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Car
Free Journeys
By
Steve Atlas
Car
Free Journeys is a collection of articles by Steve Atlas detailing
vacation destinations that don't require driving. Steve wrote
these articles in a monthly column for Ecocities
Emerging,
the newsletter of Ecocity
Builders,
a nonprofit organization dedicated to reshaping cities for the
long-term health of human and natural systems. He has been kind
enough to allow Pubtrantravel to include these articles in our
continuing effort to promote car-free travel.
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By
now, you are probably sweltering in the summer heat. If you are
like me, and love the water, you want to enjoy a weekend or
vacation at the beach. But the cost of gas is so high that you
wonder if you can find a beach to enjoy without driving.
The
Isle of Palms is an island near the Mount Pleasant section of
Charleston. It's easy to spend a few days here, soaking in the
sun and swimming in the warm ocean. This family-oriented beach
is very expansive with great sand, a chance to watch the
dolphins, pick up sea shells, walk along the beach, and-if you
get up early enough-watch the sun rise over the nearby fishing
pier.
The
beach is popular and a good choice for walking or running in
either high or low tide. The ocean here is warm and a good
place to swim. According to Jared Becknell at the Palms Hotel,
the beach at Isle of Palms has won the blue tide award for many
consecutive years or having the cleanest beach in South
Carolina. --Read
More--
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How
about a memorable vacation in the Pacific Northwest-that you
can enjoy without driving? Today's column spotlights one of
these areas.
Clatsop
County on Oregon's Pacific Coast, just a two-hour bus ride from
Portland, is a welcome change from a big city. Walking
and biking are popular. Many areas are easy to reach by public
transportation. Visitors love the small town atmosphere and how
easy it is to walk to most places you need to go.
Art
lovers and outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the quiet beauty of Cannon
Beach. There are galleries, and performances of musicals,
serious drama, and comedies at the Coaster Theatre Playhouse
This is a more quiet beach with art galleries, a four-mile
beach walk, and a free summer town shuttle bus that takes
residents and visitors between the three sections of Cannon
Beach: Downtown, Midtown, and Tolovana.
--Read
More--
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San
Diego, California is an exceptional city in many ways. This
popular city offers a special reason for beach lovers without
cars to come here: an in-town beach that is a short ferry boat
ride from downtown. Stay downtown, and you can enjoy not only
Coronado Beach, but also many of San Diego's other beaches as
well as many other attractions.
Coronado
Beach has some of the whitest sand on the California coast, and
wide beaches with gentle surf and no undertow. This makes it
ideal for children and beginning swimmers or surfers. Swim,
surf, sail, body board, fish, or just fall asleep in the sun.
Other activities here include beach volleyball, tide pool
exploration, and kite flying. There is also a bike path south
of the Hotel Del Coronado. --Read
More--
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 Photo
Credit Joanne DiBona
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A
good way to sample what is special about San Diego is to visit
Balboa Park: the largest urban park in the United States
(according to Balboa Park staff) (www.balboapark.org,
or call [619] 239-0512. You will want to spend several days
here if you have the available time. In addition to walking
trails and playgrounds, you can experience the park's stunning
Spanish Renaissance architecture, and a wide variety of things
to see and do. Balboa
Park, just minutes from downtown San Diego, is the nation’s
largest urban park. It’s easy to spend several days here.
The
park houses 15 museums, ranging from art to science and from
air and space to natural history or anthropology. If you love
the outdoors, allow time to explore the wide variety of
gardens. The San Diego Zoo is world famous --Read
More--
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As
autumn approaches, the changing leaves, mountains and lakes
exert their special spell. At this time of year, you want a
mountain or natural lake escape that is scenic, walkable, and
(preferably) away from a big city.
New
York State is a magical world, especially during fall. A great
choice for a weekend getaway is Ithaca: home of Cornell
University, Ithaca College, and much more. Lovers of the
outdoors will enjoy Lake Cayuga (one of the Finger Lakes),
scenic gorges, Ithaca Falls, and much more. .
--Read
More--
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Weekend
getaways don't need to be limited to major cities and
metropolitan areas. Frequently, smaller cities and vacation
spots can be enjoyed without driving. For example, this month's
weekend getaway is Duluth, Minnesota, located on Lake
Superior-largest of the Great Lakes.
Gene
Shaw, from Visit Duluth (the city's visitor center) is our
guide to a car free weekend in Duluth.Tom Elwell, from Duluth
Transit, has tips about how to enjoy your weekend by bus,
walking, and bicycle.
Enjoy
the Downtown-Waterfront area’s restaurants, art galleries,
attractions and the world famous Aerial Lift Bridge. The Duluth
Harbor is on one side and the 7 mile long public beach is on
the Lake Superior side. Kids love to “skip rocks” on
the Canal Park side of Lake Superior and thousands of visitors
walk, bike or roller blade the 7.2 mile long “Lake Walk”
that is everyone’s place to see the Largest of the Great
Lakes from her shores line. --Read
More--
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Would
you enjoy a vacation that includes a downtown with lots to do,
trolleys, a Harbor Ferry, and an opportunity to enjoy both
popular beaches near downtown, and the unspoiled Gulf beach?
Then, Corpus Christi, Texas may be the perfect vacation spot
for you.
If
you don't want to drive, downtown Corpus Christi is a
convenient location to stay during your visit. Several
attractions are within walking distance, and two popular
beaches are a short bus ride away.
Because
of its bay location, there is very little seaweed and no
undertow, making McGee Beach the perfect location for children.
Swim—from April until Thanksgiving; enjoy the view of
sailboats, wind surfers, and shrimpers hauling in their catch
or turn street-side to watch the pedal carts and passersby.
