Live Lightly Tour

When I was a little girl, I dreamed of a life in the big city. In this imaginary life, I lived in fabulous row house, ran around in high heels, and worked in a high-powered job. And if I couldn’t have that, then I at least wanted to visit NYC and pretend to be those things! Well….I finally got my chance! Of course, my visions didn’t exactly align…Instead of high-powered in heels, I was a dreadlocked, mama from the Midwest in tennis shoes…slinging a nursing 3 year old around the city that never sleeps. Ahhhhh…how life changes.

We weren’t alone in our exploration. My sister, Laura and my brother, Scotty…along with Laura’s roommate, Amy, flew into La Guardia on Friday night LATE and we all stayed in one hotel room in Queens. We took the train into Manhattan on Saturday and Sunday and spent the entire two days taking it all in.

New York City. How do you describe it to someone who has never been there? Crowded? Busy? Insane? Dirty? It did live up to all of those descriptions…but it was so much more. It was alive with energy…bustling with talented and creative people who LOVE their city. It IS crowded, but I loved watching every face go by me on the sidewalk. I wondered where they were going and what was going on in their life. There were so many lives intersecting and people interacting everywhere. How can you not LOVE this city? It is also perfectly laid out to live without a car…the subway may be a little dirty, but it’s FABULOUS. I adore the subway. It’s easy, cheap, and fast. There is so much to do. So much to see. So much to take in.

I could go into detail and tell you every little thing and how amazing it was…but then I will have no stories for later Plus, there is just no way to put into words all of the sights and sounds and smells. So, I will let you browse the photos to see our adventures in image form (154 photos to be exact…that should be plenty to give you a “picture” of our time there!). Hint…click on “View as Slideshow” to go through them quicker. I have added quite a few captions for this set…so if you want to know more details about our adventures, be sure to click on them individually.

Here are some highlights:
The Subway*Grand Central Station*Times Square*Toys R Us*Rockefeller Center*Central Park*Metropolitan Museum of Art*Trump Tower*Union Square*Green Market*Greenwich Village*Jack’s Coffee*Washington Square Diner*Washington Square*The Arch*NYU*World Trade Center Site and Tribute Center*Chinatown*Little Italy*Ping’s and Dim Sum*Walking the Brooklyn Bridge*Grimaldi’s Pizza*NYC Skyline at Night*FAO Schwartz*

It was exhausting and amazing. When we came back to the hotel each night, we exchanged many back and foot rubs But it was so worth all of the walking, leg cramps, and stinky subways…to experience NYC in all it’s glory. What a weekend…I can’t wait to go back!

Photo album with captions here.

Our last stop in Maine was in Lisbon, to see a wonderful friend…Anathea. I met Anathea on MySpace, and then again on Flickr. She is a beautiful, free spirit and it was so lovely to spend time with her and her family. Anathea and her husband Timmy just bought a gorgeous acreage and the property is stunning with it’s trees, open fields, a river, an old “dance hall”…and more! They have big plans to refurbish the older buildings and I can’t wait to see it finished! The air was so crisp at night…and the stars were sooo bright. We were even able to enjoy a sunny 80 degree day…and ran around in sandals again!

They have two girls…Maya and Molly Sky. Maya and Bella immediately became the best of friends and were inseparable the rest of our visit. They literally played without interruption ALL day. I tried to keep track of the number of “costume changes” they went through…but there were just too many! They watched movies, ate together, played house, played dolls, rode bikes, ran and ran and ran, and just thoroughly enjoyed each others presence. They were such cute little kindred spirits…we had a great time watching them interact and talk with each other. Little Molly Sky wanted in on the action, but the older girls weren’t too keen on that. She is so completely adorable and independent. I loved watching her toddle around.

Anathea is a self-proclaimed “feeder”. She loves being in the kitchen…making people happy with her delicious meals! All of our meals were amazing…but my personal favorite was the stuffed squash with balsamic cranberry glaze. Oh my goodness. We also had many tea parties and the coffee pot was always full

It was a delight to watch Timmy and Anathea interact with and nurture their children. From Timmy taking walks with Maya…to Anathea having a tickle fest with Molly Sky, it’s clear that they are in LOVE with their kids. Anathea’s mother, “Granny LaVerne” also lives with them and she adds a fun dynamic to the family.

