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Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [4]

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with car culture but, with time and patience, you can get around using public transportation. The trick is to focus your itinerary and do in-depth explorations of smaller areas rather than a sweeping loop. Even if you have a car, consider ditching it at least part of the time. Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner Click here links all the coastal cities from San Diego to Santa Barbara, while inland destinations are served by Greyhound buses Click here. Cities and towns have local bus systems. Even in LA you’ll be OK as long as you limit your ambition to seeing only one or two neighborhoods a day. Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and the Orange County beach towns are compact enough for exploring by bicycle. If you take an organized tour, make sure it operates on sustainable itineraries.

Accommodations

Most hotel managers have thus far been reluctant to jump on the green bandwagon in Southern California and even such simple eco-initiatives as offering you the option of reusing your towels and sheets, switching to soap dispensers, replacing plastic or Styrofoam cups with glass and dropping prepackaged items from the breakfast buffet are still pretty rare. The more committed hotels recycle food and other waste, and some even put recycle baskets in guestrooms. Many now loan guests bicycles for free or a small fee. You can help raise awareness among hotel staff by thanking them for any ecofriendly programs they offer; if they don’t have any, encourage them to do so and offer a few constructive hints.

Food

Fortunately, California cuisine is all about being local, organic and seasonal, so eating like a ‘locavore’ shouldn’t be a tall order. Certified farmers markets abound (see www.farmernet.com for a complete list), as do organic food stores such as Whole Foods or Wild Oats. Choose restaurants that make use of organic produce whenever possible and only order fish, seafood or meat that’s from sustainable sources. Bottled water shipped over from Fiji or France? No thank you, filtered tap will be fine (and cheaper). If carrying a bottle of water, refill it in restrooms or at water fountains. Take fast food off the menu.

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For an exhaustive trove of advice on how to go green (including intriguing tips on how to green your sex life), check out www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php.

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Responsible Travel Schemes

There are various organizations and accreditation programs that identify tourist facilities by a series of sustainable-travel criteria:

California Green Lodging Program (www.ciwmb.ca.gov/EPP/GreenLodging) List of state-certified green hotels throughout California.

Greenopia (www.greenopia.com/la) Urban dwellers guide to green living. Identifies green businesses in LA and provides a forum for exchange.

Green Hotels (www.greenhotels.com) Membership-based green hotels association with directory.

Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (www.wwoofusa.org) Volunteering opportunities on organic farms, with about 10 farms in SoCal.

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GREEN MEDALISTS

Southern California may not have a reputation for being leaders in the green movement, but the concept is definitely catching on.

Guided Tour – Sustainable Vine Wine Tour

Wildlife Viewing – Newport Bay Ecological Reserve

Getaway – Joshua Tree National Park

Alternative energy – Palm Springs Windmill Tours

Sustainable Winery – Alma Rosa Winery

Initiative – Santa Barbara’s Car Free Project

Organization – Heal the Bay

Natural food store – Erewhon

Restaurant – Leaf Cuisine

Hotel – Ambrose

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Los Angeles & Southern California - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [4]

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