Eating Greener While Traveling

We just got back from an amazing trip!  We really like to travel… and most of the time it is via airplane.  Knowing how much pollution that causes, we try to live like locals once we arrive especially concerning our food.  We shop at local markets, look for locally grown food, and eat at "home" as much as possible.   

This trip was different than our usual beach jaunts though.  We visited National Parks!  If you don't know, these are places in the U.S. where you’re practically forced to get outside and enjoy nature.  We were lucky enough to make it to Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park!  Both were beautiful even though our visit was shrouded in smoke from all the wildfires.

The Grand Tetons - our last day was the only one without wildfire smoke!

Being surrounded by nature’s splendor helps renew my commitment to the “little things.”  When we went to the grocery store, we made it out with only one plastic bag, which we reused to “pack things out” before the week was finished.  After grocery shopping, we were able to cook most of our meals so we wasted less food.  There was even time to make my easy granola!  We had the pleasure of eating out a few times, too. 

I found a local microbrewery where everything is handmade.  They even have their own bakery that uses only 100% organic flour.  The veggie burger (including the bun) was wonderful.  The real star of the show was the OB-1 (Organic Beer Number One) though!  If you can’t get it on tap, then it is only sold in cans!!!  Cans!  There’s our “little thing” of this post.  Cans are better for the environment than bottles because they weigh less to ship to you so it creates less pollution during transportation.  Aluminum is 100% recyclable.  (Glass is, too, but plastic can only be down-cycled. Who wants drink out of plastic anyway?!!?)  Plus, cans cool faster than bottles, which uses less energy.  Oh, the power of cans!  The other cool thing about the beer from the Snake River Brewery is that it doesn’t use those ubiquitous 6-pack rings.  Nope!  It comes packaged with this:

It's even made from 99% post consumer waste!

Yes, it is plastic but it is reusable (please, return them) or when you’re not conveniently located in Jackson, Wyoming, you can recycle it – unlike it’s ringed cousin, err, ancestor.

We also went to a fun little pizza place at Signal Mountain Lodge called Leek’s Pizzeria.    Unbeknownst to us, it turned out to be a Certified Green Restaurant. 

Yes, I took a picture of their green street cred.

The pizza dough is made with organic ingredients.  Most of the drinks and food are locally sourced.  They use renewable energy.  I didn’t see a single-use (disposable) cup in the place!  Even the kid’s cups were reusable.  To make it even more enjoyable, we were able to sit on the back deck and enjoy an evening view of Jackson Lake.  When we were finished, we didn’t worry about asking for to-go packaging.  We knew they wouldn’t use styrofoam.  I expected a cardboard box but what we got was a sheet of aluminum foil.  No excess.  Just the right amount.  And it can be recycled easily and completely.

See eating on vacation doesn't have to cost the planet!

Now it's your turn.  How do you explore our planet while treading lightly on it?

Fountain Paint Pots Trail - my favorite part!

Oh, and don’t forget the cans!  Next time, buy cans!  I’m not asking much, am I?

Peace,

Stacey

If you're still reading (thanks) and know how to rotate the second and the last pictures, please, let me know. They are both saved on my computer with the address horizontally but the pictures keep rotating when I upload them.  Eek!  I figured it out.  I'd still love your comments though. :)