One of the highlights was walking down by their river and seeing all of the vibrant fall colors reflecting in the water. We continued on through the forest…seeing the evidence of busy beavers. We actually chased one of them down the banks…hoping to catch a photo, but he was too fast. He slapped his tail in the water with a SMACK…and he was gone.

It’s always hard to say goodbye after we’ve had such a great time, but this one was especially hard because Bella and Maya were just so wrapped up in their time together. As they hugged each other in the driveway, we heard them saying “I am going to miss you soooooo much”. It was like each was leaving their other half. So bittersweet.

We pulled down the driveway, waving as we went…and headed toward Boston.

Photo album here.

We stayed overnight in Augusta in the WalMart parking lot…on our way to Lisbon. A few hours after we arrived, we received an email from Heather, a blog reader, saying that they had been in the same parking lot and saw our RV! But they didn’t stop because it was almost 10pm and they didn’t want to bother us. WHAT?! That’s craziness. So I sent her a quick email saying how silly that was and that we should try to meet up. So the next morning, Matt and Heather came back and we spent an hour or so at Panera with us, talking over coffee. We were actually supposed to stop and see them on our way up to Northern Maine, but it didn’t work out, so this was a lovely, unexpected surprise to have another chance!

Heather is an accountant and Matt is a carpenter…they are high school sweethearts. No kids yet. They used to live in Boston, but decided to get out of the “rat race” and come home to their roots. They gave us some good tips about visiting Boston…and we showed them our grease ha.

For the record…if ANYONE reading this blog ever sees us parked in a parking lot and does not come and knock loudly on our door, you will be in big trouble!! This is the 2nd or 3rd time it’s happened…so stop it already! We’re not scary. We’re really nice people…so c’mon over to our house!

Photo credit: Bella Grace, professional camera phone photographer

Jess and I “met” online about a year ago and have kept in touch through my other blog, and through Flickr. She was one of the first people to email when we announced our plan to hit the road and was so helpful in our journey to Maine…so it was so great to meet in person and spend a few days with her and her family. Until a few weeks ago, they lived in Bucksport, ME, but recently moved to Machias, ME to help plant a church there (Calvary Chapel).

We arrived and got the RV parked…which was no easy task being that they live at the bottom of a dead end hill with a sharp turn into their driveway….but it worked! We got settled in and then enjoyed a delicious squash/apple soup with hearty muffins before heading off to Bible study with them. There was worship (wonderful acoustic stuff with the pastor drummin’ on the djembe) and awesome teaching from the Bible. We were really blessed…I’m so glad that we were able to make it for that.

The next day it rained ALL DAY. We started the morning with some delicious pancakes…and I made some “house chai” of Rockford Coffee fame (a Bozeman specialty). We decided just to take it easy, make tea continuously all day, and chat. It was a great time. Khali and Max are homeschooled, so they got to have fun with us too. Bella was totally in love with Khali and Max did really well putting up with a cute 3-year-old that followed him everywhere. For supper, we ordered pizza from a local place, and it was yummmmy! That evening, we worked on dreading Jess’s hair. It was a 4-5 hour affair and we sure had fun It looks great and I can’t wait to see her hair “transform” into dreads.

Before we left, we took a tour around their property and also down to the “Bad Little Falls”. I LOVE the sound of rushing water…and seeing more Maine color was just a bonus!

Thanks to Jess, Dane, Khali, and Max for a wonderful time in Machias!

Photo album here.

After leaving Thorndike, we headed up the coast and stopped in a cute little town called Belfast. We walked around downtown, bought groceries at the coop, and Bella rode her bike in the skate park. When we were at the coop, Matt saw a couple getting into a really great looking older Land Cruiser. He’s a Land Cruiser junkie…so he had to go talk to them. It turned out to be a diesel…AND they are in the process of switching to veggie oil! They came over to the RV and we showed them our system and had fun chatting. Bella loved their dog…in fact, she loved it so much she gave it a big hug…while it was pooping. Then she stepped in it. Adventures abound. After that, we were off to Machias!

Photo album here.

