Make Your Holiday Gifts Count

Sure, you could give everybody on your gift list a pair of gloves, a scarf or a box of chocolates they don't need and might not even like. Or, you could make your gift really count and give a donation to an international charity in the name of your friend, relative or boss.

Here are some suggestions for giving green to legitimate charities which help the poor and the sick around the world --

Doctors Without Borders -- There's an urgent need for funds to help in Zimbabwe, which is suffering a killing outbreak of cholera. This group's doctors and nurses have treated more than 11,000 victims since August. Thousands have died, including entire families.

Heifer International -- As little as $20 will buy a flock of baby chicks, ducklings or geese that can lay eggs to feed a family, grow up and breed more chickens, ducks or geese that can be sold to support the family -- and the eggs those animals produce start expand the cycle to the next family. Heifer International has programs in South America and Asia.

Red Cross -- No explanation needed.

Taj Hotel, Mumbai, India -- The terrorist attack in November killed more than 100 people and injured hundreds more, at the historic Taj Hotel and other locations in the city that used to be called Bombay. The owners of the Taj -- which suffered millions of dollars in damage -- have started a Trust Fund for victims. There is no website for donations -- email tpswtrust@tajhotels.com for instructions on how to donate.

Statue of Liberty - Ellis Island Foundation -- You can search the database for free, and find the name of your grandparent or great-grandparent, and the name of the boat he or she arrived on to the United States. Or, donate something to help keep those records free, by adding a name to the Wall of Honor -- buy your relative's name to be inscribed on that wall.

Any of these gifts are more valuable than another pair of gloves, don't you think?

And if you wonder about how good a charity is, check Charity Navigator, which rates charities based on how much of your donation goes to the people or service -- and how much the fund-raiser keeps. You will be surprised. Even shocked.

Top Travel Deals for Holidays and New Year

As bad as the economic headlines are, just one-quarter of us are dropping holiday travel plans -- according more than 1,400 people surveyed by the the travel planning website Kayak. And those people might be tempted by all the deals and bargains to help you save green -- as in green dollars.

Hotels, resorts and destination cities are getting pretty creative, too, with their travel deals. And some of them extend into the new year:

Virginia -- Ooh, baby, it's cold outside, and the colder it is, the less you'll pay for a room. Participaing hotels in Fairfax County -- just outside Washington, D. C. -- are freezing their room rates on weekends through December 27, 2008, to match the temperature outside. A room rate of $27 will certainly warm my heart, even if 27 degrees is freezing my body parts. Or whatever the temperature is at noon on Saturday at Dulles International Airport. Make your reservation at least 72 hours in advance, and no, the deal does not extend to January and the inauguration celebration events for Barack Obama.

Las Vegas -- Through January 30, 2009, you can get 30 percent off your bill at the MGM Grand or the Signature at MGM Grand just by paying with your MasterCard®. The discount applies to dining, entertainment and spa purchases at both resorts when they are charged to your hotel bill. Room rates start at $89 at MGM Grand and $149 for suites at The Signature. Just don't gamble away your savings in the casinos!

Delta and Hilton -- Are you a member of either -- or both -- of their frequent flyer, frequent guest programs? Delta SkyMiles and Hilton HHonors? If not, hurry up and join so you can get six times the miles with the airline program with each stay of two nights or more at a participating Hilton hotel worldwide, through February 28, 2009. Act fast, because this 6x bonus won't last long.

Intercontinental Hotels -- Sometimes, souvenir shopping is the difference between carry-on that' s still free and checking a bag for the flight home for whatever your airline is charging this week, anywhere from $20 to $50. If you are staying at a participating InterContinental Hotel through January 2, 2009, they'll ship home -- free -- one box per room, up to 30 pounds, via standard shipping service, to anywhere within the continental U.S. Just show up with your loot at the hotel's business center with the goodies and proof of purchase and leave the rest to them. Of course, if you want to ship home holiday gifts from that family visit, you'll have to ask Aunt Sylvia for the receipt, which could be dicey, if your Aunt Sylvia is like mine.

Ah, yes, many ways to save green when you travel this holiday season.

Travel Insurance -- Why You Need It

The question is not whether you should have travel insurance when you travel, the question is which kind you should have.

This week, the India terror attack devastated the city of Mumbai, and the Bangkok Airport was shut down by political demonstrations, stranding more than 200,000 tourists for more than a week. Last year, a baggage snafu at London's Heahtrow Airport delayed flights for days and baggage for longer.

Missed connections, misplaced or damaged luggage, an unexpected accident or illness in the family before or during a trip, the unrest after a disputed election, such as occurred in Kenya recently, a strike or work stoppage by airline or train workers, even forgetting your passport for departure or losing it en route -- these are all reasons you should not leave home without travel insurance, travel medical insurance, or both.

