Vancouver BC downtown walk

San Jose Mercury News reports via the Seattle Times on the new three-mile path along Vancouver, B.C.'s False Creek.

The False Creek stroll lets visitors enjoying the sights of downtown with its "glittering high rises, million-dollar town houses and housing co-ops" with the scenic backdrop of the mountains.

According to writer Kristen Jackson, there's lots of stuff to do on the stroll besides just take in the sights:

"Hungry? Head to the Granville Island market, a foodie mecca of small-farm produce and seafood, food stalls and cafes. Or wine and dine at fancier restaurants along the way. Want some greenery? Lounge in waterfront pocket parks. Tired? Take a ride in one of the dozen-seater mini-ferries that buzz around False Creek like brightly painted water bugs."

Read the full story: A scenic stroll on the Vancouver, B.C. waterfront

Appalachian Trail 40th anniversay

Travel and Leisure magazine reports on the 40-year history of the iconic Appalachian Trail.

Throughout the years hikers have enjoyed traversing the entire trail from Georgia to Maine, or just parts of it.

"In the A.T.’s early years, just a handful of people took advantage of it (by 1969, only 61 people had hiked every mile). 'The end of World War II was putting pressure on the trail,' said Brian King, spokesman for The Appalachian Trail Conservancy. 'New roads were being built, and second homes, so the trail was running through private property.' But in the 1960s people took notice; it took volunteers nearly four years of working with local landowners, buying their property or finding ways around it, to ensure that the public would always have access to a continuous trail. 'This was easily the most complex public land acquisition land process ever,' said King."

Read the full story: 40 years hiking the Appalachian Trail

Riding the old railway line, on bikes

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer keeps the theme of the last post (upswing in bike vacations) alive with their report on the scenic bike trip through Iron Horse State Park trail in Washington State.

The 109-mile trail is built on the old railway bed that connected Chicago to the Pacific Northwest and shut down in 1980.

A shuttle service now takes bikers to both ends of the trail near North Bend and Snoqualmie Pass.

"'It's a very friendly ride. The scenery is beautiful and I think my favorite part is the railroad trestles, and looking down on the tops of the trees," said Cynthia McMath of Lynnwood, a friend [of reporter Greg Johnston]. 'I like that as you ride down the trail and approach the creeks, you can feel the temperature change, and you can listen to the creeks as you're passing. The wildflowers are pretty, too.'"

Read the full story: Rolling on the old Milwaukee rail line

Taking a bike vacation, save on gas

Bicycling through the countryside is the ultimate in slow travel, much cheaper than buying gas, and better for the environment too.

The New York Times reports on the upswing of vacationing on two wheels instead of four:

"'We just queried our e-newsletter list — over 30,000 people — and got a landslide of stories' from cyclists taking gas-free trips this summer, said Winona Sorensen, media director for the Adventure Cycling Association, in Missoula, Mont. Inquiries about bike trips were up 7 percent from last October to July, she added, while the group added 6,496 members, a nearly 15 percent gain over the previous year."

Read the full story: Vacation plans that avoid the pump

Amtrak boasts Northeast ridership up 28%

Ecotravel News already reported earlier this month on the rise in Amtrak train ridership in California.

Now USA Today reports on the almost 30 percent increase in riders on Amtrak's Downeaster line that goes from Portland, Maine to Boston.

The line now is usually filled to capacity and the service has had to add a fifth additional train run and train cars to meet demand.

Amtrak is now trying to negotiate a sixth train trip with the rail owners Pan Am Railways and ways to expand the service up to Brunswick, Maine.

Read the full story: Amtrak's Downeaster posts 28 percent ridership gain

MSNBC touts walking vacations

The Independent Traveler.com via MSNBC.com says taking a walking or hiking trip is a great way to get exercise while making memorable experiences.

Although the article was simplified and seemed to target people who would never imagine going hiking on a vacation, we were happy to see a mainstream site explaining the basics of undertaking such trips.

Read the full story: Walking tours and trips

Explore the world with two feet

MSNBC.com and Forbes report on walking tours around the globe:

"Walkers are generally a committed bunch; they know that seeing the world by foot yields a rare experience. Often travelers bond with interesting locals. They also get a vivid, lasting impression of the landscape. Walking tours can be done in one's figurative backyard, but there are several destinations around the world that expose travelers to the best of nature and culture."

Read the full story: Best ways to see the world by foot.

For some great hikes check out my hiking website: hiking bug

Florida without a car

Today is Earth Day; but since we at Ecotravel News make everyday Earth Day, we will as usual just inform eco-interested readers on the latest environmentally-friendly related travel story that caught our eye.

Miami Herald reporter Marjie Lambert was given the task of traveling through Florida sans car.

For her five-day trip she actually had to take the train to three cities and - gasp - walk to all her sightseeing destinations. American cities are not made for walking especially when lugging a suitcase, I'll give her that, so her car-free trip was actually a real challenge that even Ecotravel News would not enjoy undertaking.

Ms. Lambert had a healthy attitude however and by the end of her trip relished in her brush with slow travel, especially since it was cheaper than driving:

"Each leg has taken at least an hour longer than the same trip by car, and cost some convenience. But this journey is part of the growing trend of slower travel with its own pleasant compensations -- the leisure of the train ride, the scenery not visible from I-95, the absence of traffic jams and metal detectors -- and I know I've gotten a real deal."

Read the full story: Florida by train, cities by foot

Kansas reporter's Southwest Chief train ride

Kansas newspaper, The Wichita Eagle, posted a great travelogue by reporter Mike Hutmacher about his 24-hour train journey from Newton to San Bernadino, California.

Eschewing a harried plane trip, Hutmacher took Amtrak's Southwest Chief train that travels back and forth between L.A. and Chicago.

Hutmacher was prepared to be bored during the day-long journey but he found interesting people to talk with and even enjoyed the dining car experience:

"It was refreshing that I could choose when, what or if I wanted to eat, as opposed to being offered a tray with a stale ham sandwich, a cup of fruit, a bag o' nuts and can of soda."

He also notes that traveling by the rails should become more popular since gas prices continue to go up and more people are looking into alternative forms of travel.

Read the full story: Patience makes Amtrak trip from Newton a rewarding train journey

Slow travel for our 100th post

Ecotravel News is celebrating our 100th post with a story about "slow travel," the ultimate in eco-travel.

Slow travel is essentially traveling without the airplanes that everyone knows are bad for the environment and slowing down and enjoying the journey to the new country.

One man that slow traveled around the world is Ed Gillespie who spoke to NPR recently about his journey:

"'What is the purpose of travel?' [Gillespie] asks. 'Is it about a checklist of sights that we want to go and see? ... Or is it actually about the notion of just getting away? And can we experience that notion of getting away with methods that don't have the same kind of environmental impact that unfortunately flying does?'"

Listen to his interview: First slow food, now a movement for slow travel