Go Green!

October 04th, 2011

Pick Your Own Fall Getaway: Eco-Friendly Apples and Pumpkins Near NYC

Posted by: Joanna Eng|1 comment

Here in the Northeast, it’s fall harvest time! Those of us in the city are itching to breathe some of that crisp country air and reap the bounty of the season. Get ready to choose a weekend, round up your friends or family members, find a car (sometimes the hardest part of an escape from New York City), and go pick some apples or pumpkins. Here’s your guide to doing it sustainably, so your delicious, non-urban experience is all the more pure.

Apples

If you’re concerned about the chemicals used to grow apples, you should be. It’s not all that easy to grow fruit in the Northeast, so most farms use pesticides, herbicides and other substances. Even the most eco-friendly farms must use some chemicals for their apples to survive the climate; this means that, rather than looking for strictly organic operations, you’ll usually be looking for “low-spray” and “sustainably grown” alternatives.

A 90-minute drive north, near Fishkill, NY, you’ll find Fishkill Farms. Its pick-your-own apple orchard is home to low-spray varieties, and has been certified by the Eco Apple program. Fishkill Farms is so gung-ho about sustainability that it has gone all out to meet organic standards; its official organic certification is on the way.

About two hours from the city, Mr. Apples in High Falls, NY, offers minimally sprayed apples, with no herbicides used in the soil. This orchard offers fun features like a mystery apple variety (that sprung up all on its own) and historic educational displays. The pick-your-own bounty also includes pears and pumpkins.

Nearby, in Stone Ridge, NY, the Stone Ridge Orchard has also been certified by Eco Apple. Besides picking your own apples, you can stop by the farm stand for pumpkins, melons, cider, baked goods and more.

For something a little different, look into leasing a tree from Little Dog Orchard in Clintondale, NY (less than two hours from Manhattan). The orchard recently decided to forgo all pesticides, herbicides and fungicides—so the surface of the apples might not look pretty, but you’ll know you’re not ingesting anything you don’t want to. With the lease-a-tree program, you invest in a specific tree and choose a time to go harvest the bushels of fruit.


Pumpkins

Pumpkins aren’t as much of a health concern as apples since the skin is so thick and you don’t eat it anyway. But if you care about the environmental impact of what you buy, you’ll want to go for organically grown pumpkins this Halloween.

One place to pick them yourself is Organics Today, an organic farm in East Islip on Long Island—about an hour’s drive from Manhattan. Besides the pumpkin patch, you can enjoy seasonal delights like hay rides, apple cider, cider doughnuts and pumpkin pie, every day until Halloween.

Mr. Apples (mentioned above) also offers pick-your-own pumpkins and other kid-friendly activities.

So hurry up and get out of here, before the pickings get too slim!

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.



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August 09th, 2011

Rentals with Bikes: A Fun, Green Way to Explore the Neighborhood

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When you’re on vacation, especially in a homey vacation rental, sometimes you just want to abandon your car for the week and stay right in the neighborhood. If you want to explore a bit more of the local area than you can on your two feet, without the stress of deciphering directions and finding parking, renting bikes is always a good option.

Or—even better—you could stay in a rental home that has bikes for guests to use. Instead of just reading on the beach, you could be riding up and down the boardwalk. Or pedaling to the nearest farm stand for fresh, seasonal produce. Maybe you even want to try some rugged mountain bike trails.

Here are some vacation rentals listed on FlipKey where the accommodations include the free use of bicycles:

Beach Vacations

  • This sleek studio apartment in posh La Jolla, California, is just a few blocks from the Pacific and provides bikes along with boogie boards, beach chairs, and beach umbrellas. In addition to taking your rented set of wheels to the beach, you can go mansion hunting or go find some fish tacos.
  • Near the Outer Banks in North Carolina, a stay at the Beach Jem, a five-bedroom house less than 500 feet from the beach, comes with bikes for the family. After you’ve explored the neighborhood, you could consider bringing the bikes on the ferry to Knotts Island.
  • This four-bedroom house on Martha’s Vineyard offers guests the free use of bikes as well. There’s even a bike path to get you safely to the beach.

