As winter turns to spring and spring to summer, my thoughts wander to summer travel plans and new adventures. Whether it’s flying to a new exotic place far far away, taking a stay-cation to enjoy those often overlooked local treasures, or heading out on a classic road trip in the family station wagon, I often look for ways to make my travels more sustainable. Yes, you can purchase carbon offsets to match your air miles and reduce your greenhouse gas footprint. Sure, you can reuse your hotel towels or take along a Nalgene bottle or Klean Kanteen. And of course putting your house lights on a timer will conserve some energy, but I don’t want to nibble at the margins: I want a vacation that weaves sustainability into the big everyday choices that I make – where I eat, where I sleep, where I play and how I get around.
Urban destinations often provide the ingredients for such a travel destination. Minneapolis is one place where urban and sustainability merge in a beautiful way, creating a quilt of neighborhoods immersed in the beauty of lakes, nature, bicycle paths and the mighty Mississippi River. Long lauded as great place to live and raise a family, the City also has a long history of progressive thinking and a world-renowned park system. Increasingly Minneapolis is also focusing its energies on sustainability. Through its Homegrown Minneapolis initiative, the City is planning holistically on how best to grow, process, distribute, eat and compost more healthy, sustainable, locally grown foods. The City’s Climate Action Plan, adopted in 2013, aims to reduce energy use by 17% by 2025, construct 30 miles of on-street, protected bicycle facilities, and compost up to 15% of the City’s entire waste stream. Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins, is LEED Silver certified, making it the greenest ballpark in America. This summer, think about traveling to the ‘North’. No, not Canada, but Minnesota, more specifically the great city of Minneapolis.
