Fully Charged
Southwestern Winter Deserts
Austin Texas
Riven R1T
We left behind the horrors of the Delaware Basin and drove on to Austin Texas, our most easterly destination on this amazing electrically powered road trip. We surfed an electromagnetic wave from Oakland California for over 2,000 miles to reach our goal, the Fully Charged Live renewable energy expo in Austin Texas.
We arrived at our destination on time. We crossed the desert without range anxiety and coped with replacing a flat tire on the way. Proof positive that all the misinformation about electric cars is untrue. How much more evidence do you need?
Isn't it time for you to put humanity's future before yourself?
harley davidson 2020 LiveWire
The most incredible part of this trip is to experience the juxtaposition between the fossil-fuel horrors of the Delaware Basin in opposition to the interest (of many Americans and others from around the world) in renewable energy and electric transportation solutions.
Is there hope that we will turn off the oil and gas spigot?
I think not.
Even after experiencing all the amazing renewable energy solutions and interacting with all the thoughtful people at the Fully Charged Live expo, I am not convinced that humanity will escape its suicidal path. After seeing the vast oil and gas fields in New Mexico and Texas it is difficult for me to believe that all the jobs and money driving this suicidal extraction of fossil fuels will ever stop. I feel deep sorrow for today's children and their uncertain future. I feel deep sorrow for the many animals that will die and species that will go extinct because of our excessive and unreasoning behavior.
I am by my nature a pessimist, which tends to lead me down dismal roads. I hope all the climate data, habitat loss, plastic pollution, and factory farming data are wrong. I hope that humanity will go on forever, but I am sure this is a fantasy.
In contrast to that bleak message above, we did discover that Austin has many Tesla cars driving about. It also has a beautiful park, which the Colorado River flows through in all its glory. In this lovely place one can find a bronze statue of the late and very great Stevie Ray Vaughan. Stevie was one of the greatest guitar players of all time, master song writer, and soulful singer. We miss you Stevie.
And we discovered, to our surprise, a wonderful plant-based restaurant at the Casa de Luz Village. Casa de Luz is a 'spiritual retreat' with massage and meditation spaces, but it also offers a set plant-based menu of delicious food. The only other plant-based food that comes close is Julia's sumptuous cooking.
The next day we said farewell to Fully Charged Live and Austin, then continued on our way to Lubbock Texas. Lubbock is home of Buddy Holly and the Dixie Chicks and was the only place on our route with a Tesla destination charger, so how could we not stop here.
This waypoint, on our journey to the northwestern high deserts, had us drive through the emerging renewable energy parts of Texas. Yes, believe it, or believe it not, Texas has vast fields of wind turbines. Just as we left Sweetwater Texas, mixed in among the many constantly bobbing oil pumps and copious cotton fields, we encountered thousands of wind generators. It turns out that Texas generates more renewable wind energy than California. Well hush my mouth and knock me down with a feather.
Lubbock Texas
Hope? I think not. Consider that the renewable wind energy generated here is used to power the incessant oil pumps found all about. But the hotel in Lubbock offered really delicious plant-based ribs, amazing.