Romantic Urban Getaways

  • This one-bedroom apartment in downtown Montreal provides a hot tub and private garden, as well as bicycles. Just a few blocks away, a long bike path on the Luchine Canal lets you explore far and wide.
  • You can explore the impressive historic sites or go on a gelato run using the two bikes available at this one-bedroom apartment in Rome.
  • Plan a stay in bike-friendly Munich, using this one-bedroom rental as your home base. Well-marked bike lanes throughout the city will help you see the sights safely.

Wilderness Adventure Trips

Bikes: what a perfect vacation amenity for couples, families, or anyone who likes to explore and stay active. Besides beach towns, cities, and mountains, we’re sure you can find many more settings to enjoy this environmentally friendly mode of transportation!

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.

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August 02nd, 2011

Hyperlocal Eating: Rental Homes with Vegatable Gardens

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It’s a no-brainer that you’ll want to sample the local cuisine while traveling. When you’re on an extended stay in a vacation rental, you have the opportunities to get to know the subtleties of local flavors – plus the time and space to learn to cook them yourself.

If you’re into authentic food experiences, then you might go all the way and seek out ingredients that are locally grown and produced. Local food uses less energy and produces less pollution and waste than food that is shipped long distances to consumers. In addition to greening your vacation, you’ll be truly enjoying all that the area has to offer, letting your taste buds savor the freshest foods possible.

Want really fresh, local food? Book your stay at a rental home with an on-site vegetable garden, fruit trees, or even a hen house for guests to eat from. There are quite a few listed on FlipKey, so you can start planning your next hyperlocal food adventure right here.

Viva Italia

If Italian cuisine is your idea of perfection, then get your group together and spread out at the Country Villa, Lupo, right outside of Rome. The extensive grounds include a vegetable garden for guest use, so you can put together the freshest bruschetta you’ve ever tasted. Or, bring your family to the three-bedroom Villa Saveria A in Tuscany for a getaway in a medieval hamlet that’s been renovated into vacation homes. The vegetable garden will give you the chance to try making ribollita, a common soup filled with Tuscan kale and other veggies. A couple could opt instead for the one-bedroom apartment, Villa Silvestre C, in Campania, and feast on aromatic basil and juicy tomatoes from the garden; olive oil and wine are produced in the immediate area as well.

Made in the U.S.A.

Within the United States, rental homes with gardens, farm animals, fruit trees and other food-producing features give you a way to learn about the natural resources and history that surround you. The hosts of this Historic Rhode Island Schoolhouse that has been turned into a vacation home offer guests the chance to gather herbs and vegetables from the gardens, or eggs from the hen house. Further south, a stay at this historic farmhouse in Maryland provides a garden full of vegetables, and a porch to eat your locally harvested dinner on. On the west coast, in Sonoma County, California, a stay at the Country Garden Cottage provides you with an organic vegetable patch, as well access to honey and eggs collected from the hosts’ own bees and chickens. Out in the Pacific, at this luxurious Maui home with a pool, guests can pick tropical fruits from on-site trees and harvest herbs and vegetables from the garden. Now that’s taking advantage of island paradise.

We hope that more vacation rental owners take notice of the local food frenzy and start offering their guests access to fresh produce to give them a true taste of their surroundings.

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.

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July 26th, 2011

Top U.S. Farmer's Markets

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Ithaca Farmers Market

While traveling, your best bet at finding authentically local food is to stop by a farmers market. The fruits, vegetables, cheeses, wines, baked goods and other food items for sale will be locally grown or made, then distributed straight from a farm or kitchen to you – a system that eschews the typical waste and pollution caused by long-distance shipping and packaging.

While reducing your ecological footprint and supporting small businesses, you’ll also be able to enjoy fresh snacks (native fruits, homemade cookies, just-blended juices), find unique gifts to bring home (honey, salsa, pies, plants, crafts), or get ingredients to cook in your rental home (recently picked herbs, seasonal vegetables, freshly churned butter). You’ll also have great opportunities for colorful photos.

You may even come across a food you’ve never seen anywhere else. At the University District Farmers Market in Seattle, you can get a potato variety that was cultivated by the Makah Native Americans 200 years ago. At the Green City Market in Chicago, one stand offers elk-meat sausages and burgers. At the Union Square Greenmarket in New York City, keep an eye out for emu and ostrich eggs. Finally, at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, you can track down jujubes and a red desert fruit common in Asia and the Middle East. Such unique finds will stimulate your taste buds and expand your sense of the local culture.

