City Spotlight

Over spring break, I explored sustainability abroad while attempting un poco Español. I immersed myself in what seemed all of Chile: the historical city of Santiago, the cultural art scene and graffiti of Valparaiso, the Atacama desert including lagunas, geysers,...

One of my co-workers sent along this Mother Jones’ article, “I Can’t Stop Reading One-Star Yelp Reviews of National Parks“. (Sidenote: I recently started a consulting gig at a local sustainability organization but am still actively growing Green Philly Company.)  So I decided...

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Puerto Rico, The All-Star Island for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. We love talking about various destinations all over the worlds – especially the ones that take sustainability...

The best part about the locavore movement sweeping up the nation, is that a farmers' market is often nearby. And it's great to try the local fare regardless of where you are. A recent trip to Missouri and Kansas (OK, over the summer...) lead me to the City Market in Kansas City.

Early this summer I took a lovely two-week trip to Northern Spain. We traveled to Mallorca, Valencia and Barcelona. Each spot was filled with its own brand of enchantment. There were so many things that I loved about Spain  - the architecture, the late leisurely lunches complete with cava (and often dessert), the opportunity to stumble upon the most charming restaurants and bars in little alley ways and the laid back Euro attitude of course. (Naps at 4pm every work day?  Hey sure, sign me up.)  I was also pleased with many of the environmentally friendly efforts I noticed in Spain. I struggle with dubbing these efforts "environmentally conscious" because it seems to be almost organic, as though the Spanish (and many other European countries for that matter) feel there would be no other way to live. However, we know this isn't really the case.  There is a consciousness behind Spain's efforts. Just a few examples - in 2006 Spain made wind energy their primary source of power, and in 2007 Spanish Socialist government made plans to provide citizens grants to make their homes more environmentally friendly. Here are some of the more pedestrian observations I had in Northern Spain...

Sometimes it's the times when your plans fall through that lead to the ultimate serendipitous moments. Like when I ended up on a farm stay with cows, horses, goats and cats at Flint Hill Farms overnight. I’ll back it up… We wanted to be creative and find something to do outside of Philly that was besides the ‘norm’ of the shore, DC or NYC. Googling a variety of options for a B&B, there it was: Farm Stay. “Wait, wait. Like we can stay on a farm? Like overnight?” You can clearly guess who was immediately sold on the idea. I have no idea how I never thought to consider this possibility myself... How does a Farm Stay Work? And more info (and GOAT PICTURES), after the jump!

Heading to the beach soon? My recent trip to North Carolina started as sight-seeing but turned up into a mini-beach cleanup. Here's how things went down (and some beautiful pictures of trash to help motivate!):

I spent last weekend soaking up the loveliness that is Napa Valley. We stayed in the charming town of Yountville and enjoyed it to the fullest. Napa is gorgeous all year-round but the spring and fall months tend to be the busiest. If you're in need of lots of some wine and relaxation I'd consider it for your next vacation. Here are some of my recommendations: Explore One of my favorite things to do when traveling is aimlessly wander and see what I stumble upon. In Yountville its super easy to do just that. The town is small and walkable. I took a jog my first morning there to take in the beautiful hills and quaint shops.  I happened upon parks, a greenhouse, and shops opening for the first wine tasting of the day (yes, at 8:30am!)

  So when you think of Houston, Texas the image of an environmentally city may not be what you envision. And, well you'd be correct. It's true Houston is well known for big hair, big houses and  big oil;  Plus in my experience residents don't walk anywhere (one exception may be across the popular Galleria mall) and recycling bins in public areas are somewhat scarce. But enough Houston criticizing - for today ;)  While visiting the city recently I found a restaurant gem I had to share. Haven restaurant is all about seasonal fare and inventive dishes. The atmosphere is polished yet earthy and formal enough for a special occasion but not too stuffy for a slightly boozy brunch. Plus, it's a green certified restaurant. Haven's produce, herbs, and honey are grown and harvested from their organic garden located on the property.