Green Postcards

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Jun 20, 2008 4:00:00 AM | News

June 19, 2008

Eco-Travel News: Dump the Pump Day means a free ride!

It’s the third annual Dump the Pump day at public transit authorities all across the country! Transit authorities are pulling out the PR campaigns and free pass contests. Some cities are going the distance and letting gas-burdened citizens board for zilch. Here’s a sampling of places you can get around town for nothing today:

Biloxi, Mississippi: Free rides on all fixed bus routes.

Charleston, South Carolina: All routes free.

Fort Worth, Texas: Free bus rides all day.

Orlando, Florida: All-day passes for the LYNX.

St. Louis, Missouri: Travel free on MetroRide and MetroLink all day.

San Francisco Bay Area, California: Free access all day to bus and light-rail lines. Free morning rides on selected trains and ferries.

New Bedford/Fall River, Massachusetts: Free bus rides all day long.

Orange County, California: Free one-day bus pass valid any day this week!

Surf to your local (or local-for-today) transit authority to see if they are giving away free transportation. If not, ask them to get on board for next year!

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Jun 19, 2008 4:00:00 AM | News

June 18, 2008

Eco-Travel News: Good Earthkeeping award winners in Washington and Portland

The American Hotel and Lodging Association gave out their annual “Good Earthkeeping” awards last week along with kudos in categories such as community service and diversity.

For small properties, Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat in Leavenworth, Washington, won. The retreat wowed the travel industry judges with decks built from a composite of recycled plastic bags and wood chips and electric vehicles for on-site transportation. Their cabins sleep two to eight in varying configurations. Happily, Sleeping Lady’s prices just duck under the Green Postcards limit: Summer rates (May 1 – October 31) start at $150 per person for lodging and three meals a day in the Kingfisher Dining Lodge. (Winter rates start at $100 per person for mid-week stays and include breakfast, dinner, and a lift ticket to local slopes.)

For large properties, Oregon’s Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland—Lloyd Center ran away with the green-gold. (I’m betting they also stole the “longest name” prize.) The hotel attacked its energy, water and waste record this year, using new eco-friendly lighting and plumbing to reduce electricity/water/gas use by 30 percent. With a boost from a hotel-wide composting program, they’ve also managed to keep 70% of their waste from going to the landfill. Their newly renovated pool opens this month. Rates start around $189.95 for a queen room; you may be able to find a better deal depending on how far ahead you book and whether you're staying mid-week or on a weekend.

(Source: Green Lodging News)

Photo from www.sleepinglady.com

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Jun 18, 2008 4:00:00 AM | $100-$125, $125-$150, Big Group Vacation, News, Oregon, Rural, Skiing Vacation, Splurge, US, Washington State

June 17, 2008

Eco-Travel News: Electric car updates for your road-trip dreams

Instead of ruing the high gas prices or covering the glut of “free fuel!” offers many hotels are offering these days, let’s focus on the positive alternatives to gas-chugging road trips looming on the horizon. Close your eyes and imagine it: You pull your purring electric car out of your garage, its battery fully charged from your home solar array. You drive a hour to that little bed-and-breakfast you’ve been meaning to check out. The kindly inn keepers let you juice up your vehicle using their wind turbine power so you’ll be ready for the drive back the next morning. Now that’s eco-travel.

Toyota displayed their plug-in Prius yesterday for a congressional hearing on electric drive vehicles. The hybrid leader reports the car will be able to go up to 60 miles an hour on battery power alone. Toyota has been teasing us with the prototypes by giving several over for testing on two University of California campuses and using the vehicles to transport important execs during this year’s North American International Auto Show. The car is expected to go public in 2009.
(Source: PR Newsire)

Treehugger (and a whole bunch of green car blogs) reports a former VW design exec has teamed up with a Swiss tycoon to create Six50, a lightweight (and may I say pretty dang sweet looking) hybrid. It runs on a lithium ion battery with a gas motor and roof solar panels as back-up. It’s supposed to be able to go around 62 miles on one battery charge. Don’t get too excited yet, though. Although the car is burning up the blogs, it’s still in development. Prices are rumored to be around 50,000. Euros.

And for an in-depth feature on the Chevy Volt, coming in 2010 if engineers can stay on schedule, pick up the current issue of The Atlantic, or just click here.

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Jun 17, 2008 4:00:00 AM | News

June 16, 2008

Eco-Travel News: Audubon Insectarium opens in New Orleans

The Audubon Insectarium opened in New Orleans this past Friday. The new museum is 23,000 square feet of bugs, ironically funded in part by a $2 million donation from Terminix, a “pest control” company. The museum's tagline is “infested with fun.” I’m not making this stuff up, people. There’s a butterfly garden; an exhibit that stars local French Quarter creepy crawlies; and “Bug Appetit,” a café where you can watch videos of local chefs cooking up some buggy dishes. Unfortunately (or otherwise?), insects aren’t actually served in the restaurant. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for kids, and $12 for seniors. (Audubon members get a $2 discount.)

