Caring for the Environment Starts on Vacation
Four bed and breakfasts across the US help the environment guest by guest. From green practices at the inn to creating wildlife preserves, these inns set eco-friendly example.
Online, March 9, 2011 (Newswire.com) - For over four decades, Earth Day has inspired people and organizations all over the planet to live a life that is more earth friendly. These four bed and breakfasts are shining examples of businesses reducing the carbon foot print of all who cross their paths:
Located ninety minutes south of Chicago, IL, the Greenhouse Bed and Breakfast (www.BnBFinder.com/GreenhouseBB) offers a peaceful, eco-friendly oasis in the heart of north-eastern Illinois farm country. On the grounds, visitors will find Green house's organic, "Permaculture"-based gardens and orchard. Not sure what "Permaculture" is? "Permaculture," explains Greenhouse co-owner and certified "Permaculture" designer, Mark Hoffman, "is an approach to ecological design with the aim of creating efficient, productive, and self-sustaining systems that mimic the design inherent in nature's systems."
At Greenhouse, food scraps from the garden are fed to their flock of chickens, whose waste is then processed into compost; the compost is returned to the garden. Fruits and vegetables from the orchard and garden are used for meals along with chicken and eggs from the poultry flock, and honey from the beehives. Whenever possible clothes, bed linens, and towels are dried on a clothesline and to further conserve energy they heat the house primarily with wood in the wintertime.
Down in Crozet, VA, the Montfair Resort Farm (www.BnBFinder.com/Montfair) is an eco friendly retreat on the shores of a six acre lake. Among the many eco-friendly decisions they've made, Montfair prints their brochures on 100% recycled paper with soy ink. All of the cottages, the office and the lodge use compact fluorescent light bulbs, and all of the laundry is done with Bi-O-Kleen laundry detergent - no phosphates, no chlorine, and no fragrances. Even the mattresses are better for the environment, made from organic materials, and naturally hypoallergenic. The coffee at Montfair is organic, fair-trade, shade grown and locally roasted. When washing dishes or cleaning the cabins, they use as many eco-cleaners as possible. Montfair has just signed up for the Dominion Green Power Program, a Green-e Energy certified program provided by their local power company.
In Califon, NJ, the Raritan Inn at Middle Valley (www.BnBFinder.com/TheRaritanInn) is a Civil War vintage house that operates as a residential power plant - relying on solar energy and geothermal heating. Through a cooperative program with the National Association of Home Builders Research Center, the Raritan Inn has set a standard for energy-smart remodeling. Bill Asdal, the remodeler, was the 2006 Green Advocate of the Year.
Of course, humans aren't the only species on the planet. The fully restored, colonial ironmaster's mansion, Speedwell Forge Bed and Breakfast (www.BnBFinder.com/Speedwell) in Lancaster, PA, also manages the 22 acre Wolf Sanctuary of Pa. The Sanctuary currently provides food, shelter, and veterinary care for over forty wolves.
About BnBFinder.com
BnBFinder.com is a comprehensive bed and breakfast directory, providing site visitors with more than 130 search categories, including availability, price, location, and local attractions. Founded in 1998, BnBFinder.com was the first directory to offer advanced interactive technologies, including RSS feeds, a blog, downloadable content for mobile devices, and guest reviews. BnBFinder.com is a 5-Star Rated directory with thousands of B&Bs, inns, and small hotel listings from all over the world.
For packages and information tailored to a specific audience or geographic area, high-resolution images, quotes and more information including travel tips for first-time B&B goers, please contact:
BnBFinder.com or contact Solomon Singer at 212.480.0414 x 16 or email press@bnbfinder.com .