Spring Vacation Ideas For The Conscious American Traveler: East Coast Edition
W&S Editorial Staff
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Spring is officially here! With the weather becoming warmer, you, family and friends are probably itching to get outside and explore around. Here are some great destinations for US travelers wanting vacation ideas that allow them to discover something new without hurting the earth!
How Your Vacation Ideas Impact The Planet And People: THE BAD
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with wanting to travel abroad. We all want to travel and see the Galapagos, Bali, and the Southern Lights. However, these dream destinations for US travelers are not always the most sustainable option.
In order for US residents to fulfill these vacation ideas, they have to board a plane. Planes are enormous sources of greenhouse emissions globally, and Americans especially are in a unique situation. 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the US alone, a country representing only 5% of the worldwide population.
However, that’s only a smidgen of the complete picture. Carbon emissions are not all that we need to be concerned about. Planes produce particles and nitrogen oxides from combustion that disperse into the ecosystems it flies to and from.
This stuff is terrible for both the environment and human health. What’s more, plane-produced nitrogen oxide creates ozone, a greenhouse gas that’s 1000% more potent than carbon dioxide!
With that said, most greenhouse gas emissions are produced by large corporations, and the climate crisis shouldn’t be blamed on the actions of individual people. Still, it’s essential to keep our already high-emission lifestyles in mind when we’re brainstorming vacation ideas.
Tourism is also an industry prone to overconsumption and has a norm of improper waste disposal. For instance, it’s estimated that travelers, especially those from more affluent countries visiting countries with lower economies, produce about twice as much trash than locals.
An incredible strain is placed on local communities to deal with this increased waste. As a result, it leads to negative impacts on local livelihoods and wildlife.
How Your Vacation Ideas Impact The Planet And People: THE GOOD
Look, we’re not saying that traveling abroad is something you should never do as an American or that these issues don’t exist in America.
Our point instead is that it’s okay for us to take a critical look at American vacation culture and think about the ecological and social impacts our vacation ideas bucket list may have.
Perhaps, coming from a country as extensive and diverse as the US, we’ll find that we can try and mix in some fabulous, low-ecological impact vacation destinations that are a bit closer to home!
Local US travel has a lot of fantastic benefits beyond those of reducing the amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and other impacts on the environment. For starters, domestic travel is usually a lot cheaper than foreign travel. This means you can travel more, more often.
Another benefit is that it allows you to discover the true diversity of the US, both ecologically and demographically. The US has one of the most interesting geographical landscapes, encompassing beaches, mountains, deserts, grasslands, and even tundra (in Alaska). This landscape diversity has also impacted the ways people have settled in the US, with the country having a good balance between big cities, small towns, and villages.
Couple this varied landscape with being one of the most racially diverse countries in the western world, and you’re sure to discover a new way of life in the US by crossing the state, or even city, lines. The US is the fourth largest country in the world by landmass, yet more than half of Americans haven’t seen more than ten states.
Sometimes, we forget that we have so much to see at home. Hopefully, the vacation ideas list below encourages you to expand your horizons to our own backyard:
no. 1
Bar Harbor Inn, Bar Harbor, Maine
Photo via TripAdvisor.
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The popular Bar Harbor Inn was voted “Traveler’s Choice” by TripAdvisor 2021. It’s located in the heart of the beautiful Bar Harbor resort town, often touted as one of the best cities in America. It holds the famous Acadia National Park and the tallest mountain on the Atlantic Coast, the Cadillac Mountain. Bar Harbor also offers endless indoor activities like hiking, biking, and swimming alongside award-winning dining, making it the perfect adventurous getaway.
Photo via TripAdvisor.
no. 2
The Montfair Resort Farm, Crozet, Virginia
Photo via montfairresortfarm.com.
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Montfair Resort Farm is a picturesque getaway located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s such a lovely venue that hosts weddings and events and vacations. The farm is also only minutes away from the Shenandoah National Park, which hosts several wetlands, waterfalls and rocky peaks. This is a great vacation idea for those wishing to unwind and connect with nature.
Photo via montfairresortfarm.com.
no. 3
Island Bay Resort, Tavernier, Florida
Photo via Booking.com.
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Suppose you’re in the mood for a tropical getaway filled with tiki huts, hammocks, swimming, snorkeling, boating and sunbathing; then the Island Bay Resort in Tavernier, Florida is the place for you. Tavernier is located on the largest northern upper keys in Key Largo, the diving capital of the world. This spring, take full advantage of the warm weather at Island Bay Resort’s highly-rated, low environmental impact beachfront cottages.
Photo via Booking.com.
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