How I'm Having My Best-Ever Thanksgiving

Source: Country Living

I am not away this holiday weekend. I am very much at home, ¼ of the way through a Thanksgiving menu prep list and so thankful to get to celebrate with family for the first time in my new home. As I prepare to gather my family for a totally plant-based Thanksgiving, complete with some delicious desserts by my favorite local vegan bakeries, I wanted to share some of my favorite resources for luxuriating in being at home, no planes, no trains, no traffic, probably not even any shoes. 

Tablescaping
Tablescaping is my new mindfulness exercise. After years of tiny-apartment living, I have a dining table (like, not just a couch and coffee table). I am 100% enthusiasm and 0% on experience, so have been relying on these gorgeous tables, including one by Well + Away friend Abbye Churchill.

A 2017 Classic
This post by The Atlantic from 2017 is my go-to for anyone who thinks that ditching plastic straws is really doing all that much for the climate and water waste. Hint: it’s not. This investigative style report on water waste and animal agriculture shares how much of a change we can make by swapping beef for beans.

Just move. 
I am preparing my body for a feast to end all feasts by kicking off Thanksgiving morning with a SoulCycle session to get my metabolism revving and ready to eat and drink. My goal for after dinner is to get the family on an easy 15-minute walk, probably with drinks in hand, to break up all the sitting (and because I have no interest in football). 

Cut out some of the booze
More and more people are not drinking, going either sober, ‘California sober’ ie just cutting booze, or just being mindful of what their alcohol intake is. I’m making it easier to still feel festive and not drink by offering a sparkling cranberry punch. And there will be plenty of cola-flavored LaCroixs. 

Give plants center stage
I am not a blogger. I am not up-to-date on what is happening in the blogosphere, I don’t know who is winning blog awards and I when I write it is either for our Well + Away VitalGuide guidebooks or for traditional media outlets. As amateur a blogger as I might be, what I do know is that blogger Stacey Homemaker and her complete ‘how-to’ guide for a vegan Thanksgiving is the most useful blog post ever written. Enjoy. 

SoulCycle Launched Its Own Retreat Program (Answering All Of Our Fitness Prayers)

Those who enjoy both luxe travel and premium indoor cycling should take note that Retreats by SoulCycle has launched this week. In partnership with luxury tour operator Black Tomato, SoulCycle fans (and their friends, because no doubt us fanatical SoulCycle devotees will tell everyone we know) can now find their center through Black Tomato-organized, SoulCycle-inspired experiences over the course of a handful of days. Retreat itineraries will be curated by SoulCycle’s top instructors and filled with activities that, like their signature classes, focus on community and fitness; with ancillary spa and wellness programming. When not sweating together, rider-travelers will be guided through local experiences reflective of the local culture and nourishing food. 

According to SoulCycle CEO Melanie Whelan, “SoulCycle classes are physical, musical, emotional and community-based - some of our riders say we create a sanctuary, therapy and release as the experience gives them space to connect to themselves. Our retreats have been designed similarly. Each retreat is multi-dimensional and offers participants the opportunity to find their center through one-of-a-kind experiences in amazing destinations - while also connecting with a like-minded community. The experiences are specially curated by our incredible, top instructors and include activities that focus on community building and bonding, movement, nourishing food, and, of course, SoulCycle.” 

The first retreat took place last week in Texas’ Hill Country and led by Master Instructor Melanie Griffith and Senior Instructor Bevin Prince. According to SoulCycle, this itinerary included mindfulness exercises led by Melanie, breathing workshops with acupuncturist and Reiki Master Erin Telford, healing workshops, morning movement sessions, SoulCycle classes, and stargazing. Hospitality partners for this retreat included The Kimpton Van Zandt and Lucky Arrow Retreat, and will include others in the future. 

According to the brand, “the first official Retreats by SoulCycle trip open to the public will take place in Winter, 2020 and will be available for purchase in the coming months (those interested can sign up for more intel here). The cost of the trips will vary based on the destination at hand and length of the trip. The first trip will accommodate 20-30 participants with quantities varying moving forward based on the destination at hand.” 

The Best Vegan Restaurants For Busy People, According To Spoke & Weal's Founders

I recently visited the new, expanded Spoke & Weal salon on LA’s West 3rd Street. It reminded me why we are not planning any salon pages for our VitalGuide series. In the eight cities where Spoke & Weal operates, the list would have only one pick. After years of in-the-field research as a wellness reporter, trialing notable salons throughout the west coast, I’ve become a full-on Spoke & Weal devotee. In addition to offering a cutting-edge and client-first technique, a very cool company culture (perhaps a future blog post) and a low-key vibe, founders Jon Reyman and Christine Thompson are both totally plant-based. And since they’re jetsetting each week between their network of best-in-class salons, you bet they’ve become experts on the best spots to dine. So we asked them for their favorites:

Congrats on the new LA expansion of Spoke & Weal! What can you share about it?

JR: The L.A. expansion was dramatic. We doubled in size (from 2000 square feet to 4000 square feet) and renovated the entire space from the floors to the ceiling in about two weeks! The result is the best lighting we’ve ever experienced in a salon anywhere, an incredibly open and airy luxury experience, and acoustics that keep the salon relaxed and warm. Gone are any echos and much of the buzzing sounds of hair dryers.

