Traveling the Green Way

Today’s green tips traveler is Gabrielle Sedor who spent two years on the road with her husband searching out all of America’s national parks and documenting them at USA-C2C.com . Now living in Pennsylvania, Gabrielle writes  Daily Tomorrow, an eco-blog about green living, health, and the environment.

Here’s Gabrielle’s suggestions for traveling green…

During our two year road trip across the US, we tried to stay as green as possible. We kept our little Nissan Altima (instead of upgrading to a larger but less fuel-efficient vehicle). For more fuel efficiency, we did the usual – drove the speed limit (hard on straight flat roads across the midwest!), kept the tires inflated, oil changed, all that good stuff. We camped probably a 1/3 of the nights we were out. Another 1/3 was spent on couches of family and friends, the rest were in hotels when we had coupons or were able to find a deal via www.priceline.com. When all of your belongings fit in your trunk, it’s kind of easy to live green and self-sufficiently. I have to say, it is an awesome feeling.

We LOVE hiking and camping. As far as environmental impact, we follow the ‘leave no trace’ philosophy which is essentially, if you pack something in; you pack it out. Michael has this theory about outdoor activities – if Native Americans didn’t do it, I’m not interested. So…

• Walking, canoing, kayaking = cool.
• Snowmobiles, ORVs, and the like = not cool.

Now that we’re a little more stationary, when we do take smaller trips we try to remember all of the efficiencies we learned on the road – pack light, recycle, reuse, and stay with family and friends when possible.

Gabrielle’s favorite green place…

Wow. That’s a tough one. I love Isle Royale National Park, an island in Lake Superior, where you probably see more moose than people on any given day. The Channel Islands National Park off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA is also phenomenal. Both of these places do require a boat ride but once you’re there, it is you, what you’ve brought on your back and the island around you. That’s it.

Right now, my favorite ‘green place’ is right outside my window. The Susquehanna River which flows through Harrisburg, PA. Me and my new kayak plan to explore every nook and cranny this summer. I can’t wait.

And Gabrielle recommends that travelers who want to go green should…

Remember that every little green change you make can make an impact. For road trips, bring your coffee mugs along and cash in on discounts that most chains will give for using them (and save paper cups). Bring along your own travel utensils and small plates for meals on the go so you don’t need to grab the plastic stuff. Instead of stocking up on bottled water, why not buy a few gallons and keep them in the trunk? Coffee mugs aren’t just for coffee. Think about where you’re going and see if you can’t fit in another visit or attraction on the way there or the way home. I mean, you’re already out, right? Why not make the most of your gas? Most importantly, remember to enjoy where you are, what you’re seeing and who you’re with. That’s the whole point.

Great tips. Thanks Gabrielle.

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