Live Lightly Tour

We pulled into Rochester around 7:30 p.m., not really knowing where we were going to park that night (a very common thing for us!). We ended up going on a wild goose chase from one place to the next for an hour and a half. We finally decided to just go straight to the Abundance Food Coop and stay there overnight…we had to be there in the morning for a demo anyway.

Luckily, it was in a semi-decent neighborhood (or at least it looked that way). I only woke up once to screaming, swearing people outside my window…and once when the garbage truck arrived about 10 feet from my pillow at 5am…beep….beep…beep. Ahhhhh….the joys of living in an RV.

We set up in their parking lot, met our contact, Amy…and immediately had people start showing up for tours and asking questions. We remained busy throughout our demo…talking to a variety of people who were interested in eco-living and alternative fuels. I’m always amazed at how diverse our crowds are…from students to retirees. Transportation issues affect all of us…whether you consider yourself “green” or not!

The coop provided us with a delicious lunch and snacks for the road…and we headed off to Canandaigua and Geneva, NY to see the Finger Lakes.

We packed up and left The Pinery…taking back roads all the way back to the U.S./Canadian border. As we came into Niagara Falls on the Canadian side, we were so overwhelmed by the HUGE crowds of people there for the holiday (Canadian Thanksgiving) and the weekend…that we missed our turn and unknowingly headed into the biggest tourist trap ever. There was absolutely no where to turn around, so we crept our way through the traffic and crowds to a turn around point, and headed back. Along the way, we had the most breathtaking view of the waterfalls across on the U.S. side. Holy Moly. If you’re never experienced it, there is just no way to describe the beauty! I was enthralled. It was fun to people watch as we drove along…I think there must have been people from every part of the world there that day. Such diversity and energy…wonderful.

Getting back into the U.S. was unbelievably easy compared to our exit. The official asked us where were were born, looked at our I.D. and opened the gate. Whew!! We wanted to try to park the RV there at the Falls, but couldn’t find a spot anywhere. After going around in circles for awhile, we ended up heading into town and parked it at a grocery store…unhooked the car, and headed back to the Falls right at sunset.

I had no idea that Niagara Falls attracted to many people from all over the world. I knew it would be big and beautiful, but it was so much more. Seeing a “wonder of the world”…and watching so many people stand in awe of God’s creation (whether they acknowledge Him or not)…was so awesome.

Make it a point in your lifetime to get to Niagara Falls…you won’t be sorry!

Photo album here.

After leaving Ann Arbor, we had a few days before we needed to be in Rochester…so we headed through Detroit and into Canada. As you may expect, getting a huge RV across the border was a little time consuming. After we made it through the HUGE line…they wanted to search the RV and asked us a million questions. They didn’t seem to understand why Matt’s “occupation” was “driver of the RV”. Or why we didn’t really have an “end” destination. But, we told them what they wanted to hear and they let us into their beloved country. We were in Canada baby! Wooooo!

On the recommendation of Jeff and Kristin, we stayed at The Pinery Provincial Park near Grand Bend, Ontario. This was a HUGE park…6,330 acres. With over 1,000 campsites, a restaurant (yes, we got grease!), a rare Oak Savanna ecosystem, freshwater coastal dunes, nature centers, trails, huge beaches, and more…you could never run out of things to do. They are even open in the winter and have yurt camping as well.

We pulled in and got settled. The campsites were semi-private…but definitely not private enough to keep gawkers from making comments on our glowing blue spaceship. We decided a trip to the beach was in order. After driving along dark, tree-lined roads for what seemed like forever…we came to a bright open clearing and TA DA!!! There it was. Lake Huron. Huge. Breath-taking. Wow. We walked down some lovely wooden steps, crossed the super soft sand and headed for the water. Bella and Matt entertained each other making sand castles and I started on a new book. We met a lovely homeschooling family from near Toronto…Bella played with their kids while the adults talked about the unseasonably warm weather, the Canadian Thanksgiving (that weekend), and veggie oil.

Back at the campsite later, we built a roaring campfire and made s’mores together. We called and talked with each of our families and shared about our day. It was truly relaxing…and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there. It was a bit more costly than “camping” in a parking lot like we normally do in between stops, but definitely worth it. Thank you Canada!

Photo album here.

Six years ago, I discovered a little gem on the internet called Mothering. It was the beginning of my entire journey towards all things natural, granola, hippy, and the sort. So when fellow Mothering Dot Commune mama, Jenn, invited us to her house for a potluck…we just HAD to go!

