Suitcase Staple: Repurposed leather journals

What better place to jot your travel notes than this beauty of a journal, made from repurposed leather and recycled paper. By Dogeared, the collection of soft, supple books come in small (2.5 x 4) and large (4 x 5.5) sizes and range from $32 - $50.

Handcrafted in California, they'll arrive at your doorstep in recycled brown paper bag wrapping, ready for all the salacious scribbles detailing your escapes. After all, a photo album can only capture so many memories.

Available in an array of sassy shades and emblazoned with either a peace symbol or "LOVE," the journals complement Dogeared's line-up of eco-friendly goodies, which include soy travel candle tins, organic shoe sack, lingerie bag, and the hipster belt purse that looks pretty functional for a day of touring, if you can pull of the style.

The top US National Parks

This summer, 73 percent of travelers plan to escape to a National Park, according to a recent Trip Advisor survey. And where do they plan to pitch their tent... hike the trails... or row the river? 

Here, the top 10 parks as voted by the public: 

1. Zion National Park, Utah
2. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
3. White Sands National Monument, New Mexico
4. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
5. Redwood National and State Parks, California
6. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, Nevada
7. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
8. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
9. Yosimite National Park, California
10. Acadia National Park, Maine 

Which is your favorite? And which is on the top of your list? 

Two-Day Stay: Baltimore

Let's face it. The economy sucks. For many folks, especially those here in Michigan, the summer getaway of yesteryear simply isn't an option. So we're rounding up the best 2-day stays money can buy your green self. Read on for my top-pick 2009 summer destination: Baltimore.

"People go to Baltimore for business travel." That was the response I received more than once before packing up and heading eastward. Turns out, if the only thing you're bringing to Baltimore is a suitcase of loafers, you're out of luck.

On Maryland's coast, Baltimore boasts a palatable blend of historic charm and modern must-haves. Most appealing of all is the walkability of the Inner Harbor, where I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn, a perfectly comfortable hotel that's best feature was its prime location (check out their sustainability policy here.)

If you're heading to the city this July or after, check into the new LEED-certified Fairfield Inn & Suites, which I was treated to a hardhat tour of, courtesy of general manager Patric Leary. For the full scoop on this 154-room hotel, housed in what was once the Baltimore Brewing Co., read on at Alternative Consumer.


Day One
What better way to stretch out of a car or airplane-induced cramp than on bicycle? Make the pedaling truly worthwhile by joining a bakery bike tour with Monumental Tours, run by daytime pediatrician RS Brown. Delightfully droolworthy, the tour constitutes as breakfast and serves up an equally satisfying helping of city history.

Afterwards, hop aboard a water taxi and travel over historic Federal Hill where you'll find Spoons Coffee Cafe. This is the place for lunch, offering up a mile-long menu of locally-sourced, natural options. Find a tucked-away table to chat or admire local artwork while you sip on organic coffee and await a Blue Crab and Asparagus Frittatta or a Strawberry Fields Salad.

Heading back toward the Inner Harbor, you'll pass the National Aquarium and Maryland Science Center. They're both worth a look - even more so if weather isn't on your side. Or, if you're interested in more mindless entertainment, head on over to Harborplace and the Gallery for some seaside shopping. As you'll see, the harbor is a people watcher's dream. Find a grassy space and park it for a while... the view of the water is gorgeous and I recommend soaking it up.


For dinner, take a cab to Clipper Park and visit Woodberry Kitchen, a farm to table experience that mates seasonal foods from local growers with the chef's creative, homestyle flare, for a meal that's rich in Chesapeake tradition. Expect a crowd to fill the dining room on the weekends, where stacks of chopped logs, brick walls and candlelight create a cozy atmosphere. While you're waiting for your meal to be served, enjoy a view of the chef as he artfully adds the finishing touch to each dish at the cook's table. (Pictured above.)

Day Two
Start your day with breakfast at Ze Mean Bean Cafe in Fell's Point, a city dweller favorite that's known for their Sunday Jazz Brunch. Once a coffeehouse and cafe (hence, "mean bean"), the two-story restaurant now features a wine bar. It's easy location on Fleet Street also makes it an ideal starting point for a walk through the cobbled stone streets and alleyways of historic Fell's Point, founded in 1763.

