Live Lightly Tour

When we first announced the tour…Karly was one of the first to respond. She extended a welcome for us to come and stay at her father’s house/farm which is about 15 minutes outside of Madison. Karly also works for the Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau, and was SO helpful in our planning process…she even sent us a package of information about Madison and local magazines before we left Des Moines.

After we left the co-op, we headed straight out to the farm. We met Karly, and her husband Scott…as well as her dad, Mark. She also had guests that had just arrived from Denmark that day! Christina was a foreign exchange student when Karly and her were in high school…so she was coming back to visit and brought her brother along (his first visit to the U.S.).

We parked and gave the tour…then headed inside, where Scott and Karly made a delicious meal on the grill, and a yummy bean salad/wrap for Bella and I. We talked and laughed…learning more about Denmark and also about Karly and Scott.

Bella had a great time playing with the little kitty that had arrived to the farm just a few days earlier. She also climbed a tree with Matt and chatted with Scott about her imaginary friends.

We all hit the beds early…and said goodbye in the morning. It was great to get some “country time”…away from the busyness of the city.

Photo album here.

We pulled into Madison right on time…coming into town and passing between the two lakes to head towards downtown and Willy (Williamson) Street. Madison advertises itself as “Lake. City. Lake.”…and it was as beautiful as the brochures! When we pulled into the Willy Street Co-op, they had a spot all marked out for us, so we quickly pulled in and set up.

Willy Street is a diverse and eclectic walking area…very similar to Uptown in Minneapolis. We enjoyed talking with all kinds of people…many that were already very well versed in using veggie oil as fuel. We found many already running straight veggie or biodiesel.

We met Dorothy, a beautiful and intelligent older woman from Prague, Czech Repuplic. Her husband, Erazim Kohák, is a Czech philosopher, writer, and expert in ecology. We chatted for quite awhile and she gave Bella some Czech money to add to her ever growing collection of “goodies from the tour”. She invited us to park at one of their homes in New Hampshire when we pass through.

We met Sarana and her strikingly beautiful children. Sarana and I have very similar interests and had a great time passionately discussing homebirth, dreadlocks, babywearing, following your dreams, and more. Her husband owns an eco-paint company in Madison and she has a fledgling non-profit aimed at helping inner city children through the arts and nature exploration. Her daughters and Bella played on the bed with all of the toys for a long time…it’s nice to have other children around for playmates.

We met Libby, a blog reader that I have conversed with many times online. It was wonderful to meet her and talk about “baby stuff”. She is due with her first in December. She works on the campus of the University of Wisconsin and was a great help before we arrived. She kept us company for a good part of the afternoon…hanging out until her husband came by to check out the RV too.

The co-op itself was fabulous. They had a huge deli and salad bar…and I had the biggest, most yummy veggie/hummus pita I’ve ever had…for $2.99! Crazy. We also enjoyed their freshly juiced organic apple/raspberry juice. We stocked up on a few groceries while we were there, and enjoyed talking with many of the employees of the co-op as they came out to the RV on their breaks.

So far, Madison has definitely lived up to it’s reputation as a thriving, diverse, and progressive community. As I left the co-op, I looked at their bulletin board and saw organizations such as Community Car and Arboretum Co-Housing Community. There is a lot going on here…bike trails, lakes, activism, crazy fans in Badger red. Good times in Mad City.

Photo album here.

As we were leaving the Iowa City/Coralville, IA area, we were keenly aware that we were leaving our comfort zone! We were driving towards the unknown…taking off on a great adventure. Up until that point, we had been in cities that were familiar around the Midwest. We were with family and friends that felt like home. But were were EXCITED! We were finally doing it. No more talking about starting the tour, going on the tour…tour this, tour that. Now we were actually starting it.

We had a beautiful drive through the changing leaves of Eastern Iowa and Wisconsin. God’s creation is truly amazing in the fall. The colors all blend perfectly…designed by the Master Artist. It was a relaxing ride. We talked of where we had been and of the future. Bella napped and woke up happy and excited to meet new friends.

As we neared Richland Center, the roads became windy and narrow…we encountered a couple of detours, but Betty came through and got us there in one piece. As we drove down the street, we could see Dan and Alicia Thiede with their family…outside waiting for us! They live in a cute little neighborhood, with a huge corn field in their backyard. Kind of like a farming fairytale.