We have come to the conclusion that Maine has the absolute bumpiest roads of everything we’ve been on so far. Wow. They can really throw an RV around! After a winding and bumpy, but beautiful drive to Thorndike, we arrived at the home of Emilee and Christian and their daughter, Josephine. Emilee and I first became friends on MySpace and later started corresponding on Flickr. When we decided to go up through Maine, I knew I wanted to go meet her and her cute little family! It was so surreal to meet her in person after seeing her photos for so long!

They have a charming home on a piece of land surrounded my trees. They initially bought the A-frame that was there and then built the “cabin” structure about 2 years ago with the help of Emilee’s dad. Her dad is a talented blacksmith and carpenter…so she has amazing fixtures, furniture, and more…all made of cast iron. It’s so cozy and inviting…her style is eclectic and warm. It made me want to have a “real” house again! Emilee LOVES plants and her home is a beautiful jungle of green. Christian has a beautiful saltwater aquarium and we had so much fun watching the fish…especially the little “feather duster” wormy things on the bottom of the tank that would shrink back into their shells when you tapped on the glass and then slowly peek out again after that. So fun!

We had a great time talking, playing music, laughing with Josephine, going on walks, seeing pigs, gazing at the fall colors, talking about dreadlocks (Emilee and I started them at the same time), and eating pizza and pancakes. Bella was enamored with Josephine and pretended to be her big sister. She was a great helper We really enjoyed their company and hope to go back again someday!

Photo album here.

The next day we took in some of the sights in Portland. Our first stop was the Portland Head Light…it was a gorgeous sunny day, and this popular tourist attraction was bustling. I absolutely adore seeing history “up close”. It’s so powerful to stand in the very same place that the lighthouse keepers stood over 200 years ago! It was finished in 1791. I loved reading everything about the lighthouse and also the adjacent (former) military base, Ft. Williams. I was especially interested in seeing the list of “keepers”…and what years they worked there. It was so interesting to see how many years each one worked there…and how some were even passed on from fathers to sons. They had such dedication and passion for their job. Wow. If you’re interested in history, there is an interesting write up with lots of stories about the Head Light here. Bella had fun running in the huge expanse of green grass overlooking the lighthouse. There were tons of people up there flying kites and enjoying the day. This is just the beginning of the history we will see along the East Coast…we are so excited to learn more about our country in Boston, D.C., Philly…so much knowledge to be had!

After the lighthouse, we headed downtown to the “Old Port”. There were lots of really cute shops and fun places to walk. We had lunch at O’Naturals…a natural “fast” food restaurant. It was SO delicious. There are only 4 locations right now…but I hope they do well because the food was fantastic. They are focused on providing natural and organic meals…with many vegan/vegetarian options. The location in Portland is in an old bank and they have a toy room in the vault…and it’s just all very charming.

We enjoyed our lovely day in Portland…and decided to head north to Freeport. Freeport is a mecca of consumerism. Every shopping outlet you could ever want is there. We stopped there because Matt’s parents had found an old LL Bean gift certificate and gave it to us to use. The store actually honored it even though it was 13 years old! Now that’s customer service LL Bean is based out of Freeport, so they had a huge facility. We had fun looking around, and checked out the town a little bit…but all the frenzied shoppers around there were stressing us out. We went to the local thrift store there and found Bella some LL Bean footy pajamas for $2.00. Weeeee!

After all that, it was time to move on to a more peaceful setting…a little town called Thorndike, Maine.

Photo album here.

We made it! We made it! To the ocean, that is I have only seen the ocean once in my life, for a brief moment. Matt has seen it, but not since he was much younger, and it’s Bella’s very first time. We drove from Brattleboro and made it to Kennebunkport Beach just at sunset. We could have stopped at any of the beaches on the way to Portland, but we liked saying “Kennebunkport”. It has a nice sound to it…all of the cities in the Northeast have the greatest names!

We pulled into town, followed the GPS…and watched excitedly as this big blue mass came closer and closer on the screen. As we turned the corner to the beach, we saw the huge expanse of water open up before us. We were so excited. We parked the RV and got out. Bella ran directly to the playground, barely noticing anything else…and I grabbed my camera and ran for the water. I just barely got the photos snapped before it was too dark. We played in the sand and watched other people walking and playing in the water. It was REALLY cold that night…we were frozen by the time we were done. When it was too dark to see much of anything…we walked back to the camper and made supper in our “beach house”…and then headed north to Portland for the night.