The Preservation Society offers guided walking tours or you can embrace electricity and climb onto a self-balancing Segway for a two-hour, two-wheel tour through Fell's Point and the inner city.


Whatever you do, make sure you take a moment to swing into Pitango Gelato on Broadway, where you can sample all-natural gelato until your heart is content. Made with organic milk and local produce, this gelato is the real deal. I recommend a cup of half Nocciola (hazelnut) gelato and half Bourbon Vanilla. Positively delicous.

Across the harbor, in the Mount Vernon cultural district, you can visit the Futurefarmers exhibit: The Reverse Ark - In the Wake through August. Part art installation, part community project, this collection of recycled resources makes a social, political and environmental statement. Peek into George Peabody's Library too, where you'll bear witness to the most magnificent display of books in the nation.

Finish up your two-day stay with dinner at family-owned Lebanese Taverna, offering a wide variety of healthy Middle Eastern meals, or Pazo, specializing in Mediterranean dishes - and boasting a 100-label wine list.

For more info, visit http://www.baltimore.org/ or check out the city's green guide.

100% sustainable resort near San Diego coming

This August, Anza, California, near San Diego, will become the home of SoCal's newest ecotourism hot spot as the Ramona Band (of the Cahuilla Indian Tribe) is slated to open the first 5 of 38 cabins in an off-grid retreat. 

According to Hospitality Design, the project if jointly funded by the Ramona Band, the Dept. of Energy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and multiple other federal agencies, and will employ several alternative energy technologies to self sustain. The resort, in addition to providing lodging for leisure and corporate travelers, will serve as an educational experience that touches on Native American culture and naturally green lifestyle practices.

The apparently yet-to-be-named resort boasts a line-up of key green technologies, including: a solar-powered water treatment plant; windmill-powered wastewater treatment plant; bio-diesel plant; fuel cells; electric vehicles and LED lighting. 

For the full scoop, check out this Wind Today article.

A San Fran lodge that's award-winning in style and green too

If you were to ask me, I'd say that sustainability is often tied to high-style. We've all heard the buzzwords "eco-chic," right? 

When it comes right down to it, social responsibility is about making people feel good about the decisions they've made. And what feels better than feeling good in a fabulous setting? Not much, according to Hospitality Design Magazine, who just announced the recipients of their fifth annual design awards. 

The sustainable lodging winner: Cavallo Point, "The Lodge at the Golden Gate" in San Francisco (we wrote about the hotel last February), whose simplistic, colonial design begs the weary to unwind. 

Anvaya Cove in the Phillippines earned a place as a runner up, boasting a "mountains meet the sea" mentality that spares no luxury. 

I'm wondering: how important is design in your lodging decisions? For me, it's often a tie-breaking feature. 

Where trash picking earns you a free night stay

Here's something new...

The Antlers at Vail lodge in Vail, Colo., is offering a weekend escape that blends local voluntourism with premium accommodations this June. Called the "Trash Pickin' and Picnickin' Package" (no, it's not a joke), the hotel is offering one night of a two-night stay free when guests participate in the resort's annual highway clean-up program.

Available this June 20-21, the package includes a Sunday-morning guided trash pick-up (approximately three hours long) with a picnic lunch following at the Antlers pool area. Visitors new to town can also take in the Healthy Homes Tour and Fair on June 20, which showcases eco ideas and products to take home. For details, call 970-476-0954.

For more details on Antlers at Vail, Green Star-rated since '02 and winner of the Vail Valley "Green Business of the Year," or their green initiatives, visit www.AntlersVail.com. 

"Milking the Rhino" in rural Africa, a documentary

Don't book an African safari before viewing this film.

Produced for PBS' Independent Lens series, "Milking the Rhino" is a documentary that first aired in April, which reveals the conflicted toll ecotourism takes on Africa's conservation and indigenous communities. 

