Living where I do, in New York’s Hudson Valley, I find that my locovore, foodie, and travel interests become intertwined, especially when I’m confined to traveling at home. I never thought I’d be into agritourism (I have enough trouble getting my own tomatoes weeded, thanks), but exploring my adopted home is opening my eyes to the attractions of traveling to the farm.

This is largely, I think, because the locovore and Slow Food movements have integrated within them the concept of story: the stories and the people and the places behind the food we eat. A loaf of bread might include not only the ingredients, but a short history of the idealistic baker whose dream was realized in this fresh, locally produced loaf. Buying produce at a farmer’s market often means an in-depth conversation with the farmer about the dirt that makes her tomatoes so darn tasty. And a hunk of cheese might be named after the cow its milk comes from.

At least, that’s the case with Sprout Creek Farm, Hudson Valley home of fine cheeses, a kitchen classroom, and lots and lots of really happy cows, goats, and pigs. (Not that they produce any pig cheese, but the pigs are there snorting and snoozing in the sun.)

We’ve been buying Sprout Creek’s cheese from our local grocery store, co-op, and through an organic farmstand for several years, but even though I checked out their website over a year ago we never managed to make it across the Hudson River and up towards Poughkeepsie. (Okay, it’s less than an hour’s drive, but if traveling doesn’t involve at least a 6-hour flight, I can be damned lazy.)

Autumn in the Hudson Valley is almost disgustingly pretty — the leaves, the cool, not-quite-sharp weather, the lingering light over tan fields of mown hay and corn stands. It’s perfect for driving. I might be all for public transport and wish I never had to own a car, but autumn-perfect days call for country rambles in your own auto. So we went.

Sprout Creek produces both grass-fed cow and goat cheeses, from the sharp Touissant to creamy Brie-like Rita (yes, from Rita the cow), on a 200-acre working farm in Dutchess County, New York. It started, we were told, not by a passion for fantastic cheese, but as a working teaching farm. Although its cheeses are getting wider notice and distribution, the farm’s focus is still on its educational programs. And you’re not talking one harvest festival for the kids per year. The farm is host to some 5,000 schoolchildren every summer, with high school kids getting a residential agricultural experience and day programs for younger kids.

I love places like this, and the services they provide to children, even if I don’t necessarily need it for my own son (we’ve got itinerant goats who give more than enough trouble). It’s just as crucial for kids to have an understanding of where their food comes from, as it is for them to touch other cultures in the big, wide world out there.

You don’t have to be a resident schoolkid to appreciate the farm, though. Any visitors are welcome to visit the animals. People separated from the goats and cows and pigs only by unobtrusive fences. Various signs around the property give information about flora, fauna, and the harmonizing layout of the farm.

Sprout Creek also has a weekend rental cabin for your normal adults wanting to escape the city for a few days. The farm is one of those peaceful, pastoral places. Well off of any many roads, it’s quiet day and night and offers rolling views over fields and herds so placid you almost wonder if you’ve wandered onto a period movie set.

But mostly there’s the cheese. The market offers a cheese-tasting counter where you can try pretty much anything the farm is currently making, including some experiments and several that my local stores weren’t carrying. We went home with Lizzy, a sharp hard goat’s cheese, and Eden, a more buttery aged cow’s cheese. Plus a hunk of smoked Ouray. We would have gone home with a lot more if we could have eaten it.

With the knowledgable staff giving us directions to the best lunch places nearby, and their invitation to bring a lunch next time — although the farm lacks a cafe, picnic tables on the grounds offer an awfully nice place for an outdoor snack, great for a toddler to roam around between bites — we knew we’d be back for frequent visits.

There’s a reason agritourism is becoming increasingly popular worldwide. Places such as Sprout Creek offer an escape, an educational visit, reconnection with nature, and good food all on one beautiful piece of property. Whether you live in a city or in the country, I recommend you look for similar places for a day’s outing — and share your finds with the rest of us!

Earlier this week, Sheila highlighted some of the best places to view Fall foliage but here in the Southern Hemisphere, we are heading not into Fall but into Spring.

So, instead of colourful autumn leaves, we are seeing fields of daffodils, flowering cherry trees, and flowers that lay dormant throughout winter wake up and blossom.

As far as I’m concerned, there’s no better place to view this springtime experience  in New Zealand than at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens.

Situated right in the heart of the city, the Christchurch Botanic Gardens is like a diverse living plant encyclopaedia, featuring over 10,000 exotic and indigenous plants, spread over 30 hectares.

It’s full of twisting and turning paths, a meandering river, long sweeping lawns, a tropical conservatory, and gardens that offer a variety of plants and flowers. During the winter, walking through the gardens is done as fast as possible while trying to stay warm and dry.

But as soon as Spring arrives, it’s a different story. The warmth of Spring entices us to slowly stroll around the gardens, taking time to look, admire, and be amazed by the colors and fragrances of the flowers on display.

The children run around, playing hide and seek behind the huge oak trees planted over a century ago and throw coins into the ostentatious Peacock Fountain.

 Built in the Edwardian era, the fountain had been dismantled in 1949 due to recurring maintenance problems. Five decades later, it was resurrected but not without controversy amidst locals (one letter to the newspaper described the fountain as looking ‘like a refugee from a confectioner’s nightmare’).

Today, it’s a popular drawcard for locals and tourists alike.

The Botanic Gardens really is the perfect place to relax from the pressures of the world. Take a book, a journal, and a camera and sit by the banks of the Avon river and be entertained by those attempting to steer kayaks and paddle boats.