The most wonderful thing was the SOUND of the waves as they crashed on the shore. It’s such a consistent, calming sound. We can’t wait to see more of it…such a treat!

Photo album here.

On Saturday morning we headed into Brattleboro and found Amy’s Bakery (as recommended by Megan). We enjoyed a steamy cup of coffee and a pear scone. They had a beautiful view of the river…through huge windows, in the back room. Brattleboro is somewhat of a tourist destination…so we were not the only people downtown on a beautiful, sunny weekend. We walked up and down the quaint streets and checked out all the cute shops. A couple of my favorites:

Sprout: A natural parent’s dream store. Holy moly. It’s a good
thing shopping isn’t in the budget and that we don’t have any more space because there were so many neat things. They had more cloth diapers than I’ve ever seen in a retail store (and all the new, cool ones too). They had a wall of slings…it’s so great to see traditional babywearing coming back into “style”. I lead a babywearing group when we lived in Des Moines, so I was excited to see them readily available to moms and dads in that area. They had every kind of maternity/nursing apparel you could want…natural toys…organic kids clothing. Buying these things may seem like traditional consumerism…but all of those products help the environment, each in their own way. There were many organic items (no pesticides poisoning the earth). Cloth diapers are a HUGE savings on the environment (and your finances). Higher quality toys do not have to be replaced as often…and are usually made from wood instead of plastics.

Save the Corporations: This cute little store had mostly hemp clothing, and some other natural fibers. Hemp is an amazing material (and no, hemp is not the same thing as marijuana!). It doesn’t require any pesticides to grow it, it can be made into many different products…clothing, rope, oil, paper..and more. Plus, hemp is so luxurious to wear…and it lasts forever and ever. It gets softer with time and doesn’t wear out. Always buy used clothing if possible, but if you are going to buy new, buy hemp or other natural fibers.

The Brattleboro Food Coop was another highlight. It’s a true coop, with a heart for activism. They have a large selection of local foods…I was able to get cheese, bread, potatoes, and onions…all locally grown/produced right in Vermont.

Overall, there is just a strong sense of environmentalism and local flavor flowing from Brattleboro. There were several free publications in town detailing all of the “green” organizations and businesses in the state and in neighboring New Hampshire. It’s a really great “small town”. So far, Vermont has been one of the highlights of our trip!

Photo album here.

After we left SIT, we headed over to Vermont RV and had our heater looked at. Now Matt is a really handy guy…but we didn’t have time to order a part ourselves and figure all of it out. So, we went to a professional. Apparently, the computer in the furnace blew out and we had to get it replaced if we ever wanted to be warm again! So we had the repairs done and headed back to our slab of cement in front of Home Depot to relax and go to bed. All was going well…until we tried to turn on the heat. It wouldn’t work! We eventually figured out that our battery bank was too low to kick it on. We have been “camping” in a lot of parking lots lately (otherwise known as “boondocking”)…and we’ve been running down our battery. Our solar panels charge it during the day, but we just don’t have enough batteries to keep up with it. We are in need of a few more batteries…but they are about $200 a piece and that’s not really in the tour budget right now. If you’re interested in helping out with this specific need…please click the donate button found here and designate it for “solar power”. We are still looking for a solar power company to sponsor the tour as well (to provide us with an inverter/charger)…if you know of someone with these resources, please let us know.

Needless to say, it was a little chilly in the RV that night. It got down to 32 degrees outside and it was about 45 degrees inside. Oh my. We hung quilts over the windows in an attempt to block the breeze coming through our bedroom, but it didn’t help much. I froze all night. Matt seemed fine. And Bella…well, she is cold-blooded for sure…she kicks those covers right off. I’m a Midwestern girl…and went to college in freezing North Dakota (Go Sioux!) so I’m not afraid of the cold.:) I just like to be warm when I’m sleeping!

We have slowly figured out how to keep our heaters running…just like everything else on the tour, we learn as we go! The RV was definitely not made for winter climates…the veggie system is fine to -20F, but the blue beast is not insulated well and is cooooold! I’ve been wearing layers of clothing, a stocking cap, and fleece pants to bed. I’m looking forward to the south…bring on the sunshine!