Eco-Road Trip – Wind Spirit Community
Wind Spirit Community – Summary:
- Who: “Don”
- What: Visited the Wind Spirit Community
- When: Thursday, April 5
- Where: Winkelman, AZ
Quick Resources:
- Wind Spirit Community Webpage
- Wind Spirit Community FIC Profile
- Wind Spirit Community Facebook Page
- WSC Retreats & Workshop Webpage
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. (more…)
Eco-Road Trip – Bee Oasis
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 (more…)
Eco-Road Trip – Biosphere 2
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:
- Biosphere 2 Webpage
- Biosphere 2 Facebook Page
- Biosphere 2’s Mars Colony Experiment – Business Insider Article
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.
Eco-Road Trip – Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West
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:
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West Webpage
- Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Facebook Page
- The Whirling Arrow Blog
- Frank Lloyd Wright Biography Webpage
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 (more…)
Eco-Road Trip – Arcosanti
Arcosanti – Summary:
- Who: N/A
- What: Toured Arcosanti
- When: Wednesday, April 4
- Where: Arcosanti, AZ
Quick Resources:
- Arcosanti Webpage
- Arcosanti Facebook Page
- Cosanti Webpage
- Bronze Bells Webpage
- Paolo Soleri Wikipedia
- Arcology Wikipedia
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.
Eco-Road Trip – Goodbye Seal Beach, Hello Arizona Golf Resort
Goodbye Seal Beach, Hello Arizona Golf Resort – Summary:
- Who: Sondra Black (my mom)
- What: Walked the Seal Beach pier; Left California to Arizona; Coordinated and stayed with my mom on her work retreat at an Arizonan resort
- When: Tuesday, April 3
- Where: Seal Beach, CA; Scottsdale, AZ
Quick Resources:
My Route:
Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post
My Travel Story:
For my last day in California, Joey took me to downtown Seal Beach to the main city pier for one last look at the Pacific Ocean before I went into desert country.
This memorial plaque commemorates the community and those that helped rebuild the Seal Beach Pier when it was destroyed by storms in 1983.
This seal statue sits next to about a dozen plaques recognizing many businesses and government organizations that have been a part of Seal Beach’s history, as well as serves as a memorial for certain individuals.
