MENDOCINO, Calif. — "This is an awfully long way to go eat vegetables," joked my husband. Still, the four-hour drive from San Francisco had been a pleasant journey. We passed romantic Napa Valley vineyards, cloaks of towering redwoods, and finally the road opened to unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean along California's coastal Highway 1.

"I wonder if we'll miss eating meat," he winked as we arrived at the Stanford Inn by the Sea, a vegan eco-resort.

Sunset on the inn at Stanford Inn By the Sea ((Stanford Inn By the Sea))

Most guests are not vegan

We received surprised looks from our Dallas friends when we announced our plans for an all plant-based vacation in California. Our interest in Stanford Inn began a year ago upon the release of the Dining at The Ravens cookbook (published by Dallas publishing house BenBella Vegan, (benbellavegan.com). Their award-winning vegan restaurant was named after the handsome black birds regularly circling the property. We loved the recipes so much we incorporated them into our monthly meal rotations at home.

We aren't turning vegan, but we do want to learn how to cook more with vegetables. We soon learned from Sid Garza-Hillman, Stanford Inn's wellness programs director and kitchen director, that we weren't the only ones.

"Most of our guests are not vegan," said Garza-Hillman. Why do they come? I asked. "Just look at the resort," he said. "It's beautiful out here."

Stanford Inn organic gardens ((Cheryl Ng Collett))

The perfection of slow living

Perched up on a rugged hillside, the lodge possessed spectacular views to lift spirits and lower the blood pressure. Even the air felt like wispy freshness when inhaled. Several organic gardens peppered throughout the property let us poke our noses at the rows of food sprouting out of the ground. The vegetable beds were abundant with leafy greens, herbs and wildflowers.

Up on a hill, several children petting horses accepted fresh apples just plucked from a tree by a passing gardener.

For a moment, standing in that idyllic meadow, we suddenly understood the perfection of slow living.

Stanford Inn is truly a labor of love for innkeepers Jeff and Joan Stanford, who have owned the retreat for 36 years.

While the exterior of the lodge is rustic, comfort and luxury dominate inside any of their 32 guest rooms and nine suites. Beware as the lush beds, cozy robes, herbal teas and a wood-burning fireplace tend to take guests captive. More so if you've found a book and a bottle of wine from their amply stocked lobby store. We stuck to our mission and signed up for the three-day Vegan Cooking package.

A polenta breakfast at Stanford Inn. ((Cheryl Ng Collett))

The basics of vegan living

That first morning, our palates delighted over breakfast, a velvety cashew sauce over fragrant orange zested polenta and braised vegetables. Garza-Hillman taught us the basics of vegan living in his Healthy Living class and Clay Houghland, head gardener, imparted his green thumb tips on microgreens, a personalized request since we lived in a high-rise.

Afternoons took a life-changing turn with Sadhana Berkow, creative director and chef instructor of Ravens Restaurant, who introduced us to guiltless dishes like shiitake bacon. We worked hard prepping and cooking with ingredients we had just seen growing outside.

Stanford Inn head gardener Clay Houghland ((Cheryl Ng Collett))

In the evenings, we feasted on tacos made with shredded trumpet royale mushrooms in a barbecue sauce that we swore tasted just like pulled pork or enchiladas smothered with cashew cheese. By day three, we realized that there was so much more to vegan eating than salads. Stanford Inn had exposed us to a plethora of textures, flavors and inspired dishes. Veganism wasn't a life lived without but a world filled with possibilities ... that still included bacon.

In between workshops, we sneaked off to a few vineyards in the Anderson Valley for wine tastings. There were other diversions like canoeing down the Big River, taking a yoga class or simply relaxing in front of the robust fire in the hotel's lounge with afternoon tea.

By the end of the trip, our souls and bodies felt nourished. The unique experience left us with a powerful connection to nature and a sense of how we wanted treat our bodies in the future. We left feeling full, and realized that it wasn't meat we were missing after all.

Cheryl Ng Collett of Dallas is the editor of IttyBittyFoodies.com, a food and travel lifestyle blog for families. Follow her @ittybittyfoodies on Instagram.