Love Is In The Air--St. Augustine Eco Weddings

Romance blooms in the Old City of St. Augustine this time of year--it seems there are weddings everywhere. "Green" is one of the hottest trends in weddings, with many guests renting eco vacation rental homes in the area instead of big box timeshares, hotels, or B&Bs. While St. Augustine B&Bs remain a popular choice with the over-50 crowd, younger members of the wedding often want to enjoy more privacy.

Honeymooner, Ali Munroe says she chose our vacation rental because, "My husband didn't like that we could hear other guests through the walls when we stayed in a B&B. We're also not chatty people at breakfast."

Next Post: Scattering Joy--Green Wedding Tips
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Photograph by pinhole photographer Sheila Bocchine http://www.flickr.com/photos/daisyjellybean/

Healthy Travel Tips

Your best bet for staying healthy on the road or anywhere else for that matter, is to keep your immune system strong. While anitbiotics or Tamiflu may shorten the length of time you're ill by a few days, there is no cure. Flu vaccines reduce the risk of catching the bug, but only protect about 39% of the people who take the shot.

Here's how I keep my immune system strong:

• Avoid stress. I get outside--hike, bike, or just take a walk! Being in nature is a healing balm, the wonder and beauty relaxes me and reminds me of the order and grace that exists regardless of what the balance is in my IRA account.
• Increase Vitamin D. Most adults in the US suffer from an acute shortage of vitamin D. 15 minutes of sun a day on my legs and arms will boosts my levels to normal and helps protect your immune system. Yet another reason to get outside on my vacation.
• Increase exercise. Our sedentary lifestyle contributes to our weak immune system. I spend an hour a day walking and on vacation, I hike for hours.
• A Breath of Fresh Air. I avoid toxic places and stay out of hospitals and gyms (with the exception of the Sedona Spa which is hyper vigilant about keeping the place sanitized). 92% of indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air. I open the windows at least 45 minutes a day, except during heavy pollen seasons, ozone or air quality alerts. I avoid staying in places that have been remodeled within six months--most likely the carpet, paint, drywall, and other materials will be out gassing toxins like formaldehyde and other respiratory irritants and carcinogens.
  
• Insist on Truly Smoke-free Lodging. Enforcement can be lax unless the establishment is committed to healthy practices. And a smoke-free room on a smoking floor is still a smoking room. I use http://www.smoke-freehotels.com/ to find lodging on the road.

Beat the Heat in Sedona: What to do in August

It's not too hot in northern Arizona for outdoor lovers, not if you know where to go and what to do to beat the heat.

Cool Off Like a Cave Man. Arizona has many caves like the one above where temps often stay the same as the previous night's cool air. Thunder Mountain and Sycamore Canyon boast a few places to cool it. Cave men and femmes alike can also groove on the petroglyphs and pictographs of Platki and other ruins.

Get Celestial. Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, where once upon a planet Pluto was discovered is one of the best places to observe the night sky. On August 11 the famous Perseid meteor shower makes it even more stellar for a starry, starry night. And it's only six bucks to get in.

Monsoon and Moonlight Mountain Biking. The weather has changed in recent years, so the summer thunderstorms can no longer truly be classified as monsoons. But biking in front of a thunderstorm at sunset is still a blast and temps drop on the trails after 4 PM. Try the trail at the Cultural Park, with views of nearly 70 miles, you can race ahead of the front and enjoy the accompanying breeze, rainbows and splashy sunsets. Full moon on around August 17 will light these trails up for rockin' red rock ride.

Not into biking? Than take an evening stroll to the lookout point in the Cultural Park for a spectacular sunset. You'll also avoid the crowds at typical sunset spots like Airport Mesa.

Soul Search. Sand Play for the Soul is a fun way to spend the afternoon indoors and a meaningful way to have a spiritual experience. Facilitated by an experienced counselor, you can delve into your creativity and have a soul adventure. All without getting sweaty.

Cool Getaways. Hiking doesn't have to be hot, even in August. Towering pines keep trails into canyons like Boynton, Sycamore, and Secret Canyons cool enough for a solid hike. Really want something Alpine? Kachina Trail hovers at 9,500 feet for most of its 5 miles. Picnic with the largest organisms on the planet, aspen groves.

Get in Touch with the Earth. Native American art inspired by the natural world is exhibited in "From the Earth" at the Smoki Museum, Prescott.

Celebrate the Dineh. The 59th annual Navajo arts and cultural festival brings together weavers, potters, jewelers, filmmakers, musicians, and dancers. Details on the Museum of Northern Arizona website.

Dunk in one of the "10 Best Swimming Holes." Rated by Outside Magazine as one of the best places to swim in a natural pool, Wet Beaver Creek is at the end of 179, about two miles past I 17.

Summer Travel Deals on Rental Cars

Many rental car companies have been running specials as steep as 50% off regular rates. The bad news is these rate specials end in June and most companies plan to increase rates over the summer.

There are a few exceptions. Hertz has a fleet of gas saving, green vehicles. To promote the new fleet, it will offer $25 off a weekly rental on these eco-cars this summer. If you're calling, use the promo code 113503 for the Green Collection.

And you can save 10% if you reserve with Alamo on its Web site and pre-pay with a credit card.

Click here for ad and guilt free green car rental tips and easygoing green hiking tips.

Get Away and Still Save Money: Staycation Trend

The hottest summer vacation? "Staycations" where you stay close to home, visiting sites within a day's drive or in your home town. Vacationing close to home or even staying home, saves money on air fare and cuts carbon.

Vacation rentals outside of major cities make a good choice for spending smart if you can't stay with friends. You can reach destinations like Sedona in a day from Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, and nearby states. A day's drive takes folks from Atlanta to posh locations in northern Florida.

If you're staying home for your vacation, a good way to return to work more rested is forget the chores. Those who choose to stay at home for their staycation tend to end up doing projects and tasks from their to-do lists. If you're going to skip the packing, airport check in lines, and traffic, you may want to skip the chores too.

Get tips on how to negotiate prices with vacation rental owners from the Wall Street Journal. Check rate specials the big vacation rental websites like VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) and HomeAway, which owns most of the smaller vacation rental websites, including VRBO. Free vacation planning available when you book at ecoLuxury Lodging.com, you'll have a personal conceirge.