Paradise found: for food, fun and culture, you can't beat these 13 veg-friendly small towns - vegetarian-friendly towns

Vegetarian Times, June, 1995 by Mark Harris

THE SOUTHWEST

ARCATA, CALIF.

(population: 15, 211) A slice of ecotopia in the heart of redwood country. Vegetarians and back-to-the-landers came here in the '60s to study at free-spirited Humboldt State University and never left, turning this one-time timber stronghold into a bastion for environmentalists; members of the Greens political party serve on city council. Arcata is part of Humboldt County, which boasts almost as many artists per capita as Mendocino County.

Vegetarian restaurants: The Tofu Shop; Wildflower Cafe and Bakery

Veg-friendly restaurants: Most, including Mexican Casa de Que Pasa, Spoons Take-Out Kitchen and a natural foods deli.

Natural food store: Arcata Food Co-op

Vegetarian support: Sacramento Vegetarian Society, about 300 miles southeast

Earth-friendly attributes: Network of wetlands and marshes filter city's wastewater. Spraying herbicides prohibited on city land. Center for Environmental Economic Development established to create environmentally sound jobs in area. Innovative and aggressive city recycling program. Farmers' market.

Access to nature: Stands of redwoods beckon in two state parks north and south of city, offering hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. Within city limits is the 575-acre Community Forest, complete with redwoods. Local Sequoia Park and Zoo (54 acres) displays more of the giant tree, and features a petting zoo, walking trails and a duck pond.

Cultural life: There's opera and theater, augmented by cultural offerings of Humboldt U. Best draw is annual Humboldt Folklife Festival, which spotlights the big-name folk artists. Worth noting: One resident who works at the local recycled-paper merchant calls Arcata "the Santa Cruz of Northwest California," offering a smaller, greener version of its veg-friendly southern cousin. How eco-friendly is Arcata? An Earth flag flies alongside the U.S. and California banners at city hall.

CHICO, CALIF.

(population: 39,970) Nestled in the grasslands of die Sacramento Valley, Chico stands apart from its neighbors, thanks to hundreds of trees planted here in the 1860s by the town's founder. It has retained its rural, small-town flavor while attracting a diverse and open-minded community of herbalists, acupuncturists, chiropractors, massage therapists, healers and a nearby spiritual intentional community.

Vegetarian restaurant: Cafe Sandino

Veg-friendly restaurants: The Kramore Inn uses organic produce, the Speedy Burrito stores sell a good McDougall plate and all the pizza joints in town are willing to make a cheese-free pizza on request (the best, say residents, is Pizza Face). Perkos and Lyons, local coffee shops, carry vegetarian burgers.

Natural food stores: The Chico Natural Foods Co-op

Vegetarian support: Earthsave chapter, which holds monthly potlucks. Farm Sanctuary (in Orland, 20 miles west).

Earth-friendly attributes: Recycling drop-off center. Farmers' market with mostly organic produce. Good network of bike paths.

Access to nature: Home to Bidwell Park, one of the largest city parks in the nation. Good hiking and backpacking in Feather River Canyon and Butte Creek Canyon, known locally as the Little Grand Canyon. Towering mountain ranges, large expanses of national forests, parks and recreational areas are all within an hour's drive.