atlasbeyond-blog

[atlasbeyond-blog]

Palm Springs Day 2

Day two was just as lovely as day 1. We woke up early.. okay, earlyish. Split a hotel waffle and chomped away on some fruit. Z made me coffee.. shes becoming too good with the coffee maker. Packed up our room and headed for the Indian Canyons.

This place holds a strong tie to my heart. Last time I followed the Andreas Canyon Trail, I had just gotten through 90 days of sobriety. But now, I have 263 days under my belt. By the time we had parked the car, my temperature gauge was reading 111 degrees. Wowwwww... kinda rough for a hike but Zooey and I stuffed the backpack full of waters and headed out. If you have never been to Agua Caliente (Band of Cahuilla Indians) Reservation, I recommend making some time for it. It is a lush, palm oasis tucked away within the dry desert canyons. I love it.

You can climb here... actually, that may be against the rules. Respect the rules.

You can hop across stones in the creek.

I attempted to “Simba” her. This was a fail.

Seek shade from the giant fan palms. I think these are the largest in all of California. Not seen in this picture- the ridiculous amount sweat dripping off of us.

Explore abandoned houses

And when you’re taking yourself too seriously, you must begin to frolic through the sand. After two and a half hours of straight sweating, we decided we needed to get changed and go cool down. We headed straight for downtown Palm Springs to try the city drink.

The date shake ( with walnuts) from Great Shakes. I wanted to try Hadley’s but a couple employees from local shops had recommended we tried this place. Full disclaimer, this is not vegan. We had to give it a go once we were told it came with a little baby straw donut. So cute. The shake was delicious. Kinda interesting, subtle flavor.

We decided to walk off some of those ice cream calories afterwards. We found this sweet water fountain that Zooey was very interested in. I think she is that kid that steals the fucking coins from the bottom. Sorry, my kid steals your wishes.

Next up, the Cabazon Dinosaurs...

This place holds the largest dinosaur statues in the US. I just love that this is another free activity to do. I know its more of a picture op kind of place, but we found many more uses. Yoga under the bellies, hide and seek between dino toes and a mini dance party under the Brontosaurus. We decided to call it a day afterwards and head home. We both were super tired from all the heat and walking.

[atlasbeyond-blog]

Palm Springs Day 1

So I really like to take spontaneous trips... like is an understatement. I love it. Its so much more exciting to go somewhere with zero plans. That’s what Zooey and I did yet again today. Packed up the car and headed for the desert. Naturally, we spent most of our day by the pool.

We were able to keep it super budget friendly too. In case you were wondering how we are able to pay for all these excursions, I have two rules to live by... I always go grocery shopping in advance to stock up on snacks like fruit and nuts to keep us going and keep meals at a low cost, and I always use some sort of name your price tool. This time we used hotwire and got a three star hotel in downtown Palm Springs for under $45. All we really cared about was the pool and the a/c. When we left Arcadia this morning, my car said the temp was 77. When we arrived to PS, it read 109... Holy fuck. I’m in Heaven. Or is it Hell, but in a positive way?

So here is how the day panned out...

First, we put on our matching Thailand elephant shirts. But why, oh why, stop there?! We put on matching jean shorts... and then bam. Grey shoes for the win.. My new all grey Vans hi-tops.. Oooooh and I got them under $30.. shhhhh...

Then, we packed up one of our 98 cent pineapples from Sprouts Farmers Market, because who doesn’t love pineapple... I am obsessed.. You’ll see...

Then we put $15 in my gas tank.. Yes, 15.. Oh yeah, its a Prius. Obviously.

Hi wind turbines!

Grocery store purchases... Pink floatie $3.99.. amount of times it took me to try to blow it up before realizing you have to pinch the fucking blow hole... 399.

Deli mac and cheese for the little. Broccoli slaw for a salad. Watermelon. And Veggie meatballs. Also had to splurge on those straws. A pack of like 40 for $1.

But don’t forget the real winner here... those organic,expensive, bougie but so so so delicious gummy bears. Worth it? Hell yeah.

Next tip of advice.. Teach your children to share... Z offered me 3 bears.. I mean, I know those packs are small.. but 3?!

