Hi friends,
We recently spent a few days in Seattle, with some unexpected surprises (good ones).
Our first stop was to Xeko, a company that makes trading cards for kids (think Pokemon) but Xeko features hotspots of endangered animals around the globe instead. Carrick interviewed Amy Tucker, inventor and president of Xeko, about why she started the company and the line of trading cards. She also played a few games of Xeko with Carrick and Gareth, and they got some hints from the master herself. Here is the official description of Xeko from the website: "Xeko is the eco-adventure game for kids, by kids, making a difference in the world. Join the Xeko online adventure, play the
Xeko trading card game or collect Xeko Pals earth-friendly toys, and help save endangered animals. Be a force of nature!"
You can check out Xeko at www.xeko.com.
Once our interview was over, Amy brought us over to meet her friends at Theo Chocolates, the only organic, 100% fair-trade bean-to-bar chocolate factory in the U.S. Theo imports the cacao beans directly from farmers who are paid a fair wage and have good labor practices (much of the chocolate we're used to seeing at the store is made using slave-labor conditions, often by children). We got a tour of the chocolate-making at Theo and sampled...and sampled...a number of their dark chocolate bars they had out to try. Unfortunately I didn't have the video camera with me for the tour so we didn't get that on film. Their website is www.theochocolate.com - they started 3 years ago and have been doing very well, selling at Whole Foods and other natural food stores.
We were going to make a video about Seattle for our green city spotlights, but I changed my mind at the last minute and did something different instead. In researching the green city attributes for Seattle (Seattle is one of the Top 10 Greenest Cities in the U.S.) I found that most of the green things are similar to Portland, OR including great public transportation, parks and open space, high percentage of renewable electricity in the grid, etc. I decided it would be somewhat redundant to make a similar video about Seattle, so I took a different approach.
We stayed several days with our hosts right outside of Seattle in Issaquah in a newly-built model green community. The development is called a Rural Cluster Development (RCD) and it's a controversial development model that I thought would be interesting to explore, as one example of a green community. The houses are built close together, rating high in green building practices, and schools, shops, and public transportation are all nearby, with 70% of the land left as public open space and forest. Many environmentalists are up in arms because some of the homes are large (4,000-5,000 square feet) and it can be hard to consider such houses green. Also, in order to construct the thousands of homes many acres of land were completely torn apart and built upon. While the houses are more energy-efficient than a standard house, they don't incorporate any renewables and they are far away from a self-sustaining design like the earthships we visited in New Mexico. We toured the development to make a video and it should turn out to be a great debate issue for classrooms, about what a green, sustainable community should look like.
At this point in our cross-country journey, we headed east for the first time, beginning the way home. We still have some more interviews and videos to shoot and presentations to give, but the bulk of the filming is behind us at this point until we get home.
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
Monday, June 15, 2009
Friday, June 12, 2009
Green City Portland, OR
Hi friends,
We just spent a few days visiting Portland, Oregon, which is ranked #1 in several lists of Top 10 Green Cities in America.
Here is what SustainLane wrote about why Portland gets top honors:
"Portland's support of local farmers and farmers' markets; its explosion of green buildings and commitment to renewable energy, and its emphasis on mass transportation, including light rail and bicycles, shows that a city can not only be kind to the earth, but also flourish economically and grow by being green.
America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council."
One of the things that was most evident in driving through Portland is the bike lanes everywhere and the separate bus and train lanes throughout the streets. According to the city's sustainable development director, Portland aims to be a "20 Minute City" -- where residents spend 20 or less minutes traveling from home to work, shop or play. Portland also ranks as the #1 best biking and #1 best walking city in the U.S.
Portland also has many, many parks throughout the city. Our host in Portland told us an apt quote "New York is a city with a park in the middle, and Portland is a park with a city in the middle". We visited Forest Park on the west side of Portland, with 5,156 acres, one of the largest urban forests in the U.S. On the other end of the size spectrum we visited Mill Ends Park, which is the smallest park in the world measuring just 24 inches in diameter. It was created as a park for leprechauns and snail races!
It was great to see such a vibrant, green city!
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
We just spent a few days visiting Portland, Oregon, which is ranked #1 in several lists of Top 10 Green Cities in America.
Here is what SustainLane wrote about why Portland gets top honors:
"Portland's support of local farmers and farmers' markets; its explosion of green buildings and commitment to renewable energy, and its emphasis on mass transportation, including light rail and bicycles, shows that a city can not only be kind to the earth, but also flourish economically and grow by being green.
