Susatainability in Sonoma Valley - Boon Hotel

Lately, I've been dreaming of a relaxed weekend away... somewhere that's warm, with just the slightest touch of crisp fall weather. Of course, luxury and sustainability are naturally necessary factors. I'm happy to say that when I started digging around for information, I stumbled across a boutique property that suits my desires quite nicely. On top of that - it's a new addition to the collection of hotels and resorts that are now implementing "green" standards upon their launch to the public.

Deliciously close to both Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve and Russian River Valley wineries, Boon Hotel + Spa is a 14-room hotel catering to the folks who yearn for a Sonoma Valley escape.

At Boon, you'll find earth-friendly iniatives like: a saline, solar-heated pool; organic, fair-trade linens; cork flooring; refillable, metal amenity containers; compostable paper ware; organic coffees; and a recycling program, of course.

Weekend rates start at $175; mid-week rates are discounted.

More green on the Worldwide Web

The 50 Best Adventure Hideouts in the US (Outside Magazine)
A regional breakdown of must-visit, touist-free destinations.

New Brand - Hotel Pure Green - Sees the Light (4Hoteliers)
New brand ups the ante with an eco version.

Airports Go Green with Eco-Friendly Efforts (USA Today)
Highlights: Boston Logan; Denver International; Fresno Yosemite

The Portable, Planet-Friendly Home (Sprig)
Who knew Airstreams could be so chic?

How to be Green (Chicago Tribune)
Tips for travel and carbon-considerate living.

Meetings Industry Reaches Out for Green Standards (Meetings Industry Megasite)
Who defines "green" in the meetings and events industry?

A good, green red wine

In the mood for a bit o' vino? Of course you are... especially if it's from the vines of one of these eco-friendly vineyards, highlighted by TreeHugger. Check out the post (and comments) below for tips on how to transport these precious bottles home with you!

Stratus Winery (Niagara, Ontario Canada)
Claim to fame: First LEED-Certified Winery in North America
Specialty: reds, whites and ice wines

Parducci Wine Cellars (Mendocino, California, U.S.A.)
Claim to fame: First US 100% Carbon-Neutral
Specialty: Parducci, Sketchbook and Zingaro brand wines (That's their Zig Zag Zin pictured to the left)

Navarro Vineyards (Philo, California, U.S.A.)
Claim to fame: Plenty of sheep and some green tactics too
Specialty: Pinot Noir and Gewurtzraminer (my personal fave)

Rodney Strong Vineyards (Healdsburg, California, U.S.A)
Claim to fame: First winery powered by 100% Solar Energy
Specialty: A creamy blend chardonnay reserve

Chateau Val Joanis (Provence, France)
Claim to fame: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Put the Ooh la la in Sustainable Wineries
Specialty: Well, for the time being, looking posh for the paps

Wine Skin: Great, but why not reusable?

Today I came across this product - Wine Skin - in one my go-to travel goods resources, Magellan's.

What a clever concept! I can't tell you how many times I've precariously packed bottles of vino in my checked luggage (risky, I know). Often times, hotels will offer to bubble-wrap my liquid finds (like an excellent pinot from The Biltmore Estate), but sometimes I resort to sweatshirt or raincoat padding around a bottle... especially daring for a wine lover like myself.

So, tell me, why, why, why must these fabulous finds be disposable, created for one-time use? Has anyone out there found a reusable wine packer - one that's constructed in a similar manner but uses heftier, recyclable plastic and a zipper seal? And if there's nothing out there now... who's up for a game of enterprise?

Flying high and flying green with Air France

Feeling bad about flying high? There's no need to be guilt-ridden when you're traveling with an airline that's striving to be eco-friendly.

In the latest aviation news, Air France has announced the official receipt of ISO 14001 certification, a nod to its environmentally-minded, sustainable management systems, for all of its Metropolitan France bases - and aboard its planes. Noted endeavors include regulation of gas emissions from aircraft as well as water and energy consumption when the flying beauties are on solid ground.

Air France's next ISO 14001 audit is set for July 2009, a process that takes place yearly. You can find more on the Air France Sustainable Development program here.

A night at NYLO: Sleeping green in Rhode Island

Posh hotels don't always mean soaring prices, proves the newest NYLO hotel in Providence/Warwick, Rhode Island.

Urban and loft-structured, it's a deal for NYC dwellers seeking a simple escape. Of course, it's eco-friendly, too... in fact, it's the first Rhode Island hotel to run on 100 percent renewable energy thanks to a partnership with People's Power & Light (PP&L). Through the partnership, NYLO's electricity usage is offset by a mix of local and regional solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectric power sources. (That makes NYLO PP&L's largest R.I. customer, by the way.)

