Given it’s a major holiday weekend, Hood River was still remarkably calm this morning.

Maybe that’s because I started my day with a session at Big Buddha Yoga on their grand opening day. The class, led by Johanna Siskar, included a calming pranayama practice.

From there, I headed to the Hood River Farmer’s Market and met great local entrepreneurs. The founders of the upcoming Votum restaurant served up some of the tastiest oysters ever – Kusshi, that had a buttery flavor and firm consistency. Best part was that I didn’t have to shuck them – I bought a shucking knife a few weeks back, but haven’t quite mastered it! I can barely wait for their seafood eatery to open this fall.

From there, I learned about full-spectrum CBD salves made locally here in Hood River by Sunrise 360, and how their calming blend is a good option for slowing down in the evening, given the lavender used in the mixture, whereas the warming blend has a bit of heat and spice, from sweet orange and cayenne. Both benefit athletes, with a mix of CBD and arnica to soothe sore muscles.

I finished up my exploration of the market chatting with Tonia of Queen of Hearts Hemp Health, who explained the health benefits of their products, which include hemp hearts, salad dressing, and hemp-based chocolate milk, which was the perfect after-yoga drink – creamy and healthy.

After all those adventures, I concluded the day with fire fish ramen and a craft sake flight at Mugen Noodles, one of my favorite spots in Hood River.