Since I was in my late teens I have been a big believer in the power of vitamins and nutrients.
(Image of Whole Foods from WholeFoods.com – All Rights Reserved).
I have flirted off and on with being a full blown vegetarian and a vegan with limited success.
Why? While I respect and admire both types of dietary plans, I have always find that both require time to shop and cook, things I rarely do. Yes, I can cook, but I would rather write.
Yes of course I can shop, but again I would rather write or work on HairBoutique.com so it becomes a major chore instead of a joy. As a result I don’t always eat the best but I am devoted to my nutritional supplements.
The last few times I was in LA on business I would always scope out the local Whole Foods or equivalent and figure out how to get there in the most efficient manner. Upon arriving in LA and checking into our bed bug free hotel I told Edan we had to go to Whole Foods. The one I remembered the best which was closest to us was the Whole Foods on 3rd Street. Sure enough, it was still there.
What I had forgotten but instantly remembered was what a zoo the parking lot was. Maybe it was the time of day we went (Sunday mid-afternoon) or maybe the weather was just perfect for shopping or maybe everyone was loading up on vitamins to protect against swine flu. I can’t say for sure, but if my memory serves me, I actually experienced a similar shopping frenzy a few years ago when I was in town.
Sure enough, it took several minutes to find a parking spot in the jammed lot. Once Edan and I managed to park the car, we had to dodge cars getting into the Whole Foods, which was jammed with people. Once inside the Whole Foods workers were so friendly, polite and helpful that I found my supplements in a flash. I also picked up some water and my favorite organic yogurt. Edan bought some unusual water from Hawaii that caught her eye.
Getting out of the parking lot was almost as much trouble as getting in. You basically have two ways to exit and neither way is very easy. If you turn out onto 3rd Street it is difficult to turn around and go the opposite direction. Optionally you can go out the side street and attempt to make a left or right onto 3rd. Both exits were jammed with cars.
Edan, who was driving, has a lot more patience than I do. Besides being a nervous driver, I am even a bigger mess as a passenger. Edan took her time and patiently waited in a very long line to exit the side street and merge into traffic to turn left onto 3rd. Somehow her patience and persistence got us out of harms way and we made it back to our hotel.
The Whole Foods market on 3rd is one of the best I’ve been too and I have to say it is even better than any in Dallas, which I visit on a regular basis. The store has an amazing collection of fresh followers, all natural hair and beauty products and of course produce, organic products and healthy food. The aisles are wide, well organized and even the other customers seem relatively polite and courteous.
Although I have seen celebrities shopping in Whole Foods before, this visit did not net a single spotting. It didn’t really matter, to me the most important factor was getting in and getting out with my required supplements.
I always wonder why Whole foods doesn’t build a huge parking garage for the 3rd Street store in Beverly Hills but I’m sure that would not be good for the environment and certainly might destroy the aesthetics of the location. One thing I have to save for Beverly Hills and the surrounding areas, it is certainly very beautiful. That’s one thing that never seems to change.
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