Fritz Kreiss and his wife, Catherine McQueen, are about to begin work on building the 19-room Green Leaf Inn in rural Delavan. Their plans are exciting and we wish them well.

And in that same article, Pinehurst Inn is recognized for being a leader in the Travel Green Wisconsin program. Tom points out some of the specific steps we’ve implemented. Every step taken is important, whether offering stainless steel water bottles or using renewable energy. Yet the more important concept is the overall approach – every decision is made with a full analysis of the environmental, the social and the economic impacts. How will this  decision affect our natural environment (carbon footprint), how will the decision impact our guests, our employees, our community? How will this decision impact our bottom line? It’s a thought process that becomes second nature.

We strongly encourage our friends and guests to use Travel Green Wisconsin as a resource when traveling in this fine state. Take a look at what many of our peers are doing throughout the state.

Pinehurst Inn is so pleased to be one of many wonderful examples of green tourism opportunities. We particularly appreciate this most recent post to her blog, Roads Traveled, which provides a quick peek at a few green efforts and philosophy of our business.

Bergin’s book  examines four categories of ecotourism: food and drink, lodging and retreats, nature and wildlife, and the old and the new, including festivals, parks, lodges, tours, farms, museums, nature centers, factories, wilderness areas, and retreats and more. A great must have for those seeking eco-friendly travel opportunities.

Thank you, Mary. And thank you to all the businesses, organizations and individuals who work to make these eco-friendly options available.

Tonight, all around the world, people will be shutting off their lights at 8:30pm as a part of this year’s Earth Hour celebration (http://earthhour.org/). It’s a great moment to pause and remember that in addition to the community and political organizing we do, committing to real change in our personal lives is important too.

We can start with turning off our lights, and use that moment to think deeply about how we can go “beyond the hour” (this year’s Earth Hour theme) and commit to making other changes in our personal lives – getting out of your car and onto your bike or feet, hanging up your clothes instead of popping them in the dryer, eating food that is locally grown.  We know these changes alone won’t get us to 350ppm, but they’re a part of the work we’ll need to do, and as organizers, it’s up to us to set the example of how we can all live happy, healthy, low carbon lives.

Watch the Earth Hour Video: http://youtu.be/RiBJC9x_ChQ

10/10/10 – A Global Work Party day organized by 350.org. For those who haven’t heard of 350.org here’s an overview:

350.org is an international campaign that’s building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis—the solutions that science and justice demand.

Our mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet.

This great organization, headed by writer and activist Bill McKibbon, has been spending months encouraging individuals, groups and organizations to create work parties in their own communities focusing on ways to lighten their footprint while putting pressure on local, state, national and international leader to take climate change seriously.

Interested in learning more? There are over 7300 events registered to be taking place today all over the world. 350.org website has tons of information.

At Pinehurst Inn in Bayfield, we consider every day a work day, but today, there will be time spent both making more biodiesel and getting into the native gardens. Baby steps, but very real in our world.

One of our more popular fall dishes is our Apple Cheddar Muffins, and of course we use apples from one of Bayfield’s many orchards. These muffins go very well both with an omelet at breakfast or with chicken or pork as a side dish.

We encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful time of year in Bayfield by taking advantage of the different fall promotions happening both at Pinehurst Inn, but throughout Bayfield. We are happy to be participating in the Bayfield Fall Harvest Lodging package. If you book 3 nights (Sun.-Thursday), you will receive 25% off of your third night AND a $25 Bayfield Gift Certificate good at any Bayfield Chamber member business.

So, while you enjoy your Labor Day holiday this weekend, don’t forget to make your fall plans and be sure to include Bayfield and the Pinehurst Inn.

This includes a wonderful group of inns that have innovative and creative practices highlighting their green efforts. Happy to be among such a great group.

More information on our sustainability efforts can be found on the Pinehurst Inn Website.

But then comes summer! The Bayfield Orchards provide a wonderful variety of fruits and berries. Local growers and smaller farms are great sources of vegetables, dairy and cheeses. When unable to source items locally, we work to identify food purveyors that provide organic and/or Midwest grown options.

Today we received a wonderful order of organic vegetables. The quantities are large enough to both use now and cut and freeze for those cooler months. The smells, the colors, the fresh taste – a little bit of heaven. These are the ingredients that come together to provide a delicious breakfast to start the day for our guests.

Life is good.

As a child, my family spent part of every summer on Madeline Island. And as our girls grew up, they too experienced this magical time each summer. One of the most exciting parts of our trips was the increased anticipation as we drove onto the Madeline Island Ferry to make our voyage across the bay to Madeline Island.

Now we watch our guests come and go, most making a decision to take this same journey over to Madeline Island. And many come back expressing the same joy at this unique form of transportation.  It seems that the ferry ride is the transport to a bit of another world.

• From the ferry, you are able to get a completely different view of Bayfield and the hills surrounding this small city – amazing in the fall!
• Taking the ferry in the evening for a quick dinner at Lotta’s Lakeside Cafe can be amazing with the sunset over the mainland as you return to Bayfield.
• Rough water? No fear – the captains maneuver these “boats” with amazing skill.

Madeline Island Ferry Line is also Travel Green Wisconsin certified – working on incorporating sustainable business practices that improve their bottom line. Examples include solar panels on the Ferry Terminal, use of biodegradable, vegetable based hydraulic fluids in engines and more.

Yup, taking the Madeline Island Ferry never ceases to give me joy. But then we get to Madeline Island itself….ah, there’s more to the story.

Enjoy history? Check out the house shows. Riding the Wind, the most familiar house show, is a beautiful historical musical perspective of Bayfield and the Apostle Islands, all to the backdrop of historic, beautiful photos. The music is performed by Blue Canvas Orchestra, a group of some of the most talented musicians we’ve heard.

The schedule for the summer also includes visiting performers such as Bela Fleck, Joan Baez, Brandi Carlile, Gaelic Storm and more. Check out the season schedule.

Big Top Chautauqua – a real taste of Bayfield, Wisconsin.