As I was hoisting up my new umbrella clothes drying line in my back yard, I looked up and saw a plane flying high between the leaves of the trees. I had a thought - for all the steps that I was taking to make my home life more green, are there ways that I can make my solo travel more green, too?

So I trekked out to Google to find out - is there a way that when I travel, I can actually go green?

Evidently, somewhere in the 176,000,000 results, there are a few other people who have not only had this same question, but actually done something to help others out by answering it.

Stop 1 - Go Green Travel Green. Boasting "Travel Tips for the Eco-Conscious Traveler," one of the first articles was 12 Tips for green business travel, and it contained some helpful tips, like researching public transportation, bringing a reusable water bottle, and following the green practices at hotels, like reusing towels, shutting off lights, and carrying all your needs in a single carry-on bag. They even have suggestions for searching for cheap plane tickets. Definitely a site to bookmark and dig into later!

Stop 2 - The Independent Traveler. At this site, it isn't about giving up creature comforts when you travel. It's about traveling responsibly. One of the resources that I found the most fascinating was about reducing your carbon footprint when you travel, which also led me to a new site called Enviro.Aero, which discusses the impact of the aviation industry on our air, and what the industry is doing to reduce it.

Stop 3 - Sustainable Travel International. I recommend checking out their directory of travel for a sustainable vacation. I found several links for different types of vacations - everything from Archaeology to Learning Vacations to Yoga and Spiritual travel - that are on my list to check out now.

Have you thought about your next solo travel adventure yet? Are you like me, and still have a couple week's worth of vacation to plan for the rest of the year? Take a moment and consider making your next trip green!