I recently took my annual road trip to Oregon Country Fair and Breitenbush Hot Springs in Oregon with Stops in Mt Shasta, CA going and returning to my home in Santa Barbara, CA. I wrote in a prior post in regards to gathering living water along the way, so I kept myself well hydrated the entire trip, but how was it to be doing my first major road trip as Raw?
I have long time affiliations to these places and events that I love and cherish so much. I moved to Oregon in 1983 specifically to involve myself to Breitenbush and Oregon Country Fair. I lived at Breitenbush in the time of communes (today it is a worker owned co-operative). I have been juried to the fair as an artist since 1985.
My first sampling of raw food (beside salads) was as part of the food booth crew to Patty's Pies (the inaugural year of the booth in 1983) at the fair, where we made raw fruit pies. This year Patty's Pies (and I) celebrated it's 27th year at the fair!
Woody in Tie-dye taking a break outside of the booth. OCF '83.
How did I fare?
I did some advanced prepping before departure. I had a wonderful sprouted salad (thanks to Norma's Sprout booth) at Farmers Market here in town. I had my home made miso/tahini salad dressing as well. I made flatbreads to take, along with cashew spread. I prepared my Spirulina chips for snacks along with soaked almonds that I dehydrated, additionally I had a variety of fruits and veggies. And plenty of chia seeds to soak for breakfasts! I figured if I could take care of breakfast and lunch, then I could find cooked vegan choices along the way.
My first day was a long 10 hour day and I was assisted by two coconut chocolate smoothies with the water and meat, both very filling and stimulatory! That brought me to great water that I gathered that evening when I arrived at dusk. The following morning, I went to a local coffee shop for a bit of internet time and simply had a green tea and a vegan squash sweet bread. I stopped by Mountain Song Natural Foods for some provisions, again what does one do....get more fruits and veggies. I also found some raw treats too! A quick stop to Mt Shasta City Park where one finds the headwater of the Sacramento River a very cold spring gushes from the hillside. I have gathered water here since 1984 and let me tell you if you travel the I-5 corridor in Northern CA this is an essential stop as you can be at this great water source within 5 minutes of the northern most exit for Mt Shasta. After filling my 5 gallon jugs to take and share at the fair. I made a quick lunch before departing for what I call home - Oregon.
This is where I made my first obvious discovery - bell peppers make wonderful bowls! I made an avocado spread, adding a mix of red star nutritional yeast and sesame seeds. With that I had my flatbread, cashew and avocado spread with red bell pepper and salad sandwich along with a salad with my salad dressing, yum! day two doing well! I saved my new bell pepper bowl in my cooler for the next day.
This year I drove directly to the fair from Shasta and got there in time for my supper and I simply repeated my lunch.
Preparing a lunch at Mt Shasta City Park, CA
Open face sandwich!
My next neat discovery was my breakfast routine that I enjoyed most of the trip. The night before I soaked Chia Seeds(adding a spice mix I had made prior to leaving with cinnamon, cardamon, and a little cocoa). I took half a melon and after deseeding I cut a stair step to enlarge the bowl of the melon and placed Chia Seeds adding shredded coconut and blueberries as a topping. It was very nice and good - the soaked chia seeds with melon felt very hydrating and was helpful as the Oregon summer had finally begun.
Melon/Chia Seed breakfast at OCF '10.
My food supply and ice magically held until the food booths started serving on Thursday. Food booths at the fair are to be embraced rather than avoided like a state fair (please don't confuse the events)! Although there is a smorgasbord of good healthy choices there is not a pure raw food booth (yet, hint, hint). But there are plenty of vegan choices. So after my Thursday breakfast it was prepared foods by others. I found plenty of salads and a favorite was a hybrid of (cooked) tempeh and (raw) salad. The two standout favorites for cooked food for me is "Ring of Fire" and "Matty's Peruvian Food" booth. So I ate cooked, but man did I eat well! This year I avoided many of the decadent non vegan treats I have enjoyed in the years past. I did not feel food deprived by any means. I did find a smoothie booth that had wheat grass they made from a hand grass grinder - labor intensive, made as you waited and good and fresh. I had one or two a day.
All good things come to a close and on Monday after the "barter fair" following the official fair itself it is time to venture on. Next stop Corvallis, OR and to my old stomping grounds, "First Alternative Food Co-op" where I easily stocked up on - what do you get - fruits and veggies! At the coop I did manage to find micro greens (sprouts) for my salad for the week. I did break down and get my most favorite salsa in the world, Emerald Valley Salsa (regrettably now bought out and in Kent, WA). I had to get chips for that retro taste of when I lived in Oregon ten years ago.
That Monday I was to meet with an elderly computer client of mine that moved from Santa Barbara to Corvallis two years ago. So I took him to my favorite chinese restaurant in Corvallis (where I used to live) to China Delight where I turned my friend Cal onto the "Sesame Tempeh" dish. Yes, it was cooked, it was fried, but old habits do not die easily and it was delicious! (They still recognize me after being gone ten years and only there once a year!)
From Monday evening through Friday. I managed to have raw breakfasts and lunches. And I took my suppers at Breitenbush - they were all "special diet" and vegan (they serve vegetarian but rely upon a lot of diary).
My food held out for my Friday travels back to Shasta, where I once again overnighted on MT Shasta and gathered more water, and had raw food for my big driving day on Saturday from Shasta back to Santa Barbara. When I arrived home I had a young thai coconut from the co-op in Corvallis, and frozen fruits in the refridge so I made a smoothie for supper. There you have it I started and ended with coconut smoothies. And remained easily 70% raw, and ate very well the entire trip. With a little bit of planning and some foods from home it is possible to be raw or vegan and survive!
If you ever have the opportunity - Oregon Country Fair and Breitenbush Hot Springs are the greatest thing Oregon has to offer and the best in the world! And don't forget get your fresh water at Mt Shasta!
