Eco-Road Trip – Hummingbird Community

Hummingbird Community – Summary:

  • Who: Rich Ruster
  • What: Visited and toured the Hummingbird Community
  • When: Monday, April 9
  • Where: Cleveland, NM

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My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

I left the Commons on the Alameda that morning and drove into the high mountains of New Mexico to visit the Hummingbird Community, also known as the Hummingbird Transformational Living Center.

“Nestled in a valley among the Aspens, Cottonwoods, and Ponderosa Pines in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, rests a 500-acre ranch that is home to a 20-person residential Hummingbird Community.

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Eco-Road Trip – City of the Sun Pt. 2

City of the Sun Pt. 2 – Summary:

  • Who: Sheila Bjeletich
  • What: Toured the City of the Sun in Columbus and met other residents; Drove to northern New Mexico through various cities; Arrived at The Commons on the Alameda
  • When: Sunday, April 8
  • Where: Columbus, NM; Hatch, NM; Santa Fe, NM

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

The following morning in the City of the Sun, I woke up to the sounds of dozens of dove cooing above me, and flocks of desert quail running around under my hammock and in the gardens. So it was an interesting morning alarm.

We started the morning touring one of her neighbor’s homes, which was a round hand-built building, with a mermaid themed bathroom that was undergoing repairs because a storm and water damaged knocked down part of the wall.

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Eco-Road Trip – The Commons on the Alameda

The Commons on the Alameda – Summary:

  • Who: Louise Pape
  • What: Met my interim hostess, and explored The Commons on the Alameda
  • When: Sunday, April 8
  • Where: Santa Fe, NM

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

After a long day of driving from the City of the Sun, I finally made it to the Commons on the Alameda late that afternoon.

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Eco-Road Trip – City of the Sun Pt. 1

City of the Sun Pt. 1 & Mexico Bike Adventure – Summary:

  • Who: Sheila Bjeletich; Juan Rascon
  • What: Left the state of Arizona; Arrived at City of the Sun in Columbus, New Mexico; Biked across the Mexico border into Palomas to visit a host family and nonprofit; Biked back across the US border after the Mexico tour
  • When: Saturday, April 7
  • Where: Columbus, NM; Palomas, MX

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

Leaving Arizona, I spent the day driving through the desert into New Mexico on my way to the City of the Sun in Columbus, New Mexico, with the aim of getting there in the middle of the afternoon so we could go into Mexico and checkout the nonprofit projects my host was involved with.

I arrived at the City of the Sun, which initially looked like a mobile home park up front – but as I drove towards the back of the community, there were less manufactured mobile homes and more alternative architecture structures, tiny homes and creative compounds.

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Eco-Road Trip – The Canelo Project

The Canelo Project – Summary:

  • Who: Bill Steen
  • What: Got lost without GPS/Cell reception; Visited the natural buildings of the Canelo Project community
  • When: Friday, April 6
  • Where: Elgin, AZ

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

After leaving Avalon Organic Gardens & Ecovillage, I spent the day driving to The Canelo Project in Elgin, AZ. While it was a beautiful countryside of grassy plains and desert parries with mountain ranges dotting the horizon – I had no cell phone reception to call or search for my GPS location – so I spent several hours lost in the area, going down wrong roads, waiting for free-range cows to cross the road, and circling back to high hills to get one or two cell bars to make calls.

I finally find the right road a few hours later, much to the exasperation of my host, and this was another destination with a long road seemingly to nowhere – passing camping grounds, a ranger station and over several cow pastures.

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Eco-Road Trip – Avalon Organic Gardens & Ecovillage

Avalon Organic Gardens & Ecovillage – Summary:

  • Who: TaliSeen JahRing
  • What: Toured and had lunch at the Avalon Organic Gardens & Ecovillage
  • When: Friday, April 6
  • Where: Tumacacori, AZ

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

I started the day with a personal tour led by TaliSeen JahRing, the Farm Manager of Avalon Organic Gardens & Ecovillage (AOGE), an impressive ecovillage model with stacks of sustainability initiatives and green projects, built on a strong Christian foundation, spiritual exploration, vocational learning and training, and organic permaculture practices.

On my way to AOGE, I pulled over at a rest stop to take a phone call, and came across this rock – which really set the tone for the day!

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