In addition to raw ingredients, many markets include stands where you can find entire meals made to order. The Ithaca Farmers Market in worldly Ithaca, New York, is a popular lunch destination where market goers have their choice of Cambodian, Cuban, Sri Lankan, Tibetan, and Hungarian cuisines. These types of farmers markets offer a way to sample the regional cuisines, as if you are at a food court, but everything is fresher and made with care.

Farmers markets are not just about the food – it’s not uncommon to find one with lively musical performances. At the Grand Lake Farmers Market in Oakland, California, you might find a diverse crowd dancing wildly to a salsa band’s beats in the middle of the day. The Memphis Farmers Market showcases an array of local artists, rotating each week to give you a taste of roots music, from bluegrass to jazz to Celtic folk. With activities like these, you could really spend all day at the farmers market, soaking up the sounds, tastes, smells, and colors of the area.

Whenever you are planning a trip in the U.S., check LocalHarvest.org for nearby farmers’ markets. If your vacation is not during harvest season, you may not have to miss out on the fun. Even in places with short growing seasons many markets are open year round with offerings like pickled vegetables, sauces, wine, baked goods, dairy and meat, and produce grown in greenhouses.

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July 22nd, 2011

7 Tips for Keeping Your Home Clean and Green

Posted by: Joanna Eng|3 comments

Green Cleaning ProductsCleanliness is a key factor to consider when owning and maintaining a vacation rental home. Travelers are looking for a tidy, comfortable place to stay, and owners want to keep their rental in great condition for as long as possible. But cleaning a house or apartment can lead to a whole host of environmental concerns: unhealthy chemicals going down the drain and polluting the air, the overuse of disposable products, and the frequency with which you have to clean a home that welcomes new tenants weekly, to name a few. Here are seven tips that will help you go green and clean at the same time.

1. Before purchasing cleaning products and other items for your home, consult GoodGuide, a comprehensive online info center that rates products based on the greenness of the chemicals they contain and the way they are manufactured. This resource covers dish soap, laundry detergent, air fresheners, coffee and tea, appliances, tissues, toilet paper, and more. Your careful choices will help keep your guests—and the surrounding environment—healthy, whether they are settling into a vacation routine or cleaning up at the end of their stay.

2. Supply rags, sponges, cloths, and brushes for cleaning so that guests don’t feel  compelled to go through a roll of paper towels in order to tidy up. Simple, friendly instructions on keeping these materials clean and dry will make them last longer.

3. Offer a clothesline and clothespins so that renters can easily dry towels, bathing suits, and laundry without using any unnecessary electricity. Let the sun and breeze do the work of a dryer—or, if the weather is not so balmy where you are, consider drying racks or an indoor clothesline.

4. Provide lots of screen doors and windows that can be opened effortlessly. These will help whisk away stuffy air and odors in a much healthier manner than chemical air fresheners can. In some locales, carefully planned ventilation can even avert the need for energy-guzzling fans and air conditioners.

5. Opt out of the antibacterial soap hype. The FDA has found that these cleansers do not prevent sickness any better than regular ones, and even have the dangerous effect of promoting “super germs” that are increasingly resistant to antibacterial products. Stick with the simple cleansers and your guests will be just as happy.

6. Setting up a compost bin will not only keep extra waste out of landfills; it will also prevent the garbage from getting smelly and cause guests to go through fewer plastic garbage bags. Composting at a vacation home can get a little complicated, especially if you will not be around to monitor the system you have set up. So this green option is best for committed owners who have the time to show new guests the ropes, tend to the compost pile every few days, and make use of the rich soil in a nearby garden.

7. If you hire a cleaning service for your rental home, make it an eco-conscious one.
Picking a cleaning company with green values protects your guests’ health as well as the workers’ wellbeing, and prevents your vacation home from becoming a dumping ground for dangerous chemicals and wasteful practices.

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.

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July 19th, 2011

Eco-Friendly Rentals on FlipKey

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Suitable Digs

Many travelers care about their environmental impact nowadays, and owners of vacation rental homes are making it easier to have an eco-conscious place to stay. From solar panels to rainwater irrigation systems to recycled building materials, countless FlipKey property owners are doing what they can to give you a clean, green vacation experience. A little eco-minded search through the listings brought up some very impressive results.

