Sustainable Travel Leap

  Looking for ways to tread lightly on the earth when you travel? Try green-certified independent inns to start, and then ask the innkeepers for recommendations on locally owned shops and restaurants. Spring always seems like the ideal time to talk about eco-lodging, what with Mother Nature waking from winter slumber, delicate plants and edibles poking through the once ice-crackled earth, and travelers eager to inhale the fresh air and exhale wind-chill hangovers.     Here in Wisconsin, we have a voluntary certification program called “Travel Green Wisconsin,” and we’re proud to say the Wisconsin B&B Association was a pioneer in this movement to promote eco-friendly travel. Among the many inns that are certified are Lake Ripley Lodge B&B in Cambridge with their new rain gardens boasting Native Wisconsin wildflowers, and Crystal River Inn in Waupaca, who serve food from their garden, harvest local wild fruit, and make all their jellies and jams. [caption id="attachment_2315" align="alignleft" width="260"] Lake Ripley Lodge B&B[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2316" align="alignright" width="263"] View from Crystal River Inn[/caption]                 Going above and beyond what Travel Green Wisconsin requires are Pinehurst Inn B&B in Bayfield, which was named one of the “Top 10 Eco-friendly Inns” by BedandBreakfast.com and received the 2014 Wisconsin Governor’s Stewardship Award, and Artha Sustainable Living Center in Amherst, where guests appreciate local, organic food and are welcome to attend the yoga studio’s weekly classes. You can find a more complete list of travel green certified inns on our website. [caption id="attachment_1394" align="alignleft" width="300"] Pinehurst Inn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1395" align="alignright" width="268"] Artha Sustainable Living Center[/caption]                 But the Wisconsin B&B Association’s commitment to the environment doesn’t stop there. We’re also proponents of “conscious travel,” with innkeepers always happy to suggest ideas for shopping local, dining at locally owned restaurants, and visiting attractions that preserve the history and culture of the community. We’re all in this together!

WBBA Seek the Unique

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Think Green - Warm Up with Us – B&B Getaway Giveaway

Think GREEN … not what’s deep under the snow or St Paddy’s Day, but “traveling green”.  Innkeepers are doing their part to protect our environment while you enjoy a getaway in comfort and style.  Think earth-friendly cleaning & laundry products and a breakfast that supports local farmers – or features juicy tomatoes right from the inn’s garden. WBBA is honored to have as members Pinehurst Inn (Bayfield) which earned the highest score, and Artha Sustainable Living Center (Amherst) at #2 in Travel Green Wisconsin’s certification program. And, you can win a 2-night stay at either inn by entering our facebook contest!  On a final note, about 40 B&Bs throughout the state have earned their Travel Green certification. [caption id="attachment_1407" align="aligncenter" width="230"]Travel Green in eco-elegance at Pinehurst Inn located in Bayfield. Travel Green in eco-elegance at Pinehurst Inn located in Bayfield.[/caption]  

Green is the Favorite Color of Wisconsin B&Bs

Top o' the morning to ya! For St. Patrick's Day (and every day really), green is in at these Travel Green Wisconsin certified B&Bs. The Wisconsin B&B Association has long been a leader in eco-friendly travel long before the green travel movement became more formalized. So many of our innkeepers source food locally - either from local producers or their own gardens. They restore historic homes rather than having them be lost to history. And they are incredible caretakers for the land that surrounds their inns, whether it's hundreds of acres of rolling hills or a small corner lot in the city. We think you'll find a pot of travel gold at the end of the rainbow with any of the nearly 50 inns that have made green their favorite color.
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