The Perpetual Tourist

According to YPartnership, 80% of travelers consider themselves environmentally conscious, and 40% say they would definitely choose eco-friendly accommodations if they were available. But did you know that, as a traveler, you probably have a much higher carbon footprint than those who stay put? No matter how well you reduce, reuse, and recycle, any flying you do is going to give your footprint a nasty jump. Jets use a lot of fuel. Even if you don’t fly to get where you’re going, hotels are notoriously bad at conservation. They wash towels and often linens after just one day’s use, everything in your room is individually wrapped and disposable, and just think of all the electricity it takes to heat and cool 450 rooms all to different temperatures. It’s staggering.

That’s why it takes more than just a little effort for a hotel to go green. Every little bit counts, of course, and we treehuggers appreciate every baby step taken, but for a hotel to really call itself a friend of the environment requires major efforts. Some do it by cutting back on certain amenities, meaning travelers often have to choose between their conscience and their comfort.

AAA says it doesn’t have to be this way. There are hotels that are both green and luxurious, and though most of the industry has a long way to go, more and more hotels are going green nowadays as consumers become more aware of their own environmental impact. AAA is currently working with the hotel industry to develop and publish eco-certification standards, and in a recent article, the travel authority has highlighted three American hotels that do both luxury and green very well.

Garden at the Fairmont Olympic

AAA commends the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, which has maintained its AAA Five Diamond hotel status (the highest) for 24 consecutive years. It’s the only Five Diamond hotel in the Pacific Northwest, and it was one of the first in the country to embrace the green movement, putting compact fluorescent light bulbs in all guest rooms, implementing a recycling program, and using steam for heating and hot water. Earlier this year, the Fairmont began a composting program that has already diverted over 26 tons of organic waste from the landfills. The Fairmont has also published a Green Partnership Guide, full of ideas to help other businesses go green.

On the other side of the US, two Florida hotels also receive high marks from AAA, both as Five Diamond and eco-certified hotels.

The Breakers Palm Beach

First up is The Breakers in Palm Beach.  In addition to the standard green practices of recycling, regular A/C maintenance, and using energy efficient appliances and post-consumer recycled products throughout the property, The Breakers has an innovative water conservation program in place.  The hotel has installed low-flow automatic faucets and a reverse-osmosis plant with a 1,500-foot well.  This converts undrinkable water into irrigation water that the hotel uses in landscaping, saving 104 million gallons of potable water each year.  Wow!

The third Five Diamond eco-friendly hotel is The Four Seasons Hotel Miami.  Both the Four Seasons and The Breakers participate in the Florida Green Lodging Program.  The Four Seasons uses the latest technology in all of its plumbing to ensure water conservation, and the hotel promotes recycling among guests by providing a recycling bag in every room.  The hotel purchases the best in energy efficient appliances and eco-friendly cleaners, and has a massive daily recycling program for its 70-story building.

Your very green, super luxe bathroom at The Four Seasons Miami

These three getaways really are the best of the best, each striving for the best in luxury and eco-friendliness.  Here’s hoping that more vacation destinations will soon follow these excellent examples.

It’s an American tradition to go to the beach in the summertime. Families load up the old minivan and join the thousands of other families fighting over the same patch of sand and rays of sunlight year after year, because it’s summer. That’s just what you do.

Maybe you skipped this summer, though, because the economy is so bad you couldn’t afford it. Have you ever considered that a week in fall or winter might be the best time ever to go to the beach?

I’m writing now from a condo in Virginia Beach, where my husband and I are staying all week. We come here every November for an annual bridge tournament, and I’d have to argue that it’s better than a summer beach vacation.

Swimming in the ocean and sunbathing are out, so if that’s the only reason you come to the beach, you can keep coming in the summer with everyone else. But just about everything other than the weather is more pleasant the rest of the year. For one thing, the crowds are gone. It’s like having the whole city to yourself. It’s easy to find parking, and you never have a wait at a restaurant. In fact, restaurants are so happy just to have customers, your service is better than ever. Some places are closed in the off-season, or keep shorter hours, but without crowds to fight with, you’ll have plenty of choices among the things that are still available.

