1. Dropping Off The Grid: A Growing Movement In America: Part III
5 Great Spots For Dropping Off The Grid:
So you've decided you want to drop off the map and leave Big Brother behind.
It's harder than ever in our always-connected world, but if you're ready to plan
your big vanishing act, here are a few actual destinations to keep in mind.
"Off-grid living is a spectrum that unites greens and survivalists," says Rosen,
referring to those who choose to escape city life because they either don't
trust the government or don't want it meddling in their affairs.
So if you've been considering going AWOL, let tax day be your inspiration. And
if you've got what it takes to look after yourself, with a little help from some
earthy friends, here are a few off-the-grid destinations that will take you in.
Or perhaps you'd like to drop in for a visit ...
Terlingua, Texas:
Spend a night at Upstairs at the Mansion if you're just passing through
Terlingua, Texas.
There's no shortage of songs about this fabled West Texas ghost town on the edge
of Big Bend National Park, chock full of desert gypsies occupying the remaining
mining ruins. But perhaps the most well known is Gary P. Nunn's "Terlingua Sky":
Well, you know we're probably too old for this. / Maybe the rest of the world is
too young. / We drive 500 miles to get loose and get wild / And stay up 'til the
last song is done.
Of course it's hard to tell just how young or old anyone is in Terlingua. Desert
living takes its toll on your skin while rejuvenating the soul.
Terlingua is surrounded by ruggedly beautiful terrain, sits at a high altitude
and a distance from civilization that provides for some of the world's finest
star-gazing and plays host to two of the most celebrated and highly attended
chili cook-offs in the country. If you aren't ready to escape to the wilds of
West Texas, at least plan a trip for the first Saturday of November, when both
the Frank X. Tolbert - Wick Fowler Championship and the Chili Appreciation
Society International cook-offs take place.
And make sure to spend a night at Upstairs at the Mansion -- a boutique hotel
built in the ruins of the century-old mansion owned by the founder of the Chisos
Mining Co.
For more information, visit www.terlinguacitylimits.com or www.chili.org.
Slab City, California:
"The Last Free Place in America" is about 190 miles southeast of Los Angeles and
an hour's drive north of the Mexican border. Here, in Slab City, you'll find
hundreds of free spirits living in campers, RVs and school buses scattered
amongst the giant concrete-slab ruins of a World War II-era military base.
When the base closed after the war, a group of servicemen stayed, and the
community continued to grow -- mostly because it supports the wayward life, and
neither the U.S. military nor the state of California have ever charged the
squatters. Keep in mind there's no water, electricity or sewer service, so the
lifestyle presents its own challenges.
You might recognize the village of mobile homes or the nearby "Salvation

2. Mountain" from the 2007 film "Into the Wild" or the book of the same name that
inspired it. Illuminated by a vision from God, Leonard Knight spent 26 years and
thousands of gallons of paint crafting a hillside out of adobe and straw. The
giant art installation is an explosion of colors and scriptures and such a
spectacular vision that an unsuspecting traveler might think it a mirage.
It's worth the trip just to see the giant work of art or to take a life lesson
from some of the locals making their own way in this concrete Eden.
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, Missouri:
In the heart of the Midwest lies a commune dedicated to socially and
environmentally sustainable living. Located on 280 acres in Rutledge, in
northeastern Missouri, Dancing Rabbit inhabitants aim to prove that egalitarian
communities can thrive in America. But the main focus is on the environment, as
much of the property is reserved for wildlife habitat and villagers have
reintroduced native plants to the area.
If you're just looking to stop in and check out the scene, stay at the Milkweed
Mercantile Eco Inn, a straw-bale-constructed bed and breakfast. Dancing Rabbit
also offers one- to three-week visitor programs to more fully experience the
ecovillage. Most of those program participants camp on the property.
For more information, visit www.dancingrabbit.org or www.milkweedmercantile.com.
Smith Island, Maryland:
For more than 300 years, the residents of this Chesapeake Bay waterman community
have managed to exist without local government, jails or police. The Methodist
church and the blue crab business give the community its structure. Not only
have islanders preserved a sense of order, but they've also upheld a unique way
of life and dialect similar to that of the West Country of England.
The assortment of islands known as Smith Island can only be accessed by boat,
and many are uninhabited. If you're not looking to take up island life
permanently, you should at least visit for the outstanding seafood and their
signature eight-to-15-layer Smith Island cake.
For more information, visit www.smithisland.org.
Breitenbush Hot Springs is a worker-owned cooperative promoting personal
renewal.
Breitenbush Hot Springs, Oregon:
This holistic hot spring resort nestled in the Willamette National Forrest, 50
miles outside of Salem, Oregon, is one of the most relaxing spots to go off the
grid. You can join the 50 to 70 members of this worker-owned cooperative who run
Breitenbush by lending your skills for a year, at which point the community will
vote on your membership.
The community's mission: "To provide a safe and potent environment where people
can renew and evolve in ways they never imagined."
Of course, if you just want a short rejuvenation escape, you can make
reservations for anywhere from $52 to $119 a night, depending on dates and
accommodations. Visitors can enjoy massages, performances, yoga, more than 20
miles of hiking trails and the renowned natural geothermal springs that have
been used by Native Americans for centuries.