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:

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.

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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:

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

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Eco-Road Trip – Arcosanti

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.

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Eco-Road Trip – Manzanita Village Cohousing

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.

 

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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.

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Eco-Road Trip – South Coast Botanic Garden

South Coast Botanic Garden – Summary:

  • Who: N/A
  • What: Toured the South Coast Botanic Garden
  • When: Monday, April 2
  • Where: Los Angeles, CA

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

My original plans for the day to visit CalEarth were miscalculated and fell through, and so did last minute plans to see local friends.

So I searched for other destinations in the area, and came across the South Coast Botanic Garden, which was originally an open-pit mining operation turned city landfill turned botanical gardens.

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