Eco-Road Trip – Muir Commons Cohousing & Davis Domes

Muir Commons Cohousing & Davis Domes– Summary:

  • Who: Webb Hester
  • What: Drove from Sonoma County to Davis, CA; Toured and stayed at the Muir Commons Cohousing; Explored the UC Davis Student Domes
  • When: Thursday, March 29
  • Where: Davis, CA

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

I left Luther Burbank’s Gold Ridge Experimental Farm in Sebastopol, CA, and drove to my next destination for the day at Muir Commons Community in Davis, CA – one of the first cohousing developments in the US built in 1990.

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Eco-Road Trip – University of California, Davis & Town Trip

University of California, Davis & Town Trip – Summary:

  • Who: N/A
  • What: Toured the campus gardens at UC Davis; Went to downtown Davis for dinner and walked around the common areas
  • When: Thursday, March 29
  • Where: Davis, CA

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

After the tour of Muir Commons Community, I went to the University of California, Davis to check out some of its on-campus sustainability features – like the arboretum, gardens, and onsite agricultural programs.

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Eco-Road Trip – Luther Burbank’s Experimental Farm

Luther Burbank’s Experimental Farm – Summary:

  • Who: N/A
  • What: Explored Luther Burbank’s Experimental Farm
  • When: Thursday, March 29
  • Where: Sebastopol, CA

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

My last day in Sonoma County, I made my final stop in that area but the first for the day at Luther Burbank’s Gold Ridge Experimental Farm in Sebastopol, CA.

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Eco-Road Trip – Occidental Arts & Ecology Center

Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) – Summary:

  • Who: N/A
  • What: Visited OAEC, worked in the plant nursery and ate with the volunteers
  • When: Wednesday, March 28
  • Where: Occidental, CA

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

My day started off by heading over to the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC), an 80-acre research, demonstration, education, advocacy and community-organizing center in West Sonoma County, California that develops strategies for regional-scale community resilience and the restoration of biological and cultural diversity.

I managed to schedule my visit on one of OAEC’s work volunteer days, which is how I got to visit OAEC for free – by helping label plants in the nursery for an upcoming sale to the public.

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Eco-Road Trip – Russian House #1

Russian House #1 – Summary:

  • Who: Bruce Schmidt; Tatiana Urusova
  • What: Drove to the coast and stopped at tourist shops; Visited the Russian House #1
  • When: Wednesday, March 28
  • Where: Jenner, CA

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

After leaving FrogSong Cohousing Community in Cotati, CA, I drove back to the Pacific coastline, leisurely taking my time because my hostess for Russian House # 1, Tatiana Urusova, wouldn’t be back until later that night to show me around.

“Russian house#1 is a restaurant with healthy Russian fusion food. It’s a cultural center and PostNonClassical Science Center, built for human development.” — RH#1 Facebook Page

 

So I piddled around on my drive and stopped at Harbor View Gifts & Goodies, where there was a nearby saltwater taffy shop and a view of the bay where I took pictures.

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Eco-Road Trip – Permaculture Skills Center & FrongSong Cohousing

Permaculture Skills Center & Frogsong Cohousing – Summary:

  • Who: Erik Ohlsen; Anila Roberts
  • What: Stumbled across the Permaculture Skills Center; Stopped by Cali Kind Clothing Co. tie-dye shop; Visited Frogsong Cohousing community
  • When: Wednesday, March 28
  • Where: Sebastopol, CA; Cotati, CA

Quick Resources:

My Route:

Planning my Eco-Inspired Road Trip Blog Post

 

My Travel Story:

Leaving Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) that afternoon after volunteering in the plant nursery, I headed towards my second planned destination – FrogSong Cohousing Community in Cotati, CA.

However, I was unaware of how saturated the area was with permaculture, ecology and sustainability – not only in terms of businesses and organizations, but also as the local and cultural mindsets.

Which is how I coincidentally stumbled on the Permaculture Skills Center, which I had followed online while I was initially learning about permaculture, and its onsite partner company, Permaculture Artisans.

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