Green skiing in Aspen Courtesy of Aspen/Snowmass
- snowmass photo Green skiing in Aspen Courtesy of Aspen/Snowmass
- rockafeller center photo Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center Jerry Driendl/Getty Images
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In part one of Plan a Family Eco-Trip for the Holidays we headed down to Florida and then to Ecuador, but holiday eco-trips don't have to be all fun in the sun. In part two of the series we'll get in the spirit by heading to a winter wonderland. For some of us heading home to the extended family just isn't in the cards and a nontraditional eco-trip seems the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season. Here are some of my ideas for getting into the yuletide spirit the green way:
- Hit a green ski resort like Aspen Skiing Company.
Its eco-conscious efforts are not just aimed at the slopes but at the resort's tourism industry as well. The resort uses biodiesel fuel in its snow-grooming machines and makes snow that is seeded with a speck of dust to lessen the amount of water and energy consumed during the process. The resort was also the first in the United States ski industry to offset 100 percent of its electricity use with renewable energy from wind farms. Today, 45 other ski resorts have followed its lead. Other cool green ideas include coke machines that operate by motion sensors to reduce the constant compression cycles and two of the resort's newest buildings are heated and cooled by water from a nearby pond. Additionally, the resort encourages activism through its own green Web site and its employees have contributed $1.1 million to date for local environmental causes. - Head to the Big Apple and immerse yourself in (LED) Christmas lights.
Stay at the Muse Hotel, a Kimpton Hotel. Its environmental program includes in-room recycling bins, non-toxic cleaners, and organic honor bar items. It's also pet-friendly, so if you're like me and your children are two dogs, you're set. It's priced at around $260 dollars per night, likely higher during the holiday season.
For a much more frugal stay try Sugar Hill Harlem Inn. It's a quirky, quaint solar-powered B&B in an uptown townhouse. The staff uses eco-friendly cleaning products and all food served is organic. It's priced at about $125 per night. - Get in the spirit.
Celebrating Christmas at Rockefeller Center with the famous Christmas tree is a New York must. Going ice skating in Rockefeller Square has long been a New York Christmas tradition and it's a great family activity. The Rockefeller ice rink has been open since 1936 when it made its grand opening on Christmas day. Today the lights on the tree at Rockefeller Center are energy-efficient, Light-Emitting Diode, or LED, lights.
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Love green gadgets, fashion, and news? Get the latest from Planet Green's dynamic duo Suchin Pak and Daniel Sieberg on the G Word.
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