Need additional reasons to lay your head at the new NYLO?

• NYLO's green construction and operating policies call for using the most eco-conscious building materials and techniques, including a minimum of 50 percent recyclable materials.
• Oversized windows and window walls admit natural light, lowering consumption.
• In guest lofts, lights turn on and off, and air conditioning units adjust automatically when guests enter and leave.
• The Loft offers a selection of organic and bio-dynamically farmed alcoholic beverages. The menu features food from local farmers and purveyors.
• Each floor has recycling bins for bottles and paper.
• In guest lofts, travelers are invited to forgo daily linen changes Desk pads and folio binders use recycled paper.
• Even NYLO's exclusive line of Gilchrist & Soames bath amenities come in recycled bottles and have no chemical preservatives like Paraben.

Find the full scoop at: http://www.nylohotels.com/warwick/

Worn Again Debuts Recycled "Virgin" Bags

It's been a while since we've featured a travel product on G.G. and if I'd searched for days, I couldn't have found a better match than Worn Again's new "Worn Again Virgin" line of bags.

Created in partnership with Virgin Atlantic Airlines, the bags are made of old Virgin Atlantic plane seat covers, among other materials like car seat belts, post-Glastonbury tents and bike inner tubes. This clever partnership will help Virgin Atlantic in achieving its goal to halve the waste it sends to landfills by 50 percent by 2012.

Best of all? These gender-neutral (and cute, I might add!) messenger and accessories bags are uber travel friendly. Right now you can pick up one of the limited edition bags (only 2,000 were made using 1,000 old seat covers) for $44 - $115.

Photo shown above ("Lydia" bag) courtesy of Worn Again

Worldwide eco destinations - places you haven't been

When it comes to ecotourism, certain "hot spots" often come to mind... Costa Rica, for example, which has built an entire tourism foundation on the idea of being green (and potentially sold itself out, some might say).

However, there are other options. Eco tours aren't limited to jungles and safaris, in fact, there are several destinations that cater to natural living right in your nearby urban oasis (more on this later).

Thinking of planning an escape? Consider some of the locales suggested by Professional Travel Guide, including:

• Panama
• Galapagos Islands
• Patagonia
• Tanzania
• Madagascar
• Alaska
• St. John
• Iceland (that's her, pictured above)
• Laos
• and Australia

Do business travelers really care about going green?

Came across this article, "Businesses 'ignoring green travel'" in a recent issue of The Guardian's Observer, which suggests that while many companies have strict, eco-friendly travel policies in place, they're either overlooked or unknown by employees. This not-so-fabulous look at corporate travel is thanks to The Barclaycard Business Travel Survey that studied 3,000 British business folks on travel habits.

So what's the verdict? Are there any globetrotters out there that want to chime in? I recognize that video conferencing doesn't always have the same effect when you're building business relationships, but I don't understand the large percentage of people who simply ignore green tactics.

Another wild ride with Rough Guides (and a trip to Thailand, too)

If you're a fan of Green Globetrotter, you know that I'm a fan of Rough Guides. Not long ago, I sang the praises of the beautiful "Make the Most of Your Time of Earth" guide, which is laden with lust-worthy travel temptations.

Well, Rough Guides is ramping up in preparation for their next book release (keep your eyes open for a giveway here...), Ultimate Adventures: A Rough Guide to Adventure Travel. What better way to spark some interest than to give away a getaway?

In celebration of the new guide, Rough is giving away a spectacular trip to Thailand. Uh-huh, I said Thailand. Included are once-in-a-lifetime opps like: Hilltribe trekking in northern Thailand; shopping in Chiang Mai's famous night market; bamboo rafting and elephant back safari; visits to riverside villages of Karen, Lahu and Shan tribes; accommodations in rafthouses and jungle lodges in Khao Sok; nature hikes and wildlife spotting--whew. I think that about covers the "highlights," wouldn't you say?

Enter to win the trip, or buy the book (MSRP $24.99), HERE. (I've gotten a sneak peek, and would recommend this one to any traveler in search of excitement... it offers a great mix of drool-worthy, adrenaline-pumping adventure options!)

More green on the Worldwide Web

Portland start-up says it's the world's first green airline (Wired)

Rail advocates urge closer look at train travel (USA Today)

How to plan a green vacation (igougo)

Giant sea turtles invade Mexican beach (NBC)

Promoters of travel destinations call sustainability a super-trend (The Green Meeting)

Ghana's grass-roots bid to save country's last forests (AFP)

Ecotourism gets gorgeous (The Age)

A green hotel in Sinagpore (Greenty)

Rich, local flavor in Minnesota (Explore Minnesota)