With summer vacations coming up here are a few ways to make your traveling more "green":

Before leaving home:
- Turn water heater to lowest setting.
- Appliances such as TV's and cable converter boxes should be unplugged because they can draw as much as
40 watts per hour even when they're off.
- Turn water off to your home in case a pipe were to break or a faucet were to start leaking.

Preparing for green travel:
- Purchase elctronic tickets whenever possible.
- Book flights that recycle. British Airways has a very strong environmental agenda.Southwest Airlines
recycles all cabin waste and was the first airline to offerelectronic ticketing.
- When possible use hotel or airport shuttles, or public transportation.

Things to do at the hotel (preferably a green one):
- During your hotel stay let management know that it is not necessary to change your sheets
 and towels every day.
- Turn off lights and the air conditioning when leaving the hotel room.
- Avoid room service.

At your destination:
- Use a refillable water bottle instead of buying bottled water.
- Say no to plastic bags. Use your own eco-friendly reusable bag.
- Explore the city you’re visiting on foot, by renting a bike or taking public transportation.
- Take advantage of walking tours or self-guided audio tours at many attractions.
- Eat at an organic restaurant.

These are just a few tips about traveling green. You can find more at:
http://goswabout.com/od/resortsandtours/a/greentravel.htm
http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/about_the_city/green_chicago/Visitor_Tips.html