Visit Tahoe's Earth Day

The San Francisco Chronicle reports on Lake Tahoe's Earth Day festivities.

"Started eight years ago by the nonprofit Tahoe Earth Day Foundation, the events [on April 18 and 25 around the area] are designed to provide information about global climate change, recycling, water conservation, sustainability, energy production, composting, trash reduction and carbon footprints."

Read the full story: Earth Day at Tahoe

Mexico Eco-lodges

The San Francisco Chronicle reviews six, new and more affordable, eco-friendly hotels in Mexico.

All the eco-resorts are under $200 per night.

The Genesis Ek Balam in the Yucatan is $44-$54 a night, uses natural ventilation (no A/C) and recycled materials in its design, and also helps save native animals and birds.

Read the full story: Six affordable eco-lodge escapes

Pacific Grove, the tourist and car-free alternative to Monterey

The San Francisco Chronicle has a story for those travelers who want to experience the beautiful area of the Monterey Peninsula without the tourist and vehicle overload.

Pacific Grove, just northwest of Monterey, is easy to enjoy by walking and best of all doesn't have the crowds like its more touristy neighbor. There are scenic walks through the downtown and along the coast, where you can also go by bike.

"After exploring downtown (all five or six blocks of it), stroll north three blocks on 17th Street to find Monterey Bay, Lovers Point Park and the Adventures by the Sea rental office, where you can pick up bikes. Lovers Point is the southern terminus of the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail (the other end is 18 miles north in Castroville), but there's an unpaved trail that continues (most of the time) along the coast, weaving along the narrow slice of land between Ocean View Boulevard and the bay."

Read the full story: Quiet, compact Pacific Grove best suited to going car-free

Afghanistan ecotourism

The San Francisco Chronicle reports on the ecotourism efforts in Afghanistan.

The Aga Khan Foundation, an Afghan NGO, says that the Bamiyan area (known for the giant Buddhas that the Taliban infamously blew up in 2001) in the center of the country is safe. The Foundation created the Bamiyan Ecotourism Project (BEP) to "raise awareness of the region's natural attractions."

Afghanistan isn't on most tourist itineraries because most of the country is in the midst of instability and civil war making it unsafe for travelers. The U.S. State Department advises against travel to the country.

But despite this the BEP says tourists looking for nature can enjoy "Afghanistan's first national park, a 220-square-mile zone around Band-i-Amir [that has] six sapphire-blue lakes set amid barren sandstone badlands."

Read the full story: Tough sell: touring audacious Afghanistan

SF Chronicle ponders green travel

The San Francisco Chronicle tries to answer the question of how to determine the "greenest" form of travel for your specific needs.

They compared and contrasted car, airline and train travel with various carbon footprint scenarios for all.

They determined that: "It's either cut back on carbon emissions in applications where it's relatively easy or decide that our only truly green alternative is to stay home."

Read the full story: No easy answer to "greener" travel mode