America’s top green city has it all: Half its power comes from renewable sources, a quarter of the workforce commutes by bike, carpool or public transportation, and it has 35 buildings certified by the U.S. Green Building Council."
One of the things that was most evident in driving through Portland is the bike lanes everywhere and the separate bus and train lanes throughout the streets. According to the city's sustainable development director, Portland aims to be a "20 Minute City" -- where residents spend 20 or less minutes traveling from home to work, shop or play. Portland also ranks as the #1 best biking and #1 best walking city in the U.S.
Portland also has many, many parks throughout the city. Our host in Portland told us an apt quote "New York is a city with a park in the middle, and Portland is a park with a city in the middle". We visited Forest Park on the west side of Portland, with 5,156 acres, one of the largest urban forests in the U.S. On the other end of the size spectrum we visited Mill Ends Park, which is the smallest park in the world measuring just 24 inches in diameter. It was created as a park for leprechauns and snail races!
It was great to see such a vibrant, green city!
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Beauty on the Road
Hi friends,
Since we left Chico, CA several days ago we've been traveling northward into Oregon. We haven't had any interviews since then but I wanted to check in and describe some of the beautiful scenes we've been through on our travels.
On Saturday we left Chico and traveled west on Highway 299 out to the coast, and incredible drive through the mountains. Jen and I agree it was the most beautiful drive of the trip so far, plus it was fun driving such a twisting road through the mountains. We wanted to see the coast and drive through the Redwood National Forest before going into Oregon, but it was getting dark as we went into the forest. We first came upon a herd of elk crossing the highway, with a little baby in the mix! It was eerie driving through the redwood forest at night because it's completely dark and we were driving past these MASSIVE tree trunks. We arrived late in Grants Pass, Oregon to stay at the Motel Del Rogue on the bank of the Rogue River.
Sunday morning we visited the UU Church in Grants Pass where I gave the sermon about sustainability and had a great time visiting with the folks there. The owners of the motel are UUs and generously offered to host us for two nights while we were in Grants Pass! In the afternoon we drove back to the redwood forest so we could see them in the daylight and actually stand among them. So amazing to stand next to these trees that have been alive for 800 years, and of course they are quite humbling in size... We enjoyed dinner that night with the two ministers from Grants Pass UU.
Monday we traveled from Grants Pass to Crater Lake to take in another natural wonder. Formed thousands of years ago by a volcanic explosion, the crater that was left filled with water and is now the deepest lake in the U.S. One big surprise was how much snow there was - it snows so much there that it takes until late summer to melt. Carrick and Gareth were running over fields of snow ten feet high with shorts and T-shirts having a great time throwing snowballs at each other. From Crater Lake we drove past a 275-foot waterfall and stopped to stretch our legs and take some pictures. We stayed the night in Roseburg.
I've included some pictures here for you to enjoy!
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
Since we left Chico, CA several days ago we've been traveling northward into Oregon. We haven't had any interviews since then but I wanted to check in and describe some of the beautiful scenes we've been through on our travels.
On Saturday we left Chico and traveled west on Highway 299 out to the coast, and incredible drive through the mountains. Jen and I agree it was the most beautiful drive of the trip so far, plus it was fun driving such a twisting road through the mountains. We wanted to see the coast and drive through the Redwood National Forest before going into Oregon, but it was getting dark as we went into the forest. We first came upon a herd of elk crossing the highway, with a little baby in the mix! It was eerie driving through the redwood forest at night because it's completely dark and we were driving past these MASSIVE tree trunks. We arrived late in Grants Pass, Oregon to stay at the Motel Del Rogue on the bank of the Rogue River.
Sunday morning we visited the UU Church in Grants Pass where I gave the sermon about sustainability and had a great time visiting with the folks there. The owners of the motel are UUs and generously offered to host us for two nights while we were in Grants Pass! In the afternoon we drove back to the redwood forest so we could see them in the daylight and actually stand among them. So amazing to stand next to these trees that have been alive for 800 years, and of course they are quite humbling in size... We enjoyed dinner that night with the two ministers from Grants Pass UU.