If all this insect-talk is making you a little itchy, check out a few natural and/or DEET-free repellents to stay bite- and chemical-free on your next outdoor adventure.

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Jun 16, 2008 4:00:00 AM | Learning Vacation, News, US

June 13, 2008

Eco-travel tool: Lightload Towels are biodegradable, small and cheap!

I recently saw a press release for a product a had to share with you. Lightload Towels are a super-absorbent 36" by 60" beach towels packed into a small metal tin the size of a lib balm container. They were created by an ultra-hiker nicknamed Wideload who apparently knows the value of keeping your travel weight down. I sure could have used these towels during my last camping trip, which was a debacle of over-packing.

Online, the towels are $6.50 individually or down to $1 a piece when bought in bulk. You can also find them at outdoor sports stores, like REI. I'll have to pick some up and give them a test run on our text hiking adventure.

Do you have a favorite eco-travel tool? Comment here!

Photo from www.ultralighttowels.com

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Jun 13, 2008 6:46:38 AM | Discussion, Hiking Vacation, News

June 06, 2008

Eco-travel news: the Washington Post on organic fast food

The second Washington Post article to catch my eye this week covers the West Coast chain Organic to Go's purchase of the DC-area's four High Noon Fresh & Ready cafes, creating a East/West Coast, quick-organic mini-empire. Both companies feature organic fast food and catering with menus that are a far cry from Mickie D's. If you're traveling to Seattle, LA, Orange County, San Diego, or DC, make sure to mark these locations on your google maps; they seem like easy ways to grab a quick and greener meal. I have to ask the question, though: What about all the fly-over states? I've got plenty of favorite Midwestern organic restaurants (Blue Bird Bistro in Kansas City is a must if you're anywhere near that city) but know of none that have focused on fast food and gone the franchise route. Anybody have the scoop on non-coast organic fast food?

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Jun 6, 2008 4:00:00 AM | Cuisine, News, Organic

June 05, 2008

Eco-travel news: the Washington Post on public transportation

The Washington Post had a couple interesting stories this week that will interest Green Postcard readers. The first, "Travelers Turn to Public Transit," covers an American Public Transportation Report announcement that during the first part of 2008, 10.3% more people hopped on local light rail systems, 5.7% more took commuter rail options, and 4.4% more caught heavy rail transportion like subways. Some cities had larger spikes, like Seattle's 27.9% jump in light rail users. Experts are attributing the rise to high gas prices.

I know that high fuel costs place a burden on low-income Americans, but I can't help hoping that the increases will raise demand for better public transportation systems in our major (and not so major) cities. I'd love to be able to skip the car rental on my many trips to Kansas City. The mayor's regional transit plan, which would connect the airport with the downtown area, is slowly (very slowly!) gaining ground. Are you able to travel around your favorite cities without using a car?

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Jun 5, 2008 4:00:00 AM | News

June 04, 2008

Eco-travel tip: Use a waterless car wash after your roadtrips

A "Peak Water" feature in Wired's April issue has me thinking about the earth's most precious resource and how carelessly I use it. So I read a press release about a new relationship between eco-celeb Ed Begley, Jr., and a waterless car wash formula with greater interest than I usually bestow on endorsement announcements. Bayes Premium Waterless Vehicle Wash promises to save the 50 to 150 average gallons of water per wash and reduce chemical run-off caused by the usual sudsing-up-then-hosing-down driveway routine. Apparently, you simply spray the cleaner on, then wipe it (and dirt) away with a microfiber cloth. The concept intrigues me. I'll have to track some down and give it a test run. Our car has been accumulating some desert dust as of late; I'd be happy to find a more environmentally safe option than running it through the local carwash again.

Photo from www.bayescleaners.com

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Jun 4, 2008 4:00:00 AM | News

May 20, 2008

Eco-Travel Headlines

Travel Weekly is reporting that the U.S. Green Building Council is starting to develop a hotel-specific LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) track. The article quotes a USGBC spokesman at the Hotel Design Expo in Las Vegas last week who said the organization is beginning to talk to hospitality industry leaders about creating LEED standards tailored to hotel needs:

“Even though hotels are adopting LEED later than office buildings and other sectors, ultimately hotels could become a highly visible venue for LEED and for green buildings in general, [USGBC corporate/investment real estate manager Mark] Heisterkamp said. LEED hotels could have a significant educational impact because of hotels' highly visible exposure to vast numbers of consumers, he said, and provide ‘a powerful message we don't have in most other space types.’”

This is great news: Travel can be an incredible way to introduce green concepts to a wider public. Many of the hotel managers profiled here at Green Postcards use a wide variety of educational tools, from simple hand-outs to multi-day intensive workshops that function as learning vacations. I hope the USGBC can quickly move towards a LEED certification program for hotels – the faster the better. In the meantime, Green Postcards-worthy destinations will continue building and hosting sustainably and responsibly, standards or no.

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