A Green Vacation

With spring comes the infamous Spring Break.  If you're wondering what to do, here are a few earth-friendly suggestions:

1.  Instead of traveling to some far off place, go on a "stay-cation".  By staying at home during your vacation time, you’ll not only be protecting the environment, you’ll be saving money.  To ensure a successful “stay-cation”, you’ll need to make a commitment to not answer cell phones, e-mail, etc.  Take the time to sleep in late, read a book, watch a movie, play a game, go on a picnic, or try a new recipe.  Plan to do some sightseeing in your community or spend a day browsing the stores.  There are so many activities near or in our houses that we never take the time for, well, here’s your chance.     

2. If you decide to take trip somewhere, try to minimize your impact on the environment.  Travel by train rather than plane to make for a more energy efficient trip.  Pack light to reduce your load and energy required during travel.  Make reservations at a green certified hotel with a travel site such as Travelocity.  These hotels have made a commitment to sustainability, including using less water and energy.  If you need to rent a car, choose a hybrid model to reduce your emissions and carbon footprint.  Or consider taking road trip in a hybrid car rather than flying by plane.

3.  Make reservations to join a volunteer team on a project in the area you want to visit.  Join the American Hiking Society to pick-up trash and restore hiking trails in Alaska, Washington, or another beautiful state.  Go with Cross –Cultural Solutions to another country to work with a local community on a health, education, or building project.  There is a wide range of voluntourism opportunities available with different organizations, depending on your interest.  This is a great way to travel and also help make a difference in the world at the same time. It’s important to note that the majority of these opportunities will require that you pay for your flight and accommodations for the trip.  A small number may provide lodging and meals, and very rare is the flight cost covered by the organization.