Monday we traveled from Grants Pass to Crater Lake to take in another natural wonder. Formed thousands of years ago by a volcanic explosion, the crater that was left filled with water and is now the deepest lake in the U.S. One big surprise was how much snow there was - it snows so much there that it takes until late summer to melt. Carrick and Gareth were running over fields of snow ten feet high with shorts and T-shirts having a great time throwing snowballs at each other. From Crater Lake we drove past a 275-foot waterfall and stopped to stretch our legs and take some pictures. We stayed the night in Roseburg.
I've included some pictures here for you to enjoy!
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
Flat Tires & Video Perspectives
Hi friends,
We got another chance to talk with our good friends at AAA today! We were driving through Salem, Oregon on the highway to Portland when small pieces of tire came flying off and our left rear tire was smoking. The two rear tires were getting warn but the mechanic at home thought they'd be fine for the trip. I've had flat tires but have never disintegrated and destroyed a tire before! AAA was fast and got us to Firestone for two new tires, and we got back on the road.
I've been thinking about how much to include our own personal story in our video series. There's a series on Planet Green about a road trip to visit different eco-places (hey, great idea!) but their shows are as much about the three travelers and their misadventures than the topics themselves. Personally I find that really annoying and distracting. I don't think we need to go that way to make the videos entertaining. Still, one of our recent hosts suggested having some "extras" of a few additional videos about our family's experience on the road. We are very fortunate to have this opportunity to spend two months traveling the country and we're getting many questions about how it's working out. Just how do four people fit into a VW Beetle for two months without killing each other, and the trials of driving a car coast to coast on vegetable oil.
I'll plan on putting a few things together to add our own personal perspectives in this project. First, I'll be putting together a bunch of funny video clips of us plus video of our favorite destinations, both project people and places and all the other places we loved. Plus the tow truck and flat tire pics, of course! We'll make a video collection of all these for the song 'Tin Can' which our friend Greg Hare wrote and recorded about our family, our Beetle, and our cross-county adventure.
I'm also planning for Carrick to interview Jennifer, Gareth and me when we get back home. I'll interview Carrick and we can all have a chance to talk about our favorite places, things we've learned, experiences on the road, and how we look at things differently now that we've seen so much in person.
Safe and sound in Portland Oregon,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
We got another chance to talk with our good friends at AAA today! We were driving through Salem, Oregon on the highway to Portland when small pieces of tire came flying off and our left rear tire was smoking. The two rear tires were getting warn but the mechanic at home thought they'd be fine for the trip. I've had flat tires but have never disintegrated and destroyed a tire before! AAA was fast and got us to Firestone for two new tires, and we got back on the road.
I've been thinking about how much to include our own personal story in our video series. There's a series on Planet Green about a road trip to visit different eco-places (hey, great idea!) but their shows are as much about the three travelers and their misadventures than the topics themselves. Personally I find that really annoying and distracting. I don't think we need to go that way to make the videos entertaining. Still, one of our recent hosts suggested having some "extras" of a few additional videos about our family's experience on the road. We are very fortunate to have this opportunity to spend two months traveling the country and we're getting many questions about how it's working out. Just how do four people fit into a VW Beetle for two months without killing each other, and the trials of driving a car coast to coast on vegetable oil.
I'll plan on putting a few things together to add our own personal perspectives in this project. First, I'll be putting together a bunch of funny video clips of us plus video of our favorite destinations, both project people and places and all the other places we loved. Plus the tow truck and flat tire pics, of course! We'll make a video collection of all these for the song 'Tin Can' which our friend Greg Hare wrote and recorded about our family, our Beetle, and our cross-county adventure.
I'm also planning for Carrick to interview Jennifer, Gareth and me when we get back home. I'll interview Carrick and we can all have a chance to talk about our favorite places, things we've learned, experiences on the road, and how we look at things differently now that we've seen so much in person.
Safe and sound in Portland Oregon,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
Monday, June 8, 2009
A Busy Day in Chico
Hi friends,
Our day in Chico, CA was one packed day! We filmed four interviews and were interviewed as well, plus our hosts threw a great party with friends from the green community in Chico.
Our first stop for the day was at Chico Bag, a company that makes reusable shopping bags. Their unique twist is to make durable bags that stuff down into a tiny pouch that is easy to carry, making them very convenient. Carrick interviewed Andy Keller, president and inventor of Chico Bag - Andy was inspired to create the Chico Bag after a visit to the landfill, where he saw disposable plastic bags everywhere. Part of the Chico Bag fun is the Plastic Bag Monster, a crazy costume of 500 plastic bags, which is the amount of plastic bags an American uses each year on average. The Plastic Bag Monster made an appearance in our video, in a face-off with the world debut of the Paper Bag Monster! We got the exclusive!