We arrived at Jenn and Lon’s beautiful home in Ypsilanti and met three other MDC families who live in the area. When Jenn was introducing me to one mama in particular…Claire…I looked at her and thought “wow…she looks really familiar!” After she told me her screen name, I knew exactly who she was because I had read MANY of her posts on Mothering years ago and have never laughed so hard in my life. She’s a funny lady and we had a fun time talking.

Jenn is equally amazing…having birthed twin boys naturally (and carrying them over 40 weeks), each weighing in at nearly 9 lbs a PIECE!! Wow. She broke all kinds of records at that hospital! She also has a daughter who is Bella’s age…they had a really fun time playing together. Her home is welcoming, bright and cheery…and so “kid-centered”. There were A LOT of kids there. The adults were definitely out-numbered.

The potluck offerings were out of this world…I just couldn’t get enough of a certain butternut squash, cream cheese, burrito concoction. I’m still dreaming of it. We gave tours of the RV…the mamas hung out inside with the kiddos playing “doctor” on the bed, while the daddies learned more about veggie oil.

It was a really fun night of fellowship and connections…once again, the internet proved to be an amazing tool for bringing together like-minded people!

Photo album here.

We had been warned by many people about the parking in Ann Arbor…it’s non-existent. Everyone walks, bikes, or rides the bus…which is GREAT! However, it makes it very hard to park a 32 foot RV on a busy day in the middle of the Farmer’s Market rush. Luckily…Kevin at People’s Food Coop knew what he was doing, and he masterfully had enough spots blocked off with employee cars and we stealthily replaced them with the RV and then plugged meters. Whew! It was definitely one of the more harrowing parking episodes on the tour so far

The People’s Food Coop is a busy place…especially over the lunch hour. Along with a fancy little fair trade coffee bar, they also have a hot bar and salad bar…delicious eats abound! Homemade soups, rice and beans, sloppy joe tempeh, steamed kale….the list could go on and on. It was great.

We had the RV open for tours…and talked with an interesting mixture of people who were on their way back to work, out with kids, or just in town as tourists. We even met another greaser with a Golden Fuel Systems setup…awwwww just like family

Photo album here.

Ann Arbor almost got postponed due to some engine quirkiness in Grand Rapids…but at the last minute, we got the blue beast roaring back down the road towards the home of Jeff and Kristin. We pulled in and parked in their perfectly smooth and flat driveway…it’s like it was made for our RV After all was settled, we decided to head downtown to get pizza…but first, we made a quick stop at Camping World. What could be more fun than Camping World?! It’s crazy the things you can get excited about when you live in an RV. The little rubber flowers that go in between your bowls in the cupboard so they don’t jingle when you drive nearly sent me into a tizzy.

After stocking up on some necessities, we arrived at Silvio’s Organic Pizza near the University of Michigan campus. Now this was some pizza! It was totally fresh and delicious…everything was made right there in the store. We had fun walking around and seeing the sights…including an alley completely full of graffiti art, the first ever Borders bookstore, and lots of college students busily bustling about. Upon arriving back at their house, we stayed up way too late chatting playing with Ellie, the dog. Both Jeff and Kristin are photographers as well…so we had fun sharing our passion for Flickr and our lens obsessions.

Kristin stayed home in the morning from work…and made us some delicious scones and Vietnamese coffee. Speaking of Vietnam…Jeff and Kristin are in the final stages of adopting a baby girl from there. They are going to make awesome parents and we cannot WAIT to hear about her arrival! Kristin has set up the cutest nursery for her…it was even featured on Apartment Therapy. I could have just stayed in there all day looking at her sweet slings, softer than soft cloth diapers, and that amazing slipcover on the IKEA chair. I just still can’t get over it.

We had several things happen in Ann Arbor that can only be described as “God sightings”…where we saw God’s hand at work in the very details of our daily lives. The first was Bella’s bike.

Kristin and I had been randomly talking about bikes and how Bella didn’t have one, but wanted one…etc. I had told her that we were having trouble finding a good used one that was her size. The next day, she told us about one that she had found on Craigslist in Ann Arbor…it was the perfect size, hardly used, and only $20. We couldn’t believe it! Matt went the next morning and picked it up…and we surprised Bella with it. She was (and still is) sooooo excited and rode it every minute she could while we were there.

The other cool thing was that I had given Kristin a little mini quilt pattern/set that I had purchased but never got around to making…and I thought it would be perfect for their daughter. It turns out that Kristin had wanted that EXACT same set, but had decided not to get it at the last minute. How crazy!? We were both so encouraged to watch God use us to bless each other!

On the last night we were there, we went back down to the University of Michigan campus and walked around. We talked with some interesting folks and had pizza with about 50 sorority girls. It’s so fun to be “on campus”…I love the energy.

