the coming work week. There’s so much more do here. Perhaps next time, we’ll go kayaking or take one of the lake cruises. Good to know this New York gem is only a few hours away.

Good Vibes in Sedona

March 23, 2020 by Val 8 Comments

Getting Away from Life

It was the year 2015, still doing the daily grind of being a health care professional, stress slowly chipping away at my happiness. And so the need to get away was ever growing. Away from this life and the city. Even for a little bit. It was around this time I was reading into metaphysics and consciousness, hoping to find some clarity and Sedona would come up as a place for those interested in such things. Perhaps going there would help me find some direction as to where my life was going.

Last time I was in Arizona, I was maybe 10 years old, on a family trip to the Grand Canyon. All I remember is that we almost got lost in the desert following some unmarked dirt road on the way. Parents arguing which way to take on the map (remember those? GPS couldn’t come soon enough). We did it make it there eventually. How was it? I couldn’t tell you. I was just a kid going with the flow.

Breathe It In

While chugging along in our little eco-friendly car through the winding roads of the green mountains, we passed by endless trees. One almost forgets that you’re in Arizona. Part of me was expecting to be greeted with the desert right out of the airport. The landscape was a welcome sight to us urbanites so used to the concrete jungle of tall buildings with only little pieces of nature to appreciate.

The dense forests gave way; we saw less and less trees and started seeing the famous red rock formations. The phone’s camera could barely capture the beauty of the layered rocks with the backdrop of clear blue skies. It doesn’t matter how advanced our tech can get, it will never compare to what we see with our own eyes.

After getting our things settled in the hotel room at Amara Resort and Spa, we strolled down the block where the line of stores stop to give way to the natural beauty of the red rocks once again. Along with the fresh air, relaxed ambiance of this small town, sharing this experience with my love — things were looking up already.

sedona red rock — A little fun fact: they get its red color due to layers of iron oxide that have been exposed to natural weathering, essentially turning into the rust color that we see today.

As it was becoming dusk, we headed back to the hotel, to the backyard area – sprinkled with yellow lounge chairs and white tables – a cozy setting for sipping cocktails and admiring more of the red sandstone in the distance. As if I didn’t already love it there, as the sun went down, Sedona offered its night sky, with its infinite stars and without the light pollution of big cities. Its only competition – the back yard fire pit – with hypnotizing flames that appear to dance amid the quiet darkness.

Energy Vortices

With the map of energy vortices , 2 Poland Spring bottles in hand, my floppy sunhat (not my best look) and shades, we set out to Boynton Canyon.

Now what’s a vortex? It’s said these sites have swirling energy that amplify the energy a person brings, so many come to elevate their meditation, healing or spiritual ceremonies. Sedona has several of these energy vortices in a relatively small area, which makes it pretty special.

Trying to pinpoint exactly where a vortex is located–now that was the challenge. Is it in a small area, or covers a large area? No idea. How will I know that I’ve arrived at one? Don’t know. Off to a great start, aren’t we? Along the sandy trail, came across some strange pale purple flowers, bright yellow blossom on a cactus, and other unfamiliar plantlife.

The twisted trees grew in strange swirls directed by unseen forces.

Up Close

We got up close to some of the red rock formations. How exciting! Perhaps by touching them, I may acquire some old magic earth power to elevate my lowly human existence. Taking in the sight of the rust colored rocks set against the light blue sky, with areas of sparse and dense areas of foliage; it brought me to a zen state of mind.

Intermittent clearings, marked with prayer rock piles – signs of people’s hopes and intentions. I suppose I could have built my own, but at that moment, something in me said to wait.

The sun was hovering over the horizon, our phones dying/overheating, and no compass, we weren’t taking any chances of getting lost in the Arizona desert. So we made our way back to the trail head.

Airport Mesa

According to our map, the Airport Mesa vortex was not too far away. Luckily we found a parking spot at the base of the site. Trekked up some stairs, a winding trail carved through the sloped layered rocks to the plateau. It’s’ a breath-taking panoramic view of Sedona and a prime spot to view the sunset. There were a few others on this plateau. Thankfully, they seemed as caught up with our surroundings and kept their voices down. As I sat on the edge facing west, the sun about the touch the horizon, I gaze into its radiance, my mind and spirit clears of all worries, replaced by feelings of oneness between me and the world around. Looking back, I think there was a shift in my consciousness, taking me in a new direction in life. All was right with the world, everything was going to be ok.

Native American Ruins

Something you can’t help but see around town are Pink Jeep Tours coming and going.

Being fans of ancient civilizations, we signed up for the ancient ruins tour. The guide brought us up close to more red rock formations – where the Honanki tribe lived about 700 years ago. Homes carved into the rock, adorn with various petroglyphs. It’s not clear why these sites were abandoned, but theories include drought and being driven out by enemies.

Other Fun Stuff

The must-visit local store is Sedona Crystal Vortex. They have numerous crystal and stones of all colors, shapes and sizes. They have descriptions of the different properties of them. Like amethyst, which helps with spiritual awareness and intuition, and lapis lazuli, which assists in creativity, and encourages truth and self-expression. Another favorite place is the Earthbound Trading Co. It’s a treasure trove of Bohemian style clothes, artwork for the earthy and spiritually inclined. Got myself some beautiful wrap around skirts and a Himalayan salt candle holder.

For the final day, I felt so good on the inside, I decided to splurge on a massage and facial to treat the outside. The spa lady at our resort was excellent in her work. I left there feeling refreshed, relaxed and pretty.

Final Thoughts

Sedona is a wondrous place of natural beauty, a haven for the spiritually inclined tucked into a valley past the Coconino forest. A small town that will leave you feeling good vibes only. Those few days helped clear my head of negativity, and feel more hopeful for the future. Everything was going to be alright.