McGee Beach has a pier, with rest rooms and a small restaurant,
where you can bring a rod and some bait and try your hand at
fishing. --Read
More--
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When
we think of a weekend vacation without a car, Phoenix does not
usually come to mind. But that is changing, thanks largely to
new light rail and subway systems. Since Phoenix’s light rail
system opened on December 27, 2008, a non-driving weekend in
Phoenix can be fun and easy to accomplish. In this month’s
column, Scott Dunn, from the Greater Phoenix Convention and
Visitors’ Bureau, (assisted by customer service reps from
Valley Metro in Phoenix) shares some tips for anyone who wants
to visit Phoenix for the weekend without driving.
Metropolitan
Phoenix is about the size of Delaware and encompasses more than
20 cities and towns. Sometimes, the most rewarding trip to
Phoenix is one that keeps it simple. Limiting your visit to
locales accessible by light rail certainly simplifies things.
You might miss out on the dining and nightlife of Scottsdale or
the sports and entertainment of Glendale, but you’ll still
get a great sense of the city’s Southwestern character and
possibly have a more satisfying visit than if you try to drive
all over the place and see all Metropolitan Phoenix’
attractions. --Read
More--
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Today’s
weekend getaway is Cleveland, Ohio: a transit-friendly area
that can be easily reached inexpensively either by bus
(www.Megabus.com)
or air (Southwest Airlines). Once you arrive, there is so much
to do that your only problem is choosing how you will best
enjoy your time here.
Sit
front and center for your favorite Broadway blockbuster. Cruise
a crooked river at sunset or commune with Costa Rican
butterflies. Sample ethnic delicacies at a bustling public
market. Ride the vintage rails of a scenic railroad through a
national park. Dine in the restaurant of a celeb chef. Shop for
retro collectibles at a vintage toy store. Visit the home of
gridiron greats. Admire the work of artistic masters at our
museums and release your inner rock star at the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame. --Read
More--
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 Cleveland
84 Photo - Licensed Under Creative
Commons Attribution Share Alike 3.0 United States
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Last
month, we spotlighted Denver. This month, we focus on the
nearby college community of Boulder. Boulder is much more
compact, a great choice for biking or walking enthusiasts, and
has the world-renowned University of Colorado. Also, unlike
many other communities, Boulder’s downtown includes many
locally owned businesses (rather than the chains that are so
common elsewhere).
The
easiest way for out-of-town visitors to reach Boulder is by
plane. From Denver International Airport (DIA), RTD’s
(Regional Transit District) hourly Sky Ride service to Boulder
costs $13 each way. The Boulder Transit Center is in downtown
Boulder, and is served by most RTD (Regional Transit District)
buses serving Boulder. Downtown Boulder is also the most
convenient area to stay, during your visit. --Read
More--
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As
you plan your weekend getaway to Denver, take time to read this
article (written by a Denver writer, and recommended by Visit
Denver: the official travel and visitor bureau for Denver):
http://www.denver.org/transportation/get-around-denver-without-car
Many
visitors may not want the hassles of choosing which of Denver’s
many attractions to visit. If you are one of these people, an
organized tour may be the best solution. For information about
local tours, visit
http://www.denver.org/transportation/colorado-tours
Non-drivers
should focus on downtown Denver, and use RTD buses and free
16th
Street mall shuttle to get around. Visit RTD’s website:
http://www.rtd-denver.com,
or call (303) 299-6089 for live customer service from 6 a.m.-8
p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends and holidays (all
times are mountain time). --Read
More--
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New
Orleans is well known for its annual Mardi Gras celebration,
and for being the birthplace of jazz. But the city is more than
Mardi Gras and jazz. It’s also grand Greek revival mansions
of the Garden District, river cruises on the Mississippi River,
parks, festivals, a college community (Tulane and Loyola), and
of course the famed French Quarter with its music, restaurants,
and bars. Unfortunately, a weekend here is never long enough.
There
is so much to do—and so little time to do it. You will
probably want to spend at least one evening in the famed French
Quarter, sampling the bars and music. The New Orleans
Convention and Visitors Bureau recommends that anyone
interested in music should visit Frenchmen Street, also known
as the local's Bourbon Street. The clubs that line this street
give you a sample of every genre of music, including brass,
jazz and zydeco. Fabulous food is a bonus at many of these
places. --Read
More--
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This
month, we will spotlight South Florida. This popular,
expensive, and traffic-clogged area includes Palm Beach and
Palm Beach County, Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, and
Miami/Miami Beach and Dade County.
There
are airports in Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami. Each
county has its own transit system, and visitor center.
Tri-Rail, operated by the South Florida Regional Transportation
Authority, is a commuter rail system (operating every day) that
links all of these areas.
When
planning your trip, contact these visitors’ centers and
transit systems:
Miami
Beach and Dade County
Visitor
Information: www.miamiandthebeaches.com/
(305) 539=3000 or
(800)
933-8448 (toll-free)
Dade
County Public Transit: www.miami-dade.fl.us/transit
(305) 770-3131
--Read
More--
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Do
you have a favorite vacation spot visitors can enjoy without
driving? Let us know. Perhaps, we can spotlight it in a future
column. E-mail steveatlas45@yahoo.com
with your comments or suggestions.
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New
At
Pubtrantravel
Pubtrantravel
welcomes Steve Atlas founder of carfreeamerica.org
as its newest contributing writer.
Car
Free at the Beach
20
Beaches You Can Enjoy Without a Car
By
Steve Atlas
Car
Free Journeys
Vacation
Destinations You Can Enjoy Without a Car
By
Steve Atlas
Car
Free Living
Locations
where it is possible to live without or with limited use of a car
By
Steve Atlas
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