Other things we did with Jeff and Kristin:
*They introduced us to the phenomenon that is….The Office. We don’t really ever watch TV, so we hadn’t seen it. That is some funny stuff.
*We had a picnic in the park…and Bella got to play with other kids with bikes. Wooooo Bella!
*Met several of their friends…and their kids. Good times.
*Kristin and I went thrifting…and found big bargains. We also went out for coffee….yum.

Overall…we had a great time and it was so hard to leave!! As I went back through the photos I took…I had such sadness because we had so much fun and we miss them already. It’s amazing how connected you can become and how much fun you can have in a short time…with people you just met.

On a cool & foggy Michigan morning, we pulled away from their home and headed East…but we will never forget their warm hospitality and their contagious smiles. We’ll be back someday!

Photo album here.
Kristin’s photo album of our visit here.

We “met” Joe and Laura Cebulski online a few months ago…after they decided to convert their truck to veggie oil and remodel a camper, they contacted us for ideas. They had big plans to pull a 5th wheel to California and live in it for a year while Joe trained for the Olympic trials (in the decathlon). Well, their plans quickly became reality…they sold everything (including their house), said goodbye to friends in Arkansas and began their adventure. They just “happened” to be in Grand Rapids at the same time we were this week! What a blessing…we thought we wouldn’t be able to see them until California. Joe and Laura both grew up in GR and came back to remodel the RV and spend time with family before heading west. They also have a beautiful and charming daughter, Rowan, who is 2.5 years old.

On Sunday, after Mars Hill…we headed over to Laura’s family’s home for a delicious lunch. Her sister, Jen is a vegan and made me some delicious tempeh! Yum. We chatted with her parents on the deck and ate…while Rowan and Bella chased the dogs and ran around the yard. After that, we headed to a park for their “kick-off/goodbye party” and met many of their friends and family. We played for hours and hours in the park….such fun on a lovely day.

The next afternoon, we had planned on going to the zoo with them…but got rained out and headed to the Four Friends Coffeehouse in downtown Grand Rapids. We talked of many things…Matt and Joe about veggie oil and Laura and I about RV life, kids, and photography. After that we walked around a bit more and took in some sites. Grand Rapids just opened a “green” art museum! Very fun. We also went to the Fish Ladder park where we watched salmon and HUGE carp swimming around and jumping “up stream”…the girls loved it!

It’s always so hard to leave the new friends we have been making on our trip…but it was especially hard to leave them because we have so much in common. We are SO EXCITED to reunite with them next spring in California!

See photos of their open house and remodeled RV here (it’s sooooo cool!).

See photos that Joe and Laura took of our time in Grand Rapids here.

See my photo album of our time here.

See the Cebulski blog here.

Why are we in Grand Rapids, MI? One reason: Mars Hill Church. We have long been fascinated by the teachings of Rob Bell and have listened to sermons on podcast off and on for a couple of years. His sermon series called “God is Green” is a “must listen” for anyone interested in the connection between spirituality and environmentalism. We read his first book, Velvet Elvis…and it really loved the fresh perspective on Christianity. His second book, Sex God teaches about the “…endless connections between sexuality and spirituality”. He always seems to be offering something new and fresh in terms of Christianity and spirituality in general. He also teaches in short film format…check the films out at NOOMA.

We arrived in Grand Rapids around supper time on Saturday night and parked our big blue RV in the parking lot of Mars Hill (don’t worry, we got it “approved”) On Sunday, we woke up and excitedly got ready for church (which was conveniently located in our front yard…I love driving my house around!). We took Bella to her Sunday School class and the check-in process was very streamlined, quick, and easy. Matt and I strolled into the sanctuary, which is actually an old mall. Mars Hill renovated the mall to house their ever-growing congregation (10,000+). And yet, it didn’t feel like a big church. All around us, people were greeting each other, hugging, talking to friends, etc. In a church of this size, it’s critical to get involved in small groups, which they do a great job of promoting. They have MANY different ways for people to engage themselves…from house churches to outreach ministries, there is something for everyone.

We took a seat in the 3rd row and had fun people watching before the service started. Pretty soon, a woman and her friend came and sat down next to me. They were at least 70 years old…which startled me. I guess for some reason I always envisioned Mars Hill to be full of 20-something trendy people. It was a nice surprise to see that they are attracting people at all stages of life, with varied religious backgrounds. As we were sitting there, the people behind us said…”hey! don’t you have that big blue RV outside?”. We laughed and said yes, it was us! Matt had his Live Lightly T-shirt on…and I just thought it was really funny that they made the connection (out of that many people!).