Everything is on sale in stores. Now’s the time to buy your summer swimsuit — they’re all 50-75% off in the shops, and all the beach souvenirs are deeply discounted, too.

Also deeply discounted are the hotel rooms and condos. A week at the beach in the summer will probably cost a few thousand bucks for a small family in an oceanfront condo, but look at the same room rates for October through April. Not only are the rooms much less expensive than in the peak season, but you’re very likely to score some great freebies from hotels as they fight for what little business is available this time of year. When you call for reservations, just ask if there are any special promotions going on — you may get free meals, spa treatments, room upgrades, and more if you just ask.

The rad indoor pool at the Ocean Beach Club

For families with kids who equate beach trips with swimming, look for a hotel with a swimming pool. Lots of the places here at Virginia Beach have indoor and outdoor heated pools that are great for swimming even when it’s freezing outside. No, it’s not the same as the ocean, but most kids are pretty content as long as they can splash around somewhere. In fact, the pool here at the Ocean Beach Club has waterfalls and all sorts of gadgets built in that might even be more fun than the Atlantic’s waves. It’s less salt in the eyes, anyway.

Late fall is such an easy time to vacation at the beach. Instead of fighting for the hotel I want and the dates I want, I have hotels fighting over my business for exactly the times I want to be here. Without the crowds, it’s much less hassle and much less money out of my pocket. While I’m here, I’ll stock up on all my summer beach wear (because yeah, I’ll probably come back and swim in the ocean with my nieces in six or seven months) at clearance prices, and I’ll enjoy walks on the beach with my beloved without getting hit in the head by errant frisbees. I can’t swim in the icy water, but the ocean still makes a lovely backdrop for this vacation.

Don’t discount the coast if you’re looking for a relaxing getaway. You can’t beat the prices here right now and you can’t imagine what a treat it is to be in such a touristy place without any other tourists to get in your way.

Our quest for the best place on Earth to spend the night started in the Netherlands, and now takes us to the Chilean rain forest. Nestled in the Huilo Huilo Reserve in Southern Chile, we find the Magic Mountain Hotel, a fairytale style building with 13 private rooms and an additional 11 cabins elsewhere on the grounds.

www.ayrhoteles.cl

This unique building even has its own waterfall cascading down one side. Each of the rooms looks out into the beautiful natural setting, with condors and eagles flying by and pumas and other native animals wandering the forest floor below.

A snowboarder enjoys the Choshuenco volcano

More than a two hour drive from the nearest airport (Pichol airport in Valdivia, Chile), the Magic Mountain Hotel seems a bit out of the way, perhaps in the middle of nowhere. But there’s plenty to do, even without a big city close by. There is an aerial walkway through the reserve as high as 90m up at some points. You can take in the scenery from the treetops, above cliffs and over valleys. Hunting and fishing are popular summer pastimes (remember that this is the Southern hemisphere, so summer is January-March), and expert skiers enjoy the challenging slopes of the nearby Choshuenco volcano. This is not a ski resort with lifts and trails, but the hotel provides transportation and snow cats for skiers. Other activities offered by the hotel include whitewater rafting and horseback riding.

www.allsouthernchile.com

After a long day of busy sightseeing, there’s no better place to relax than in the tree trunk hot tubs on the hotel deck with a glass of fine Chilean wine — and Magic Mountain has the finest!

Room rates at the Magic Mountain range from approximately $150-$250USD, and the hotel accepts Visa and Mastercard payments. For reservations or further information, call +56 63 1972681.

Also check out the newly constructed Baobab Hotel, located in the same area as Magic Mountain.

Baobab Hotel

This whole area is an architecture-lover’s dreamland, and a haven for any naturalist.

My husband and I arrived in Las Vegas at 1am this morning. Our trip here was uneventful and painless, which I decided to interpret as a good omen.

We’re here for the 2008 Summer North American Bridge Championships, and we have reservations with our team to stay at Circus Circus. I’ve never stayed at Circus Circus before, but it’s got kind of a cruddy reputation. It’s located at the ass end of the strip, it’s one of the older, less fabulous casino/hotels here, and it’s billed as the most family friendly place in Sin City, so it’s overrun with children.