We jumped out to greet them and laughed at the funny sign on their pop up camper. Clever clever After giving them the tour of the RV and veggie system, we went inside and chatted while Alicia prepared our favorite meal. Hot steamy soup, crunchy green salad, and warm crusty bread with butter. Yummmy! After supper, we sat around and talked about dreams, big plans, and stepping out of comfort zones. Their children were so delightful. Brooklyn is 12 and loves Harry Potter books. She was fun to talk to and was so attentive throughout the whole conversation. Tucker is 9 and really liked his Star Wars figurines! Sawyer is 7 and loves photography. She also was wonderful at entertaining Bella…what a blessing! Angel, 9 months, is their foster daughter and is a cutie pie! They are a homeschooling family and it was fun to see them interact and learn together.

We called it a night and headed out to the RV. We awoke to delicious homemade scones with frosting on top (wow!), great coffee, and more fellowship. Dan took the morning off, so we were able to sit around and chat for awhile longer. We had to leave around 11am to make it into Madison for our next stop. We were so sad to leave their family…we had so much fun in the short time we were there. We share similar thoughts about life and faith…and it was such a blessing to be with them. We made plans to meet up on Sunday at their church in Madison…and for a picnic in the afternoon. We’re looking forward to seeing them again.

Photo album here.

When we were at the iRenew Expo, we had several people tell us that we MUST go to Fairfield on the tour…so we adjusted our schedule and went there during our Iowa City stop. It’s a short jaunt down there from Iowa City…through cornfields and flowers. It a virtual hot bed of freethinking people…which is kind of strange to find in the middle of Iowa. We arrived and parked at Everybody’s Whole Foods from from 11am-2pm. We were able to talk with a variety of passersby coming to eat during their lunch hour. I was excited to find so many locally produced foods within the coop. Before we left, I bought some delicious organic cheese (the best cheese I’ve ever had…from Radiance Dairy. Yum), chocolate soy pudding, and hummus…all made right in Fairfield!

We had contacted Lonnie Gamble before we arrived and he was able to come down to say hello. Lonnie is very well-known around Fairfield and has extensive experience in the area of sustainable living. Lonnie is an engineer, educator, farmer, and community activist. He is the founder of Abundance Ecovillage and Big Green Summer, a 10 week summer intensive in sustainable design, where students live what they learn. He is a founding director and co-chair of the non-profit Sustainable Living Coalition. He is a founding faculty member in the four year Sustainable Living degree program at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.

Lonnie’s professional qualifications include a degree in electrical engineering professional engineer license. His interests include renewable energy, the efficient and wise use of energy, local organic food systems, artisan foods and the slow food movement, natural building, permaculture design and local alternatives to the global economy. He is the founder of five companies in the areas of renewable energy and telecommunications. He speaks and writes regularly on issues in his area of interest.

He llves with his wife Valerie and their daughter in a strawbale passive solar home, where they harvest rain for water supply, get their electricity from solar and wind power, and eat something fresh every day from their extensive gardens. They haven’t paid an electric bill in 15 years. Click here for writings by and interviews with Mr. Gamble.(bio link).

He came to tour the RV and also to interview us for his radio show, Abundant Planet. He also gave us a tour of the facilities at Maharishi University, where he teaches in the sustainable living program. The program is the only 4-year degree program in sustainable living in the country. They are doing all kinds of cool things there…rainwater catchment, biodiesel production, solar projects, wind turbine projects, “slow” food projects…The buildings are under construction right now, but we were able to see a photo of what the finished project will look like.
It’s rare to meet a man of such passion and direction…we were encouraged by his commitment to his family, students, and his community.

The BioTour guys made a stop in Fairfield during their tour last year…you can read about their experiences here. They were able to spend a longer amount of time there and they give a great description of all Fairfield has to offer.

Photo album here.

Our first stop of the tour was Iowa City and Coralville, IA. We had amazing weather…..weeeeeee! Our demo was located at the New Pioneer Co-op in Coralville…they were very welcoming and even gave us a $20 food credit to eat supper. Yum. We are actually members of the New Pi and have loved their good eats for quite awhile. Coralville is near and dear to our heart because we were staying at a hotel there a couple summers ago when we had our “live smaller” epiphany! While there, we were able to meet several people that we had only met online…Matt of Groovy Green, Kesa and her girls, Tara and the boys….it was great to put names and faces together! We had lots of other people stop and learn about veggie…spreadin’ the love.

I was also able to have a “mama night out” with my cousin Trish…we went to the Red Avocado and then to a Ani DiFranco concert (where I promptly got my camera taken away for snapping a photo of the opener, Melissa Ferrick). What fun! Melissa was such an AMAZING performer…I was mesmerized! She has a very similar style to Ani. I have been wanting to see Ani in concert for quite awhile, and it was definitely worth it. Delicious stuff. She swears a bit too much for my liking…but she’s such a talented artist and poet. She has a dedicated cult following, and we had fun watching the rather large man with the huge gotee in the front row dancing throughout the ENTIRE concert. By himself. That’s some serious love for Ani.