Ready for more advice??!?! Wear. Sunglasses. I don’t care if you are blind... you will need them.

Get it? ^^^

We did end our night with a nice 2 mile round trip walk throughout downtown to watch the sunset... It was lovely.. we had wet hair from our showers and rocked some pjs in public. Perfect end to a perfect day with my best friend... now for some picture spam. You’re welcome.. P.s. Tomorrow morning, we hike.

One more p.s. Try to remember that life doesn’t offer second chances on memories so stay loyal to those you love and enjoy every waking moment you get. This girl gave me eternal happiness and a raging curiosity to see the world.

[atlasbeyond-blog]

Bombie Vegan Bahn Mi

I just got back from my trip to Thailand and China this week. It has been a little difficult getting back on track with sleep but TODAY was finally the day I felt alive again. I’m not even kidding- I have been a zombie. Zombie’s gotta eat so today we made a galactic sized bahn mi. 

See look, it’s the size of her head! We got a sweet deal on a chunk of boule, which is a type of french bread, from Sprouts and all I could imagine filling it with was tofu. So I flash fried some tofu and finished baking it in the oven with homemade gyoza sauce. I pickled some carrots and radishes, slivered a handful of green onion, cut up cucumber hearts, and smashed a fourth of an avocado on the toasted loaf. I have something against being simple so that’s just the beginning. I crisped up lacinato kale in the oven to toss in there, shoved raw almonds into the avocado, drizzled some sriracha and sprinkled in some serrano peppers. Oh, and then I added cilantro... Is that it?? I can’t even remember now.. but I fucking hope so.

It was flavorful to say the least. I was happy with it and Z really liked the tofu. I miss her being my little vegan baby, but I can’t deny her trying other foods. I like that she still will eat some of my favorite dishes regardless of her eyes being opened to cheeseburgers from In & Out ( I still don’t get the hype) and Kraft Macaroni (never will understand this).

I can post a recipe if anyone is interested. It was large enough to cut into fourths and share as appetizers or to cut in half and enjoy as a meal for two. Whatever is clever. I’d say it was a perfect meal to celebrate my eight months of sobriety... Oh, yeah! It’s 8 months alcohol free today. Can I get a high five?!

[atlasbeyond-blog]

Our first post!

Welcome.

I am Heather. This is Zo, short for Zooey Atlas.

Back when Zo was just a baby, I wrote a blog based solely on my vegan recipes. Still plan on featuring vegan dishes but I also want to put some focus on our hikes, yoga poses, and travels. A lot has changed since I last blogged… I am divorced (sort of), Z is currently going through the terrible threes, and I am now a bartender that does NOT drink anymore.

You probably see this as some sort of dainty mommy and me blog… Have no fear. We are not your picturesque duo. I cuss far too much, Z gets away with doing some mildly dangerous activities (rock climbing, yoga tricks, surfing, etc.) and we rarely have our shit together. We laugh, we cry, we yell. But you know, it’s all honest. Its all pure. If you’re easily offended- don’t read, don’t look, don’t complain.

We’re just searching for our next adventure. Our next laugh. Our next experience. So go ahead, enjoy our stories, share yours, and recommend some adventures for us. Happiness is a shared wealth.

[atlasbeyond-blog]

Welcome.

I am Heather. This is Zo, short for Zooey Atlas.

Back when Zo was just a baby, I wrote a blog based solely on my vegan recipes. Still plan on featuring vegan dishes but I also want to put some focus on our hikes, yoga poses, and travels. A lot has changed since I last blogged... I am divorced (sort of), Z is currently going through the terrible threes, and I am now a bartender that does NOT drink anymore.

You probably see this as some sort of dainty mommy and me blog... Have no fear. We are not your picturesque duo. I cuss far too much, Z gets away with doing some mildly dangerous activities (rock climbing, yoga tricks, surfing, etc.) and we rarely have our shit together. We laugh, we cry, we yell. But you know, it’s all honest. Its all pure. If you’re easily offended- don’t read, don’t look, don’t complain.

We’re just searching for our next adventure. Our next laugh. Our next experience. So go ahead, enjoy our stories, share yours, and recommend some adventures for us. Happiness is a shared wealth.