A Green Summer Vacation

The unofficial start of summer begins with the coming of Memorial Day weekend less than one week away. Although most of us will get three days to frolic and have the kind of fun that is only a dim memory after a brutal winter, we shouldn't forget why we have Memorial Day at all. With tens of thousands of servicemen and women in hostile territory, it's important that while we pack up the cooler, fire up the grill and set out on the open road, that we remember Memorial Day exists because people have died to protect our country and its core values.

OK, now for the fun stuff. There is a way to kick off summer vacation in an environmentally friendly way and add a little green to the celebration of the Red, White and Blue.

Six Tips For a Green Summer Vacation

1. Drive to your vacation. There's nothing like flying through the clouds to kick off a vacation. But if you're concerned about the environment, taking a plane is, mile-for-mile, more damaging to the environment. Virginia is practically at the center of the eastern seaboard and within a moderate day's drive to some spectacular vacation sites along the Atlantic coast like Myrtle Beach and the Outer Banks to the south, or New York City, the Catskills and Boston to the north. Heading west, after a half dozen hours or so of "are we there yet" from the kids, a family can enjoy Chicago, Memphis and the spectacular Smoky Mountains.

2. Don't use plastic bottles. While a 24-pack of water can be purchased for about six bucks from the local grocery store, using stainless steel bottles to chug water is better for the environment, albeit more pricey. And, they can be used the rest of the summer and even longer, making their cost compare favorably in the long run.

3. Run your car's air conditioner when on the highway. As crazy as it sounds since running the air burns more gas -- and who wants to burn more gas -- it's actually more efficient to drive highways with the windows up and the air on. More efficient driving tips can be found at Edmunds.com.

4. Pick a green hotel. Most of us have seen those silly little cards in the hotel asking us to defer having our sheets changed every day as a way to save on water and on energy used in the washing process. I can go with the same sheets for two days, but most people would rather not while on vacation. That's OK, because the real measure of an eco-hotel is its overall energy footprint. This site lists hotels that claim to be green, and why they think that they are. One sure way to green your hotel stay is to select a hotel near where you'll spend most of your time, enabling you to leave your car parked and to take public transportation. I'll never forget the first time my daughter rode the Disney World bus -- she had never been on a bus before and she was as wide-eyed as you could imagine.

5. Eat Local. OK, you're on vacation and you want to have great food -- even if your children would be content with fast food. Great food is local food. It's fresher and didn't cost the environment as much to get to your plate. Most restaurants that serve locally grown or organic food toot the fact on their websites. Use the hotel internet or your own device to check out the restaurants. This website can help. You'll enjoy the food more and have some bragging rights when you get back home.

6. Finally, prepare your home for vacation. Unplug all of the vampire electronic devices before you leave. Research shows that as much as five percent of the energy used in a home is drawn and wasted by these vampire devices, such as your TV, desktop computer and more. Unplugging these things will lower your month's electric bill while you're away. If you just can't imagine returning to a hot house when you get back from vacation -- get over it. Turn the AC off at home; you don't need to keep the walls cool.