Traveling Green - Guest Post by Cliff Barre

Many people are switching to a green way of living.  This allows more sustainability within the environment as well as the opportunity to save yourself some money on energy and other costs. While you may not think of yourself as the most green or eco friendly savvy person on the planet there are small steps that you can take to achieve a more green way of living.  These steps can be incorporated into almost every aspect of life from daily life to commuting and even travel.  Travel is one of the easiest and best ways to make small switches towards being more green.  From sustainable resorts to eco friendly traveling methods, you can quickly become a green traveler.

Begin your green travel by starting at home.  One way to become a more earth friendly traveler is to start before you even leave for your trip.  Preparing your home and packing responsibly are both great ways to make your experience more eco friendly.  Prepare your home by unplugging all of your electronic devices.  There is no need for these to be plugged in, leaking energy while you are away.  Make sure to set your thermostat at a lower- or higher- temperature than you would need it to be at to stay comfortable.  If it is winter, be sure that the temperature is not too low that pipes will freeze.

Packing can be one of the most exhausting parts of planning for a trip, make it easier by packing green.  Make sure you pack a lot of mix and match outfits to avoid having one or more set outfit everyday.  Also opt for one coat instead of two.  Heavier planes and cars use more fuel and your lighter packing will help keep the weight down and ultimately reduce carbon emissions.

Once you have packed, prepared and taken your eco responsible mode of transportation to your destination be sure that you are maintaining the green attitude throughout the trip.  If you are staying in a cool climate keep drapes or blinds open in the daytime to naturally warm the room. Alternately, if you are in a warm climate keep the blinds or drapes closed to keep the sun from coming in and making the room hotter.  This will reduce your use of artificial climate control systems which will in turn be green friendly.

While it may be tempting to buy into the tourist trap chains in your specific travel area make sure that you are getting everything you need locally.  Just like when you're at home locally grown food and locally produced items.  This saves on the transportation rigors that are often bad for the environment.

There are many green travel destinations within the United States and Upstate New York has something to offer every green traveler.  From the exciting adventures on the Finger Lakes to other outdoor adventures, you will be able to connect with nature and do it responsibly.  If the great outdoors are not your type of fun, there are many different wine tours you can go on and the world's largest green shopping mall.  Destiny USA offers a green shopping environment and boasts many stores that are eco responsible.  You can find something for everyone at this mall.  Choosing Upstate New York as your green travel destination will allow you many different activities no matter what your tastes all without ever having to leave the United States.

If tropical travel is more your style you may be surprised to find that Costa Rica is a great green travel destination.  Costa Rica is the largest green travel destination and has a vast array of eco friendly hotels and travel options for people who want to stay green when they leave home. Volcano exploring, hiking and exquisite beaches are all activities that can be done in Costa Rica. The tourist areas in the country also offer many different and delicious food and drink items that are produced locally so you will be able to eat locally and responsibly when you decide to go out for a night on the town.  It is one of the most popular destinations in the world among all travelers and will be sure to suit travelers that are looking for eco friendly opportunities.

Whether you are a mountain person, a beach person or somewhere in between the two there are green travel options for almost anywhere you visit.  Even if your particular location of travel doesn't offer green options you can quickly and easily use a few different tips and tools to help your experience become more eco responsible.  Whenever you decide to travel green you will be able to have a better time, help the environment with small steps and sometimes be able to save money in the process.   Traveling green is easy, responsible and enjoyable for any type of traveler.

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