What are your favorite spots to grab lunch when you're on your feet all day seeing clients at the LA location?

CT: You will find us in or ordering from these L.A. favorites: Kreation Organic, Erewhon, Gracias Madre, Sweet Greens, Cafe Gratitude. 

How do you survive fashion week/s with standard American style catering?

JR: New York Fashion Week is fairly vegan-friendly because the city is filled with veg options at every level of dining. Juice Press is a go-to all fashion week. The grab-and-go is filled with fresh and raw juices and vegan snack options that pack easily and fuel the team very well. We do not depend on catering—we are too busy back stage to find provisions!

Eating during the day is minimal but we do plan great dinners. I'm at ABCV every week and in-between take out from JaJaJa, Double Zero 00, or the fake tuna salad from Le Botaniste—and the vegan Caesar from Scarrs Pizza is insanely good.

How often are you on the road each month and where? Where are your favorite vegan restaurants in those cities?

JR: As we see guests and train our teams together in most cities, much of our meals are together on the road. In San Francisco, we love Burma Love—veggie soups and Laphet-Tea Leaf Salad are delish. Also, bon, nene, Gracias Madre, NoJo ramen (the vegan ramen should not be missed), Beloved and Al’s Place. In Chicago, you can often find us at Althea or Veggie Grill. Whole Foods recently opened one block away from our Lakeview salon, the smoothie bar and salad bar always work.

Further south, our Nashville Spoke & Weal is located right above True Foods Kitchen which delivers the goods every time! We are newer to Nashville so looking forward to exploring more. In Boston, Juice Press is around the corner and always hits the spot. Falafel Salad with Green Goddess dressing will fill you up for many hours.

In London, we like Yautacha for veggie dim sum and Detox Kitchen.

Any favorite airport restaurants or handy tips for plant-based road warriors?

CT: Traveling through many airports has become easier on the snacks end of things—meals are not on our agenda. If the flight justifies more than snacks we will do grab and go from Juice Press or many of the places above. Most often snacks suffice and below is our short list and most options are available at Cibo Express, Hudson News, or other airport snack and gift shops.

The GFB gluten free bites in the PBJ favor

Banana Bites - PB flavor

Chrunchsters - Sea Salt 

Smart Sweets - someone figured out how to make vegan gummies sweetened with stevia and monkfruit and they actually taste perfect! 

Louisville Vegan Jerky

Dried Mango (unsweetened)

Any other vegan and/or healthy travel trips you can share?

Travel tip: we each have a pair of bamboo utensils and water bottles. The utensils come in a narrow nylon pouch and include a spoon, straw, chopsticks, a fork and knife. We do our best to avoid using disposable goods. Traveling already takes a large amount of resources. The straws - metal or bamboo are great. Yes, a couple extra steps in rinsing and washing but this easily becomes routine. Single use plastic is insane—and very difficult to avoid. Bamboo utensils and reusable straws is a no brainer.

Las Vegas Is Now A Decadent Wellness Wonderland

You know that hungover look on nearly everyone’s face walking down the aisle of a Sunday afternoon flight out of Las Vegas? Or the jokes that friends tell one another at the beginning of a decadent, celebratory Vegas weekend about how they will ‘pay later’ for health transgressions to which they blithely agree? With the city’s many recent wellness developments, the hangovers and headaches of Vegas visits past are entirely optional. Las Vegas’ healthy dining innovations, fitness openings and many superlative spas make it easy to leave Las Vegas feeling as energized as when you arrived.

It takes more than a single shot of wheatgrass to balance out wine-paired dinners or after-dinner nightlife, sure, but with some light planning a ‘balanced’ trip is completely in reach. And might even put an unexpected twist on the next bachelorette weekend or post-conference stay. From sweating out the previous night’s Nobu omakase dinner at SoulCyle to indulging in the best in plant-based dinners, here are Sin City’s top destinations for an energized, health-spiked and very Vegas weekend itinerary.

Getting Started

My first stop in Las Vegas after a five hour road trip from Los Angeles was a Desert Detox spa treatment at the Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas on the North side of the strip. The casino-free, non-smoking hotel is smaller than most of the others in the area at 424 rooms, and a visit to their spa makes for a gentle entree into the crowds and noise that will fill the remainder of the weekend. The Desert Detox, I was told, is more popular in the mornings on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons - when people are on their way out of town. But I found that a 90-minute scrub, algae wrap and massage with body butter was just the thing I needed to decompress from hours of travel.

Checking In

The Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace is one of the quietest, most serenely decorated properties in Las Vegas. It’s also located within Caesars Palace so the action is just an elevator ride away. In-room washrooms are stocked with Natura Bisse toiletries and Toto toilets. For luxe digs with a nod to wellness and major convenience - it’s hard to top Nobu’s first hotel outpost.

