This is Dan Price. He’s a pretty unique guy. He rode one of our trikes from Joseph Oregon down the coast to San Diego, than across the United States all the way to Key West Florida. Over 4700 miles and still the longest trek on a trike that we know of.

Dan is a writer and produces hand-written and illustrated journals about his simple life at home and travels abroad. They are called the Moonlight Chronicles. He describes himself as a hobo artist and has been spreading his philosophy of how to live and create an authentic life while living frugally and creating a near zero carbon footprint.

Oh, and he lives in a hole in the ground.

A Thoreau for the twenty-first century, he has helped champion a growing trend that’s been referred to as “downshifting,” “opting out,” or “simple living.” What makes him so different and engaging is that he speaks from the authenticity of first-hand experience, for Price is an American original who has made his dreams a reality. His message is: “You can live a life of freedom, in harmony with the rhythms of nature, and your own internal rhythm and creativity. You can live very well with very little money. That’s what I’ve done, and I can show you how.

His book, “Radical Simplicity” is as much a “reading” book as a how-to guide, one that expresses its profound insights into carving out a life of meaning in a beautiful, practical way. It is bound to strike a chord with world-weary baby boomers as well as time-pressured but still idealistic members of the younger generation.

He has labeled his latest project as the “Carbon Zero Project”. It began in September 2007 and will continue for a full year, during which Price plans to emit as little carbon as possible.

“Don’t expect him to be trying to track down the carbon imprint of every can of tuna he opens and consumes,” Price writes of himself, “but each issue of the Chronicles will document the extent of his pollution output.”

Recently we featured him in episode 1 of our “Part Of The Solution” video documentary.

Dan is truly Part Of The Solution.

UPDATE: Dan has just rode his trike across all of the Hawaiian Islands. Check out the video of his adventure here.