April 2018 - Page 3 of 4 - Taylor Scott Nelson

General, Road Trip

Eco-Road Trip – Wind Spirit Community

April 5, 2018 No Comments

Wind Spirit Community – Summary:

Who: “Don”
What: Visited the Wind Spirit Community
When: Thursday, April 5
Where: Winkelman, AZ

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

My Travel Story:

My second stop of the day after The Bee Oasis was after a long drive through the desert canyons and mining towns to Wind Spirit Community (WSC) in Winkelman, AZ. (This was another community with a long road seemingly to nowhere, but I pushed on and finally made it without any GPS navigation.)

A picture from my drive to Wind Spirit Community, which resembles the general terrain I was driving through.

I stopped in a mining town rest-stop and took a picture of the old refinery factory on the hillside.

General, Road Trip

Eco-Road Trip – Bee Oasis

April 5, 2018 No Comments

The Bee Oasis – Summary:

Who: Don Titmus
What: Visited the Bee Oasis urban permaculture homestead
When: Thursday, April 5
Where: Mesa, AZ

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

My Travel Story:

After saying goodbye to my mom until I returned to Texas, I left Mountain Shadows golf resort in Scottsdale, and headed south to The Bee Oasis, a 1/4 acre, urban permaculture homestead in Mesa, Arizona, owned by Don Titmus, a British transplant, and his daughter Lily.

“It include about 500 sq ft of organic veggie gardens, chickens, rainwater harvesting, composting, an edible/functional landscape and much more as a sustainable model in the PC community. Don’s homesite is a teaching space; he has tours, classes and workshops. It is a great place to experience an alternative life. Don also has a Xeriscape Garden Maintenance business, and is also a Conscious Dance DJ.” – Bee Oasis FIC Profile

General, Road Trip

Eco-Road Trip – Biosphere 2

April 5, 2018 No Comments

Biosphere 2 – Summary:

Who: N/A
What: Toured the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2 research complex
When: Thursday, April 5
Where: Oracle, AZ

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

My Travel Story:

Rushing over from the Wind Spirit Community in Winkelman, I barely made it to the last group tour at the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2, the world’s largest enclosed earth system science research facility, in Oracle, AZ.

The tour began in the ‘actual Biosphere’ (Earth) so I had to walk through the on-site housing facility, known as “The Village,” which comprised of 28 furnished 3-to-5 bedroom casitas for students and faculty, and incorporates sustainable practices like rainwater harvesting and solar energy.

General, Road Trip

Eco-Road Trip – Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West

April 4, 2018 No Comments

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West – Summary:

Who: N/A
What: Toured Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West complex
When: Wednesday, April 4
Where: Scottsdale, AZ

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

My Travel Story:

Today was a jammed packed day, and I started the morning off at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert home and student learning facility is preserved by the FLW Foundation, and is still an active student facility for architecture students. “As Taliesin West extends the legacy of innovation by showcasing unique design, sustainable practices, and education, the preservation team maintains a reverence for the history of the site.” – The Whirling Arrow Blog Post

General, Road Trip

Eco-Road Trip – Arcosanti

April 4, 2018 No Comments

Arcosanti – Summary:

Who: N/A
What: Toured Arcosanti
When: Wednesday, April 4
Where: Arcosanti, AZ

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

My Travel Story:

After the morning at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West, I drove north into the desert to Arcosanti, a living urban laboratory designed by Paolo Soleri in the middle of the Arizona desert, who I found out was also one of Wright’s former students – until he got kicked out.

Remembering Life in Arcosanti, Paolo Soleri’s Futuristic Desert Utopia – Wired Article

The City of the Future Is Hiding in the Arizona Desert – Motherboard VICE Article

Navigating the long dirt road, waiting for cows to move, I made it to the heart of Arcosanti.

General, Road Trip

Eco-Road Trip – Manzanita Village Cohousing

April 4, 2018 No Comments

Manzanita Village Cohousing & Sunset Drive – Summary:

Who: Art Gorski
What: Visited Manzanita Village Cohousing; Drove to Prescott to see the Ecosa Institute; Drove back to Mountain Shadow Resort
When: Wednesday, April 4
Where: Prescott, AZ; Scottsdale, AZ

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

My Travel Story:

My third and final scheduled stop after Arcosanti was Manzanita Village in Prescott, Arizona.

I met my host, Art Gorski, at the main parking lot, and we went down to the main lodge in the center of the housing complex.