Hey earth muffins! While the pandemic isn’t totally over yet, there has definitely been an increase in traveling again. 🎉 I don’t have too many trips planned yet, but (especially now that I’ve already had COVID) I want to book a few more vacations before the summer months are over. It is so important to be sustainable even on trips; just because you aren’t in the same place doing your daily routines doesn’t mean you can’t stick to your low waste values. Here are my top tips for staying eco-friendly while traveling!
Hey earth muffins! Summer is just around the corner – time for some fun vacations!! As of yet, I only have one major trip planned in July… But I will definitely be planning some weekend getaways too. 😍 The travel excitement always gets me once I start packing for my destination. And who said you can’t pack your suitcase to align with your eco-friendly values? Here’s your ultimate guide on how to pack your bags the zero waste way this summer!
Make a list of everything you need for the trip.
This is obviously helpful if you are doing specific activities that require certain gear… But, making a detailed list is the way to go for any trip. Think ahead to what you will be doing and also research the weather forecast too. Once you have a list, stick to it and pack only what you need. Set a rule with yourself that you will make do with what you have on the trip – no need to buy that extra sweatshirt or flip flops when you already thought ahead and packed them.
Hey earth muffins! Summer is just around the corner which means one thing – time for some vacations! Road trips are one of my favorite ways to take some time off work. 😎 I recently took a short trip to attend a graduation, and it was super fun… Until I tested positive for COVID when I got home. Yupp, after 2+ years and 3 vaccines Mister Corona still got me. I’m (thankfully) all better now and hoping my next road trip doesn’t come with any surprise illnesses. Here are my tips on how to have the best zero waste road trip this summer!
Tip #1: Pick the most eco-friendly car you have access to!
Depending on who/how many people you are traveling with, you might have more than one vehicle to choose from. While things like number of seats and vehicle age are obviously important, make sure to consider each car’s environmental impact as well. Pick the car that is a hybrid or gets the best gas mileage to reduce your emissions on the road. (And this will save you money too with how crazy gas prices are right now.)
Hey earth muffins! As I shared on a recent Instagram post, I went on a silent retreat a couple weekends ago. I had been wanting to try out a retreat like this for quite some time… And thought it would be fun to share the experience with you all! Before jumping into my opinions on the retreat itself, let’s first get into what exactly a silent retreat is.
What is a Silent Retreat?
There is no single definition of what a silent retreat is. Depending on the person, it can mean a lot of different things. But, a retreat of this type centers around one thing: silence. You can go on a retreat like this for religious or spiritual reasons to get closer to God/whomever you believe in. Or you can go on the retreat to restore or rest or to just force yourself to think for a bit. There are legit retreat centers that have these, but you can also just plan your own like I did (which is usually the cheaper option as well).
Hey earth muffins! A couple of months ago, I wrote a post about Google Map’s new eco-friendly feature. It is surprisingly easy to turn on the Google Maps eco route feature… Which got me wondering if our favorite search engine had other sustainable abilities. Turns out it does! 😊 Did you know you can find hotels that are “eco-certified” just by searching through Google? Here’s everything you need to know about using this Google hotel sustainability feature.
How to Find “Eco-Certified” Hotels
If you are looking for the top-notch sustainable hotels for your travels, Google can help you out. Hotels labeled with the “eco-certified” label have been certified by an independent organization for meeting certain standards. I tried to look up what organization and standards are used, but couldn’t find any further information. However, it is better to choose an “eco-certified” hotel over a normal one any day.
Hey earth muffins! If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that I took a trip to Austin, Texas last month. It was my first vacation in almost two years – it felt so weird traveling after the pandemic! I was only in Austin for about four days, but I hit up a lot of fun places. As I haven’t written a travel guide post in awhile, I thought I would share my travel guide to Austin with you all today. Here are my recommendations for what you should see and do in the great city of Austin, Texas! 🤠
Fun Things to Do in Austin, TX
Hit up some bars downtown! Austin is known for having a great nightlife scene; however, I am not really into that… So, I didn’t actually go to any bars downtown. However, it is still fun to walk around the city regardless! If you want to see an old hotel (and use a public bathroom), I suggest hitting up the Driskill Hotel. It is super pretty! The area around it has a few shops and a Voodoo Donuts as well.
Go shopping on S. Congress street. In the actual downtown portion of Austin, there are plenty of restaurants but not much shopping. If you are looking for some cute shops, I suggest heading to the trendy S. Congress street area. They have everything from cowboy boot stores to vintage and cutesy art shops. One of the coolest shops in this area is Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds, a huge costume store with so much interesting stuff!
Take some pictures at Austin’s many murals! I’m not one to drive around for Instagram photos, but there are definitely plenty of opportunities for Insta pics in Austin. I just had to add this in my travel guide to Austin, as I know many peope love a good mural pic!
