Cannabis and all of its green wonders wasn't the only thing that will keep me coming back to Boulder again. The city and all of its residents are the poster people for low tox lifestyle and living. They truly talk the talk and walk the walk, and it's evident when you stroll down the beautiful Pearl Street and enjoy its shops and restaurants.
A breathtaking drive down the mountain brought my friend and I to a fun and fabulous (and very popular) restaurant in downtown named Snooze. Not only supremely delicious, but doing some great green things too! And I've always been a sucker for a great logo and atmosphere, which Snooze totally delivered on. Snooze prides themselves on real ingredients, responsibly sourced, and thoughtfully prepared.
The "Sweet Potato Veggie Smash Up" is two smashed and grilled sweet potatoes with pickled onion and asparagus, red onion & mushroom salad. Topped with avocado, poached cage-free egg and hemp seeds. Drizzled with house made Snooze Sriaxha maple syrup. Umm....YUM! Sweet and savory all at once, and packed with nutrition.
For my friend, The "Spuds Deluxe" delivered just what she needed with a heaping portion of hash browns, covered with melted cheddar and jack cheese, scallions, with her choice of fillings which were of course onions and tomato. Top that with two cage-free eggs served over easy, and bam! perfection.
Snooze boasts that 100% of their deliveries are carbon neutral. A HUGE deal. In 2021 with 768,058 orders at 1,177 metric tons over 3 million miles were not driven in serving their customers. WOW. Go Snooze!
Wandering on from breakfast, Pearl Street continued to inspire me with its shops and wares. When we came upon Savannah Bee, of course we had to stop. I was very familiar with the brand, as I used to sell it online.
Savannah Bee is known internationally for it's rare artisanal honeys and luxury body care. They collect pure, rare, delectable honeys and educate the world about the wonders of honey and the bee. The shop is not only charming, but incredibly beautiful. Spacious too! And the prices were extremely reasonable for the high quality offerings of these incredible products.
The store is filled with just about every product you can imagine that could, and should, be made with this wonder ingredient. Einstein himself once said, "If bees disappear off the globe then man would only have 4 years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man." Well. How can we argue with that?! Sweet as honey, and sure to perform, Savannah Bee products are a cut above the rest and a testament to harvesting from nature all the powers that "bee".
So, are you learning now that "Zero Waste" can really be a thing? It's nothing new; it's been done long before us and the industrilization of our food chain and processes. This led us to a visit at the first of it's kind, Zero-Waste grocer in Boulder, Nude Foods Market.
It's SO important to see a return to the old fashioned glass jars, and bulk of days gone by. I instantly felt like I was walking into something out of Little House on the Prairie. When you walk in you feel like you have stepped back in time. Rows and shelves lined with everything you could ever need in the kitchen, beautifully exposed and contained in glass jars so you can actually SEE what you are buying. They work on a deposit system, where everything is packaged in re-useable containers that you receive a refund for when you come back to refill, or give back.
We couldn't really figure out anything that was missing from our typical modern day grocery list. It was all just so much more beautiful and appealing. We grabbed a few free items from the "last call" table, and were happy to take home a couple of prize goodies to share with our Boulder friends for our last meal together before we left. Nude Foods second store is opening soon in Denver. And we can't wait to come back and visit that one too! No plastics, no waste, no garbage. No kidding.
Since we do so love to consciously indulge sometimes, I tracked down one of the coolest and most beautiful hotels that I have visited to date, St. Julien Hotel. Mind you this was because yet another flight was cancelled for me. But what an awesome reason to visit the only LEED certified hotel in Boulder!
It's boutique. It's stunning. It's St. Julien. Since the inception of their Go Green sustanability intiatives, the hotel has reduced electricity usage by 22% per occupied room, gas usage by 14% per occupied room, and water usage by 21% per occupied room. They have earned several awards including the Colorado Hotel & Lodgin Association's Good Earth Keeping Award and are a Gold Partner of Colorado Environmental Leaders Program.
The hotel is committed to minimizing the impact on the environment, while satisfying the needs of the guests. Needless to say, as if the luxury bathtub, robes, slippers, and eco friendly products in the room weren't enough; the views and food on the back patio were!
Oh Boulder. How I love you. Until next time!
XO Be Well,
Jules