Shot against a stunning backdrop of Kenya and Namibia, the film shows what is often just beyond the camera lens in most wildlife documentaries - the people that live, quite literally, among the animals. Raising cattle. Keeping watch for lions. Praying for rain. Occasionally laying out their wares for the intrigued tourists that visit community-run eco lodges like Kenya's Il Ngwesi Lodge.

It's these eco lodges, leasing land from the community, that provide funding to indigenous communities for schools, offices, goods and land. Yet, it is also the eco lodges that force communities to adapt to a new way of life, in favor of appealing to tourists. (Imagine men sweeping ATV tracks from the sand in preparation for a new tour. It happens.)

In the rest of the world, Africa's community-based conservation is praised as a win-win situation for communities and conservationists alike. In rural Africa, it's a complicated issue that divides many, each day changing the outlook and future for the country's wildlife. 

Take a look at the clip below, check local listings, or order the DVD here ($29.95)

Testing filtered water bottles

A big proponent of using tap water, I'm always eager to check out the latest water bottles touting built-in filtration. What's better than saving money (and waste) while traveling?

You tell me:
A) A $4.00 bottle of Aquafina once you've made it through airport security
B) Or cold H2O from the drinking fountain in a filtered water bottle?

I choose B. And needless to say, not one of these is made using BPA.

So, it only made sense that I put the latest claims to the test. This round-up takes a look at some of the more recent portable filtration units on the market, including one that you can find at Target, and two others that are most easily purchased online. This week, we'll take a look at basic ease-of-use. (And next week, I'll reveal the particles-per-million results of each with a TDS meter, which shows the total number of detectable dissolved solids in a sample.)

The Clear2O bottle is, in my opinion, the easiest to use. Holding 24 oz., it's lightweight, a breeze to clean, and held up well during my travels. In fact, on a recent bike tour of Baltimore, it was the ideal hydration companion. It's life cycle is 100 gallons. Grade: A-

Bottle w/filter: $16.99
Replacement filter 2-pack: $11.99

The Wellness H2O bottle, on the other hand, was hardly convenient. (In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if this particular bottle has a defect.) Barely squeezable, water merely trickled out the spout with the filter in place, and no matter how I tried, the wheezing sound that emitted from the cap had every other gym-goer staring at me. Holding 22 oz., it weighs in at 7.5 ounces thanks to a heavier filtration system, andt boasts a lifecycle of 150 gallons. Grade: C

Bottle w/cartridge: $49.95
Replacement cartridge: $20.00

The LivPURE bottle, coming in at 20-oz., makes slightly lower filtration claims than both of the above and has a lifecycle of only 75 gallons - but these are reflected with a smaller pricetag. While the bottle is fine for deskside hydration, it requires a bit too much effort for use during real activity or exercise. Grade: B

Bottle w/filter: $12.99
Replacement filter: $7.99

Pictured above, left to right: Clear2O, LivPURE, Wellness H2O

A southern Oregon road trip outline

Nothing gets your travel taste buds salivating like a glossy write-up that seems it was written for no one but you. Best-kept secrets. Hidden town gems. Must-stop shops.

That's exactly the type of review I found in this month's Budget Travel, by Justin Bergman, who details the perfect three-day itinerary for a long weekend in southern Oregon in "The State of Being Green." Included are first-hand accounts of the organic menu at Deschutes Brewery (pictured left) in Bend, and the Saturday Market in Eugene.

This story, combined with today's cool spring breezes, have me dreaming of the west coast.

And the winner is...

Congrats to our two winners of the Green Giveaway for Picalili's chic collapsible totes:

Karen Shaw
Christine Olszewski

Thanks to all for entering! And ladies, do share your opinions on the Picalili bags. I'll be happy to post your personal review...

Clearwater Beach Resort achieves LEED Silver

Florida's Sandpearl Resort, located on the north end of Clearwater Beach, is the first in state to add some certified green to all those blue waters.

The hotel, the newest accommodations on the beach in a quarter century, has been working toward LEED certification since its 2007 opening. Today, the hotel announced that it's been awarded LEED Silver Certification, making it one of 15 hotels/resorts to be recognized worldwide.

