web analytics

Border to Border Tour with Tumbleweed Tiny House Company – 2008

Effective Living > Housing

Summary. In July 2008, Jay Shafer took his tiny house on the road and traveled along the West Coast from the Canadian Border down to the Mexican Border. Jay was joined by Small House Society co-founder Gregory Johnson and the two demonstrated the versatility and endurance of a Tumbleweed Home. Jay and Gregory slept in the tiny house and made stops at many cities and towns. The tour consisted of workshops, open house events, presentations, and interviews with the media. Gregory promoted his book Put Your Life on a Diet.

Live Tour Photos. Photos of their adventure are available through the GregoryCam – Gregory’s journal and live feed of photos from his daily life. Higher quality photos are available on Picasaweb as listed below.

  • To/From Canada – 20080714mo-15tu. The journey to and from Canada to host a starlight open house.
  • Olympia, Washington – 20080715tu. Photos from the open house as well as some really nice photos of Dee Williams and her home. Some nice flower and garden photos.
  • Portland, Oregon – 20080715tu. People were lined up down the street for the open house. Photos of some really interesting 300 square foot homes permitted by the city of Portland.
  • Eugene, Oregon – 20080716we. Photos from the open house, the Morning Glory Cafe, beautiful roses in the Owen Rose Garden, the Maitreya EcoVillage, and other special sites in Eugene.
  • Ashland, Oregon – 20070716we. Photos from the open house, and also some nice photos of the brook in the park nearby.
  • Napa Valley Winery Vineyards – 20080717th. Photos on the road to Sebastopol, California.
  • Sebastopol Memorial Lawn Cemetery – 20080717th, part of the 54 Minute Peace Run
  • Vardo Gypsy Wagon – 20080717th, Gregory’s home for about a week
  • Building Workshop – 20080719sa, Tumbleweed Tiny House Company Building Workshop led by Jay Shafer
  • 54 Minute Peace Run – 20080721mo, Gregory’s daily morning run while in Sebastopol, California
  • National Peace Site – 20080722tu, Photos of the National Peace Site at Ragle Ranch Regional Park in Sebastopol, California are now available.
  • Mountain View, California – 20080723we, The Golden Gate Bridge, open house at Google in Mountain view, and staying with friends in Aromas, California.
  • Aromas, California and Santa Cruz, California – 20080724th. Photos taken in the morning at Aromas before our departure and later in the day at the open house.
  • San Luis Obispo – 20080724th. Photos taken at the open house and on the road getting there.
  • Santa Barbara – 20080724th. In the evening, we stayed over in Santa Barbara. Includes a nice sunset photo with a palm tree.
  • Carpinteria – 20080725fr. Photos from the open house in Carpinteria and some nice photos from along the beach and rocky shoreline.
  • Los Angeles – 20080725fr. Photos taken upon arriving in Los Angeles including Sherman Oaks Castle Park, the Hotel Angeleno, and photos from the Open House. Also included are some really amazing night photos of the tiny house with the backdrop of the Hotel Angeleno.
  • Los Angeles – 2008076sa. Photos taken of the Getty Center, and other sites visible from the 16th floor of the Hotel Angeleno. Also photos of the Building Workshop.
  • Los Angeles Run/Walk/Hike – 20080727su. Photos taken of a lengthy run north of the Getty Center including the Getty View Trail.
  • Mexican Border – 20080728mo. Photos taken along the Mexican border.
  • San Diego Open House at Crown Point – 20080728mo. Photos taken at the open house in San Diego.
  • California Plains – 20080728mo. Photos taken along the California Plains on the return trip north.
  • Wind Power – 20080729tu. Photos of wind turbine electric generator systems.
  • Desert near Phoenix Zoo – 20080730we. These are photos near the Phoenix Zoo. I took these while staying over for a flight.

Itinerary. Below is the itinerary of the trip.

7/11 – Open House in Seattle, WA @ 4:00 p – 6:00 p, at Habitat for Humanity map
7/12 – Building Workshop in Seattle, WA @ 9:00 a -5:00 p at the Habitat for Humanity
7/13 – Design Workshop in Seattle, WA @ 9:00 a -5:00 p at the Habitat for Humanity
7/14 – Updated: Open House in Victoria, BC @ 11:00 pm, at Ferry Parking Lot
7/15 – Open House in Olympia, WA @ 11:00 a – 1:00 p, at Cabellas map
7/15 – Open House in Portland, OR @ 6:00 p – 8:00 p, at 3712 N Borthwick Ave
7/16 – Open House in Eugene, OR @ 12:00 p – 2:00 p, at Owen Rose Garden
7/16 – Open House in Ashland, OR @ 6:00 p – 8:00 p, at Lithia Park, Winburn Way
7/19 – Building Workshop in San Francisco @ 9:00 a – 5:00 p
7/20 – Design Workshop in San Francisco @ 9:00 a – 5:00 p
7/23 – Open House in Mountain View, CA @ 5:00 p – 7:00 p, location: Google
7/24 – Open House in Santa Cruz, CA @ 9:00 a – 11:00 a, at Coffeetopia on Mission St.
7/24 – Open House in San Luis Obispo, CA @ 4:00 p – 6:00 p, at Sinsheimer Park on the west end of Southwood Drive
7/25 – Open House in Santa Barbara, CA @ 9:00 a – 11:00 a, at Carpinteria State Beach map
7/25 – Open House in Los Angeles, CA @ 5:00 p – 7:00 p, at old K-Mart on 3150 N San Fernando Dr.
7/26 – Building Workshop in Los Angeles, CA @ 9:00 a – 5:00 p, at Hotel Angeleno, map
7/27 – Design Workshop in Los Angeles, CA @ 9:00 a – 5:00 p, at Hotel Angelenomap
7/28 – Open House in San Diego, CA @ 11:00 a – 1:00 p, at Mission Bay Beach – Crown Point | See location #3 on the park map

Thanks! Many thanks to all those who attended workshops, open house events, and helped along the way. We’re very grateful for your support in making the tour a great success!

Video. This first video was produced by Jay using video and photos from the trip.

Below is a video from Carpinteria Beach at Santa Barbara. It was produced by a local environmental group.

By Greg Johnson

Greg Johnson is a freelance writer and tech consultant in Iowa City. He is also the founder and Director of the ResourcesForLife.com website. Learn more at AboutGregJohnson.com