Freedom for $9/mo: The Life of a New Mexico Drifter
The first time we set eyes on Richard Shuman he was cursing at his dog and swatting her with an old bath towel. We nodded as we drove past. He didn't nod back.
Read MoreTourism & Traffic Lights // A Conversation with the Mayor of Sedona, AZ
A lot of people who move here say they want it to stay the way it was the day they arrived. “It should just stay like this,” they say. “We don’t want any more growth. Tourists need to stop coming.” Well, wait a minute. You came here as a tourist.
Read MoreLocal Color: Arizona (PART II)
Before we'd left Nebraska, I tossed out interview requests to two of Arizona's finest writers: Jim Harrison (Legends of the Fall, Dalva, etc.) and Philip Caputo (A Rumor of War, The Longest Road, etc.). I assumed both were a longshot. A few weeks later, I found myself in Patagonia, Arizona, drinking with both of them at the Wagon Wheel Saloon.
Read MoreLocal Color: Arizona
I once had a professor who announced to class that if he were forced to wipe one city from the map, there would be no struggle. The choice was obvious: Phoenix, Arizona. I thought that was pretty funny, because I knew nothing about Phoenix, and nothing about Arizona.
Read MoreMerry Christmas!
Merry Christmas from Local Color XC!
Read MoreHow to Get Rid of Your Stuff and Move into a Camper
Yesterday was our last day in apartment -- the last time we'll have a queen-size bed, full-size refrigerator and all the shoes and boots I desire. We moved out. And you know what, it was easier than we thought.
Read MoreRoad Trippin : Lower 48 or Bust!
We’re moving all of our vitals into Elsie and spending one week in each of the lower 48 states. Are we nervous? Completely. Are we excited? Duh. Are we totally batshit insane? Maybe.
Read MorePhoto Essay: Bessey Ranger District, Nebraska National Forest
At nearly 20,000 acres, the forest within the Bessey Ranger District is the largest hand-planted forest in the United States, established in 1902 by visionary botanist and professor Charles E. Bessey. Growing up, I didn't grasp the significance of a national forest in the middle of the nearly treeless Nebraska Sandhills.
Read MoreCostello vs. Elsie
Yes, most days Costello just moped. He moped by the door. And moped in the shade. And moped by the car a lot (another thing he hates: thinking he is being left). He’d actually put himself to bed most nights. Not because he did anything particularly taxing. But because life is sad when your family/pack includes a very needy trailer.
Read MoreHey Jealousy
When we first decided to renovate an old travel trailer, Carson and I spent too many late-night Google sessions researching the many brave pioneers who came before us. It was pure curiosity at first, testing to see if we were the only ones with this crazy-stupid idea. Also: what were we up against?
Read MoreMoms, Dads and Trailers
It’s funny how even now, at almost 30 years old, I still feel like I need parental permission. But asking permission to renovate an old trailer and hit the road would take things to a new level. For the first time in my life, I seriously considered drafting a PowerPoint presentation for my parents.
Read MoreSorry, I Don't Work Here: A Treatise On Lowe's Home Improvement
During these halcyon days even Lowe's couldn’t tear us down. In truth, we loved that big box, always right where we needed it, just off the highway, the florescent lights beckoning us to stop, to grab another can of paint or return an extra compression fitting.
Read MoreOn Podcasts, Hy-Vee Chinese and the Weekend Commute
Fun fact: We once spent the entire drive from Lincoln to Broken Bow waiting for Terry Gross to finish her question. Turns out it wasn’t a question at all—she was just thinking.
Read MoreWe Think It's Time You Meet Elsie
We think it’s finally time you meet Elsie. It’s getting pretty serious. But listen: she’s a little rough around the edges—and the middle, too, and the underside could use some work, and her top keeps falling down. Hell, she’s had a rough ride!
Read MoreHave Camper, Will Travel
Welcome! Bienvenido! Willkommen! 歡迎! Chào mừng! ترحيب! And other translations we Googled! You’ve made it to Local Color XC. We’re glad you’re here. Allow us a moment to explain ourselves.
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