But it’s cheap.

When we checked in, the front desk attendant told us that the rooms were sold out for the night, so they’d upgraded us to “one of the nicest rooms in the hotel!” Shame our reservation is broken into two parts, and this one is only for one night. After signing all the check-in documents, we were directed to the Honeymoon Suite. Hey, we are sort of newlyweds. Perfect!

So what does “one of the nicest rooms” at Circus Circus look like? Well, it’s not exactly out of the pages of a magazine. The room would be classified “luxury” at just about any hotel, but Vegas luxury is a much higher standard. This room is indeed very nice. It has a small kitchen, large living area, huge bedroom, and a large bathroom, all decorated with only the finest fake flowers and strange artwork.

There’s no balcony swimming pool or jacuzzi in the room, no bottles of champagne and scattered rose petals to greet us upon our arrival, and the toilet paper is still single ply. But the room smells good and looks clean. It’s far from what I imagine when I think of Vegas luxury, but for $42, it’s like hitting a modest jackpot on the nickel slots.

But then there’s the bed. Granted, after a nine-hour drive and then eleven more hours of air travel/waiting in airports, we would have slept comfortably in any bed. But the bed in the Honeymoon Suite at Circus Circus is, I am sure, the most comfortable bed that has ever existed. It is like sleeping on a very supportive king-sized cloud. If I could spend the rest of my week in this bed, I don’t think I’d even miss the casinos, the games, the shows, and the food.

And let’s not forget the pillows. I’ve got expensive, fancy pillows at home. Comfort is definitely something worth investing in, and I think my bedding is quite nice. But these pillows are a whole new world of comfort. I’ve never stolen from a hotel before, but I’m not sure I can live without these pillows now, having tasted the experience for one night. I am not going to steal these. I’m just going to hope someone will tell me where I can buy them, and then that I win enough money playing blackjack that I can afford them.

We have to check out of our Honeymoon Suite in a few hours, but we’re here in Vegas for the next seven days. Here’s hoping our luck continues!

Ever since I saw the movie Pete’s Dragon when I was a kid, I’ve wanted to live in a lighthouse. But this is just a pipe dream — most lighthouses are historic sites, not very roomy, or incredibly inconvenient to reach, out on a remote cliff somewhere. Oh well.

There are a few lighthouses in the world where you can live at least temporarily. They’re in use as hotels, and the most spectacular of these is in Harlingen, Netherlands. The Harlingen Lighthouse Hotel, about an hour away from Amsterdam, is a beautiful out-of-service lighthouse where guests can enjoy 360 degree panoramic views and luxury accommodations in the heart of the historic docks of Harlingen.

There is only one bedroom to rent, so guests have the lighthouse to themselves. You’ll have to climb 80 steep steps to reach the dwelling area, so pack lightly! Once you’re inside, you’ll find a 3-story luxury getaway, with incredible views from your bedroom and an upstairs lookout area, and all the modern comforts you find in any hotel.

Guests can climb to the original lantern room and balcony for some of the most spectacular views of all. In the lantern room, owners have put a VHF radio so guests can listen to the shipping traffic on the ocean.

Breakfast is delivered to the bottom of the lighthouse stairs each morning.

This fantastic hotel is just a short walk from the shops and restaurants of Harlingen, and right in the center of the historic port. Accommodations start at 319 Euro per night, and you need to book way in advance. It would make a unique getaway and a fantastic honeymoon destination!

For more unusual accommodations in Harlingen, check out the sister properties: The Harbor Crane and the Lifeboat.

Anyone who’s been following along knows that I am a bridge player. I’m one of the handful of young people involved in the game today, and I love it. Computer and console gaming have really pushed bridge out of the social scene for kids, which is a real tragedy, because young people have so much to gain from the game, from scholarships to networking opportunities and — you guessed it — travel.