We stayed with the wonderful Joe and Tara while we were there. Bella and their son Liam had a great time playing together. They have a one month old little boy, Atticus, as well. He was squishy and squeeky, and all baby. Joe and Tara are both musicians and play in a group called The Beggarmen. Tara teaches Irish fiddle lessons from her home as well. Be sure to check out their newest CD, Newry Town.

Photo album here.

Good food.
Good friends.
Good weather.
A big blue RV.

What could be more fun? It’s amazing how many people we can fit in a little RV I think we actually have more seating space than in our previous apartment! We had a wonderful time in Des Moines talking with friends and family and saying goodbye.

Kick-Off Photo Album HERE.

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
Proverbs 16:9

We will miss Bozeman, and everything about it. We spent nearly 7 months there…renewing our minds and our bodies and taking a much needed rest. Even as I write this and look back through the photos, I feel a twinge of homesickness. We felt very much at home there and fell in love with the culture of the city. People have asked us if we will go back there to live after the tour, but it’s hard to say at this point. Our road is yet unknown…but it’s a possibility!

There are so many things that we loved about Bozeman. Our friends, the amazing local coffee shops, our church, downtown, the coop, but especially our family. Matt’s sister, Mindy, and her husband, Ryan, live there and run Lions Ridge, a retreat center just outside of town. Their camp is located way up in the mountains…with gorgeous views from every direction. We enjoyed taking long walks, picking wildflowers, and playing in the cold mountain stream that ran right behind our RV. The wildlife was abundant. On one occasion, I looked out the front of the RV and saw a deer grazing in the grass about 10 feet away. On another day, I was just about to come out of the main cabin, and was startled to see five large black cows staring back at me. Apparently it was free range season and they come up every year. I couldn’t get my camera out fast enough…and as soon as I moved they stampeded up the mountain pretty quickly! Matt and Bella saw marmot and other deer when they went out exploring, and when we were leaving in the early morning to head out, we saw a baby moose on the side of the road.

We were constantly in awe of God’s creation while we were there. Every day we would wake up to perfect stillness…and a sun that was just peeking above the pines. As we would walk up to the lodge at night to see the sunset, we would touch the wildflowers and recall their names (homeschooling on the road!). When you stand in the shadow of the mountains, you can’t help but feel the awesome power of God. And the same power that is at work in those mountains is at work in our lives at all times. When things get rough…I always know that if God can create all of this, He has the power to handle my everyday life!

It was also a great reminder of why I feel so strongly about being a good steward of God’s creation. I worship a Saviour who entrusted this earth to us… to take care of and to be wise with it’s resources. Being wasteful and using harmful chemicals does not being honor to Him…being wise in using what He has given us does. Christians should be the most RADICAL environmentalists out there as we care for HIS creation. And although you may not share my faith, we do share a common bond. Our children and grandchildren will suffer the effects of our laziness and careless attitudes about where the earth is headed. Let’s all take our own little steps towards a more hopeful future for them.

Lions Ridge will always hold special meaning for us. Several years ago, we were visiting there during a very challenging time in our life. We felt that God was prompting us to move to Bozeman…away from the busy life that we were leading. Moving there eventually became a reality…one that was wonderful and unexpected. As we left Bozeman last week, we stayed at Lions Ridge again while we closed that short chapter in our life…moving on to our next adventure. It was bittersweet driving down the mountain that last time…leaving dear friends and family behind. But so much lies ahead of us right now. And who knows…maybe we WILL head back to the West after the tour. It’s amazing there! But even more amazing is staying right in the center of God’s will, and that is where we are right now.

For more photos and explanations of our last days in Bozeman, click here.
For more photos of Lions Ridge in the winter, click here.

We left Des Moines for Bozeman on Sunday morning around 8:00 a.m. and drove straight through until about 11:30 p.m. It was a LONG day! But driving in the RV as opposed to a car is like night and day. It’s still such a novelty to be able to get up and go to the restroom without stopping…and being able to make meals on the go is a big time saver. We headed across Iowa and into South Dakota. In Murdo, SD, we stopped to look for some grease and found LOTS of it at a little diner there. While Matt was filling up, I was able to snag a wi-fi connection and catch up on some emails. While I was sitting there, I noticed that there was a gentleman looking at our rig intently and also at Matt. I wandered over there with Bella because he had two small children…and we started to chat. Turns out that he was curious about using veggie oil as fuel, because he has a horse trailer that he pulls with a diesel semi. We chatted for quite a while and told gave him a card…directing him to check out Golden Fuel Systems’ website…because they are one of the few companies doing larger vehicle conversions.

