How Healthy is Your (Vacation) Home?

1. Use this quick, fun quiz to determine how to make your home healthier. Also is a great way to evaluate a vacation rental. I learned that 60% of the lead in my home can be reduced by wiping my shoes at the door. Another good reason for taking shoes off altogether when indoors!

2. Coupons for green products at Seventh Generation. While I don't find the cleaning products work any better than mild dish soap and water or baking soda, I like the bleach free feminine products.

3. One of the few blogs I actually read every week is Healthy Child, Healthy World. They do more than regurgitate the same old information available everywhere in the media and regularly have fresh, new ideas.

4. International listing of smoke-free lodging, mostly hotels. The founder is working to create state laws for smoke-fee apartment buidlings and condos.

5. For your mental health, counteract the negativity of the media and economy with this Marianne Williamson message, "No More Lack." You are not at the effect of other people's thoughtlessness.

Fall Foliage Travel Deals on Vacation Rentals

Five Reasons why you'll love the magic of the Tennessee mountains.

1. September through December 2009 you can save 10% on vacation rental homes near Butler. Holidays excluded.

2. The brilliant color of the leaves in October rivals those in New England. The second and third weeks of October bring the most color, but even into early November, muted burgundies, rusts, and browns make the mountainsides glow.

3. The first weekend in October is the National Story Telling Festival in Jonesborough -- don’t miss it!!!

4. Watauga Lake is called the third cleanest lake in the US by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). 80% of the lake is surrounded by the Cherokee National Forest and best of all, there is no large industry or agriculture within miles. The best time to visit the mountain lake is September when the light slanting over the surface ripples elicits a WOW response.

5. Mountain Lake Vacation Rentals are smoke-free and do not use scented candles or air fresheners. Drinking water comes from 605’ deep in the mountains. And proceeds from the cans they recycle go to the Humane Society.

Safe Water Neglected at Expense of Public Health

The last thing you want to think about on vacation is being exposed to poisons and toxins. But with contamination in the US drinking water, it is not only possible, but probable.

Earlier this week, the New York Times published a shocking investigation of widespread pollution in America’s waterways, and the effect of contamination on the health of millions of US citizens. It is an eye-opening account of how big coal and other industry giants often treat our public waterways as a dumping ground for chemicals and waste, compromising the safety of unsuspecting consumers, and about the government’s inability to do anything to prevent it.

The findings are startling: An estimated one in 10 Americans read more at Healthy Children Blog.

What you can do:

• Check your destination for water pollution before you visit to see if you need to bring a filter or stay in a facility with filtered water. Sedona, AZ, for example, has no violations and good drinking water. Annapolis, Md, on the other hand, has violations all over the place. The New York Times has a national database of water pollution violations that is more comprehensive than those maintained by states or the EPA. Using an interactive version, you can look up any community, including your vacation spot, to find out which areas have been cited as polluters or fined.


• Use a filtered-water pitcher, from companies like Brita or PUR Water or a portable filter like those REI sells for hikers. While I'm not crazy about adding more plastic to the planet, our health comes first.

Fall Wildflowers in Surprising Places

There’s no time of year in Florida when something isn’t blooming but it seems that Mother Nature saves the best for last. Fall brings an explosion of wildflowers so if you’re a flower lover this is a great time to visit! Blooming in the pinelands are vanilla plant, deer tongue, several varieties of goldenrod, tiny elephant’s foot and the incomparable pine lily. The scrub is awash in blazing star, palafox, wireweed, red basil and goldenaster. In swamps and wet areas you might see climbing aster, string-lily and water lilies.

Look for wildflowers in parks and other public lands. Species and bloom times differ so it’s check in with staff about what's blooming at places you plan to visit. En route, check out waysides and ditches along country roads.

State parks and county parks offer free walks sometimes with an experienced botanist. Another source of information is http://www.floridahikes.com/, which lists wildflower hikes around the state.

Florida Native Plant Society members freely share accurage information and stories. Thei meetings and field trips around the state are open to the public.

Serious botanizers will want Walter Kingsley Taylor’s book on Florida wildflowers, "Florida Wildflowers in Their Natural Communities and The Guide to Florida Wildflowers."

By Guest Blogger Fran Palmeri franpalmeri@comcast.net

Chic Cheap Vacation Rental Travel Deals

Looking to house swap Sedona, Arizona for London in 2010. Email details.

$86 a night Florida Vacation Rental, St. Augustine, FL. Minimum stay required, Sept/Oct 2009. Call 410-562-2281 or email for details.

For Vacation Rental Home Owners--Is your home smoke and fragrance free? Green? A healthy home? You can post your rate specials on this blog for free. We offer it as a courtesy to our 2292+ readers who are looking for cheap chic vacation homes. Email your posting.

