Sondra Stocker
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Need to get away? Then stay. You live in a city that people like to escape to. You should too. Instead of packing up, taking off, and expanding your carbon footprint to some asinine size, stay put and take a staycation in Santa Monica.
Stay: Shangri-La Hotel
An important component to a staycation is truly conjuring an out-of-town state of mind. The best way to do this is to remove yourself from your daily surroundings and get away, without actually getting away?which would require getting on a plane, a train, or committing to a time-consuming, carbon footprint-enlarging drive. So, pack your bags because you are going on a staycation at the brand new eco-conscious Santa Monica hotel Shangri-La. The recent $30 million redo has transformed the Ocean Ave. hotel into a sleek, art deco/contemporary hot spot for the new age, complete with a green attitude letting staycationers (and out-of-towners) decompress in the sustainable escape with good conscience. It also landed them on the Time Magazine Green Design 100 List! Hotelier Tehmina Adaya says, "Hotels are notoriously one of the biggest offenders to the environment, and we wanted to challenge this idea by incorporating easy elements to eliminate excessive and unnecessary waste." So what went into its greening? For starters, hybrid owners get $5 off overnight valet parking. "Bottled"water (both still and sparkling) is made in-house from Natura Waters and packaged in glass bottles that are then sanitized and reused. An electric cart transports hotel staff for local errands. Rooms are equipped with dual flush, low flow toilets to help conserve LA's limited water supply. Food comes from local farmer's markets. A gray water filtration/settling station has been installed to take all impurities out of the runoff water before releasing it. The fabulous pool is solar heated. And if I continue to go on this will be a novel, not a blog post? Translation: Looking for a spot to stay for your staycation? You found it.
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| Shangri-La |
Hike: Westridge
One misconception about LA is that the only outdoor activity is the beach. Not so. Hiking is a favorite green fitness and grounding activity for those in the know, and Santa Monica is home to some of the best. Truly, what could be better: spending the morning on a trail high atop the city, then the afternoon oceanside. No wonder so many tourists descend on our digs! For some of the best ocean and city views, Westridge (a dog friendly 7 mile- roundtrip fire trail beside a biker's playground of side trails) is the perfect outdoor, walk and talk exercise opportunity that you will become addicted to. Believe me?
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| Laurel House |
Eat: Kreation Kafe
You know those little restaurant gems that once you "discover"you consider to be yours? It's that place you go every week at the same time, sit at the same table, and eat the same meal. You almost feel an odd ownership over it. And as much as you want to spread the word about how great it is, you don't want to lose your table due to descending crowds who too will call this little place "theirs."Well that's how I feel about Kreation Kafe in Santa Monica. The organic, certified green restaurant is my Saturday morning, post-hiking brunch spot. I go with my mom and our two pups. I order the Roman with poached organic eggs instead of fried, plus a side of house-made hummus with a drizzle of walnut oil, thinly sliced fennel and 3 raw almonds?who would have thought that hummus and eggs is such a pleasing combo! With just 4 tables outside (plus a bunch inside), it is the perfect perch to people watch all of the stroller-pushing moms and strolling couples along Montana Ave. Kreation uses local farmer's market fare to create their delicious mostly organic breakfasts, tapas, salads, soups, sandwiches, Kabobs, and desserts. It's truly one of those places that you find yourself thinking about the night before, and you even go to bed early for. Yes, this place is "mine." But I am willing to share? with just a couple of people. 1023 Montana Ave. Santa Monica, 310.458.4880 www.kreationkafe.com
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| Laurel House |
Shop: Santa Monica Farmer's Market- Wednesday
Wednesday Santa Monica Farmer's Market is the foodie place to be. Local chefs come en masse to stock up on organic ingredients for their restaurants. Even if you prefer dining to cooking? go. The energy will ignite you. The scents (and sometimes samples) of fresh clipped fruits and vegetables, local cheeses and fish, organic (and therefore unbelievably fragrant) flowers, and even a few prepared dishes will inspire you. The figs, the wild strawberries, the white peaches are heavenly. Grab your reusable bag and savor the sensory experience. It also happens to be stocked with celebrities (and therefore some discreet paparazzi) and often ends up fueling "celeb spotted"photos in numerous guilty pleasure rags.
