This spring when we were in Tybee Island, Georgia, we met up with RVTV. Here is the segment that aired on the Outdoor Channel this summer. Sorry about the delay…it took awhile to get the DVD and upload it. This is probably the most thorough coverage of the tour so far…they did a great job!
Live Lightly Tour Featured on RVTV
Decatur, GA: Alan and Margie
We headed back into Atlanta on a Sunday morning, so the traffic wasnāt nearly as bad this time around! We made our way to Marietta first, so we could stop at Life Grocery and CafĆ© and enjoy some raw goodness. They have a cute little raw cafĆ© attached to the coopā¦and they also stock a nice cold case of raw eats as well. They had just opened for the morning, so it was just us in there. We enjoyed a little family time before we headed to Alan, Margie, and Lillianās house in Decatur.
We arrived and as we were parking in the church parking lot behind their homeā¦Lillian came out with Margie to greet us. Even though Bella and Lillian have never met, they greeted each other like long lost friends. It was hilarious! They were both excited to have a new friend to play with for the next couple of days. It didn’t take long before they were unloading toys and dress up clothes…chatting happily along the way.
Margie and I have been in touch since the beginning of the tourā¦because she was working on writing a special environmental education grant to bring us in to do a demo at the Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool, where Lillian attends. It was approved, and Decatur was added to the tour schedule! We set up at the preschool on Sunday evening for the demoā¦and had a fabulous turnout. There were TONS of kids, interested parents, and members of the community. We chatted with so many cool, like-minded people that night. There were several families who were making strides towards living more simply…in serious ways. One family quit their jobs and left the comfort of a big paycheck to homestead and live off the land…it was encouraging to see their passion and dedication. The kids had a great time playing in Bella’s toy room (aka The Bed).
Alan and Margie moved back closer to the city after living in the āburbs for awhileā¦and they couldnāt live in a cuter part of town! I LOVE there home and the area. Just down the road is a cute little āvillageā area with restaurants, coffee shops, and retail storesā¦as well as a community garden. Just a little further down is the Dekalb Farmerās Market, which is quite possibly one of the coolest things on the tour so far. Itās a HUGE indoor market with every type of food you could ever imagine. Every type of exotic fruit and veggie (there were so many I had never heard of!)ā¦even durians! Fruits and veggies by the caseā¦dried fruit, oils, etc. in bulkā¦I was in heaven. It wasnāt just fresh produce eitherā¦there was a fresh fish/seafood market, prepared food bar, packaged goods, spices, etc. The sad thing is that there is no photography allowedā¦I was so wanting to show you all! Check out their website to see how truly huge it is!
On Monday and Tuesday morning while we were there, I had the opportunity to take class photos and individual photos at Lillian’s school. It was a fun shootā¦and I enjoyed meeting all of the kiddos and their parents too. We ended up staying parked at the church where the preschool is located for our entire stay…it was a nice, private spot with a cute little trail up into the trees that Bella loved.
Margie is a fellow foodie and we loved chatting about raw foods, cookbook obsession, and juicing! She whipped us up an amazing Asian soba noodle/raw veggie delight and I brought my famous balsamic salad dressingā¦and we talked and talked over delicious food. Bella and Lillian dressed up like ballerinas and danced endlessly to the Nutcracker Suite (cranked up as loud as they could get it before we would tell them to turn it down). For dessert, we got busy on some Magic Carrot Juice and enjoyed every last drop.
Our time in Decatur was a blastā¦we loved the area and the people (just not the traffic!)
Photo album here.
Rome, GA: Ryan and Whitney
No one really warned us about Atlantaā¦so we werenāt expecting the craziness that we encountered on the roadways surrounding it! Oh my. Those drivers drive faster and more sporadic than anywhere weāve seen. And theyāre an angry bunch too . So as we approached the Atlanta area on a Friday afternoon, we were a little frazzled! Luckily, we were early enough to avoid the true rush hour, and we headed north to Rome to the home of Ryan, Whitney, and Jackson.
