Summer is nearly upon us and for many this means it is time to begin thinking about the annual family vacation. This could be a challenge during such trying economic times. And for those concerned about global climate change and weighing the environmental impact of a travel-heavy excursion, there are even more considerations to account for. The good news for Californians is that opportunities for a fulfilling break from the everyday grind are plentiful, all within driving distance.

Have you considered visiting one of the over 260 California Parks this year? The beauty and serenity of nature may just be the respite that you are looking for. And it’s an excellent opportunity to learn more about nature, history and conservation.

To help you plan your trip, this month KCSM TV is featuring California’s Golden Parks. Let Huell Howser take you on a personally guided tour of some of the majestic natural wonders that our state affords us, every Monday & Tuesday at 5:00 pm. Learn more about Joshua Tree, Big Basin, Bidwell Park, Columbia Diggins, Alum Rock, Año Nuevo State National Reserve, Carrizo Plain National Monument and the Yosemite Falls Trail.

And on Thursdays at 11:00pm, it’s all aboard with Huell as he takes you on a tour of some of California’s historic railway lines.  Visit the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, take the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad through the Sierra National Forest or ride the Skunk Train following the coastal Redwood Route.

Also, by staying closer to home, you are lowering the carbon footprint of your trip. The shorter the distance traveled, the less fuel burned and the fewer carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. So forego the flight to Paris this year and drive your family to one of the many amazing destinations that our own state affords us. And to help you get the most from your vehicle, check out the list below for some tips on how to improve your gas mileage.

I will be posting more information and links to all of these magnificent parks, as well as tips on how to plan an environmentally friendly vacation so check back soon.

Good luck in your travels. And have a happy, healthy summer.

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By implementing the following suggestions you can maximize your fuel economy and save yourself some green while lowering your carbon emissions.

Tips for Improving Gas Mileage    

• Change your vehicles air filter. Changing a dirty air filter can increase your fuel efficiency by up to ten percent.
• Be sure that your tires are properly inflated. Be keeping them at the correct pressure, you can increase your mpg by up to 3 percent.
• Get a tune up. If it has been awhile since your vehicle has been attended to, there can be many things that once corrected could significantly increase your fuel efficiency.
• Take it easy and use cruise control. Aggressive driving (rapid acceleration and braking) can lower your gas mileage as much as 33% at highway speeds.
• Drive the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, assume that for each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional XX.10 per gallon for gas.
• Don’t be idle. When sitting still with your engine running, you are getting zero (O) miles to the gallon and using up to 1/8 gallon of gas every ten minutes.
• Pack lightly. Every extra one hundred pounds of cargo will cost you 1 mpg.
• Use your vehicle’s air conditioner on the highway to cool off. True, using the air conditioner can reduce your fuel efficiency by up to ten percent, but when traveling over 40 miles per hour the drag caused by open windows will actually lower fuel efficiency even more.
• Go to the car wash instead of washing by hand. Most professional car washes use 60% less water and recapture some for reuse. Also, the water that does go down the drain is treated to be less environmentally damaging.
• Purchase carbon offsets to balance out your vehicles global warming emissions. When you purchase these offsets from organizations (such as TerraPass.com) your money is invested in clean energy projects that “offset” your carbon emissions by producing green, sustainable energy that replaces other non-sustainable energy sources.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 18th, 2009 at 4:01 pm and is filed under Green. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.