The sanctuary is set up “in the round”, with the stage in the center. As the service began, the musicians faced inward to sing/play instead of out. It was interesting. They started out with some somber and slow hymns about God’s mercy and forgiveness….working into louder, more rambunctious songs including an amazing version of David Crowder’s Glory of It All. Wow. That song rocked my world. Holy electric guitar batman. And if you have ever sang in a circle…or facing other people…you know how full and rich the sound is. Seriously…we were rockin for Jesus.

We were unsure if Rob was even teaching that day…so when I saw him walk onto the stage and sit down on his chair that spins 360 degrees, I nudged Matt and whispered…”it’s HIM!”. Ok, yes….I was star struck! He taught about gnats and camels. You MUST go listen. It was a powerful message about how we, as Christians, get so inwardly focused on our own personal “walk with God”, that we neglect the “more important” things like mercy, justice, and faithfulness. It was very much focused on how the church needs to be more involved in social activism…even referencing a passage directly related to fair trade! He masterfully walked us through scripture…exploring Jesus’ teaching with such passion that you just couldn’t help but get excited. He brought the words of Jesus to life…and really brought the point home about how Jesus’ teachings are clearly relevant in today’s age.

As the service was ending…Rob reminded everyone about the Joy Boxes in the back and the online Joy Box…where they could give their offering. How cool is it that you can give your tithe online? You can even set up recurring gifts. Great for geeks like me. The sanctuary cleared out…and I turned around and snapped a photo with my camera phone. I wanted to remember that moment…and I had left my big camera in the RV (I didn’t want a replay of the Ani concert)

We walked out to find Bella…and passed their welcome center. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a “God is Green” sticker. Weeeeee! I knew I had to have one. I was about to run back out and grab some money from the RV, but they were free. I was a happy girl. So I took my sticker, found Bella, and left Mars Hill Church. It’s a place we would love to come back to someday. But until then, we’ll just be happy with our podcasts!

As church let out, we had the opportunity to talk with many people about the veggie oil system and were pleasantly surprised at the number of people who had been already thinking of converting! It took a good 30 minutes for the traffic jam to die down…and we were right at one of the main exits of the parking lot, so people were able to get a good look at our “billboard” as they were leaving. One gal who came to say hello said that her husband almost caused a car accident when she read the side of the RV to him. He slammed on the brakes when he heard her say “veggie oil” because he had been researching it for awhile. We had a great Sunday morning. Rock on Mars Hill.

Even with the full moon, it was dark on those Indiana back roads…and as we approached what the GPS said was the Hassler driveway, we thought we better call them just to make sure.

Me: Hi Rachel! We’re here…but it’s dark, where do we turn?
Rachel: Keep driving. Do you see me? I’m waving the flashlights off to your left in the field.
Me: (looking left, I squint my eyes searching for lights in the darkness) Oh yes! There you are!

And so began our weekend in Indiana.

As we followed them into their farm, our headlights shining deep into the darkness…Chad ran ahead to open the gate and I invited Rachel to jump into the RV for the rest of the ride. When she opened the door, we gave each other a big hug. The kind of hugs given by friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time. Only with this friendship, we had never seen each other before.

Rachel and I have been emailing, writing “real” letters, and sending care packages for about a year now. She had started reading my blog and then we started conversing back and forth…and before you knew it, we were friends. I LOVE getting “real” mail, and so does she. Rachel has a beautiful style of writing and I squealed with joy whenever a letter arrived in the mailbox from Indiana. I love reading her blog as well…her writing is inspiring. When we had some changes in the tour itinerary, I was quick to add a stop to see her and her cute little farm and family.

We awoke to the cries of the rooster each morning. A big white rooster who had quite the attitude. I have a slight obsession with chickens…so having them walk around in the yard with me was just too fun. I couldn’t help but talk to them too. I loved watching them eat and take dust baths and run after each other. I told Matt that I really wanted to rig some sort of mobile chicken coop trailer to pull behind the camper. He didn’t go for it. Then I tried to convince him I could house a little pig in our bathroom. That was a no-go. Oh well. I think I must be a farm girl at heart…even though I’ve never lived on or near one in my life. I’m attracted to the simplicity and the hard-work ethics.

It was so refreshing to have some “down time” and we basked in the open fields and crisp air. The weather was beautiful and the food delicious. Rachel cooked up an oatmeal bake the first morning, a risotto and sweet potato delight that night, and on Saturday morning we enjoyed fresh eggs and pancakes with pure maple syrup. Like heaven. She also let me use her huge clothesline to hang my laundry…it overlooks miles and miles of fields and farms. Quite a different view that the one I had of the mountains back in Bozeman! The clothes smelled soooo good….yum.

