Never thought I’d be the guy writing about eco-friendly travel, to be honest. I mean, for most of my life, vacation meant loading up the truck, driving down the shore for a week, and not thinking twice about it. But like a lot of things in my life lately, my approach to travel started changing when I realized how much money we were wasting – and yeah, how much damage we were probably doing to the environment too.
It started about three years ago when my wife wanted to take the boys to see her sister in Colorado. I looked at plane tickets for four people and nearly choked. Eight hundred bucks each, plus all the airport hassle, security lines, delayed flights. Then I started thinking about the drive – twenty-two hours each way, gas money, hotel stops. Neither option seemed great, but the plane tickets were what really got me thinking about alternatives.
My brother-in-law Mike, who’s a pretty smart guy despite what my wife says, mentioned that trains were making a comeback. “You kidding me?” I said. “Who takes trains anymore?” But he showed me some numbers – Amtrak tickets were half the price of flying, and you could actually see the country instead of staring at clouds. Plus, my boys had never been on a train. Seemed worth trying once.
That train ride changed everything. Not in some dramatic way, but just… it was nice. Really nice. The kids weren’t bouncing off the walls like they do in cars, my wife could read her book, and I could actually relax instead of white-knuckling the steering wheel through mountain passes. We met people from all over, the food was decent, and when we got to Denver, we weren’t exhausted and stressed out.
But here’s what really got my attention – later I looked up the environmental numbers, just curious. Turns out that train trip produced about 80% less carbon emissions per person than flying would have. Eighty percent! That’s like the difference between an old incandescent bulb and an LED. As an electrician, I appreciate efficiency, and those numbers were impressive.
Started looking at our other vacation habits after that. We used to stay at whatever chain hotel was cheapest, eat at chain restaurants, hit all the typical tourist spots. Nothing wrong with that, but I began noticing how much waste these places generated. Tiny shampoo bottles, mountains of towels changed daily whether you needed it or not, air conditioning cranked so cold you needed a jacket indoors in July.
Found this place in Virginia last summer – little family-run inn near Shenandoah. The owner was an older guy, reminded me of my dad actually, who’d converted his property to run mostly on solar power. Had a heat pump system for hot water, used local suppliers for food, even had a little vegetable garden where guests could pick stuff for salads. My kids thought picking their own tomatoes was the coolest thing ever.
Cost was about the same as a regular hotel, but the experience was completely different. Felt like staying with relatives instead of being just another customer. The guy – Frank, I think his name was – showed me his electrical setup. Pretty impressive for someone who wasn’t a professional. Solar array on the roof, battery storage system, smart controls for everything. We talked shop for an hour while our wives rolled their eyes at us.
That got me thinking about how we could travel smarter without spending more money. Started researching what they call “agritourism” – staying at working farms, picking your own fruit, learning how food actually gets produced. Sounds hokey, but the boys loved it. City kids don’t usually get to see how things grow, how much work goes into food production. Plus these places are usually cheaper than fancy resorts and way more educational.
We did a long weekend at a farm in Lancaster County last fall. Helped with apple picking, learned about sustainable farming, ate meals made from stuff grown right there on the property. Kids complained about no WiFi for about an hour, then forgot all about it once they started helping feed chickens and collect eggs. My wife took about a hundred pictures of them looking genuinely happy instead of staring at screens.
Food became another piece of the puzzle. Instead of eating at chain restaurants that ship ingredients from who knows where, we started looking for local places. Not fancy farm-to-table spots that charge twenty bucks for a hamburger, just regular restaurants that source ingredients locally. Usually tastes better anyway, and you’re supporting local businesses instead of corporate chains.
Had the best barbecue of my life at this little place in North Carolina, run by a guy who raised his own pigs and grew his own vegetables. Cost less than what we would’ve paid at some tourist trap, and the guy spent twenty minutes telling us about his smoking technique and why he switched to sustainable farming methods. My boys still talk about that pulled pork.
Transportation kept being the biggest challenge, especially for longer trips. Flying is fast but expensive and wasteful. Driving gives you flexibility but gets exhausting and uses a lot of gas. Started looking at bus travel for some trips – not exactly glamorous, but way cheaper and more efficient than driving separately. Also started coordinating with other families for longer trips, sharing rides and splitting costs.
