Going for Green: Eco-Friendly Family Vacations

Finding ways to step lighter on the planet can open up new vistas—not to mention save you money. Try any of our suggestions below and you might even be able to take one or two more trips this year.

Travel, don't tour
Vacations give us a chance to do something our daily lives don't: slow down. By choosing one spot and staying there for your whole vacation, you can become absorbed in the experience. Try to make a vacation as different from daily life as possible, and you're almost certain to save energy as well as restore your equilibrium.

• Remove the headphones, disconnect the computer, turn off the phone, unplug the TV.

• If you're totally lost without a to-do list, go ahead and make one. Let each person pick one must-do, and toss the rest.
• Take off your watch-stop thinking about things in terms of time and pay attention to the rhythms of the place.

Let yourself be transported
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Amtrak is nearly 20 percent more energy efficient than commercial airlines-and is continuing to improve as they swap diesel locomotives for electric ones. Amtrak offers various passes so you can ride as far or as often as you want. Or pick a route that's made for exploring without a car, like the Adirondack from New York City (see sidebar). Many routes, like the Southwest Chief, have on-board National Park Service Trails & Rails programs. Amtrak also links up with its Canadian counterpart, VIA Rail, which offers flexible rail passes and great summer discounts (buy an adult fare and get one free ticket for kids under 11). Via Rail's "Special Stops" lets you arrange to be let off in wilderness areas.

Sample the local fare
Nearly everyone's home region is someone else's tourist destination, and the odds are there's somewhere within 50 miles of you that you've never explored. Stay local, and you can spend the money you're saving on planes, trains and gas on going upscale: the hotel you'd never book or the restaurants you'd never eat in otherwise. Or head for nature: Find a campground close to where you live, or rent a cabin in a state park and bring along hot chocolate mix. Everything feels different when you're cooking on a camp stove or sitting out late at night by a glowing fire. 

Propel yourself
Instead of driving a hundred miles a day, why not try walking 5, or biking 15, or paddling even just 1? You'll become immersed in the landscape, meet more interesting people, minimize your carbon footprint-and lose weight! Active vacations are immensely satisfying even when they're not all that physically challenging. There's a myriad of possibilities out there. Hike the Appalachian Trail, kayak the fjords of Vancouver Island or bike across Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Group tours abound, whether with local organizations or national outfitters like REI.