Back on the road again, we hit a big storm…complete with a little hail. We heard one of our awnings flapping in the wind, so we pulled off on a scenic outlook. It was there that we met a friendly couple from Ann Arbor who just happened to be heading to Montana…near Bozeman to be exact! Small world. I have a feeling there will be a lot of small world moments during our travels. We talked to them at length about our tour and about veggie oil. It’s always fun to spread the love :). It was super windy, but the sky was gorgeous. Bella loved running around the prairie with her hair blowing in the wind. There was even a rainbow! It was a wonderful blessing to stop and experience God’s creation in that way.

We ended up hitting Rapid City at 10:00 p.m. We were getting pretty tired at that point and decided to stop for coffee. Betty told us where to go for a cup of joe…but what we didn’t know was that it was the city-wide fireworks show that night, and we drove right into the middle of it. Oops. But we got our coffee and made it out ok…despite the thousands of people milling about and celebrating. We headed to Gillette, WY, where we parked for the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot. I don’t like Wal-Mart or their practices, but if they want to loan their slab of cement to me for FREE so I sleep…it’s ok with me.

At around 6 a.m. the next morning, we woke up and hit the road. We located some more coffee and while I was ordering, Matt went to find some grease. We found some at a little Mexican restaurant next door (why they were there before 7 a.m. is beyond me). While Matt pumped, I made some scrambled eggs for everyone.

It was another long day on the road, but we finally pulled into Bozeman around 5:00 p.m. and we were greeted by Mindy, Matt’s sister, as soon as we pulled in. She works just a block away from our place, and she was just getting done for the day. It was great to see her smiling face and to be “home” again after 2 months. We were a little worried about parking the RV, because we only have street parking available. Luckily, our neighbor offered to move his car and that created the perfect place for us to park.

We were so excited to get back so we could begin all the renovations on the RV and wrap up all the loose ends. It’s been wonderful seeing our friends and connecting again. We’ll be checking out of our apartment this week and we’ll head up into the mountains to stay with Mindy and her husband, Ryan at Lion’s Ridge. More about their camp here. We’re looking forward to helping out at camp and also enjoying the gorgeous scenery. We LOVE Montana…and will miss it dearly. Our time here, although short, has been wonderful. It’s pristine waters and majestic mountains…be sure to add it to your list of places to visit!

Check out more photos of our trip back to Bozeman here.

We call her Betty. I honestly don’t know how we lived without her. She’s amazing. Sometimes she has some emotional issues…but we still love her. Yes folks, I’m talking about our Garmin Nuvi 350. Roadtrips will never be the same. Before Betty, we would use our Blackberries to get online with Google Maps. This worked great, except when we didn’t have service. Then we were out of luck. Betty is much more advanced. She gets her information from a satellite. Let’s just say I love the inventor of GPS.

Betty can find ANYTHING, it seems. For example, when we are driving down the interstate and need to check on grease possibilites, we just tell her to find restaurants and she lists them in order of distance. If we want Chinese restaurants specifically, she’s glad to refine the list. My favorite search, of course, is for the nearest coffeeshop. Now, if somehow I could just get her to taste test and review each one, that would be perfection.

She will calculate our speed while we’re driving, our average speed, total time on the road, moving time, moving average, stopped time, stopped average and overall average. It tells us how many miles we’ve gone and also how many miles until our destination. She also tells us the our estimated time of arrival. These are all very important things, as Matt is the ultimate trip planner. We can also install a language update with translations for French and Spanish (but we won’t be). She’s a very cultured GPS. AND, she’s an MP3 player too.

But, like any electronic device, she isn’t perfect. Betty doesn’t really care that we are an RV. In fact, we might as well be a little racecar for all she cares. She will sometimes take us on a route that doesn’t take our HUGENESS into account. She will also take the most direct route…even if it’s not logical. So sometimes we opt for a “Betty Override”. The other little glitch is that development happens so fast that she needs an update every once in awhile so she knows where the new roads, new restaurants,new campgrounds, etc. are located.

Bella heard me talking about Betty…so I tried to explain.

Bella: “Who is Betty?”
Me: “Betty tells us where to go when we’re driving.”
Bella: “Where is she?”
Me: “She is kind of in that little computer (pointing to the dashboard).”
Bella: “Why ?”
Me: “Well…she’s a pretend person who helps us while we drive”.
Bella: “Why is Betty in there?”
Me: “She’s pretend.”
Bella: “Why?”
Me: “Betty is like a map”.
Bella: “Ohhhhhhh. Ok.”
Me: “We love Betty.”