Bark About It: Cheap Flight Finder

Automated searches on the big online agencies like Expedia and Travelocity often miss low fares and skip some airlines (Southwest). Airfarewatchdog.com finds amazing deals missed by automated searches. Their website says they're the only online agency tracking all airlines and showing promo codes airfares.

Vacation Rental Fraud on the Rise

Scottsdale man convicted of defrauding travelers in the US. Read more here http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/08/19/20090819sr-rentalfraud0821.html


Related articles:

Dana's Tips on How to Avoid Vacation Rental Fraud
Top Ten Things Vacation Rental Owners Won't Tell You

Travelers Drunk on Deals

CNN International
To keep customers coming, hotels, resorts and even vacation rentals have offered freebies, in addition to discounts. From spa services, free meals, ...read article on CNN

JetBlue announced its All-You-Can-Jet Pass. Through August 21, a person can pay $599 for unlimited travel on the airline for an entire month, starting September 8.

Scottsdale just $850 a week ! Luxury, smoke-free vacation rental on the golf course. Aug/Sept only. $1850 a month. Call (602) 686-6313

Perseids Meteor Shower Tonight, Get Outside

Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would become religious overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television. --Paul Hawken

Perseid Meteor shower is tonight, get outside.

In Transit: Vacation Homes That Don’t Lie

By Michelle Higgins
Published: August 10, 2009
What happens if the vacation rental you booked online turns out to be a dump?
Read more in the NY Times

Related article: Top Ten Things Vacation Home Owners Won't Tell You

Top Five Reasons to Go Smoke Free on Vacation

More than 8,000 lodging properties went smoke free in the United States last year, according to AAA and that number continues to climb this year.

"Studies have found that nearly 90 percent of travelers now prefer a smoke-free hotel," says Dave Janicke, FreshStay.com's CBO - Chief Breathing Officer. "For some it's just a preference. But for others, allergies or medical conditions require them to avoid the dangers of secondhand smoke."

That is why no smoking is permitted at my vacation rentals, not even outside. We were smoke and fragrance free long before it was trendy or legal.

TOP 5 REASONS To Go Smokefree

1. Satisfaction. You won't have to complain about rooms that reek of smoke, whether lingering from previous guests or wafting in from nearby smoking rooms.

2. Support a smoke free workplace. It is healthier for lodging staff and makes their jobs easier by eliminating the time and effort to clean up ashtrays and cigarette butts.

3. Property Protection. Furnishings, linens, carpets and other amenities are last longer they are not being damaged by smoke or cigarette burns. Your clothes and luggage will go home clean if you stay in a place that doesn't have lingering tar and toxins.

4. A Break for Your Lungs. Second-hand smoke is responsible for aggravating nearly a million children who suffer from asthma. Taking a break from smoke is good for you and those around you.

5. The Prestige. Smoke-free lodging is cheap and chic. You'll find some hip, off-the-beaten track places to stay when you go smoke-free.

Econo Conscious? What's That?

One of the driving trends in the new economy is econo consciousness, which includes eco consciousness. What does econo conscious mean? And how can a vacation rental be econo conscious?

It's about the rise of the tightwad and freelance nation, the downsizing of the US consumer, and the demise of phantom wealth and the ownership society.

1. Thrifty is the New Frugal

2. Vogue Goes Budget Conscious

3. Why the current crisis may be our best chance. Money follows talent these days, not tax incentives.

4. Zero Waste Can Be Profitable and Eco Friendly

5. The End of Our Fling With Bling--why in-your-face consumption is so 2007.

6. I say more about this subject in my article, "The Illusion of Conspicuous Consumption" appearing in the next issue of Four Corners Magazine.
Look for my column, The Green Scene.

Five Easy Ways to Keep Pollutants Out of Your Home

Ninety percent of indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air according to the EPA. This may be one reason why guests at our vacation rentals often ask what they can do to make the indoor air quality as healthy at home as it was at while they were on vacation.

The map above from the American Lung Association shows spots in your home that can make you sick.

I suggest these five easy ways to keep your air healthy:

1. Furnace Filters.FChange the filter on your H/AC at least once every 30 days and use pleated filters with a MERV rating of 10 or higher.

2. Tobacco. Do not allow smoking inside or outside of your home. Second hand smoke is the largest source of indoor air pollution. Nearly one million children with asthma have their condition aggravated by second hand smoke. Even if guests smoke outside, the smoke can get trapped in cushions of outdoor furniture and it blows in open doors and windows.

3. Clean sheets. Wash linens once a week in water over 130 degrees Fahrenheit to eliminate dust mites. Use dust covers on mattresses and pillows that are free of stain guards, bleaches, and other chemicals used to produce fabric products. We use organic or chemical free dust covers in both vacation rentals.

