Steve’s car Free Journey (April 2009)
By Steve on May 3, 2009 in Steve's CARFREE JOURNEY
Car Free Journey—April, 2009
By Steve Atlas
As summer approaches, it’s time for most of us to think about our summer vacation—or perhaps summer weekends. Too often, it’s easy to assume that we need a car on the vacation: both to get where we are going, and then for daily excursions and outings once we have arrived at our vacation destination.
But you and I know that we don’t need a car to enjoy a great vacation. Walking, renting a bicycle, enjoying a boat trip or a train ride, or exploring a vacation area on a trolley are just a few ways to enjoy a vacation without a car. Even if you need to drive to your destination, you can find a place to stay within walking distance of a park, the beach, shops and restaurants, and public transportation. Many vacation areas offer bicycle rentals.
Here are a few possibilities for car-free outings or vacations:
Northeastern U.S.
Enjoy a weekend in northern New England on Amtrak’s Downeaster. This route travels from Boston to Portland, ME, through New Hampshire and Maine, at surprisingly affordable prices. You can enjoy several one-day outings from either Boston or Portland.
During the summer, get off at Old Orchard Beach and walk to the beach.
Consider a visit to Wells, Maine. When you get off, look for the trolley and enjoy a ride to the beach, other nearby communities, and hotels and restaurants.
In New Hampshire, the Durham station is on the University of New Hampshire campus.
Portland’s station is served by Portland Metro Bus #5. The Metro bus system serves most of Portland. If you like boat trips, Metro’s Bus #8 (every day except Sunday)
Stops at the Casco Bay Lines terminal. There, you can choose from several scenic boat
Trips to outlying islands in Casco Bay.
For more information about the Downeaster, and possible trips in Maine and New Hampshire on this train, visit www.amtrakdowneaster.com.
A Boat Ride across Lake Michigan and a one-week vacation
Ludington, Michigan is well known for its beautiful beaches. But, no intercity bus goes there, and it’s more than an hour away from Amtrak or a commercial airport.
However, there’s a car-free way to enjoy Ludington. Start by traveling to Milwaukee, WI (served by many airlines, intercity buses, and Amtrak). Explore downtown Milwaukee for an afternoon and stay overnight. The next day, take a Jefferson Lines or Indian Trails bus for 1 ½ hours to Manitowoc: a small city with beaches, parks, and several attractions.
Nearby Two Rivers is where the ice cream sundae was created. (Now, that is a reason why any ice cream lover—and I love sundaes!—should make a trip here.) Spend a day or two here.
When you are ready for your Lake Michigan trip, the SS Badger leaves Manitowoc at 1:15 p.m. daily during the summer (+ 12:30 a.m). or 2:00 p.m. in spring or fall.
The four-hour boat ride takes you into Ludington.
Once you arrive, there is a beach downtown, and several other things to do. The local bus service is an “on demand” service. That means, you call them and tell them where and when you want to go. Request a free Ludington visitors’ guide by visiting www.Ludington.org, and click on “Request Destination Guide.”
For details about the boat trip across Lake Michigan, visit www.ssbadger.com.
Southern California Car-Free Vacation
Santa Barbara, CA has beautiful Pacific beaches, seven-day public transportation, and
easy access to trains, airlines, and intercity buses. You can easily spend several days here, enjoying the ocean, city attractions, the University, and much more. Rather than try to
summarize all that you can enjoy here, I recommend visiting the following web site:
www.santabarbaracarfree.org.
These are just three of the many vacation possibilities you can enjoy without driving.
And you will have a great time without traffic congestion, guzzling gas, parking hassles and expense. Vacationing car-free allows you to experience an area directly, rather than isolating yourself in your car or a rental car.
Do you have a favorite vacation area that you enjoyed without a car? Let me know (and tell me if I can use your name, and whether first and last names or just first name is ok to use), and I’ll share this news with our readers. E-mail me at steve@carfreeamerica.org, or steveatlas@email.com.
