Love the Moment at Virginia Beach

One of my most favorite times of the year is when I can enjoy a beach vacation. There is something magical about going to the beach. The water. The sand. And most importantly, the sun. I love being a beach bum, spending my days laying in the sun (or the shade), taking beach walks, and swimming in the ocean.

I can remember the first time that my husband and I visited Virginia Beach. We were still dating and it was our second vacation together. Between the boardwalk and the amazing restaurants, we had a blast! Virginia Beach is a great vacation spot for families because of the many activities for adults and for children. Here are the three ways that you and your family can Love the Moment in Virginia Beach this summer.

Enjoy the Virginia Beach Boardwalk
We really enjoyed talking walks, running, and rollerblading on the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. Did you know that the Virginia Beach Boardwalk received national acclaim as one of America's Best Beach Boardwalks? Of course it would! The Boardwalk spans 3 miles and has many fun restaurants and vendors to visit. We enjoyed the Boardwalk in the morning and especially at night as the sun was setting.

Eat at the Local Restaurants
One of the favorite things my husband and I ate while in Virginia Beach were fish tacos. We tried them at 3 different restaurants. One of the things I would love to do the next time we are in Virginia Beach is to take part in the Coastal Food Tours of Virginia to discover local farm and ocean foot. You can also do a Boardwalk Tour and go by food. Talk about being eco-friendly and green while you are on vacation!

Play on the Beach
Let me not discount the beach at Virginia Beach. The Virginia Beach Boardwalk is three miles long, so you know the beach itself is even longer! Like I mentioned before, I love being a beach bum. One of the attributes I really enjoyed is that the beach is wide and long. There is plenty of space to sprawl out and play in the sand.

Now that I have shared the three things that I enjoyed most about Virginia Beach, I hope that you check out this great vacation spot. Visit the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau for more information. I am confident that you and your family will enjoy Virginia Beach just as much as my husband and I have.









I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Virginia Beach blogging program. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

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Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day!

Since we have been out of the country on vacation over the past week, this post will focus on the eco-friendly aspects of our beach vacation. Although we stayed at a big beach resort, there were many eco-friendly measures that the hotel chain was taking to ensure that the environmental impact of their business was being reduced by the employees and the guests.

1. No straws at the bar, unless you specifically ask for them
2. Drinking purified water instead of bottled water
3. Reusing towels all week long
4. Walking through the resort complex instead of taking the trolly
5. Running on the beach and through the resort complex instead of the gym

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5 Tips for Eco-Friendly Travel - How Green Was My Vacation?

I recently posted 5 Practical Tips for Eco-Friendly Travel over at Mommy Living the Life of Riley.  As I sit in the villa on the last day of our vacation, I thought it would be a great idea to reflect on how well I applied my own eco-friendly travel tips.

1. Bring a reusable water bottle  Result: brought my stainless steel water bottle
2. Bring your own snacks, in reusable snack bags  Result: dried fruit, nuts, and organic candy in reusable snack bags
3. Pack light  Result: 47 pounds, but packed some of my husband's stuff, does that count?
4. Participate in hotel linen programs  Result: reused bath towels
5. Rent a fuel-efficient vehicle  Result: rented a Ford Focus


A few BONUS green checks: 

1. Bought a bottle of organic wine
2. Walked to dinner instead of driving x 2 nights
3. Used my reusable grocery bags as beach bags


>> What eco-friendly actions do you take when you travel?  Do you even think about being "green" on vacation?
 

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Getting Crunchy with Katie: 5 Easy Tips for Eco-Friendly Travel

I have a few luxury comfort requirements when I travel:

1. Air conditioning in hot locations, heat in cold locations (definitely required)
2. TV or Internet (either one will do, although I could probably live without both)

These requirements are far from being eco-friendly.  I would probably never be able to vacation al fresco, off the grid, or in an eco-hotel in the middle of nowhere.  At the least, I need the comfort of the air conditioning and the indoors to escape the hot sun rays after being on the beach all day.  To offset the requirements above, I make a few small changes that reduce my impact on the environment when I travel.

Click over to Mommy Living the Life of Riley Blog to read about my 5 practical tips for staying green when I travel: http://www.mommylivingthelifeofriley.com/eco-friendly-green-living/getting-crunchy-with-katie-5-tips-for-eco-friendly-travel-stay-green-when-you-travel-too/

>> How do you behave differently when you travel?  What small changes can you make to reduce your impact on the environment?
 

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