So, which kind to get? Start with travel insurance that covers trip cancellation.

Without trip cancellation insurance, you are at the mercy of airlines, which can charge as much as ten times the price of your original, discounted, advance-purchase ticket for a replacement. Without trip cancellation insurance, your hotel might charge you a 'no-show' fee that's half the cost of the room, even if they rent it to somebody else.

Basic policies also cover delayed baggage, so you can buy yourself a toothbrush and a clean t-shirt and be re-imbursed.

And many travel insurance policies cover medical care away from home that is not covered by your regular health insurance policy. So, it is especially important for U. S. travellers over 65 to have travel insurance with a medical component, since Medicare does not cover medical care outside the United States.

Generally, travel insurance policies have a medical cap at $5,000 or $10,000, which -- generally -- is enough for a family reunion with grandma in Scotland, or the first ski trip with the grandchildren in Lake Tahoe. And, generally, travel insurance policies cover everybody travelling together on a family trip. But you have to read the fine print to be sure.

If you are going on that once-in-a-lifetime trip -- travel to see the penguins in Patagonia, or the blue boobies in the Galapagos, or hiking the rugged trails of the Caucusus -- you should consider a travel insurance policy that includes helicipter evacuation from even the most remote area. Such as what is offered by MedJet Assist, which will even fly you home in a special med-evac aircraft. Expensive? If you had to pay for it out-of-pocket, it could cost $15,000, or more. But your entire family is covered for $350 a year. Now that's green travel -- saving green!

Here are other travel insurance companies I recommend --

• Access America
• Insure My Trip
• TravelGuard International
• I Travel Insured
• Programs offered by American Express, Visa, MasterCard

You can compare them by checking Travel Insurance Review, a non-biased industry organization. And be sure to check your homeowner's policy, even your auto insurance policy for hidden gems of coverage.

Another advantage of insurance is that it gives you one place to call to arrange all the details, including re-imbursement.

Historic Santa Monica Hotel Re-Opens With Green Features

It's not unusual for the beautiful ladies of Santa Monica to get a facelift when they reach that 'certain age'. When the legendary grande dame is the historic Hotel Shangri-La, that body-re-building costs $30 million. The result is a sleek new look with equally modern green amenities and practices.

The Hotel Shangri-La sits on Ocean Avenue, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, a spot where you can't help being aware of the environment. There are ocean views from nearly every room.

Hotelier Tehmina Adaya says, "Hotels are notoriously one of the biggest offenders to the environment, and we wanted to challenge this idea by incorporating easy elements to eliminate excessive and unnecessary waste." What this Art Deco gem is doing to be sustainable and eco-friendly includes --

• bath amenities from Natura Green. Packaging is made recycled paper and bottles are bio-degradable (made from a cornstarch based product), and all products are non-animal tested.


• $5.00 off Overnight Valet Parking for guests driving a hybrid vehicle.


• Bottled Water provided from Natura Waters. All carbonization and filtration will be done on-site and glass bottles are sanitized and re-used.


• Non-toxic, organic cleaning products used for housekeeping.


• An Electric Cart for hotel staff to use for running local errands.


• All paper products and stationary printed on recycled paper.


• Rooms furnished with Dual Flush low flow toilets.


• Newspapers will be delivered to guest rooms upon request, not as a standard, to save thousands of copies that are never read.


• The restaurant is being supplied by local vendors and purveyors, and the wine list features primarily American wines to help lower carbon impact.


• There are double layered the windows to prevent loss of heat and air conditioning, and compact fluorescent lighting is used throughout the hotel.


• Even the pool is eco-friendly -- it is solar heated.

Hotel Shangri-La also has partnered with a recycling agency to pick up all bottles and cardboard, since recycling bins are not a standard city service in Santa Monica.

They've also partnered with Midway Car Rental agency, which offers the largest selection of hybrid cars and is located blocks from hotel. Their fleet includes the Toyota Prius, Lexus RX400 SUV and LS600 sedan, Chevy Tahoe and Toyota Camry.

Hotel Shangri-La is an architectural gem and historic landmark. Built in 1939, it is an Art Deco beauty combined with Hollywood allure and Los Angeles history.

Taos Combines White Snow and Green Policies

There are two major changes for New Mexico's legendary Taos Ski Valley this winter season. First, it is the first full season in which snowboarders are able to share the slopes with skiers. Taos was one of the last ski-only hold-outs in the U.S., allowing boards for the first time only at the end of last season.

The other biggest change will be that 100 percent of Taos Ski Valley’s electricity will now come from renewable sources. In a partnership with Kit Carson Electric, Taos Ski Valley will purchase approximately 3,000,000 kilowatt hours of wind power and will no longer rely on traditional coal-produced electricity.

