Welcome to Hemet, California where you are

surrounded by desert mountains, boulders, and a big

open sky. Just a little over two hours from Los

Angeles and about an hour and a half from San

Diego heading east, we drove onto Jim and Dawn's

Ecoshire. Our hosts have created an oasis nestled in

the hills from the reclaimed land they acquired. The

property is being used as an educational ground for

permaculture practices and self-sustaining, eco-

friendly structures. If you want to learn how to reuse

water and provide your own solar energy, be sure to

ask Jim as he can take you around the property and

teach as you go.

We arrived as the sun went down and the full moon

started to rise up. As you walk through part of the

35 acres of land, you may hear neighboring horses

and cows. As the sun goes down, you will hear the

owls and the resident coyotes in the night. Our site

was cozy and nestled in front of a hill. The emphasis

on community can be felt as the vision is well

underway at the Ecoshire with communal buildings.

You will find an old boxcar that is being restored

with reclaimed materials. They have turned it into a

beautiful bathroom with a well-lit shower. Rustic

luxury in the desert, simple yet sustainable.

In the morning, we walked through the Peace

Garden and ate our fresh picked snap peas and

added new starts to the garden as well. The hens

provided eggs for our morning scramble and

everything from our breakfast was harvested on site.

If you are lucky Jim and Dawn will share some of

their delicious home-brewed mead with you! They

plan on expanding their operation, as it is very

environmentally friendly and will bring more honey

bees to the land. If you want a desert oasis

experience with a wild, wild west feel, AND get a bit

of inspiration out of the whole thing be sure to visit

the Ecoshire.