Drive through Hill Country. Texas is absolutely beautiful. (Hot, but gorgeous views.) There is a famous lookout spot called Mount Bonnell that has a great view of the city of Austin as well as the Colorado River. To get there, you have to drive through some affluent neighborhoods – I spotted around 20 Teslas in only five minutes! I was impressed at how beautiful Hill Country actually was, so I would highly suggest driving around it for a bit.
Go see some bats at dusk! 🦇 The “Bat Bridge” in downtown Austin has a gigantic population of bats that live underneath it. At dusk, they fly out for the night which has become a popular spectacle for tourists and locals alike. The timing of when the bats emerge is different each night, so I suggest bringing a picnic blanket and some snacks as you wait.
Tasty Things to Eat in Austin, TX
Get yourself a frozen banana at Bananarchy. This food truck has three different locations across the city – and I totally recommend going at least once! The truck sells frozen bananas dipped in anything you can imagine. You can either build your own (with a sauce, drizzle, and topping) or get a combo that has already been created. I’ve shared my frozen banana snacks recipe before, and this is an amped up version of that. So perfect for a hot Texas day.
Eat some Torchy’s Tacos! I am a huge fan of Mexican food, and I try to get it whenever I travel. Austin has a huge taco scene and a lot of great Mexican restaurants. Torchy’s is a chain that has some delicious food! Their queso dip is really good, and the tacos are excellent as well. 10/10 would recommend to a friend!
Get yourself a gigantic milkshake at The Yard. This place was on Shark Tank and sells massive milkshakes… How could I not add this to my travel guide to Austin? Be prepared for a long wait – the one I ordered took about an hour to come out due to a crazy amount of people at the store. But, it is located in a cute shopping area, so just go shop while you wait to pass the time. I personally loved that the milkshake came in a collectible glass jar, and I can’t wait to add it to my mason jar collection!
Final Thoughts on Austin, TX
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I hope this was a helpful travel guide to Austin, Texas! 🤠 There is a lot to see and do in the city (and in the area around it); it was a super fun trip that was packed full of good times. From shopping the cute vintage stores on S. Congress street to eating a too large milkshake at The Yard, the memories from this trip will last a lifetime! If you ever have the chance to visit Austin, I would highly recommend. Where have you traveled to lately? Comment below, and I’d love to hear about other fun things to do in Austin that I didn’t add to this list!
Hey earth muffins! Today, I am back with another weekender’s travel guide! The last travel guide I wrote was back in March where I shared my thoughts on what you should do in Ann Arbor, MI. With this pandemic, I haven’t been able to write many of these in the past year…. But I am hoping to post a few of them once I start traveling again. 😊 Check out this page with all of my sustainable travel guides so far! Today, I wanted to share my recommendations from a trip I took before the pandemic started. (I didn’t want to post it during the pandemic because no one could travel, but I figured now would be a fun time to share.) Here are my thoughts on fun things to do in Boston, Massachusetts!
What to Do in Boston, MA
Check out the Freedom Trail! Whether you like history or not, Boston is full of some pretty cool sites to visit. I personally love that the trail is marked with a brick path throughout the city. It makes you feel like you are almost on a treasure hunt as you walk around. One of my personal favorites is the Old North Church where Paul Revere hung up the lanterns in the window – such an iconic symbol of American history!
Take a ride in a Duck Tours… (or maybe don’t?). As someone who grew up on the East Coast, I visited Boston many times as a child. The Duck Tours are basically tour buses that end up driving into the harbor where they then turn into boats. While an iconic scene in the city, they aren’t that safe… So maybe just get a picture of one and call it a day!
Enjoy the outdoors at Boston Common. Just like any well known city, Boston has a great park to play in! This park is a great place for a picnic or to soak up some sun. The park is massive and has a bunch of fun statues to look at as well. My personal favorite is Make Way for Ducklings – which they dress up for certain holidays!
Do some shopping at Newbury Street. There are a ton of fun little shops on this street, including well known brands but also some local boutiques. If you are traveling with someone who likes to shop, this is a great option that will take all afternoon!
Visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum – and see empty frames from the infamous robbery! Whenever I travel I love to visit at least one museum. This museum is full of amazing pieces of art, as well as 13 empty frames from the pieces that were stolen in 1990. If you are interested in learning about the theft, I would highly recommend the book Master Thieves: The Boston Gangsters Who Pulled Off the World’s Greatest Art Heist by Stephen Kurkjian, which I read last year. I’ve always loved heist novels, so it is amazing to actually go to the museum and see the empty frames for yourself.