Bella and Jackson were quick friends and were soon busy jumping on the trampoline and playing trainsā¦although Bella was sure to remind us that she was OLDER than him (heās 2) . They live on a really quiet cul-de-sac (with really smooth roads!), and Bella was able to ride her bikeā¦which made her very happy! I even broke out the roller blades for the first time on our tour. Weeeeee!
If you want to know anything about Rome or Berry College, just ask Whitney. She’s a plethora of information and I received the grand tour as we drove around town! Berry College has quite an interesting history and the campus is spectacularly beautiful and sprawling ā¦ it boasts the largest number of acres of any college campus in the U.S (26,000 acres!). We took their photos at several locations there and enjoyed the scenery, wildlife, and beautiful old buildings.
Whitney borrowed some of my raw cookbooks while we were there, and decided to start doing green smoothies and a partially raw diet…I just heard from her, and the effects are already amazing! She is a baker, so she gets up super early…and says that now she can wake up at 2:45am and be wide awake! Yay! This is just one of the many cool things that happens when you eat raw. You don’t need as much sleep and you have more energy because your body doesn’t have to digest food (instead it just uses it to heal and give energy). On a cooked diet, 70% of the body’s energy goes towards digestion of foods…on raw, there is nothing to digest because the digestive enzymes are still intact (heating kills the enzymes). There’s a mini-raw lesson for you While we were there, I showed her how to make a green smoothie and some other raw goodies as well. There is nothing like hands on training
We had a great time in Rome! Next stop, Decatur, GAā¦back to the busy traffic!
Photo album here.
Savannah, GA: RVTV
RVTV contacted us several months ago about doing an interview/filming while we were on the road for their upcoming eco-travel segment. Of course, we were thrilled to be able to spread the love and branch out to a wider audience! Our schedules just happened to align perfectly to meet up near Savannah, GA. We did the interviews over 2 days and we had a blast getting to know Rob (the host) and Paul (the cameraman extraordinaire), and can’t wait to see the show, which will air sometime this summer (stay tuned for details!). During the shoot, I made some green smoothies and raw chocolate brownies for them…I think they were surprised and delighted that they tasted really good!
We spent 3 days on Tybee Island…enjoying the beach (which was just 3 blocks from the campground). It was a very relaxing stop…time to catch up on some family time (of just the three of us!) and to enjoy Savannah. We didn’t spend too much time in town, however, because it was also St. Patrick’s Day, and Savannah has the 2nd largest celebration in the U.S. after Boston. It was a little busy out there! We were able to check out the Brighter Day Foods (tiny, but fabulous!) and Kao Thai Cuisine. Be sure to check out both on your next trip to Savannah!
Photo album here.
Statesboro, GA: Matt and Laurel
Three Boys and a Cute House in Georgia
“Three boys?!” Bella exclaimed as we pulled into Statesboro, GA…”I don’t like boys!”. I assured her that boys are super fun and they love to play games and run outside…and that she would have a wonderful time. I didn’t lead her astray…we had a lovely stay with Matt and Laurel, and Bella was warmly welcomed by Caedmon, Landing, and Bauer…the three young men of the house. They taught her how to get dirty, run fast, jump high, and swing until dark!
Statesboro is a quaint little town of 25,000 with big trees and big hospitality. Home of Georgia Southern University, it’s the ONLY city in the U.S. by the name of Statesboro…and if you travel much, you know that pretty much every state has the same city names repeated over and over! I love fun little facts…so there you go.
New Friends and Pumping
The first night we arrived, Laurel had arranged for a potluck with her friends and family. We had a great time showing them the RV, feeding them raw snacks in the RV, and watching the kids run wild in the backyard. Speaking of that…they have an amazing wooded lot (a beautiful place to park for a few days!) with a large swing set, trampoline, and other toys. Bella has been working on learning how to “pump” on the swings, and it was in Statesboro that she mastered the art of getting herself up on it by herself and launching herself into a full swing by just using her legs (no help!). We were so proud.