The resort is the region's largest energy consumer, and the switch to wind power is expected to encourage other large energy consumers and ski resorts in New Mexico to consider switching to renewable energy to run chairlifts and other amenities. Other green practices include replacing older two-stroke snowmobiles with new, cleaner-burning four-stroke snowmobiles, and more modern, more efficient snow-making compressors.

Taos Ski Valley also offers guests a unique "SkiGreen" program, which lets you offset 150 miles of the carbon produced from your travel. Add the SkiGreen tag to a lift ticket for just $2 or to a season pass for $20. SkiGreen is a partnership between the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and other leaders in the winter sports industry.

Employees also contribute to keeping the valley green. Instead of each employee driving an average of 30 miles round-trip every day for work, they will now park their cars at a central location and carpool in a company vehicle. The resort estimates this new program will eliminate more than 150 miles of driving each week, and help reduce carbon emissions in the ski valley

It's not just a winter thing. The resort works with the National Forest Service every summer to plant grass to keep soil from eroding on the ski and snowboard trails. Also, as the area grows, more runs are being thinned into glades instead of clear-cutting them into open trails.

Taos joins a growing list of winter resorts switching to wind power. Most definitely, these travel destinations are the green leaders.

Holiday Travel Deals for Tough Times

The economy is the bad news. The good news is that the bad news is causing hotels and airlines to drop prices for the holidays, so there are plenty of travel bargains -- if you know where to look and move quickly, before the deals disappear.

For the entire month of January through February 16, 2009, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants is offering 20 percent off the best available rate for all hotel suites at more than 30 participating Kimpton hotels, most of which are downtown in cities like Boston, Salt Lake City, Denver, and Chicago. Often, Kimpton hotels go under the name Hotel Monaco, so it's best to check the website to find a participating hotel in the city you want to visit. Additionally, Kimpton, is offering breakfast for $1 for guests who book a best-available-rate stay at participating hotels between now and March 1, 2009. Suite deal!

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide also has a discount offer, from now until March 31, 2009. For every night you stay with Starwood, the next night can be 50 percent off. The promotion is valid at the company's nearly 500 hotels in the U. S., Canada and the Caribbean, including the W brand, Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton, Four Points by Sheraton, AloftSM, ElementSM. The promotion is called Better Tomorrows -- and don't we all hope things will be better tomorrow than they are today.

Under the Starwood discount program, a two-day NYC weekend escape at the W New York averages $598 instead of $798, and a four-day fall family getaway to the Westin San Francisco will average $507 instead of $676. If you book a six-night winter vacation at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa in Hawaii could save $308, more than enough for a hula lesson.

Alaska Airlines Vacations is giving away three nights and tickets to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Just book a four-night package by Dec. 20, 2008, for travel Jan. 4 through June 27, 2009, and get three additional nights free including theme park tickets. If you book a seven-night package and travel by March 29th, the deal includes a $200 gift card. There are some restrictions -- seats are limited and there are blackout dates -- so don't delay.

The US dollar has gained 15% against the Euro and 20% against the British pound in recent weeks, so the combination of the stronger dollar, lack of crowds and deals and discounts just increases the appeal for a winter escape. American Airlines is offering a free companion ticket for future travel to Britain if you book a round-trip ticket between now and December 31, 2008. Remember to use the promotion code UKCMP.

Hyatt Hotels Switches to Filtered Water

No more bottled water at Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. The company is switching from all those plastic throwaway bottles to filtered water -- which saves two kinds of green -- money and the environment.

According to the Container Recycling Institute, Americans buy an estimated 35.8 billion plastic water bottles each year, and fewer than 20% of those bottles are recycled. Additionally, the Pacific Institute in Oakland, California, estimates that the energy required to produce each water bottle is equivalent, on average, to filling a quarter of a plastic bottle with crude oil.

So, providing filtered water to hotel guests makes sense. So does filtering your own water at home and refilling a re-usable bottle to take to the gym, work, and other daily travel errands.

Hyatt has contracted with Natura Water Inc. to provide guests in its restaurants with a healthy, safe, environmentally responsible alternative to bottled water. It's the first hotel company to work with Natura on a nationwide basis.

The Natura water system removes impurities from the local water source while retaining healthy minerals – thus eliminating the need for bottled water and the waste associated with its use. The system dispenses the water – still or sparkling – into specially designed re-usable glass bottles with sealed caps.

Right now, the filtered water is available at restaurants at Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place in Chicago, Hyatt Regency Phoenix, Hyatt Regency Reston in Virginia, Grand Hyatt Dallas Fort Worth and Grand Hyatt New York. Hyatt is planning to add more hotels to the filtered water over the next several months.

So, a giant green kiss to Hyatt for this eco-friendly decision. Perhaps it will be copied by Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Ramada, Embassy Suites, and other hotel chains not mentioned.