What to Eat in Boston, MA
Eat a cannoli in Little Italy! If you are by the Old North Church I mentioned above, then you are right next to Boston’s Little Italy. The streets are so quaint and adorable, and it honestly reminds me of my trip to Italy a few years ago. As a girl who loves good cannoli, I recommend checking out Mike’s Pastry. While it is a bit of a touristy location, the cannoli are totally worth it. Definitely a great snack for walking along the Freedom Trail!
Find something tasty at Faneuil Hall. If you are traveling with a group of people who have totally different tastes in food, then this stop is for you! This hall is full of tons of different choices from Chinese food to pizza. It can get pretty busy during peak hours; it is best if some people order while others go track down a table. Sometimes it can be hard to find a place to eat when you have a ton of tasty food in hand!
Hit up a classic Dunkin’. Growing up on the East Coast I was around a lot of Dunkin’ Donuts. They are all over the place in Boston, so I would recommend getting a few donuts at least once. There is nothing special (in my opinion) about their drinks and pastries, but it is just an East Coast thing you have to do. 😊
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Final Thoughts!
Overall, I think Boston is a great place to visit. There is tons of history, plenty of fun things to do, and definitely some tasty things to eat. Make sure you are conscious of your choices as you travel – make your Airbnb as sustainable as possible, reduce your impact when flying, and explore the public transportation Boston has to offer instead of driving everywhere. Where will you be headed on vacation this summer??
Hey earth muffins! With the mass distribution of COVID vaccines, travel has become a possibility again. While you obviously need to still stay safe from Mister Corona, I myself have been venturing out more. Whenever I travel, I love to find cute Airbnbs to stay at. Not only does this provide you with a more unique stay compared to a hotel, it often allows for better amenities as well. 😊 However, is it possible to stay sustainable when using Airbnb? Of course it is! Here are my top tips on how to be eco-friendly in an Airbnb!
Pick an Airbnb that is the perfect size for you and your fellow travelers.
When looking at Airbnbs, there are often many options in your price range. While it might be tempting to reserve that mansion by the water, try to pick a rental that is the right size for the number of people attending the trip. If it is way bigger, the host will need to clean a lot more than necessary. This will result in excess waste from cleaning supplies, wasted water when doing laundry for bedding, and just extra time that the host could spend doing something else! Aim to be Goldilocks – pick the Airbnb that is “just right”! This will ensure that the preparations for your stay won’t create as much of an environmental impact.
Cook for yourself (if possible) and bring food & drinks!
I always try to get an Airbnb with a kitchen. This allows me to avoid takeout waste and cook for myself. Many Airbnbs with kitchens will already have the essentials – oil, salt, pepper, etc. All you need to do is bring the rest of the ingredients for tasty meals! Go the extra mile and make sure your groceries are plastic-free, from the bulk bins, and/or in glass/reusable packaging. I also like to bring my large Hydroflask so that I can stay hydrated while exploring a new place. 😃
Don’t use travel-size bath products if they leave them out for you.
This is a great tip for hotels as well! I’ve stayed at some Airbnbs where the host leaves travel-sized shampoos and soaps in the bathroom. While this is super kind, a great “how to be eco-friendly in an Airbnb” tip is to avoid those single use plastics. If you don’t use them, another guest can which reduces the amount of trash that will end up in the landfill. It is easy to make sure that you pack your own toiletries and don’t forget them at home!
Take recycling & compost with you when you check out!
At the end of your stay, make sure you sort your waste. If your Airbnb doesn’t have a recycle bin, take your recyclables home (if you have any). Even if the rental does have a recycling bin, I usually still take it home as the rules of what can recycle differs by location. I definitely don’t want to be a “wishcycler“! If you were able to cook for yourself, save any food scraps for your compost bin. This is an excellent way to reduce food waste as you travel!
Leave notes to show what is still clean.
If you didn’t use a bed or some pillows, leave a note saying that they are clean! This will (hopefully) avoid the host washing an already clean item. The same goes for towels in the bathroom. For anything that is dirty, make it obvious that they are dirty by putting them in a pile or even placing them in the washing machine so that the host can just turn the machine on after you leave. The less confusion over what is clean will allow for a lower impact on the environment!
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Final Thoughts on How to be Eco-Friendly in an Airbnb
It is definitely possible to stay low waste while traveling this summer. If you choose to stay in an Airbnb, make sure to pick one that has the amenities you want (like a kitchen!) but isn’t too large for you and your fellow travelers. By cooking for yourself, you will be able to reduce takeout waste and save yourself some money for other experiences on your trip. If the host leaves travel-sized items, gratefully pass them up and use what you bring from home instead. Lastly, clean up after yourself and take recyclables and compost home with you. What else do you do to reduce your impact while traveling? 🌎 ❤️