Bella had such fun running around the farm doing all sorts of “farm things”. She chased the kitties around endlessly. She wore her pink rubber boots like a girl who had been doing it her whole life. She swung and swung and swung on the tree swing. She helped Chad pick eggs from the hen house. She saw pigs. She saw cows. She hung clothes on the clothesline. Overall, she just had a great time being able to run. It was so great that she could just play outside whenever she wanted. She also loved to play with their little boy, Oliver. Sometimes she would “love” him a little too much, but she’s learning.

Chad and Rachel have a wonderful love for each other and for the Lord. It was so encouraging to see their how their values and their faith are interwoven into how they live their life. We felt like we could have stayed another week…but the road was calling. I know we will be back to Indiana again someday.

Rachel put together the cutest little care package for us as we were leaving…chocolate for Matt, a necklace and a wooden comb for Bella (she was obsessed with the comb while we were there!)…and a VegNews magazine and Rob Bell book for me. As we drove down their driveway, I opened the note she wrote me, and tears rolled down my face as I read her sweet words…

“…perhaps our fluttery little butterfly paths will cross again, but if they don’t I will never forget how lovely it was to meet you one September night when the moon was full.”

Love,
Rachel

I miss you already my friend!

Photo album here.

On our way through the Chicago area, we were able to stop at a wonderful community called Prairie Crossing. Prairie Crossing is the “critically-acclaimed ‘Conservation Community’ that was designed to combine responsible development, the preservation of open land and easy commuting by rail. It is now considered a national example of how to design our communities to support a better way of life. The land that is Prairie Crossing was purchased in 1987 by a group of neighbors who wanted to preserve open space and agricultural land. They formed a company with the goal of developing this beautiful 677 acres responsibly, with a total of only 359 single-family homes and 36 condominiums as opposed to 2,400 homes that were planned by another developer. George and Victoria Ranney, a husband and wife team, have guided the development of Prairie Crossing since its inception.” All of the residences are very green…take a look around their site and you’ll see all of the cool stuff they implements. I especially like the trash chutes that switch to recycling chutes at the touch of a button! Weeeee!

We pulled in late and parked in the parking lot so we could catch some sleep. Little did we know that the Metra train line that goes to downtown Chicago would blaze through there every hour until morning! Once we were asleep, it was fine…but the first one that went through blaring it’s horn was quite a surprise! Despite the horn…I loved seeing an alternative to car commuting. What a great way to avoid traffic jams and be car free!

After we woke up, we walked over to Prairie Croissant Cafe and had a cup of fair-trade, shade grown coffee. Scott, one of the owners, showed us many of the ways that they, as a business, are living lighter on the earth. All of their cups are made from corn and are compostable. The cork sleeves for the to-go cups (as well as the cups themselves) are compostable. One of my favorite parts of the cafe was the “garbage” area. They have 3 compartments…one to recycle, one to compost, and one for the LANDFILL. They’re tellin’ it like it is! If we all started calling our garbage pails, “landfill boxes”…we would all probably be a bit more mindful!

While we were having our coffee, Ben Ranney (the son of the original developers) came in an we had great chat about the community and all of the great things they have planned. Ben helped us get set up for the demo as well. Even though this stop was on very short notice, we had a terrific response from the community and from surrounding areas. There was a lot of interest in veggie oil conversion…and also going on the road in general. We had an especially fun visit from an online friend, Carrie Moon, and her kids. We also found out that her husband, Kevin, works at Trinity International University in the security division…which is where we were meeting Matt’s cousin, Heather, that night! So…we had a really easy time getting a parking permit! Thanks Kevin! I love it when God takes care of all the little details.

Overall, it was encouraging to see how a group of concerned citizens CAN make a huge impact. Effective, earth-friendly planning of a development can make such a difference for the environment and for the resident’s quality of life. It’s a very tight-knit community…everyone seems to know everyone else. The homes are very different than your typical suburban McMansion…they have REAL front porches and the garages are tucked behind. They have trails to walk on, an organic farm on site, an environmental charter school, and cute little shops. Currently, they have the coffee shop, a Ten Thousand Villages, a children’s bookstore, and a children’s clothing/toy boutique. There is a yoga studio coming, and other great amenities! We truly enjoyed our time at Prairie Crossing.

Photo album here.

More critical acclaim for Prairie Crossing:
Prairie Crossing has been nationally recognized for its innovations in planning and community design. It has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the Daily Herald, Landscape Architecture, and the National Geographic. Its houses and native landscaping have been highlighted in Country Living, Midwest Living, and Better Homes and Garden’s Perennials.