Livin’ That Van Life

This episode is very timely, as I just visited Slab City for my birthday.  Why is this important?  Because Slab City is the last true free place in America!  You can pull up an RV, and live life off grid along side several other like-minded individuals.  In this episode, Dave Hoekstra discusses his book “The Camper Book”, which chronicles his adventures traveling across the U.S. in his custom RV, named “Bluebird”.  We discuss the appeal of Walmart parking lots, camping in The French Quarter, his battle over sewer lines, owning a Bowie knife, meeting a Dave Letterman look-a-like, and his love of Minor League Baseball. 

*Bonus* The Fox’s Confidant

We have discussed real life superheroes a lot lately, but in this bonus episode we discuss the original:  The Fox.  Dave Hoekstra was recruited by The Fox while he was in high school, and for a summer he fought the good fight against greedy corporations that were polluting the famous Fox River.  Listen as Dave tells his Tale of the Fox

The Fate of Local Newspapers

I am guessing some of you reading this had NO IDEA that local newspapers still exist.  Others may have no idea what a newspaper even is.  Admittedly this is a dying industry, and yet, local family owned newspapers are more important than ever before.  Small towns are unique for their ability to connect entire communities.  I don’t know everyone in Los Angeles, but I knew everyone in my hometown of Braidwood, Illinois.  At the center of that community is The Braidwood Journal, which still keeps me up to date on what is happening in town.  This connection and ability to create a community is more important than ever before.  That is the message Dave Hoekstra is spreading in his new book “Beacons in the Darkness”.  I talk with him about all things news including his habit of clipping headlines, the newspaper owner who bought all his subscribers iPads, why trust in news is so important, and finally he updates me on his RV, which apparently is now home to a family of squirrels.