I am jumping in the car this weekend and hitting the road with some friends to do some white water rafting in Tennessee. This got me thinking about ways to conserve and stay green while I am in the car for upwards of 10 hours. Some people think of vacation and their normal routine might get thrown out the window. Fast food, speeding, and anything goes right?! Although that does sound good in theory, whenever I just 'let it all hang out', I ended up feeling guilty in the end for eating greasy food and being too excessive. This doesn't mean, though, that you can't have fun on the road. Actually quite the opposite. Check out a few simple ways to stay green on the road, feel good and have a kick ass time!

1) Skip the Fast Food

Besides it usually creating excess waste and unnecessary idling in the drive thru, fast food and little

activity will likely make you feel terrible. The best bet is to pack a small cooler with you and bring your

own snacks. Bring some funkier things to mix it up to get that "vacation-y" feeling and stop at nice area

and have a little picnic. If you don't want to make your own food, consider stopping at a local restaurant.

They are more likely to have local produce. It will be more fun exploring a new place with your pals and

your stomach will thank you for it later!

2) Pack 'em in

If you have two cars going on the trip with two people in it each, leave one car behind and car pool. A lot

of people know this already but you would be surprised how often this "green rule" is forgotten. While it

does benefit the environment, it will also benefit you by saving money on gas with everyone pitching in

and now you have a 'mini party' in your car that will likely make your ride go by with a few more laughs

and good times!

3) Stay at an Eco-Friendly Hotel

As described in my previous post, there are a ton of green hotels in Florida and all over the U.S.

Before you go on the trip, make sure you do a little research of eco-friendly hotels in the area you are

going to. If you want to be even closer to nature, go to a fun campground and ditch some electricity for

the weekend. Get some rays, swim and enjoy the summer fun.

4) Fill it up!

If you have an everyday water bottle like I do, take it with you on the trip and fill it up along the way! You

can usually find a water fountain almost anywhere these days so you can save money and be more eco-

friendly by avoiding buying lots of individual plastic bottles of water at every stop!

5) Service it

Get your car checked out by your local mechanic before a long road trip. There are little things that can

help save money on gas, like fully inflated tires, that will keep your car running smoothly. Also, it will

keep your mind at ease that your car is running top notch. You can worry less about the car and sing

more and play silly games like "How many out of state license plates can you see?" with your carpooling

friends and family!

6) Skip the Car once you are there

Once you get to your destination, try to use the car as little as possible. If there is a nature trail, a lake,

or a nice hike that is walking distance , do it! You don't need to drive everywhere you go if there are

sightseeing opportunities that aren't too far from you. Plus, it is good exercise to 'walk that extra mile'!

This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2009.