Whole Travel Blog

Brian Brawley and his Green RV

A recent article in the New York Times travel section caught my attention. It’s about a family has been progressively downsizing their lives over the last few years. They started in a 1600 square foot home, moved into a smaller apartment, and now live in an RV (fueled by vegetable oil, of course) while they travel the country. They don’t have room for much, so they aren’t the world’s largest consumers, but they do see a lot of the country and are spreading the word about sustainability as they travel. It’s an out-of-the-box way to promote green awareness, that’s for sure, but we’re excited to see them on the road and inspiring people to live greener lives. You can read the entire article here.

While Hawaii is better known for its sprawling beaches and live volcanoes than its eco-friendly habits, authors Gary and Peggy Diedrichs have trekked all over the great islands to put together a comprehensive guidebook to everything sustainable and green in Hawaii. Called The Green Traveler Guides Hawaii and recently reviewed by  SF Gate, it suggests sustainable alternatives to everything from organic eateries to eco-friendly surfboard wax.

Want to lighten your carbon footprint even more? Check into one of  Whole Travel’s hotels which have received a Whole Ranking®, such as Aloha Place or the Hale Hookipa Inn.

Energy-saving measures like turning off the lights when you leave a room, turning down the air conditioning in the summer or throwing on a sweater instead of turning up the heat in the winter, are some pretty simple, hassle-free habits to adopt to keep costs down and your carbon footprint light.

However, unplugging and replugging appliances, televisions, and power cords before and after each use can admittedly become a dreaded practice and seem like it’s more trouble than it’s worth. A great solution is the Smart Strip Power Strip which can ’sense’ the flow of electricity and can then turn off appliances that aren’t being used.