Like peas and carrots

I just returned from a second, less eco-friendly, vacation to Minnesota. I realize driving 45 minutes to get to the Mall of America is probably a true tree-hugger's worst nightmare, but seriously... how could you go to Minneapolis and not go there?

When we returned home to a pretty tidy house and an empty refrigerator, I felt pretty good about myself for scrounging up a decent stir-fry meal using some stuff from my garden. My carrots didn't seem orange enough, and peas not abundant enough, but that's why stir-fry is so awesome. Just throw in what you have and hope for the best.

And just for the record, I've never trusted baby carrots. They seem really wet and taste weird. So when we bought a bag for the car, my 2-year-old ate a bunch and later threw them up in their nearly original state, I have to think I'm right on this.

Back to real life

It's been a week since my trip. That's how long it's taken me to recover. And yes... seriously. A commenter said smoothies with bananas, honey and milk cure hangovers. I could have used a kiddie pool filled with that concoction for the bad-boy I brought home.

The trip was great, except Amtrak ran into pretty major delays on the way back. Many people on board complained that this is why nobody takes the train.

But I'm reminded of a two-hour traffic jam during a vacation because an acid truck overturned. Or spending more than an hour on the runway waiting for a plane to depart.

Sure it's frustrating when a train stops for apparently no reason (they could do a better job of communicating delays), but I'd much rather be on a roomy train with a dining car stocked with wine and veggie burgers than circling over an airport during a storm.

The big green escape

I'm going away this weekend because A) I have a really incredible husband who understands a break is needed whenever I start contemplating selling the kids on eBay and B) I have a really incredible husband.

After I bought Amtrak tickets, I started thinking maybe I should have rented a car. It's about $80 cheaper than the train, and a lot faster.

That's before my incredible husband (he really is, and yes, I'll stop mentioning it) pointed out that with the distance I'm driving, it would actually be $20 more expensive if I drove straight there and back, was lucky enough to get a car that got 30mpg and gas prices don't go much higher than $4 a gallon.

Not to mention the missing relaxation factor I get from riding the train.

When traveling alone, a train is much more eco-friendly than either the car or plane (especially planes with one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases), so it just makes sense to grab an iPod and a couple of library books to help decompress after a steady stream of "mommy, mommy, mommy" during the last six months.

Grist recently ran a list of ways to green your trip and it's definitely worth checking out. Another tip: I always drink a ton of water when I travel, whether it's by plane, train or automobile. Bringing a reusable water bottle helps cut down on plastic waste.

Train photo by sheilaellen

Choo-choosing a better trip

With gas price, once again, at a record high, I feel really good about my overnight trip to Chicago. Amtrak has, once again, provided terrific service and made this little tourist trip easy on the nerves and the wallet.

It cost $120 for two to take the train at 7:30 a.m. Saturday (arriving about 2 1/2 hours later) and leaving at 5:15 p.m. Sunday. It's quite possible it would have been quicker to drive (2 hours if there is NO traffic or getting lost, an unlikely event with me behind the wheel). It might also have been a a tiny bit more in cash as the 180 mile trip would have cost $40 for gas and about $50 for overnight parking.

But, with no stress about navigating unfamiliar urban roads, the freedom to relax, read and listen to a podcast on the train and the experience of the train, I would always choose Amtrak over Ford.

And somehow we managed to never once use a cab. This meant more money for the important things — fantastic food from some of the best restaurants in the world.

Awesome reasons for not driving

Car rental.

When I was younger (pre-25, before I could legally rent a car) I thought car rental was based on convenience only, and charged for it.

Turns out, car rental is surprisingly affordable. We rent from Enterprise, which normally offers 50 percent off weekends. For a three-day getaway, we can rent a car for about $50.

Now, unless you're doing a trip every couple of weeks, it's totally cheaper than a car payment. Plus... the insurance for your primary car covers it (better check, but mine does). Plus, plus... no regular maintenance like oil changes and wiper replacements.

And the biggest plus... it's totally fun to try all these new cars. In the last year I traveled home pretty regularly and I got the same car maybe twice. And the cars are always kind of new and clean.

Much better than the clunker we're shlumping around town in.