Google Where?……Bike There!

Finally! Google has an interface that is specific to cars, buses, pedestrians and now…..you guessed it….BIKERS! This huge and exciting announcement has taken the sustainable and pedaling community by storm, as now this new feature allows you to plot the best (and flattest) ride from one point to another on the map. The requests in the past few years have been overwhelming. Now that Google has decided to launch it, people are ecstatic. From petitions (over 50,000 signatures strong) to letters bike advocates around the nation have been pushing and asking for an application that is specific to them, as bike riding is one of the most sustainable and healthy ways to navigate around town.

Bikers in cities such as New York, San Francisco, Portland, and Minneapolis have bike-specific mapping sites. Having an application that supports this kind of sustainable transportation is going to further already bike crazed individuals and spark the interest of would be bikers due to its simple and convenient nature.

If you are a potential biker or a current bike advocate check out Google’s step by step video on how to navigate around their new site.

Bike directions will take advantage of bike paths and other bike facilities. There are specific colored lines to indicate one way streets, bike only streets and bike friendly streets, among a whole slough of other features.

Whether you’re just curious or an avid biker, check it out! Help yourself while you help the environment, one pedal at a time.

Winter Travel: Eco-Style

As the leaves start to change, and the weather gets colder, your brain might start thinking about where you will travel to during the winter. Most people choose a nice, warm, exotic getaway, while others might venture to somewhere more traditional to the holiday season finding themselves in a snowy state or country.

Wherever you are thinking about going, think about doing it sustainably. Sustainable travel has been a rising topic and trend, and is something that can spice up your next vacation all while educating you on how to tread lightly on the planet.

A few great resource to get you started is Sustainable Travel International and also Responsible Travel; who coins themselves as the “World’s Leading Travel Agent for Responsible Holidays”. Through ResponsibleTravel.com you can search through activities, destinations, places to stay, etc., and learn about Travel Tips that will help you have a more sustainable trip.

Sustainable Travel International (STI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to providing education and outreach services that help travelers, travel providers and related organizations support environmental conservation and protect cultural heritage while promoting cross-cultural understanding and economic development.

National Geographic also has a great section on their website devoted to sustainable travel.

Now is the time to start planning your winter trips, so don’t forget to book those tickets, offset that carbon, and have a sustainable, great time!