Solar-Powered Homes

If you’re going on vacation to enjoy the sun, why not use it to power all of your activities? Solar panels provide a way for you to live totally off the grid without sacrificing your need for lighting, electronic entertainment, hot water, and the like. Several FlipKey listings boast the use of 100 percent solar power.

Villa in St. CroixMichael Dance and Terry Chretien’s brightly painted villa in Saint Croix not only offers solar electricity and a solar water heater; it also adds nice touches like complimentary organic, fair trade coffee. Other rentals making very efficient use of their sunny slice of paradise include a beachside cottage in Barbuda, a stilt home on a private island in Florida, a horse ranch near the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, and a bungalow near a tropical rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.

But solar panels aren’t limited to tropical locales. Even way up in central Wisconsin, the Sustainable Living Center bed and breakfast uses solar energy to provide heat, hot water, and electricity – and guests can even eat organic produce straight from the garden. Cool Green Lodgings in Santa Fe offer solar energy, biodegradable soap, and composting in the kitchen. And a luxurious solar-powered cabin in Southern California offers endless entertainment, with access to the Big Bear ski resort and hiking trails, as well as a game room.

LEED Certified Buildings

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is a certification for new green buildings and homes. The rating system includes a long list of design and construction factors that promote energy efficiency and water conservation, use of recycled materials, clean air and natural lighting, and eco-friendly activities (such as providing infrastructure for storing bicycles in a building). There are plenty of LEED certified vacation rentals listed on FlipKey; here are some that stand out:

Earning a Platinum certification, the highest LEED rating, Harbor Retreat, a unique Spanish-style home in Santa Barbara is a luxurious modern space made with natural materials. One of its eco-friendly features is a rainwater collection system to maintain landscaping needs. Across the country on Martha’s Vineyard, a LEED Platinum cottage on Martha’s Vineyard makes the perfect cozy retreat for two couples.

Funky Bend, OR LEED Gold HouseNext up, with a Gold certification, is Oregon’s first LEED Gold rental. The décor blends vintage and contemporary styles, and everything—from the deck to the sheets to the cabinets—is of eco-luxury grade. Another Gold certification earner is a brand new Toronto townhouse, which is near public transportation and within walking distance of the heart of downtown. Its multiple balconies let you relax outside right in the middle of the city.

Besides solar panels and LEED certification, there are many other ways that vacation rental owners are making their homes environmentally friendly. Some features you can seek out in a rental home include: the conscious use of materials such as recycled fiber carpets or reclaimed building materials; the owner’s purchase of electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar; paints and stains that are free of harmful chemicals; and furnishings with creatively repurposed elements or vintage origins. If you’re not sure what eco-measures the owners have taken, you can always ask.

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.

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June 28th, 2011

Blue Flag Beaches: Clean, Green Swimming

Posted by: Joanna Eng|2 comments

Surfer Sunset at Porthowan BeachWhen envisioning the perfect summer vacation, we usually picture beaches with spotless sand, clear water and comfortable amenities. But the truth is, many beaches are strewn with litter, polluted with chemicals or sewage, and have awful facilities. They can be unsafe for beach goers as well as local wildlife and waterways.

One way to be sure you’ll be swimming in safe, clean water this year is to seek out a beach certified by the Blue Flag Programme, an eco-label earned by over 3,500 beaches and marinas across 41 countries. Besides looking after your own health and enjoying more pristine views, you will be helping to protect the environment if you choose to catch some waves and rays at a Blue Flag certified beach.

The criteria for Blue Flag beaches include:

  • Water is tested regularly and found to meet quality standards
  • Beach is free of sewage and industrial pollutants
  • Environmental education activities and information are available to beach goers
  • Garbage and recycling containers are readily accessible
  • Restroom facilities are clean and properly maintained
  • Sustainable transportation options are available in the area
  • Plant matter and natural debris are left on the beach
  • Nearby coral reefs are monitored

Actual blue flags are erected at qualifying sites, giving visitors extra peace of mind. While most of the certified beaches are concentrated in Europe and North Africa, there are also Blue Flag beaches to be found in Canada, the Caribbean, Brazil, South Africa, and New Zealand. There are plenty of FlipKey vacation listings to be found near Blue Flag beaches: check out these possibilities in Cyprus, Greece, Wales, Ireland, and England.