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Took a bus to Washington DC last spring for a long weekend. Kids thought it was an adventure, and we saved probably three hundred bucks compared to driving and paying for parking. Plus I didn’t have to navigate DC traffic, which is worth something right there. Used the Metro to get around the city instead of renting a car. Worked perfectly, and the boys loved riding the trains underground.
Started planning vacations around activities that don’t require a lot of resources or infrastructure. Hiking, camping, visiting state parks instead of theme parks. Not because I’m opposed to roller coasters, but because outdoor activities are usually cheaper and often more memorable. Plus my boys need to get outside more anyway.
Camping was initially a tough sell with my wife. She grew up in the city, never camped as a kid, wasn’t thrilled about the idea of sleeping in tents. But we compromised on “glamping” – basically cabins with beds and bathrooms but still in natural settings. Gives you the outdoor experience without roughing it completely. Found some great places in state parks that cost a fraction of hotel rates.
Our best family vacation was probably last year in the Adirondacks. Rented a cabin on a lake for a week, went hiking and fishing, kayaked around the lake, had campfires every night. No TV, limited internet, just family time and nature. Kids complained for exactly one day, then adapted and had a blast. We spent maybe half what a typical beach vacation would’ve cost, and I still hear them talking about catching their first fish or seeing that family of deer.
Water activities turned out to be perfect for low-impact travel. Kayaking, canoeing, swimming in lakes and rivers instead of chlorinated pools. Gives you a different perspective on places, literally and figuratively. You move slower, notice more details, disturb the environment less. Plus it’s good exercise, which we all need more of.
Tried snorkeling for the first time on a trip to Florida. Always figured it was something only experienced divers could do, but it’s actually pretty simple. Seeing underwater life up close was incredible – like discovering a whole world that’s been there all along, right under the surface. Guide emphasized staying distant from coral and fish, not touching anything, basically being a visitor in their space rather than trying to control it.
Shopping and souvenirs became another area where we changed our approach. Instead of buying mass-produced junk that ends up in drawers and eventually gets thrown away, we started looking for things made locally by actual craftspeople. Costs more per item but you buy less, and what you get actually means something.
My boys each have a small collection of items they’ve picked up on trips – a carved wooden bird from that guy in North Carolina, some pottery from a local artist in New Mexico, a hand-forged knife from a blacksmith in Pennsylvania. Each piece reminds them of specific experiences and people they met. Way better than a drawer full of plastic trinkets that all look the same.
Food souvenirs work well too. Local honey, maple syrup, hot sauces made with regional ingredients. Actually useful, usually cheaper than crafts, and you can share them with neighbors when you get home. Plus talking to producers about their methods and ingredients is often more interesting than typical tourist activities.
Biggest lesson has been that sustainable travel usually ends up being more personal and memorable than conventional tourism. When you slow down, stay local, interact with people who live in places instead of just passing through, you get a completely different experience. Takes more planning and research, but the payoff is worth it.
Not everything has worked perfectly. Tried taking a bus trip that ended up being miserable – old vehicle, bad driver, too many stops. Stayed at an “eco-friendly” hotel that turned out to be mostly marketing with minimal actual environmental practices. Planned a camping trip that got rained out and ended up costing more than a regular hotel when we had to find last-minute indoor accommodations.
But overall, our family trips have gotten more enjoyable and less expensive since we started thinking about environmental impact. Kids have learned about different ways of living, different approaches to food and energy and transportation. They’ve met people they never would’ve encountered staying at chain hotels and eating at familiar restaurants.
My wife jokes that I’ve turned into a hippie, but that’s not really it. It’s more like applying the same practical thinking I use at work to how we spend our vacation time and money. Why waste resources when more efficient alternatives exist? Why pay more for experiences that are less satisfying? Just makes sense when you think about it logically.
Next trip we’re planning is to visit my cousin in Oregon, taking the train again because the boys keep asking when we can ride trains again. Gonna stay at another working farm, maybe learn about organic farming methods I could use in our little backyard garden. Not because I’m some environmental warrior, but because it sounds interesting and probably costs less than typical tourist activities.
Travel doesn’t have to be about consuming as much as possible or checking items off some list of must-see attractions. Best vacations are usually about slowing down, paying attention, connecting with people and places in ways you remember years later. Turns out that approach is also better for the planet and easier on the wallet. Win-win, as far as I’m concerned.