Carrick and I then went over to visit Dori and Val of the podcast 'More Hip Than Hippie', which is a great weekly eco-funny show. I've been listening to their podcast for the last 3 years and have always had fun listening to their interviews and green discussions - they have a great time and are two funny ladies! They always encourage listeners to do what they can, making baby steps to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. They invited us to be on their fourth anniversary show, which was a big honor! Once our interview was done we turned the tables and interviewed them for our project. You can visit their website at www.MoreHipThanHippie.com, or look for them on ITunes.
Val is also the founder and president of Greenfeet, an online green retailer that was recently voted in the Top 10 green businesses in the U.S. Val and her husband Rob started Greenfeet 10 years ago and they've built a model green business from the products they sell to all the info on their website, and their packaging and shipping. We interviewed Val about running a green business and about some of the products they sell. Greenfeet is one of the sponsors for our eco-video series, and we appreciate their support for our work! Check out Greenfeet's website at www.Greenfeet.com.
From Greenfeet we went over to visit Klean Kanteen, a company in Chico that makes stainless steel water bottles. Billions of plastic water bottles are thrown out every year and only a small number of those are recycled. We've been using Klean Kanteens for the last 2 years, filling them up at home and taking them with us wherever we go (including cross-country). Klean Kanteens were originally created as an alternative to reusable plastic water bottles on the market, many of which were found to have dangerous chemicals in the plastic. Stainless steel bottles like Klean Kanteens are safe and durable, a great alternative! We visited Klean Kanteen HQ, to find out about how the company got started and get some stats on disposable plastic water bottles. Check them out at www.KleanKanteen.com.
After all-day interviews, we had a great time at a party put on by our hosts, who invited some of Chico's green notables. Dori and Val were there, plus other friends! It was a fun way to end a busy day!
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
Our day in Chico, CA was one packed day! We filmed four interviews and were interviewed as well, plus our hosts threw a great party with friends from the green community in Chico.
Our first stop for the day was at Chico Bag, a company that makes reusable shopping bags. Their unique twist is to make durable bags that stuff down into a tiny pouch that is easy to carry, making them very convenient. Carrick interviewed Andy Keller, president and inventor of Chico Bag - Andy was inspired to create the Chico Bag after a visit to the landfill, where he saw disposable plastic bags everywhere. Part of the Chico Bag fun is the Plastic Bag Monster, a crazy costume of 500 plastic bags, which is the amount of plastic bags an American uses each year on average. The Plastic Bag Monster made an appearance in our video, in a face-off with the world debut of the Paper Bag Monster! We got the exclusive!
Carrick and I then went over to visit Dori and Val of the podcast 'More Hip Than Hippie', which is a great weekly eco-funny show. I've been listening to their podcast for the last 3 years and have always had fun listening to their interviews and green discussions - they have a great time and are two funny ladies! They always encourage listeners to do what they can, making baby steps to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. They invited us to be on their fourth anniversary show, which was a big honor! Once our interview was done we turned the tables and interviewed them for our project. You can visit their website at www.MoreHipThanHippie.com, or look for them on ITunes.
Val is also the founder and president of Greenfeet, an online green retailer that was recently voted in the Top 10 green businesses in the U.S. Val and her husband Rob started Greenfeet 10 years ago and they've built a model green business from the products they sell to all the info on their website, and their packaging and shipping. We interviewed Val about running a green business and about some of the products they sell. Greenfeet is one of the sponsors for our eco-video series, and we appreciate their support for our work! Check out Greenfeet's website at www.Greenfeet.com.
From Greenfeet we went over to visit Klean Kanteen, a company in Chico that makes stainless steel water bottles. Billions of plastic water bottles are thrown out every year and only a small number of those are recycled. We've been using Klean Kanteens for the last 2 years, filling them up at home and taking them with us wherever we go (including cross-country). Klean Kanteens were originally created as an alternative to reusable plastic water bottles on the market, many of which were found to have dangerous chemicals in the plastic. Stainless steel bottles like Klean Kanteens are safe and durable, a great alternative! We visited Klean Kanteen HQ, to find out about how the company got started and get some stats on disposable plastic water bottles. Check them out at www.KleanKanteen.com.