A member of the Florida Green Lodging Program and an AAA Four Diamond property, the luxury resort (room start around $250) boasts several eco initiatives, including a chilled water air conditioning system, geothermal pool heating, and water and waste conservation practices. Lazy guests can rest easy knowing that staff will sort the recyclables thrown into the garbage too, according to this PDF press release.

For more on the hotel's green highlights, visit their environmental web page. To make a reservation, call 1.877.726.3111.

So tell me, which do you prefer? Rustic eco-lodge or posh, LEED certified resort?

New to the market: Moto Renew

The first mobile phone in the world made using the plastic of recycled water bottles (you knew it was coming), the Moto W233 Renew, is truly and quite literally green. Palm-sized and portable, it's also carbon-neutral, meaning Motorola has funded environmental programs to offset the carbon emissions created during the manufacturing of the phone.

Naturally, you'll want to charge it using a Solio solar charger. And just as it is in the beginning, the end of Moto Renew's life leads to something new. That's right: The 2GB phone can be completely recycled. (Find full details here. $51 for T-Mobile.)

On the topic of dying phones, don't think your digital dinosaur is best off in the junk drawer. Do some good and send it to Recellular, who will dissect it and reuse every salvageable piece their zero waste initiative.

It's that time again...

Just like last year, we're celebrating our favorite holiday with a juicy round-up of fresh-picked eco news straight from the web. Here are some of our favorite picks for inspirational stories that will have you packing a suitcase before you submit for the time off. 

Are we missing a great article that you found (or wrote)? Drop us a comment and we'll post the link. 

Green, mainstream and A hybrid for a day (Budget Travel)
Hotel chains that have eco'd up and tips on hybrid car rentals

Earth Day signals a trend in eco travel (New York Daily News)
Don't say we didn't tell you it would catch on soon enough...

Volunteer for the planet (Grist)
"Screw Earth Day" and make every day count with voluntourism

Guilt-free getaways (New York Times)
Service, value and personal fulfillment: An easy recession vacation?

Authentic shopping guide (National Geographic Travel)
Grab handcrafted goods on your next excursion

National Parks in pictures (Away.com)
A stunning reminder of travel uninterrupted

Ecotourist hot spots (Sherman's Travel)
A round up of trendy destinations, including Botswana and Antarctica

The best adventures of 2009 (Outside)
The most droolworthy, wanderlust-inducing trips of this year

Community-based tourism: going native (Ode Magazine)
Turn travel as you know it on its head by leaving hotels and going local

Best save-the-earth trips (Travel + Leisure)
This slideshow takes you from India to China on missions for the better good

Of course, in true ecotourism form, don't ever forget that sometimes, your own backyard can be the most interesting of destinations. 

Green Giveaway: Reusable Picalili Bag

Groceries? Library? Farmer's Market?

Whatever your dilemma, Picalili's got a bag that serves as the solution. Above, is the Black Pop-Out-Bag, a reusable shopping tote that--in addition to being easy on the eyes--collapses into an attached "pocket" for extra easy storage in the console of your car of bottom of your purse.

These lightweight, shiny shoppers offer reinforced handles to cart around that half gallon of orange juice and if it springs a leak, there's no need to worry: the bag is machine washable. (Whew.)

WIN IT!
Want one of your own? Simply leave your name and e-mail below for a chance to win one of two Black Pop Out Bags (MSRP: $25) from Picalili. Naturally, they're made in the USA.

One entry per person, per day allowed. US residents only. Contest runs from April 18, 2009 - April 30, 2009. Winner chosen at random. Know that we will never share or use your e-mail for any reason other than to contact winning participants.

How do you celebrate?

Wednesday is Earth Day and I'm curious to know, how do you celebrate?

I'll be hitting the daily grind from 9-5 on Wednesday and am looking for some ways to spruce things up around the "office," get people to feel the green, you know? Of course, this weekend, I'll be dropping by my local festival, the Earth Day Expo in Rochester, Mich., to check out what's happening close to home - versus my usual global travel beat.

What's going on in your neck of the woods and what are you doing at work and home to keep the Earth under our feet in perspective?

Share your tips and suggestions for making Earth Day 2009 the best yet!