California Road Trips Guide - 2022 - 6

SUSTAINABILITY
HOW TO
PLAN AN ECOFRIENDLY
TRIP
GO EASY ON THE ENVIRONMENT-AND BOLSTER THE
PLACES YOU VISIT-WITH THESE FOUR TRAVEL TACTICS
1) Embrace
" slow travel. "
Slow travel (aka mindful
travel) is an approach that
emphasizes connecting to
local people, environment,
and culture. Traveling this
way makes a vacation more
meaningful, and it's good
for the places we visit.
Think of it as traveling
deeply rather than widely.
Drop the rigid bucket list
and stop trying to score the
most Insta-worthy shots.
Stay longer at a single
destination rather than
rushing around to cover
ground. You'll have more
time to immerse yourself
in local culture and nature,
and you'll develop a deeper
appreciation and respect
for the region.
Adopting a slow-travel
mindset naturally leads to
a lower-impact visit. When
done right, your vacation
could actually help to
protect the place you're
visiting.
2) Choose
eco-conscious
accommodations.
Search out hotels that
have been designed,
constructed, or renovated
using eco-friendly
techniques, or lodgings that
commit to green practices
like conserving water or
reducing waste. Ecofriendly
accommodations
are often certifi ed by an
independent third party
like LEED, Green Seal,
Green Key, or Energy Star.
California has hundreds
of eco-friendly hotels,
including SCP Seven4One
Hotel in Laguna Beach,
Mendocino's Stanford
Inn by the Sea, San
Diego's Hotel Indigo,
Healdsburg's h2hotel, and
San Francisco's Orchard
Garden Hotel.
3) Drive greener.
Consider renting a hybrid
or electric vehicle. Most
major car rental companies
off er eco-conscious
vehicle options, and since
2021, Hertz is leading the
pack in electric vehicles.
They're adding 100,000
Tesla Model 3 sedans to
their rental fl eet; many of
them are already on the
road. Driving an electric
car reduces carbon dioxide
emissions-fi nd charging
stations at chargehub.com.
4) Pledge to be
a good visitor.
We all want to be
conscientious visitors,
but sometimes we don't
h2hotel
know how. That's why we
launched the California
Responsible Travel Code,
which encourages visitors
to help protect the state's
natural resources and local
culture (visitcalifornia.com
/respect).
Destinations like Big
Sur, Truckee, Lake Tahoe,
and Sonoma County have
their own visitor codes or
pledges on their websites.
Common themes include
" leave no trace, " " stay on
marked trails, " and " spread
kindness. "
Before your trip, gather
ore your trip
ather
your travel companions
together and commit to
a visitor pledge. If you're
road-tripping with kids,
designate them as pledge
monitors. They'll make sure
everyone in the car honors
their commitment to a
sustainable vacation.
" When done right, your vacation could actually
help to protect the place you're visiting. "
6 | VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
FROM TOP: KIM CARROLL/COURTESY H2HOTEL; COURTESY TESLA
http://www.visitcalifornia.com/respect http://www.visitcalifornia.com/respect http://www.chargehub.com http://www.VISITCALIFORNIA.COM
California Road Trips Guide - 2022

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