What was sobering surprising fact upon the tour of Muir woods is that … California retains only 3% of the redwoods today. That’s right – 3%; not 30 % but 3% remains.
Had two beautiful visitors from Japan this week … where do most tourists want to visit while in the Bay Area? At least I helped check off few off their list: Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge; super fresh sandwiches (sour dough for sure) or colorful wraps (rainbow colored:) in Sausalito overlooking the blue waters; drive the winding road to Muir Woods, hike then onto Mill Valley for chai latte and eyeing this new chocolate bar I have never seen before – only in Mill Valley – “Cacao Meets Yoga”? Had to read up on Elements chocolates – it’s no dairy, no refined sugar – sweetened with raw honey – based on Ayurvedic principals to upp the Prana quotient … enticing, isn’t it? As I looked up the product, here’s a blurb from their homepage which convinced me that even though I had sworn off chocolate bars for some time, this can be an exception ! Definitely sounds like a yogi copywriter:
All Elements Truffles products are made with all-natural, locally-sourced ingredients that increase prana (life force energy) and support the attainment of balance in mind, body, and spirit. All chocolates are made with three staple ingredients: Raw Cacao Butter (Peruvian Criollo), Raw Honey, and Organic Raw Cacao Powder, along with our specially-crafted additions. Our Peppermint Inflused with Lavendar Bar, for instance, contains Peppermint Essential Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Organic Lavender Flowers and Himalayan Sea Salt. We don’t use “natural flavor” because our flavors are truly from nature.
Sweet !
After the little break from the hike, I took the lovely guests back to Berkeley! Then onto the stop-and-go traffic back to the Peninsula … easily over 100 miles logged in one day just showing this beautiful Bay Area to international guests. They had actually cancelled their trip to Yosemite due to the forest fire (so sad) so here I am trying to makeup to appeal to them that – yes, California is beautiful (as long as mountains are not on fire !)
So much driving by this amateur tour guide – while there was a lot of hiking in terms of exercise, what does one do with so much sitting driving and your hips and right and your back is aching and your shoulders are full of knots? Yes, it’s time for yoga:)