There is a place in the Sonoran Desert at the foot of The Chocolate Mountains and east of the Salton Sea where those who have the sand can live free - free from rent, mortgage and taxes and all the other stuff Americans take for granted like publicly funded water, sewer, and electricity.

Slab City is the last free place in America.

Slab City began like most cities, and with the exception of solar panels, satellite dishes and plastic IBC tanks.

It is probably the spittin' image of western settlements that began 150 years ago before the rich folks hired a sheriff to force law on everyone else but them.

Yet, nostalgic tourists who flock to Tombstone to celebrate the charm and romance of the lawless Old West with all it's hell-raisin' saloons and brothels, would probably shun Slab City's authentic ramshackle patina and declare it off-putting, filthy and profane.

The post Slab City: It’s Way Out appeared first on Living In Beauty.

I'm a desert rat. Jim is doing this whole SoCal desert tour thing for me because Borrego is my favorite place in the world. I love this remote, sunshiny and sparsely populated area and could happily live here year-round.

Jim says, that's okay, he will visit me once a year in wintertime.

Nestled in a valley within the 600,000-acre Anza-Borrego Desert State Park we found the The Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf Course.

The post Campground Review: The Springs at Borrego RV Resort – Borrego Springs, California appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We haven't moved in three weeks and plan to stay-put for another week. It feels like a long time to take a rest.

But don't think I'm just sitting around staring at the floor. We're both focused on health, eating clean and exercising in the dry, dry desert.

Over the last couple of years our cork floor has enhanced our travels. It's a time saver, comfy to walk on and has a beautiful color that reminds me of a full-bodied unfiltered red ale I tasted at a micro-brewery in Ohio.

Remodeling slowly, one step at a time, is our style. As homeowners we had the same philosophy. Since the moment we set our eyes on Beauty, we committed to giving her something new every year.

We waited this long to spotlight the new floor because we wanted to find out if it worked.

The post We’re Floored appeared first on Living In Beauty.

We've grown up since we began Living in Beauty.

From our first starry-eyed blog post in January 2016, we've learned that "home" is a concept that can mean anything from a ballgame, to a cooking style, to a place of origin or a military base and even a camping spot in a vineyard. We always kinda knew that, but it's good to clear up any doubts.

Travel changes chihuahuas and their people - people for the better chihuahua's, not so much.

From the universal chihuahua position where every incidence, encounter and object is a red-alert situation our security team, Pico de Gallo has conditioned us to be responsive to All The Dangers, imminent or otherwise.

Well, he's right. Life is a precarious situation.

Eventually, something's gonna get us. So Pico keeps us ready for everything, except a nap.

The post Hit a Bump appeared first on Living In Beauty.

The legendary Cannonball Run is an illegal competitive cross-country American road trip from New York to California. The tradition started when Erwin "Cannonball" Baker (1882-1960) said, "I dare ya."

And because enough folks took him up on it, the "Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash" was established in the 1970's.

Honestly, all of this smoke and steel is news to me. I'd never even heard of the Cannonball Run until last month when I read the news report. We're always learning, aren't we? And now, the next time a car full of young people pass us on the highway at 180 mph we will have something to consider other than bank robber, drug runner, Uber and Amazon.

We certainly do not endorse risky highway competitions, but it's tough to keep our excitement under the radar because we completed our first Sea-To-Shining-Sea on the same day (December 3rd) as the amazing Tabbut/Toman/Chadwick team achieved their stunning new record.

FYI: Not stealing any thunder here - just basking in the glory a bit.

The post The Cannonball Crawl appeared first on Living In Beauty.

I know ... My favorite mountain range is always the last one I met. I'm a sucker for gushing streams, pine scented paths and sparkling ponds.

Sure, our Autumn encounter with the Adirondacks had much to do with luck and timing, but these hills greeted us with such sweetness and purity it was like going home to mama.

We immediately recognized and sank into the bosom of America's First Wilderness, the natura naturans of colonial culture.

The post Adirondacks! appeared first on Living In Beauty.

All I have to say about Jim's Birthday Week in Montreal is, Holy Cow ...

... which might be the only thing we did not see in Montreal - a holy cow. But, I'll bet someday they get one.

Sure, cathedrals are the dominant architecture in the New France colony but every other world religion manages to sidle in-between the narrow gaps. This positively divine 377 year-old city-around-a-hill boasts three summits - all less than 800 feet above sea-level that float like emeralds above the spectacular skyline.

It was a last minute idea, this side-trip to Canada.

The post Discovering Montreal appeared first on Living In Beauty.

A watched pot never boils and the trees rush for no man.

Despite our best laid plans, we missed peak Autumn foliage in Vermont. Two weeks of carefully planned leaf-peeping only rewarded us with teasing blushes from the canopy.

But we're not complaining.

Viewing the most coveted displays of blazing fall leaf color in New England was not in the climate cards for us.

Fortunately, James (Jean-Luc) Beaubeaux plans for every snafu and wisely booked us in advance at Little River State Park where an abundance of superb kayaking, cycling and hiking made central Vermont feel like home-sweet-home.

The post Campground Review: Little River State Park – Waterbury, Vermont appeared first on Living In Beauty.

There are many Acadias.

Acadia the beautiful…

Acadia the historic…

Acadia the maritime paradise…

and, Acadia the tourist haven.

Those who call it a “tourist trap” have probably only paid it a weekend visit or less.

I mean, this park has over 3.5 million visitors a year. Figure the math and stay away from Bar Harbor and the bus routes on weekends. Even with the cruise ship traffic, we never felt the crowd crush we’ve heard others complain about.

The post Acadia, Acadia, Acadia appeared first on Living In Beauty.

Like the slow cooking movement, slow travel and adherence to the 4-3-2 Rule is the LIB way.

New England is an ideal place to exercise this philosophy because all of the sights and natural wonders are as near as your best friend. Day trips are seldom more than a three mile jaunt.

Coastal Maine, where quintessential small towns – each with a proud Main Street where the library and town hall and the vintage Chinese restaurant are clustered around the impressive clock tower in the public square – are strung like white pearls evenly spaced along the evergreen lined shoulders of U.S. 1.

The post The Maine Thing appeared first on Living In Beauty.