After all-day interviews, we had a great time at a party put on by our hosts, who invited some of Chico's green notables. Dori and Val were there, plus other friends! It was a fun way to end a busy day!
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
Sunday, June 7, 2009
San Francisco!
Hi friends,
We escaped...er....finished our sightseeing adventures in Bakersfield to move onto San Francisco with the newly-improved Beetle ready for action. Many thanks to the donations that were sent to us by our friends and supporters to help us with that unexpected hit to the project budget!!! Your generosity was just amazing and lifted our spirits while feeling down in Bakersfield! I was trying to stay positive as you could see in my last post but it was frustrating nonetheless.
The drive north to San Francisco took several hours was an interesting drive through the central valley of California, where much of our produce comes from. As we drove through the reservoir we saw a large windfarm on the ridge line. We actually stayed overnight in Redwood City which is just south of San Francisco. The most frustrating part of our down time in Bakersfield was that we had to compact our planned stay in San Francisco over several days down to an overnight and then an afternoon in the city the next day. We had so many video interviews planned for the rest of the week that I just couldn't push everything forward a few days.
The next morning started with a visit to Google in Mountain View, where we had a personal tour of their solar array. GooglePlex, as the Google campus is called, has one of the largest solar panel installations by a company in the U.S. (it was the largest when it was built). Google is one cool place! They made a great website that has lots of info about their solar installation - check it out:
http://www.google.com/corporate/solarpanels/home
We drove up into San Francisco for the afternoon and saw all that we could see in that small amount of time, filming for our Green City Spotlights. San Francisco pretty much tops every list of Top 10 Greenest Cities in the U.S., and for good reason. The city has an extensive public transportation system with light-rail, buses, streetcars, etc. Parking is VERY expensive (I put 45 cents in the parking meter and got 10 minutes, I'm not kidding). Recycling is big - one big blue bin for recycling, a big green bin for compost, and a little black bin for trash. The city is also a big proponent on solar, with the largest solar array by a city in the U.S., and they also offer big incentives for residents to go solar.
We took an excursion to drive the Beetle down Lombard Street, which is the steep, curvy street that is iconic in San Francisco. We also stopped in the Haight-Ashbury district, famous for being hippie central in the 60's. That was fun trying to explain THAT one to the kids.
We drove after dinner several hours up to Chico for a full schedule of interviews the next day, but at the risk of writing an endless post I'll stop it here.
Many thanks again to everyone who has supported us on this cross-country adventure - we've seen so many amazing things through the camera lens and met many inspiring people along the way. While we've met a few famous people, most of them are everyday folks who found a passion and made great things happen, with the support of many around them. For Carrick to meet these people, interview them and get their stories to share, is such an experience. Thank you all for helping make that possible.
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
We escaped...er....finished our sightseeing adventures in Bakersfield to move onto San Francisco with the newly-improved Beetle ready for action. Many thanks to the donations that were sent to us by our friends and supporters to help us with that unexpected hit to the project budget!!! Your generosity was just amazing and lifted our spirits while feeling down in Bakersfield! I was trying to stay positive as you could see in my last post but it was frustrating nonetheless.
The drive north to San Francisco took several hours was an interesting drive through the central valley of California, where much of our produce comes from. As we drove through the reservoir we saw a large windfarm on the ridge line. We actually stayed overnight in Redwood City which is just south of San Francisco. The most frustrating part of our down time in Bakersfield was that we had to compact our planned stay in San Francisco over several days down to an overnight and then an afternoon in the city the next day. We had so many video interviews planned for the rest of the week that I just couldn't push everything forward a few days.
The next morning started with a visit to Google in Mountain View, where we had a personal tour of their solar array. GooglePlex, as the Google campus is called, has one of the largest solar panel installations by a company in the U.S. (it was the largest when it was built). Google is one cool place! They made a great website that has lots of info about their solar installation - check it out:
http://www.google.com/corporate/solarpanels/home
We drove up into San Francisco for the afternoon and saw all that we could see in that small amount of time, filming for our Green City Spotlights. San Francisco pretty much tops every list of Top 10 Greenest Cities in the U.S., and for good reason. The city has an extensive public transportation system with light-rail, buses, streetcars, etc. Parking is VERY expensive (I put 45 cents in the parking meter and got 10 minutes, I'm not kidding). Recycling is big - one big blue bin for recycling, a big green bin for compost, and a little black bin for trash. The city is also a big proponent on solar, with the largest solar array by a city in the U.S., and they also offer big incentives for residents to go solar.