4. No Fragrances. Stop using scented products with the ingredient "fragrance." Manufacturers can use synthetic fragrances in "natural" and "organic" products. Calling a product natural or organic does not mean it is free of chemicals. Air fresheners, incense, essential oils, scented candles, pesticides, and chemical or scented cleaners may contain harmful ingredients to keep the fragrance from fading. Carcinogenic at worst and respiratory irritants at best, there is no healthy reason to use products with these additives.

Floracopeia sells truly natural essential oils and if you know of others, please post a comment. While some incense may also be free of chemicals, it still creates smoke and should be avoided except for ceremonial purposes.

5. Let in the fresh air for 45 minutes a day, unless your area is under an ozone or pollution alert.

Econo Conscious Contests on Twitter

Retail Me Not has a Twitter contest going on right now with much bigger prizes than those offered by Whole Foods. Tweet your best money saving tip with the tag #retailmenot. They are giving away one $500 Macys gift card each day. The top tip will be picked at the end. That winner gets a $1,000 gift card to Macys. This contest combines an online only business with a physical store. Notice that the contest should seek submissions that relate to your kind of business.

Beat the Heat on Your Sedona Summer Vacation

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 where temps remain the same as the night 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 or Honanki ruins which offer shade and shallow caves with cultural history.

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 12, 13 the famous Perseid meteor shower makes it even more stellar for a starry, starry night. And it's only six bucks to get in. If you're watching from your vacation rental or the trails, go in the evening before the waning gibbous moon rises.

Mt. Biking on Thunder Mountain Trail in Sedona, AZ- Watch more Sports Videos at Vodpod.

Not into biking? Try a short evening stroll to the lookout point in the Cultural Park for spectacular sunset views and reliable evening breezes. You'll also avoid the crowds at the popular sunset spots like Airport Mesa. And the views are just as good, maybe better.

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.

Take a Mythic Journey. Check out the modern Hopi mural at the Museum of Northern Arizona.

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.

Six Cheap Green Alternatives to Hotels: Green Your Summer Travel By Avoiding Hotels

Want to hit the road without breaking your budget or making your carbon footprint any bigger? One of the best ways to meet great people, experience local life in new places, save money, and minimize your impact is to get away from hotels altogether. There are some excellent ways to ditch the tourist scene and still have a comfortable place to stay—find locals who are offering their couch or spare room, or even swap houses or apartments during your vacation. Of course, I believe the best alternative is a green vacation with a rate specials posted on this blog, but here are five more fresh alternatives to hotels:

Read more on planetgreen.com

Dana's Five For Fun - July

Cool eco- and econo-conscious freebies and travel sites.

1. RANK finds and ranks travel routes based on criteria such as price, travel time and CO2 emissions. Unlike other solutions that consider only one means of transport at a time, routeRANK integrates rail, road and air options and shows them in a single view on one screen.

2. Green Explorer, new travel site from Nokia, "Not to make money or attract users to Nokia phones, but because it is a good thing to do."

3. HomeLink USA, one of the few home exchange sites that has European homes for swap with US homes. I find other home exchange sites are top heavy with listings from the US. and listings are old, free, or copied from other sites. Reminder: the vacation homes mentioned on this site also consider swaps.

4. Free advice about Sedona from locavores, trail experts, and guides. Also, search this blog for "Sedona" or "hiking."

5. Free eBooks for summer reading.

Send Free Starbucks Ice Cream to Your Fave Vacation Rental Owner?

Eco and econo conscious as I am, my vacation rentals are full of cool goodies for guests like coupons, discounts, and free stuff free stuff. Where do I get them, guests ask? Come on, you can Google anything... okay, okay, here are links to the ones I hit most often:

Frugal-Freebies.com
Current Offer Free Starbucks Ice Cream: Up to 20,000 coupons for a free pint will be shared every day through July 19. Send one friend a coupon to enjoy a complimentary pint of new Starbucks Ice Cream. Over 800 coupons for a free pint every hour. You can only send one coupon to one friend, so choose carefully! If it says restricted, try back later.

The Freebie Blogger has an offer now for free luggage tags.

I also check CoolSavings.com and SmartSource.com

Just kidding about you sending me ice cream. Send me a video review of Casita Colibri instead and you can get a free week in the Sedona vacation rental (based on availability and a few excluded dates).

Earth Odyssey Travel Features Green Vacation Rentals

Four vacation spots take environmental responsibility way beyond simple measures. A recent article By Ann Haver-Allen, Earth Odyssey Editor features Dana's vacation rentals.

Michael Jackson and the Illusion of the Consumer Culture

Amazon.com sold as many Michael Jackson albums in the 24 hours after his death as in the previous 11 years. What does this say about us?

I'll explore this subject of consumerism in the context of the impact on our spirit and the planet in my upcoming column in 4CM. Join the conversation with comments here or email me privately...

How about these MJ jokes intended to cheer you up? Offensive or did you laugh? (Warning: Mature content)