But as summer dawns, and my feet get to itching (oh how they itch!), I've managed to get out of town a couple of times already without owning a car. It can be done, and truth-be-told, these little getaways were far easier than I might have expected. Local getaways tend to be less expensive and come with a lighter footprint than the carbon-heavy globetrotting.
I can't help but lust after Lonely Planet guidebooks for far-flung locals, but from here on out, I may take a note from my parents and find an alternative way to go. (Girl on Foot's parents spent nearly six months traveling by bicycle in the western United States and Canada last year. They literally rode away from their house, headed north, and didn't look back. It's how they tend to take most of their vacations ... making the planet healthier and riding laps around me)
Okay, back to strategies for small summer escapes:
Ride Your Bike Anywhere
In the great tradition of Girl on Foot's parents, roll on out of town.
Unzip Beach Camping
We zipped our way to camp at Assateague and hauled along bikes for getting around once we were there. Car-sharing at its best. (I swear, Zipcar doesn't pay me. It just makes sense.)
Ticket to Ride
In order to meet up with my honey and her mom at a bed and breakfast in Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, I checked into train schedules. Sure enough. I can get there via Amtrak or the local commuter train. The places trains and buses go blow my mind. And for car-free folks, they are your ticket out of town.
Carpool to Shenandoah National Park
I teamed up with some generous friends to carpool to the mountains for a little volunteer work and hiking. We weeded some invasive species, took a four-mile hike, and got poison ivy. Good times.
The Green Turtle Adventure Bus with Hippie Roots
I have never ridden the tortoise buses, but I mention it because it's so funny and original and I want to do it.
Other Resources:
- Train: http://www.amtrak.com/
- Bus: http://www.greyhound.com/
- Chinatown Buses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinatown_bus_lines
- Bike Trails: http://www.traillink.com/
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