Duplicate bridge is a card game of skill (the “duplicate” part means luck is all but completely eliminated) that takes a few hours to learn the basics and a lifetime to master, if mastery is even possible. It’s great for anyone who loves competition and challenges, and because there are so few young people in the game today, the American Contract Bridge League and the World Bridge Federation are working hard to lure fresh faces to the bridge world. This means free lessons, free money, and lots and lots of travel. You don’t have to be a champion to take advantage of all that’s offered to juniors (bridge players under 26), and you don’t have to be a junior to get a lot out of the game of bridge, either.

There are four main competition formats in the US. First are club games, which are weekly games run by local groups of anywhere from three to fifty tables. These are social events as much as they are competition, and you tend to make a lot of good friends playing regularly in a bridge club. Use this page to find a bridge club near you — visitors are always welcome. Sectionals are small tournaments, usually held annually, that draw crowds of nearby players for the two to four day events.

Regional tournaments are where the travel side of bridge really picks up. Regionals are week-long tournaments with several concurrent games, so you can choose your format of competition and your level. Because of their size, regionals are usually held in big hotels in big cities that are easy to get to, since people will travel from all over the world to attend these tournaments. For me, going to regionals is like going to camp. You form social groups with the others that you meet at the tournaments, and you may not see each other for months in between, but whenever you meet up again, you pick up right where you left off, usually staying up into the wee hours having a good time. It’s not just bridge we love — the after hours social scene may involve dozens more card games, usually some booze, and maybe even a little philosophy.

The biggest tournaments in the ACBL are the three annual North American Bridge Championships. The locations change each tournament, but these events are usually held in North America’s favorite cities — Las Vegas is next on the agenda, Boston is coming up, and other stops include places like Orlando, Honolulu, Chicago, and more. Some of the game’s most elite events are held at the NABC’s, but you don’t have to be an elite player to enjoy these tournaments. Games are available daily for beginners and all levels of skill up to world champions. If you want to improve your game, NABC’s are a great place to study, as you can attend expert panels and lectures and watch some of the premier competition live. There is always free entertainment at these tournaments, and of course you’re visiting some of the greatest cities on Earth, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find your own entertainment for the times you’re not throwing cards around.

Bridge has opened so many doors for me, and I can’t praise it enough. I met my husband, a professional bridge player, at a tournament a few years ago, and since latching onto him, I’ve been able to tag along wherever his clients hire him to play. I never participated much in the junior scene, but when McKenzie was a junior, he traveled on a sponsor’s dime to Ireland to compete in a junior championship, and other young friends of mine have played bridge in China, Thailand, Italy, Germany, and all over the world. Bridge organizations worldwide are working hard to get kids into the game, and trips like this are part of the appeal — these are all paid for by sponsors. Learn more about opportunities for juniors here.

Even though I’m not (yet) good enough to play professionally, and I’m not young enough to compete in most junior events, I still get a lot out of the game, and would recommend it to anyone with time enough to learn the rules. (Admittedly, there is a lot to learn when you first get started.) This competition — this card game, this hobby — has taken me all over the world. I go to places I love with people I love, playing a game that I love. If there’s a better way to live life, I don’t know it.

If you’re interested in reading more about life as a young bridge player, my friend Mike keeps a great blog about his experiences here. If you’re interested in bridge lessons, you can find a teacher here. And if you ever want to hire a pro, well, I might just know someone…

See you at the table!

When you fly into the Bermuda airport, assuming it’s not too windy to land, you’ll be greeted by steel drums, friendly customs agents, and a giant pair of pink Bermuda shorts on the entrance to the building — a sight you’ll find all over Bermuda tourism literature and signage. Though the shorts are practically the tiny island nation’s mascot, don’t be fooled into thinking this will be a completely casual vacation. This place is fancy.

You’ll want the shorts for your daytime excursions — the climate is almost always comfortable enough for bare legs — but staying at any of the country’s major resorts, you’ll find there’s a dress code for the dining rooms, and shorts aren’t allowed. The cost tends to match the dress code; this is not a cheap getaway, but I’ve found it’s worth the expense and the risks of traveling through the legendary and notorious Bermuda Triangle.