Maybe even pack a picnic and make a day of it.

But on this spring day, we skipped the picnic and headed over to the Curator’s House Restaurant just inside the gates of the Botanic Gardens, for a light lunch. Once the official curators residence, this 1920s building is now home to an innovative restaurant serving Spanish-New Zealand style cuisine. Everything is fresh, including the herbs and vegetables handpicked from the adjoined organic garden.

Travel by cruise ship is not green according to this report released recently by the environmental group Friends of the Earth. Their report card which graded 10 major cruise ship lines found almost all of them are failing in their attempts to reduce pollution. The highest grade -  a “B” – went to Holland America Line. Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises each got a “B-minus, ” Carnival Cruise Lines received a “D-minus”, and  Disney Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International both got an “F”.

Ever wonder what happens to all the soap that gets thrown away in hotels?

Mostly, it just gets dumped.

But 40 hotels in Atlanta is participating in a ’soap for Africa program’. These hotels are collecting used hotel soap and recycling them for use in refugee camps in Uganda. It’s a great way to not only help the environment but also help fight the spread of disease.

Meanwhile, nature loving dinners should bookmark these tree house restaurants. Taking al fresco dining to the extreme, these restaurants, located around the world (including New Zealand), look like a fun and unique way to enjoy local cuisine.

Other green travel news tidbits…

Associated Press writes about how Cuba hopes green tourism can keep it in the black

SFGate looks at green souvenirs for Hawaii’s eco-friendly tourists.

Inhabitat reports on Vulcano Buono, an huge cone-shaped ‘green’ commercial center that’s been built in the Italian city of Nola.

Intelligent Travel introduces us to the Man Bikes Around the World With $2 in Pocket.

Green Dairy reports that Shanghai Expo 2010 to have a pavilion made from recylable plastic

Peter Greenberg writes about Rainforest Foraging in Costa Rica

Seattle Times reports on the Climate Passport kiosks at San Francisco Airport

And finally, the green destinations of the week are Providence, Rhode Island and Portland, Oregon

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Here in California wine country, there are many, many ways to visit wineries. Most people drive. Some go on bus tours. A few hire a limo. And the uber-fit ride bikes.

But as someone looking for fun filled adventure with my wine tasting, I knew there was really only one way to go – the ‘segway’ way.

Which is how I ended up standing in the carpark of the Sonoma Cheese factory earlier this week, watching Hunt Ballie, the owner of Sonoma Segways, unload a dozen segway transporters and set them up ready to roll. Assisted by ‘G’, his enthusiastic and entertaining employee, it didn’t take long to get everything in working order. Next came the requisite paperwork, helmet fitting, and a thorough segway operating tutorial that ensured that all twelve of us were feeling comfortable with our new toy means of transport.

One minute we were all standing nervously around the machines, wondering how in the world we would manage to control these monsters. Granted, I had ridden a segway before in Madrid, but it was a few years ago and  The next, we were zipping around the carpark, weaving in and out. We were definitely good to go.

With ‘G’ leading the way, we headed single file along the path, sounding like a swarm of bubble bees. Heads turned as we whizzed by, with kids pointing, and people asking ‘what’s that?’

First stop was gothic revival style home of General Mariano Vallejo, a Spanish native who played a large part in the evolution of California from Mexican district to American state. Named ‘Lachryma Montis’ (mountain tears), the house, interestingly, was one of the original kit-set houses ordered from Sears.

It would be the first of many photo stops while passing houses, shops, and vineyards on our way to Bartholomew Park Winery located at the top of a hill just two miles east of downtown Sonoma.

Hopping off the segways and heading for the tasting room, Ballie and ‘G’ gave us some sage advice – ‘taste in moderation’. Apparently ‘drunk in charge of segway’ isn’t part of the tour plan. And we still had plenty of segway riding to do. 

Bartholomew Winery offered not only wines easy on the palate, but also had a  small wine museum that documented this area’s colourful history.

But while the winery visit was interesting, the call of segway was hard to resist. We wanted to get going. To feel the wind against our faces. To be a child and play. By this time even the initially timid were zipping along with huge grins on their faces.

On the ride back to downtown Sonoma, we stopped at the Vella Cheese Co. where we toured the facility and then sat outside in the sun, tasting twelve varieties of cheese. A perfect moment. All that was missing was a glass of wine.

And then, all too soon, it was time to pack up and return the segway to the carpark.

Sure wish I could find time to do it all again.

It might be a natural wonder, but the Dead Sea can’t be entered into the New 7 Wonders of Nature contest because of politics.

The contest’s rules require that if a nominated site, such as the Dead Sea, is located in more than one country, all the countries involved must form an Official Supporting Committeee (OSC) by July 7. This doesn’t look like it will happen for the Dead Sea. Israel and Jordan,  two of the three countries which share the Dead Sea have signed on, but the third – Palestine – is refusing to do so. Nothing at all to do with natural beauty and wonder. Everything to do with politics and the continually volatile Middle East situation.

Disappointing really, as having the Dead Sea nominated and then possibly winning would help highlight the environmental threats it faces. Continual mineral extraction and human exploitation of the Jordan River feed waters has caused the Dead Sea to shrimk dramatically over the past 30 years.

Only a last minute re-think by the Palestinian Authorities would allow the Dead Sea to progress to the next stage of the contest in which internet voters around the world reduce the contestants down from 261 to 77.

From there a short list of 21 which will then be voted on to choose the final seven that will be announced in 2011

It‘s estimated that over a billion votes will be counted. Will yours be one of them?

And if so, which sites will you vote for?