The SB Post

In Celebration of Ecotopia in Santa Barbara: Some Sustainable Travel Tips

March and April celebrate Ecotopia in Santa Barbara-a two-month long shout-out to SB's year-round culture of sustainability, outdoor activity and locally-sourced food scene. We're pretty proud of the fact that the first Earth Day was celebrated right here in downtown Santa Barbara back in 1970. With so many eco-centric aspects, it's easy to understand why.

In honor of Ecotopia, we've come up with a few sustainable travel tips to help you keep your journeying carbon footprint a little smaller:

1. Purchase reusable travel-size packages and containers that you can refill each trip. 3.4 ounces or 100ml is the current TSA max size for liquids that can pass through security.

2. Include a water bottle in your carry-on. Keep it empty through security if you're flying, but then fill it up and reuse versus buying bottled water in the airport or on the road

3. Look for green hotels and other properties that take extra steps toward more sustainable practices.

4. Choose one stop and experience it to the fullest! This will cut down on gas and travel waste. Lucky for you, Santa Barbara is the perfect place to extend your stay with an eco-friendly itinerary.

5. Make sure to maintain your eco savvy once you've checked in. Turn off lights when you leave your hotel room and hang towels for reuse.

6. Go car-free. Santa Barbara has a pedestrian-friendly town with open-air malls and shopping centers, bike paths and a variety of other public transportation. If you're looking to take the train, take the Amtrak® Pacific Surfliner®  and save 20% when you purchase a ticket for travel to or from all nine Amtrak stations to Santa Barbara County!

7. Check out our farmers markets to support the local farmers and artisans. There are six in the Santa Barbara area every week!

8. Enjoy some locavore entrees while you're here. Many area restaurants offer farm-to-fork dishes.

9. Opt for organic wine. Our FourSquare list of local wineries that utilize sustainable farming methods and/or organic grapes can help guide you.

It might take a little bit of planning, but traveling more sustainably is pretty easy once you get into the green groove and there aren't many places around that boast such eco-friendly offerings as Santa Barbara. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for updated tips on how you can enjoy the local green scene.