The 22-square-mile nation is located about 700 miles due east of the Carolinas in the Atlantic Ocean, though the weather here is more like Florida’s year-round warmth. Though still technically a colony of the UK, Bermuda has its own currency which is interchangeable with the US Dollar. Both currencies are accepted anywhere on the island, so there’s no need to do a money exchange when you arrive.

As in Britain, cars drive on the left side of the road, though you’ll find that roads and vehicles are not much more than an afterthought here. There are strict laws in Bermuda that keep the roads from getting crowded. There is a national speed limit of 35kph (22mph), and tourists are not legally permitted to rent cars or drive here. But you don’t need a license for a moped, which is one of the preferred methods of travel for most locals. The Pompano Beach Club, where I’ve been staying, rents these scooters out to guests to get around the islands. Alternatives are taxis (I still haven’t figured out how the taxi fees work — they have meters, but I think it’s a flat fee per person, and it’s not cheap), busses, and ferries. Nothing goes very fast, but then again, nothing is very far away.

Bermuda has all the standard coastal, warm-weather attractions like fishing, swimming, diving, and golf, but one thing that sets this destination apart from others is what’s in the water. The islands are surrounded by a reef that has been the demise of many a ship over the past few centuries. One of the most popular attractions here are the dozens of shipwrecks around the island, which are preserved and protected by national law. You can see some of these wrecks as you walk along the coastline, or to get a closer look, you can go diving to sunken ships around the reef. With dozens of these long lost vessels surrounding the islands, it’s no wonder the Bermuda Triangle has such a reputation.

After a long day of sightseeing, you can come back to your hotel bar and relax with one of Bermuda’s other main attractions: the rum. Available in Duty Free stores in airports, this makes a great souvenir for your friends back home — much better than keychains and t-shirts.

If you have trouble walking, Bermuda may not be an ideal vacation spot. It’s a very hilly place, and I’ve found that most of the resorts are not easy to get around in a wheelchair, though the staff here at Pompano will go out of their way to help you out in any way you need. One of our waiters volunteered to carry an elderly woman up and down the stairs to the main restaurant each night. You just don’t find service like that in the US (but you do find elevators there).

The people are friendly, the beauty is endless, and the weather is heavenly. As long as a trip to Bermuda won’t break the bank, you should put it high on your to-do list. Even when it rains, it’s still a gorgeous place to be.

Growing up just a few hours away from the nation’s capital, I visited the city several times per year, whether it was for field trips, family excursions, or work purposes.  And though I will probably never think of DC as one of America’s best cities, I can honestly say that it’s a great place to visit, and it still holds appeal for me even after many trips.

There’s no way you can see and do everything DC has to offer in just a day or weekend, so if you live far away, it’s a great place to spend a week of vacation. 

When deciding where to stay, you’ll want to pick a place that’s near a metro line.  The main tourist area is the National Mall, where you’ll find lots of museums, monuments, and usually a protest or two on any given day — but there’s so much more to the city than just this one small area, so you’ll want to pick up a metro card and plan to ride around a bit.

If you want a cheap place to stay, your best bet is one of the outer suburbs in Maryland or Virginia, which can be about a 45 minute metro ride into the heart of the city.  But my favorite neighborhood in DC is Adams Morgan, which is also home to one of my favorite hotels, the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. 

Like everything else in the city, rooms here will cost you quite a bit, but the luxurious accommodations are well worth the cost, in my opinion.  The hotel features an Old English Pub among several other in house dining options, and is conveniently located right on the subway line.  It’s a short walk from here to the National Zoo, where adults and children alike can easily spend a whole day. 

One great thing about DC is that most of the attractions are free.  The Zoo and all the monuments and museums have no admission fee — they just get your money at the gift shops and restaurants. 

After a day of sightseeing, you can return to your hotel in Adams Morgan for a change of clothes, then step outside into the middle of one of the hippest night scenes in the city.  It’s where all the young people come to eat, drink, and be (mostly) naked after dark.  For laid back and delicious, but with less of a wild streak, I recommend the 24-hour Tryst coffeehouse.

For a list of special events happening this year in DC, visit the Washington Tourism website here.