We took an excursion to drive the Beetle down Lombard Street, which is the steep, curvy street that is iconic in San Francisco. We also stopped in the Haight-Ashbury district, famous for being hippie central in the 60's. That was fun trying to explain THAT one to the kids.
We drove after dinner several hours up to Chico for a full schedule of interviews the next day, but at the risk of writing an endless post I'll stop it here.
Many thanks again to everyone who has supported us on this cross-country adventure - we've seen so many amazing things through the camera lens and met many inspiring people along the way. While we've met a few famous people, most of them are everyday folks who found a passion and made great things happen, with the support of many around them. For Carrick to meet these people, interview them and get their stories to share, is such an experience. Thank you all for helping make that possible.
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Down and Out in Bakersfield
Hi friends,
We've had to make an unplanned visit to see the great sights of...Bakersfield, CA. We left yesterday from Los Angeles to drive up to San Francisco and stopped in a rest area along the way, when the clutch gave out on the Beetle. It was feeling a little weak for the last several days (I was hoping it was just my imagination) but it was done. We had it towed to Bakersfield, as we weren't too far away from there, to the VW dealership. The dealership was closed already so we left the car there and got a hotel room for the night (at least they have a pool!). I called the VW dealership this morning for the bad news and it was bad indeed - new clutch and flywheel have to be overnighted and they will have the car done by the end of tomorrow. We're looking at a repair bill of $2,100, making a grand total of $3,000 we've spent on car repair bills in the last 2 weeks. Needless to say we are frustrated and disappointed.
Still, there are things to be grateful for. When the clutch went we weren't far from Bakersfield, the VW dealership, and a decent hotel. We could have been in the desert, and we have certainly seen plenty of desert. I took the kids to a family fun place this afternoon that had minigolf and arcade games, all you can play for $10, so they had a blast there. I was able to reschedule most of our San Francisco video appointments for Thursday so our video schedule shouldn't be too badly affected. Jen and I are just disappointed because we had 3 full days planned in San Francisco and we were really looking forward to spending time in what so many people have described as a truly amazing city. To extend the stay there would be to completely torpedo everything for the next week and we have too many hard-earned appointments to move everything.
Here's a pic of the Beetle getting great mileage - 30 miles and we didn't burn a drop of fuel! he he he at least I can laugh about it...
Tomorrow's my birthday and hey, I get a new clutch for my birthday!!! Well, hopefully the car will be ready to roll tomorrow afternoon and we can be on our way to San Francisco.
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
We've had to make an unplanned visit to see the great sights of...Bakersfield, CA. We left yesterday from Los Angeles to drive up to San Francisco and stopped in a rest area along the way, when the clutch gave out on the Beetle. It was feeling a little weak for the last several days (I was hoping it was just my imagination) but it was done. We had it towed to Bakersfield, as we weren't too far away from there, to the VW dealership. The dealership was closed already so we left the car there and got a hotel room for the night (at least they have a pool!). I called the VW dealership this morning for the bad news and it was bad indeed - new clutch and flywheel have to be overnighted and they will have the car done by the end of tomorrow. We're looking at a repair bill of $2,100, making a grand total of $3,000 we've spent on car repair bills in the last 2 weeks. Needless to say we are frustrated and disappointed.
Still, there are things to be grateful for. When the clutch went we weren't far from Bakersfield, the VW dealership, and a decent hotel. We could have been in the desert, and we have certainly seen plenty of desert. I took the kids to a family fun place this afternoon that had minigolf and arcade games, all you can play for $10, so they had a blast there. I was able to reschedule most of our San Francisco video appointments for Thursday so our video schedule shouldn't be too badly affected. Jen and I are just disappointed because we had 3 full days planned in San Francisco and we were really looking forward to spending time in what so many people have described as a truly amazing city. To extend the stay there would be to completely torpedo everything for the next week and we have too many hard-earned appointments to move everything.
Here's a pic of the Beetle getting great mileage - 30 miles and we didn't burn a drop of fuel! he he he at least I can laugh about it...
Tomorrow's my birthday and hey, I get a new clutch for my birthday!!! Well, hopefully the car will be ready to roll tomorrow afternoon and we can be on our way to San Francisco.
Be well,
Colin
www.OurRenewableNation.org
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