The Blue Flag Programme is the most widespread eco-certification system for beaches, but there are similar labels cropping up in other countries. In the U.S., the Clean Beaches Coalition awards deserving beaches with Blue Wave certifications. And in Costa Rica, the Blue Flag Ecological Program rates beaches with one, two, or three stars according to their level of commitment to the environment.

Wales Beach

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.

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June 14th, 2011

Treehouse Vacations: Rentals for the Adventurous

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Costa Rica Treehouse

On your next vacation, do you want to be as close to nature as possible? Have a totally private experience, tucked away where no one can find you? Rekindle your adventurous spirit by living out your childhood dream? Or give your kids the most memorable vacation of their lives? Any of those fantasies could become reality by booking your stay in a treehouse.

Yes, there are real tree houses for rent on FlipKey! Here are a few that, complete with modern comforts, are even cooler than your childhood perches (real or imagined):

In Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica, Lapa’s Nest Treehouse is a six-level tree house in the middle of the rainforest that boasts a “Modern Swiss Family Robinson” experience. An entire family (up to eight people) can live 55 feet up in the canopy, surrounded by tropical birds and monkeys. Other fun features include an elevated shower with a glass bottom, and a private pool fed by a natural spring.

Entrance to a romantic Hawaii treehouseOn the Big Island in Hawaii, two different tree house rentals await. One is a secret, romantic spot fit for two that was built at mid-canopy level. It offers rustic amenities like an outdoor shower and a composting toilet for the eco-conscious. The other is a slightly more spacious house (sleeps up to four) that was built into five living trees. It includes modern amenities like a DVD player and a full bathroom. Both tree houses are close to the famous Hawaii Volcanoes National Park as well as the artsy hub of Volcano Village.

Some other FlipKey-listed “treehouses” are not literally built around the trunks of trees, but their locations and architectural styles provide a similar sense of adventure. For example, these rental homes in Breckinridge, Colorado and Auckland, New Zealand, are perched among trees, offering complete privacy and panoramic views.

A number of other vacation rentals, while not attempting to balance on branches, do offer backyard treehouses for children to play in. So, if you’re too terrified of heights to sleep in the canopy, you can still give your daredevil kids the ultimate play space while you relax safely at ground level. For ideas, check out these homes in Canada, Italy, and Greece.

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.

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Categorized as: Adventure Travel, Go Green! Read more →
May 19th, 2011

How to Make Your Rental Energy Efficient

Posted by: Joanna Eng|7 comments

Tips for Guests

One great thing about going on vacation is that you don’t have to pay the energy bill – everything’s included! Which, unfortunately, makes it all too easy to waste resources.

When you’re away from home, it sometimes feels like certain things “don’t count,” so you might scarf down extra handfuls of potato chips, leave the lights on, or take longer showers than usual. But the truth is that your choices have just as much of an impact on the environment on vacation as they do at home. You do have control over your use of energy and resources, especially if you rent a vacation home.

Here are some tips to make your relaxing vacation easy on the planet as well…

Use windows, curtains, and blinds strategically. During hot weather, if you open windows during the cooler nights and mornings, and close them as soon as the outside temperature warms up, you can avoid the need to run the air conditioner all day long. Likewise, you can use the curtains and blinds to regulate indoor temperature: filtering out the sun during the day will naturally keep the inside air cool.

Use the dishwasher. If you wait until the dishwasher is full to run it, you’ll use much less water (and energy to heat the water) than if you washed a few dishes here and there. Besides, it will leave more time for lounging and playing while on vacation. Open the dishwasher door to air dry the dishes afterward. In a rental without a dishwasher, you can save up a pile of dishes and do them all at once, using a bucket of warm, soapy water to avoid running the water too much.

Make yourself at home. Chances are, you don’t leave all the lights on, blast the air conditioning or heat all day and night, and take extra long, hot showers when you’re in your own home. Just having a comfortable, personal experience in a rental home with character can make you take full responsibility for the environment while on vacation. So choose a place that you know you’ll love and care for, rather than one that’s akin to an anonymous hotel room.

Tips for Owners

Everyone is going green these days, and your vacation rental business should be no exception. Vacationers will be increasingly looking for places to stay that are in lign with their Earth-friendly values. Besides, making your property more energy efficient is just good business sense.