Getting the Lay of the Land

For a visual overview of the area, and a chance to get some fresh air, I ventured on a 15-minute, nighttime helicopter ride looping around the strip with Maverick Helicopters. For all of the overwhelming tourist pricing on the strip, the ride feels like a steal at $100 per person. Getting to see the Strip from above - the classic developments alongside the shiny and new - with just the whirring of machinery as a soundtrack, is breathtaking.

The Healthiest Prix-Fixes in Vegas

Staying at Nobu Hotel means at any given time while onsite, you are no more than 50 feet from dining at Nobu Las Vegas, purveyors of one of the best vegan meals in town. Its signature vegan omakase is constantly changing and even if you chose to dine on-premises each night you’re in town (how dreamy!), a completely different tasting experience will await each time.

Across the street and south a few blocks are the Wynn properties, home to Las Vegas’ best-known vegan meals. Los Angeles’ Tal Ronen is a consulting chef at Wynn properties, ensuring all vegan fare is thoughtful, creative and excellent. The Wynn’s Costa di Mare, a restaurant better known for fresh seafood than the eatery’s impressive plant-based options, serves a prix-fixe option with a wine pairing, where vegan options include vegan-Italian menu of fresh vegetables, pillowy ravioli and a rainbow of sorbets, all served lakeside. If you’re after a large helping of people-watching and scene-y vibes with a side of dinner, Beauty & Essex serves up a number of vegan options and delicious cocktails inside one of the Strip’s chicest, buzziest spaces.

Mornings are for Sweating

The Wynn Plaza is a new shopping center that’s just opened in Fall of 2018, now home to Las Vegas’ first SoulCycle location. Teachers have been imported from the brand’s major markets to teach alongside locals and the music is impressively appropriate for a city who is setting the bar in EDM with its celebrity DJ residencies. Other options include Sweat 60 at the Cosmopolitan and Fawnia Monday’s famed Pole Fitness pole dancing fitness studio.

Serene Spas

In addition to the Four Seasons calm, intimate spa, many other casino hotels offer decadent, smart options for spa-goers. The new Waldorf Astoria offers a large treatment menu, including a classic European facial, a thorough, old school-meets new combining classic facial techniques with beauty devices made by local beauty-tech startup FOREO. The treatment includes cleansing, extractions, massage, masking and some lymphatic drainage around the eyes - all with the help of FOREO’s silicone-covered facial devices and OSEA’s clean beauty products. For post-treatment soothing, all 16 treatment rooms have views of the surrounding desert. The spa has endless number of experiential wellness rooms, from a laconium to herbal steam rooms and an ice fountain. Closer to Nobu, within the Caesars Palace grounds, Qua Spa offers offers treatments in a large spa complex, where well-trained therapists offer effective therapies for soothing away muscles tired from SoulCycle or a night of dancing.  

Preparing for a Night Out

Engaging the help of beauty app BeGlammed to assist with an in-room blowout and makeup application in preparation for a night out is a blessing from the technology and VC gods for the time-crunched and those of us who spend most of their days in leggings and a ‘no makeup makeup’ look at best. With four hours notice, BeGlammed’s local stylists can be in your hotel room getting you ready while you mentally prepare for a marathon evening of dining, drinking and dancing. Alternatively, if a true salon experience is more your speed, Cosmopolitan’s Sahra Spa and Hamman offers it in spades. The salon at the youngest feeling luxe casino on the Strip is filled, seven days a week, with women and men fixing up manicures, going for ‘Vegas glam’ makeup applications and sitting for blow outs that can withstand the desert heat. The sparkling wine and local gossip is flowing while a combination of veteran and up-and-coming stylists work their magic, a recipe for an afternoon well-spent.

Between Dinner and After-after Dinner

Did you really go to Vegas if you leaving without seeing the the city’s homegrown, world-class theater productions? Currently, it seems that Cirque du Soleil and Spiegelworld run this town - and there’s a reason why. For impressive physical feats by some of the most talented performers in the world, any show by either of these producers will not disappoint. If bawdy, variety show-style humor is more your speed then Spiegelworld’s Absinthe or Opium shows might be the ticket. If elegant acrobatics and stunning backdrops are what you’re looking for then any one of Cirque’s shows will do the trick.

Late Night

The volume and quality of music happening across Las Vegas can easily overwhelm even the most jaded aficionado of EDM. During the spring and summer months, especially, choosing the ‘best’ show is a fool’s errand. That said, as a place to start, Wynn’s XS nightclub is celebrating its ten-year anniversary, and hosting a series of residencies to mark the milestone. As part of my own healthy Las Vegas research, I stopped by a recent Chainsmokers show to do a 30-minute dance floor ‘drive by’ and ended up dancing for four hours. Similarly, the following night I stopped by the new On The Record nightclub at the Park MGM with the same 30-minute ‘get a peek’ and go plan, and after ducking into the club’s chic little speakeasy for a craft cocktail walked out into Wyclef Jean performing an ‘only in Vegas’ style show that delayed my early-to-bed plans for a few hours.

Even with late nights out dancing and taking in the best in Las Vegas entertainment, some basic planning (book workouts in advance, try a plant-based meal) can keep you hangover-free and fully energized for an entire Vegas weekend.