During the rest of our time there, the kids spent most of their time in the backyard playing. If they weren’t outside, they were up in the boys’ room playing house or doctor. Bella was thrilled to find new friends who loved to PRETEND and PLAY as much as she does.
Laurel and I have been online friends for a long time…and we had so much fun chatting the days away. I helped her (and her friends) try on some of my non-traditional baby carriers (such as the Storchenwiege, The Kozy), The Kangaroo Korner Pouch, and The Hotsling. Babywearing is definitely a passion of mine…and anytime I can help make a mama’s life easier, I jump at the chance!
Feelin’ The Love
A few days before we arrived in Statesboro, I received an email from the friend of a friend of Laurel’s. Her name was Kim and after checking out our site, she generously offered to give me a free one hour massage while we were in town. Of course, I jumped at the chance. I met her at her office early one morning that we were there, and had the best massage ever! Then, I accompanied her to her yoga class…taught by a retired English professor, Fred. It was my first “real” yoga class and it was both relaxing and energizing. Combine that with the massage, and I was set up for the perfect day…I was practically floating. After the class, Fred and two others from the class took me out for lunch at a local cafe. It was so fun to chat about life, seeking simplicity, and travel.
Kim has trained with Dayna at New Day Yoga in Atlanta, which I think is the only Christian yoga certification in the country. Kim gave me a copy of Dayna’s CD, Yoga Basics, which walks you through an entire session of Christ-focused yoga…perfect for going yoga on the road. Thank you so much Kim! Click here to open the order form (in .pdf) to order your own.
While Kim is a restorative yoga instructor, her main focus right now is The Omm Center. She is the founder of OMM Center and leads Still Journey, a mind/body/Holy Spirit experience utilizing OMM Center’s Still Journey CD. The practice combines restorative yoga, breath-work and guided imagery to relax the body and mind, and is followed by 20-minutes of contemplative (silent) prayer to strengthen your spirit. Check out her website here.
Other highlights of Statesboro:
Coffee Night: Laurel and I enjoyed a mama’s night out and went for coffee. We got there around 10 and stayed until they closed…then we went back to the house and talked more! It was a late night…but we had SO much fun chatting and getting to know each other better. We talked A LOT about raw/living foods…and held a mini class in the RV. I taught Laurel how to make almond milk and green smoothies. Yum yum! Before we left Laurel decided to take the Happy Food Raw Challenge…and has been doing amazing on it! Yay Laurel! She also just ran her very first 5K…go girl!
Life Coaching and Photos: I had the opportunity to do some life coaching and a photo session while we were there…it’s such a joy to be able to do something that I am so passionate about. I do life coaching (and raw food coaching) by phone as well…book your consultation here!
Jeep Rides: Matt and Matt went out for a ride in Matt’s restored CJ7 Jeep…now that’s trouble
Center for Wildlife Education: We met several of Laurel’s delightful friends and their children at a nature center on the Georgia Southern campus. It was such a fun time…my camera battery died, so I only have a few that I took on the iphone, but be sure to check out the photo of Matt and Bella posing with the python. Good stuff.
Good Grease: Matt found TONS of good grease at a local restaurant…so we left Statesboro with our tank filled the brim and then some. Speaking of grease…after we left, I got an email from Laurel saying that they had purchased an old/restored Mercedes diesel to convert to run on veggie oil! Spreadin’ the love baby! We’re excited to see how it goes for them.
American Idol: We’ve loved American Idol over the years…but never get to watch it anymore. We had a fun time watching the TIVO’ed version while we were with Matt and Laurel Nothing like some AI for a relaxing evening!
Overall…we had a wild and wonderful time in Statesboro! The scenery was beautiful, the company was divine, and the grease was clean. Three for three! Thanks Matt and Laurel for everything…happy grease hunting and raw eatin’!
Photo album here.