Here are some tips on cutting down on your property’s environmental impact—and the bills—while enhancing your guests’ vacation experience…

Buy into renewable energy. If your electric company gives you the choice of paying a few extra cents for wind or solar energy, consider it seriously. Not only will you feel better about your environmental impact; you will also be able to highlight your responsible energy choices in your listing. As a result, you may actually attract environmentally conscious guests who will keep energy usage to a minimum.

Switch to CFL light bulbs and energy efficient appliances. Compact fluorescent light bulbs require much less energy than incandescent bulbs – and they last a lot longer too, reducing your maintenance duties. For refrigerators, dishwashers, microwaves, and other appliances, investing in newer models with the Energy Star label will help renters reduce their energy usage.

Install low-flow showerheads and toilets. Good low-flow showerheads won’t take away from the comfort and luxury of your guests’ experience; they will lower your water and energy bills. Two-button, low-flow toilets are not common yet, so you may want to place a small sign in the bathroom showing guests which button is which.

Put in high quality windows, curtains, and blinds. These window dressings serve as great insulators and temperature regulators in any weather, reducing the need to blast the air conditioning and heat. You should also make sure that the bottom of the door is draft-free.

Stock the cabinets with green cleaning products and supplies. There’s no need to expose your renters and the planet to harmful fumes and chemicals just so they can clean up after themselves. Look into natural, safer products (see GoodGuide and Green Depot), and provide guests with reusable supplies like microfiber cleaning cloths and a clothesline and clothespins.

Joanna Eng is a New York-based writer and editor who covers travel, green living, food, careers, entrepreneurship, and more. Her travel experiences have ranged from hostel hopping in Mexico to staying with distant relatives in China to renting a beach apartment in New Jersey.

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April 26th, 2011

Save on Gas: The Top 10 Walking Cities in The USA

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New York Walk Light

One of the best ways to de-stress, get exercise, save money, and really enjoy your surroundings while on vacation is to simply ditch your car for the week. Here are some of the most pedestrian-friendly destinations in the U.S. – consider it our guide to skipping the gas stations in favor of a walking vacation!

1. New York, NY

Fast-walking pedestrians and jaywalkers rule this city, and most residents don’t even want to own cars – it’s not worth the hassle. When you visit Manhattan, you can join the crowds surging through Times Square, Wall Street, and other world-famous locales. Or, for more peaceful walks, try the Hudson River Greenway (which runs almost the entire length of Manhattan), Central Park (over 800 acres of carefully planned park land), or the High Line (an elevated train trestle that was recently converted into a public park).

2. Boston, MA

You might get lost trying to drive the curved and cobblestone streets of this historic city, but walking is a cinch. Pedestrians have easy access to the waterfront, shopping districts, green space, and residential neighborhoods. If you’re interested in our nation’s history, follow the Freedom Trail, a red line on the sidewalk that leads you to 17 historically significant spots. Nature lovers will appreciate the Emerald Necklace, a series of connected parks and waterways that provide ample opportunities for walking and feeding the ducks.

3. San Francisco, CA

Dense, scenic and culturally diverse, San Francisco earned the highest ranking in Walk Score’s 2008 list of the most pedestrian-friendly cities. It’s easy to find everything you need within walking distance, and there are always people out and about on the sidewalks. But the hills here are no joke, so be sure to get in shape before your trip, and wear comfortable, supportive sneakers; that way, you’ll be able to appreciate the stunning angles at sites like Coit Tower and Lombard Street. When your legs just can’t take it anymore, you can always hang onto a cable car and let it pull you up the steepest blocks.

4. Chicago, IL

The most populous city in the Midwest boasts an 18-mile scenic trail along the shore of Lake Michigan. A large stretch – seven whole miles – of that waterfront is covered by Lincoln Park, the second most visited city park in the U.S. (only New York’s Central Park can claim more annual visitors). Lincoln Park is home to museums, cultural events, a zoo, a conservatory and several beaches. Closer to downtown, you can stroll the Magnificent Mile, Chicago’s famous shopping district; and wander to Grant Park to check out “the Bean,” a reflective sculpture that will give you a new perspective on the city.

5. Philadelphia, PA

Philly feels relatively small, friendly, and easy to get around on foot. You can wander residential neighborhoods to admire the quaint cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, and patriotic décor, or join a walking tour to soak up some history. Another fun way to see the city is by following the colorful route of the Mural Mile, which offers a self-guided tour of some of Philly’s most creative and socially significant spots.

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