Las Vegas, NV
Go Raw Cafe
2910 Lake East Drive
Las Vegas, NV 89117
To start off our trip my driving companion, who was to drive me cross-country in an effort to help me move, and I spent a night in Las Vegas. There was some debauchery of sorts but what's more memorable is the food we had here to jumpstart us on our following adventurous. Fresh, healthy, and made me feel 1000 times better, and ready for the inevitable junk food I would have to eat on 10 hour jaunts through the middle of nowhere. Read my review of Go Raw Cafe here, but for now enjoy this photo of the Vegi-cotti (half-sized portion, by the way) that I had the pleasure of chowing down on!
and I can't forget about these raw coconut macaroons! Compliments to a creative chef!
Albuquerque, NM
Annapurna Ayurvedic Cuisine & Chai House
2201 Silver St. SE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
This was my first unplanned night alone. With only 1,000 miles down with a copilot and 2,300 left to go alone I set out to find some yummy food to lift my spirits. I had never dined at a Ayurvedic restaurant before so it was a natural choice to go here. I ordered a samosa and the bowl of the day ( I forget what the specific term for it is) and a cookie for later. I was a bit disappointed in my meal, regretfully so. I don't even have any photos to share! If I were to ever return to this supposed oasis in the desert I would definitely order something more extravagant but considering I didn't have much of an appetite, nor anyone to share it with I stuck to the smallest basics that were on the menu. The chutney was definitely delicious but I have had much better samosas in my lifetime that have stood on their own sans the complementing taste of chutney! Also, if a nonvegan were to bite into the cookie that I myself had to force myself to swallow it would be a great turn off! The word "cardboard" comes to mind. The atmosphere of this place is definitely top-notch, I'd advise getting some chai and taking advantage of the wi-fi and NOT take your order to go if you ever find yourself in my position, on the course of a long drive. I had left my laptop behind in my hotel so this wasn't a choice I had at the time.
St. Louis, MO
Foundation Grounds
7298 Manchester Rd
Maplewood, MO 63143
I stayed the night in Missouri but nowhere near St. Louis. I had this place in mind when I hit the road and after approx. 5 hours of driving without having had a meal in at least 16 I was so ready to get here! Especially since I planned on driving at least 4 more following this heavenly lunch. It is a bit outside of the city, as you can see by the address, in a very unassuming part of town. The atmosphere is chill but I wouldn't call the mood "chill", instead the guy who took my order came off as unfriendly and I must say I was expecting a little more warmth from the midwest. If he had anything to do with making my sandwich, however, then he can consider himself forgiven! This place caught my eye on Yelp after I read a mention about likening it to a cafe in Santa Cruz, CA... that's all it took and I was sold. I ordered the sandwich and soup meal dealio and it was bombastic! They are lacking on having many vegan selections but the "chicken" salad sandwich is clearly marked vegan on the menu, as was the carrot-squash soup of the day. I'm always a sucker for squash soups.
Indianapolis, IN
3 Sister Cafe & Bakery
6360 Guilford Ave
Indianapolis, IN 46220
Out of all of the places I ventured in and through during my first trek across the country Indianapolis is a place I definitely want to visit again! I only spent the night, then woke up to a hazy morning, and set out on my way to 3 Sisters before making my way to DC (being alone caused me to be on overdrive instead of taking our time as initially planned). This place is adorable and the people are VERY friendly. Having options on the menu, clearly marked, made it very difficult for me to pick a meal! I am happy with my choice and you can read my full review of 3 Sisters via the trusty Yelp. Here is a picture of my super hearty sandwich for your viewing pleasure! Sorry about the quality, my camera was left behind so all but the first photo are from the archives of my mobile device!
Washington,DC
Soul Vegetarian's Exodus
2606 Georgia Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001
How could I not go here with a name like that?! It was beckoning me the moment I read the name of it, and the reviews just inspired me to salivate with no control. The photo below doesn't look like much but I assure you this was QUITE the novel dining experience! It's fittingly on Georgia Ave as it is definitely soul food that can rival anything of the meat variety in the southern states, not that I have ever had any meaty southern food! But I can imagine and the popularity of this restaurant to visitors as well as those who live in the neighborhood, where fried chicken is on every corner, speaks volumes more than my written words can! I got a platter for myself and sat down and read a book determined to eat every morsel. Upon seeing the mac and cheese and the country-fried "steak" I was definitely expecting to feel disgustingly full and greasy upon leaving this establishment but some sort of miracle occurred and I did NOT! Something to be said about only using vegetable oil and avoiding trans-fats because generally speaking I do not do well with anything fried if I have more than an average of 3 bites. I felt fine and not at all uncomfortable after leaving here, well not uncomfortable in terms of the food anyway.... walking the neighboring streets alone is another story. It was very cool to be able to eat this type of food, as I never had before. I wouldn't do it everyday but chicken-fried "steak" is not a word I had ever really used in my food vocabulary before. To be honest I think the cabbage was my favorite part! This place is a must for vegans, everything is on-limits, especially those of you who miss this type of food from your previously carnivorous days!
Boston, MA
Peace O' Pie
487 Cambridge Street
Boston, MA 02134
So apparently this place is technically in Boston although it's on the Cambridge side of things (aka MIT and Harvard, with the smarties). ALL of the pizzas are vegan and therefore, per usual, my decision was hard. It all came down to the fact that I have never had a BBQ chicken pizza in my life and thus why we chose the, guess what!, BBQ "chicken" pizza. Wanna see a pic? OHHHH welll.... here ya go! SOOO DELISH!!!!
Summary: I am determined to teach people that it is possible to survive as a vegan while traveling, and in this case across my OWN country! Mission accomplished, although I feel like I've gained 12 lbs, I did not. I strive to eat fresh ingredients and something is to be said about doing so on a road trip! The 2 meals in a 3 day period equation complemented by fruit and nuts plus the occasional walk through a city lead to me feeling my possible best during this adventure. I had fast food only once during the duration of driving 3000+ miles. 
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