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| Greg Peterson |
Smell: Strange and Invisible Perfumes
You eat organic food, slather biodynamic products on your skin, and parade down the street in conscious clothing because you realize that your body is a temple and the last thing you want to do is taint it with toxic chemicals? but then you spritz your favorite chemical-perfume all over your skin just so you can smell like everyone else strutting down the street? Well that's about to stop. Strange and Invisible Perfumes is crafted from completely natural and purely botanical ingredients found in nature, including the purest essential oils of flowers, plants and resins, without any synthetically derived chemicals. They then create surprisingly divine combinations, each with an utterly romantic back story and a scent that instantly induces an almost visceral reaction. The scents are complex, and almost architecturally structured with multiple layers that unfold on the skin. Many of the combinations are inspired by literature, history and art. They are a feast for gourmands and a playground for those turned on by the scent sense.
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| Strange and Invisible |
The shop on Abbott Kinney is a must for any Green LA Staycation, or really any other day that you happen to have a few hours to be completely intoxicated by scents so yummy (literally, some of them almost provide a gastronomical experience) you may want to stay all day. Therapeutically beneficial hydrosol-infused waters are offered, as are little nibbles of farmer's market this and that?like figs, almonds, and chocolate. But I digress. I was completely bowled over by Black Rosette, a scent reminiscent of a Gucci loafer clad gentleman seated in his study with a small vase of roses situated in the corner that one client called her "S&M scent"is crafted from African roses, black tea, leather and spearmint. Fair Verona, inspired by Shakespeare's Juliet, is almost effervescent on the skin with notes of jasmine, sandalwood, mimosa and pink grapefruit popping through. Lyric Rain, composed of jasmine, pink pepper, blue lotus, patchouli and lavender, inspired by the Dorothy Parker poem Testament, has an almost cult-like cult following (that includes me). And then there's Arunima, meaning "glow of dawn"in Sanskrit, made with blue lotus, Madagascan vanilla, frankincense, cardamom and key lime, and with its almost edible qualities on the skin, it's what I finally settled on. You can be sure that I will be going back again to buy the others. Afterall, every mood can dictate a need for a different perfume. 1138 Abbot Kinney, Venice, CA 800-919-7472 www.siperfumes.com
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| Strange and Invisible |
Spa: Loews Santa Monica Ocean Spa & Fitness
Sure, it's a hotel. But pretty much all oceanfront property has been snagged by hotels showing off our drool-worthy coastline to throngs of travelers who made the trek just to get a glimpse and soak in the scene? which is why locals tend to descend in droves for lazy afternoons and after dinner drinks. The Loews Santa Monica's recently revealed Ocean Spa & Fitness is attracting so many locals they have created a gym and spa membership program, allowing those of us who prefer to workout with a view of the ocean over sweating it up with the masses at another gym. But it's not just the location that's attracting the locals, it's the attitude. The hotel's "Green Team"has greened up the place and was even recognized with a "Sustainable Quality Award" from the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. Their good green deeds are lengthy, but today let's just focus on the spa?
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| Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel |
Ocean Spa & Fitness embraces nurture and nature incorporating eco-friendly design elements like Ecoresin panels made from 40-percent post-industrial recycled resin, Armstrong sustainable ceiling tiles, reclaimed-wood furniture pieces, Mondo recycled rubber floors and Shaw carpet with Cradle to Cradle Certification. But it doesn't stop at the aesthetic. Treatments like the "Aroma Synergy"massage and "Stream of Consciousness"scalp treatment incorporate certified organic essential oils by Red Flower-- an eco-responsible company that uses sustainably harvested ingredients, biodegradable products and recycled packaging. Once you're suitably de-stressed, amble out to the terrace for a light snack made from local farmer's market ingredients as you watch the waves lap in front of you. Oh? just another day in LA.
Dine: Wilshire
Yes, it is a serious hot spot. But more than a place for beautiful locals to see and be seen while dining on some seriously sumptuous dishes, Wilshire is surprisingly green. A fixture at the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmer's Market, Executive Chef Andrew Kirschner, stocks his walk in with seasonal organic produce from small family farmers whenever possible and sources meat and fish responsibly with sustainability in mind. Solar-heated water pumps into the dishwasher, recycled lumber decks out the back patio, vegetable trim is composted out back, fair trade coffee is brewed in oxygen-bleached filters, all recyclables are recycled, the place is dimly lit with CFLs and LEDs, they won a Sustainable Quality Award grand prize from the city of Santa Monica this year, oh, and Chef drives a biodiesel car fueled by the used oil from the restaurant's fryers. Enough said. Now go and enjoy. It's hard not to.
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| Wilshire |
More on Staycations and Los Angeles:
Planet Green Videos: Greenovate Tips: Los Angeles, CA
My Sultry Summer Park Slope Staycation
Top 12 Staycations in Queens, NY
