Happy Hour & Earth Hour - the perfect GoGirlfriend combo

It's time to lower the lights and raise your glass in celebration of Earth Hour. Around the globe today, entire cities will eschew light bulbs for candles, digitalized music for good old fashioned conversation. And GoGirlfriend plans to do it - in style, of course.

Earth Hour & Green TravelWhile we swirl our cocktails (never shaken) we'll be talking about ways we can lower our carbon travel footprint this year.

Considering much of our travel involves jet fuel and eating at restaurants (and sometimes fast food joints), it's not always easy. But it is possible.

Packing

We'll start our carbon reduction plan with what we take on vacation. Like using the hotel hair dryer instead of bringing our own. Packing lighter can save dollars too - especially with weight restrictions tightening on airlines everywhere.

For business travel, interchangeable mix and match pieces look cool and stylish for meetings and translate quickly to evening wear. After your work day is over, replace your suit jacket with a shrug, darken your eye makeup and add some gloss - ready for a night on the town.

For pleasure travel, we're all about wash and wear. Washing tank tops and shorts in the sink and hanging to dry in the shower not only saves taking extra clothes, it can help add humidity to the dry hotel air.

Environmentally smart hotels

If you're like me and not willing to forgo traveling, choose your hotels wisely. I've confessed to increasing my travel budget but I'm also worried aboutMagnolia's Beautiful Breakfast greenwashing in the hospitality industry. It's easy to see if your chosen hotel is green - third party certification. If an outside organization audits the hotel and awards it a green certification, that's enough for me to take a second look.

For a comprehensive list of organizations that certify hotels, visit - Green Travel - Do You?

Eco Adventures

Vacationing, for me, is more about the experience than it is about the hotel or the restaurant or the spa. It's about being part of a different place on this earth, something outside of my everyday life. Whether it's hiking the Rocky Mountains or hot air ballooning over the Rio Grande, I want to dive in with both feet.

Where in the world you choose to eco-adventure, depends on what you like to do. What isn't eco adventure is tourism that supports socio-economic poverty.

Vacation with a cause

Relaxing on a beach has a certain appeal that I can't deny, but vacationing to help others fills me up in a different way. Think about it - a chance to get outside and get active while helping others. And if I can do it with my friends, even better.

Volunteer VacationsIf you're considering a more interactive vacation, visit - Volunteer Vacations

Do you have plans for Earth Hour? After you've disconnected from the grid, grab and atlas and start figuring out where you want to travel next. Earth Hour will be over before you know it and you'll be back on the grid booking your next vacation.

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