Travel Green

Do you love to travel? I sure do! And whether you are traveling the mountains of the Rockies or the beaches of the coasts, you can have an impact on the environment. Let's make it a positive impact!

The money you spend while vacationing helps determine the development and direction of tourism, so what can you do?

• Taking a tour? Talk with the various tour operators and discover which one(s) are conservation minded and reputable.
• Limit energy use. Turn off lights and TV when leaving your hotel. Check that temperature and adjust up or down to reduce energy use.
• Conserve water. If you are "roughing" it on your vacation, this may be a necessity to ensure you have sufficient water during your trip. However, practicing water conservation all of the time can have a significant impact. Even practices like - taking showers rather than baths or using a refillable water bottle rather than purchasing bottled water - go a long way. Participate in the sheet washing program that many hotels offer.
• Reduce car use. Choose other ways to get around such as trains, buses or bikes. Take shuttles to and from the airport.
• Visit National or State parks and reserves - Many areas have been protected and offer wonderful recreation opportunities. Support these parks and reserves. Leave these areas as you found them. Take your trash with out with you!
• Stay on trails during hikes. Enjoy the variety of plants and be sure to leave them in place.
• Recycle. Newspapers, magazines and beverage containers can all be recycled. Reduce the number of plastic and paper bags by carrying totes and other reusable bags.
• Choose hotels and motels that have good environment practices.

These are just a few tips to keep in mind when traveling. Do you have a tip to share? Be sure and comment back and let us know! We would love to share it with our readers.