As hard as “living green” can be at home, it’s even harder on vacation. All the miles driven or flown, all the eating out…all the things you just can’t control.

Luckily, I just took a trip to what could be considered the greenest city in America: Portland, Ore.

But how green was my vacation? And what were the ways in which Portland made it even greener (and that a lot of other cities could learn from)?

Transportation:

So technically, Portland is just about the farthest place in the continental United States from my home outside Washington, D.C. But sometimes these things just can’t be helped, especially if you don’t have three days to make a one-way bus or train trip out there. To alleviate some of the guilt, my husband and I decided to offset the carbon footprint of our trip through carbonfund.org for a grand total of just $17.04.

Once we got to Portland, though, our carbon emissions were minimal. Other than a couple of bus rides, we got around in the most environmentally friendly way possible: on bikes.

Portland is a bike lover’s Mecca. Here in Arlington, Va., if you bike to a shop or restaurant, you’re likely to spend a few minutes looking for the nearest bike rack or suitable street sign to lock your bike to. In Portland, your biggest problem may be finding an empty spot on the plentiful bike racks lining the streets.

Another new sight: drivers and bikers getting along! Many of the main streets in Portland have bike lines, but even on the ones that don’t, drivers knew to keep a safe distance away and drive carefully while passing.

Renting bikes was a snap at Waterfront Bikes in downtown. The employees were incredibly helpful, and my husband and I got bikes from mid-day Sunday to Tuesday morning for only $50 each.

Lodging and Planning Your Visit:

To minimize transportation costs (especially if you don’t have bikes), stay in a hotel near most of the things you want to see. In most cities this means spending a little extra, but if you’re not spending money on taxis and public transit, it will probably all even out.

Most hotels seem to have finally caught on to the notion that people don’t need their sheets and towels washed every single day.  If your hotel doesn’t have a “if your towel isn’t on the floor we won’t wash it” policy (ours did), feel free to write a note to the housekeepers with that request.

And no matter how tempted you are, avoid opening all the mini bottles of shampoo and fancy soaps. We traveled with our own refillable toiletries so that those cute little plastic bottles wouldn’t get thrown out after just a few uses.

Drink from the tap:

Drinking draught beer from a glass is indisputably friendlier to the environment than drinking bottled beer (even if it’s recycled). It uses more energy to bottle beer than to fill kegs, bottles have those un-recyclable caps, and pint glasses can be used thousands of times.

Good thing Portland is home to the highest concentration of breweries in the world. Even if these places did carry big-name brands, who would order them?  Portland is a great place to try some new local microbrews (out of a reusable glass!).

We also brought our own water bottle from home to avoid having to purchase bottled water or soda on the go. And if you do buy a bottled drink, it’s fairly easy to find somewhere  to recycle it. Our hotel room even had it’s own recycling bin.

Eating out:

Going on vacation means eating out a lot, but that’s just part of the fun. Visiting different cities means trying new restaurants and local favorites.

In Portland, that means a stop at one of its world-class farmer’s markets.  Several days a week, vendors from around the state descend on the banks of the Willamette to sell fresh produce and other products. Swing by and pick up something for a picnic or an afternoon snack.

It was really cool to see farmer’s markets so integrated into daily life. With several locations at prime spots all across town, it seems like any Portland resident would be able to  stop by once a week for fresh, local produce.

It’s also easy to find vegetarian and vegan meals at almost any restaurant here. And since we all know (you do know, right?) that a plant-based diet is the friendliest diet for the planet, Portland’s a great place to set meat aside and try some creative vegetarian dishes.

So, how did I do? We weren’t perfect (we took a cab from the airport and I have no idea about my hotel’s sustainability practices), so I’ll give myself a 7 out of 10. But what do you think?

And be sure to share the ways you stay green while traveling in the comments section below.

(Image: Portland Farmers’ Market. Credit: vis-a-v./Flickr through a Creative Commons license.)

Tags: green travel, Margaret Southern, microbrews, Portland bike rental, Portland farmer's market, Portland green, Portland travel, vegetarian travel, Waterfront bikes