Whole Travel Blog

Michelle Higgins’ recent article from the New York Times discusses the increasingly popular biking vacation:

Eco-travelers have long embraced low-impact travel, biking from campsite to campsite or taking cross-country jaunts on buses powered by veggie-oil to make a point. But the high cost of fuel is inspiring even more mainstream travelers to embrace a new kind of road trip this year — the gasless vacation.

If gas prices make you squeamish, remember that there are so many great places to explore on your bike. Consider biking to a local B&B for a weekend retreat, instead of driving. And check out Adventurecycling.org, which has a ton of trip ideas, complete with guided routes and maps.

I’m kind of addicted to travel websites, and this week’s favorite is definitely onebag.com, a site dedicated to the art and science of traveling light. I am a huge advocate of traveling light, and I barely ever check luggage. For me, a lot of it has to do with the fact that lugging a huge bag around is just not feasible for someone my size. But packing light doesn’t just reduce hassle, it’s also good for the environment! Getting in the habit of lightening your load means less stuff, which means less waste, and it also mean less energy is needed to transport you to your destination.

Doug Dyment, onebag.com’s author, gives you a detailed analysis of everything from what to pack, what to pack in, and how to pack. Dyment’s one-page tried and tested packing list is available here. It may seem obsessive, but this information is really handy when you travel extensively.

Dyment’s diagram of how to pack efficiently without wrinkling your clothes (click to enlarge):

Check back soon for a posting on the best in eco-friendly travel gear!

Urban communities around the globe, particularly in North America and Northern Europe, are increasingly taking steps to become more environmentally sustainable by doing things like improving public transportation systems and promoting renewable forms of energy.

Yet some of the biggest buzz these days surrounds cities that are being designed and created explicitly for the purpose of being ecocities. The most well-known example of these efforts is Dongtan, a city that was designed by the British engineering firm Arup, and that is being developed on the island of Chongming, next to Shangahi. Read the rest of this entry »