Today was a beautiful, sunny day in the Hudson Valley.
In fact, it was downright hot! It was a day of big plans. First on the agenda was to go check out the Tiny House & Green Living Freedom Fest at the Ulster County Fairgrounds. According to the website, “The Tiny House Freedom Fest is New York’s only 3-day celebration of tiny homes, sustainable living, and green technology right here in New York’s Hudson Valley.” So, since I LOVE Tiny House Nation(#ZackGiffinisagenius), and could maybe see myself puttering around the country, or living off-grid (for a while at least) in the beautiful Hudson Valley, I thought it would be cool to check it out! I already live in a tiny home of sorts in my cute little 575 sq ft cottage in Westchester County, NY. Maybe someday I will want to take it even smaller. Plus, it was right near the Mohonk Mountain House and I figured it would be great to go and do some hiking after the show.
Well, hiking after the show was a wrap, 90 degrees and hiking should not be uttered in the same sentence. However, the show was quite nice, and I got to have the splendor of the Gunks to look at in the distance. Oh, and a lot of really cool tiny houses to tour as well! I managed to find about 3 different ones that if I ever build one of these guys, I would end up piecing together different elements from each. It was nice seeing the many people who actually brought their own homes to the event and opened them for tours to work to spread the movement.
When I first arrived, I did manage to catch speakers, Mandy Lea, and Andrew Morrison. They were both great, and I give Mandy a lot of credit for living full time out of a teardrop trailer. I am not sure I could do it! Her story was very motivating, as were her amazing photos, and both speakers were great at inspiring the audience to let go of their FEAR and do what makes them happy. Perhaps that means joining the tiny house community? Here are some of my favorite pics to help you decide.
