Life on the road is both leisurely and very rewarding. Never making reservations ahead so as to not commit ourselves, we let “the moment” guide Emili (our Toyota Prius); always taking time to smell the roses and take advantage of any current opportunities. Emili (with us in tow) visited 74 towns / cities, 4 Canadian [...]
Displaying posts written by
Rick Butler
who has written 10 posts for Globaltrekkers Travel Stories, Articles and Travel Photos.
Nov
16
2004
16
2004
Sep
16
2004
16
2004
A Ship out of Water
By Rick Butler
Imagine! Never another hydro bill; never another heat bill; never another water bill. This is not a fantasy; it is a reality.
Begin with used car tires, add sand, some solar panels, one small wind turbine, lots of live plants; splash in a sprinkling of rain and snow and you have the recipe for [...]
Sep
5
2004
5
2004
The Sands of Time
In Canada, it is estimated, 16,000 people die prematurely each year and many more suffer from long term illness and disabilities caused by the fossil fuel burning polluted air we breathe.
Sep
5
2004
5
2004
Kudos to Our Gal, Emili
“G’day ya’ll” met us as Emili (our Toyota Prius) pulled in to a gas/convenience store; no, Emili didn’t need a drink, we did. A very excited young man blocked our way, “where’d ya’ll buy yer car?” As our conversation pursued we discovered this young man and his wife had ordered a Prius and would have to [...]
Aug
16
2004
16
2004
Gasonomics
With 9336 kilometres behind us, Emili (out Toyota Prius) has snacked on 446 litres of gas for an average of 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres ( app. 60 mile per gallon ) at a cost of $384.00 ( average of 84 cents per litre ). Her best performance to date is Winnipeg to Crookston, Minnesota with [...]
Jul
8
2004
8
2004
In the Immortal Words of Bob Dylan “The Answer, my friend, is Blowing in the Wind”
Our gaze was met by hundreds of tall white behemoths blowing in the wind
Jul
8
2004
8
2004
Ahhh, the Flat Prairies! Or so we thought
Travelling through southern Alberta and Saskatchewan brought many surprises, in attractions and land marks, (which you can read about in Irene’s Blogs) as well as in Emili’s (our Toyota Prius) performance. Many people are under the impression that the prairies are flat and uneventful. In fact, I have heard comments over the years that central Canada [...]
Jun
29
2004
29
2004
Alternative Energy Growing in the Kootenays
Wind Energy has been around for, well, since forever.
By Rick Butler
New and exciting technology is being developed almost daily to harness wind energy. We met with Rick West, the president of West Tech Energy in Kelowna B. C. who is currently developing a small Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT). Rick maintains this turbine [...]
Jun
29
2004
29
2004
Emil’s Performance Through the Mountains
One thing is for sure, Emili (out Toyota Prius) attracts a lot of attention no matter where she goes. Countless times people noticed Emili while parked and came over to ask questions and comment on her sleek aerodynamic styling and futuristic appearance. She truly is a beauty. The interior is spacious and efficient with the [...]
Jun
7
2004
7
2004
EMILI’s Log #1 – Gas Prices “Up Up and Away”
Ever increasing fuel costs is a fact of life we all need to adjust to. In fact, the higher the price of gas the better off we will be. That’s right, in my opinion, we have for many decades become addicted to the stuff as a result of lower gas prices in North [...]