This summer, as many plan their vacation destinations, a re-occurring theme is seen and felt – the rising cost of petroleum impacts travel plans.  Although it does impact my travel adventures as well, after living in other countries and paying almost $4.00 per liter over 12 years ago, I am less likely to complain about the rising costs.  Truthfully, I believe after 10 years of fighting, enough doubt has been created and/or substantiated suggesting the current war was about OIL.  This leaves our conscious communities considering new ways to conserve all forms of energy, and products that have so much blood attached to them. 

In our current societal structure there is no way to remove our dependency to petroleum products in a timely manner.  When “accidents” like the Deepwater Horizon, off the Gulf Coast occur – we can no longer ignore the resulting damage to planet, people and our future!  So as we consider our freedoms, imagine the dependence we have to product that is in over 6,000 daily products.  We can’t get this product out of our life, even if we tried.  Just for your entertainment and knowledge, here’s a partial list of daily products that are made with petroleum.

Now that you realize your “freedom” might be in question, perhaps the idea of a perfectly wonderful exotic local adventure will fill your imagination and your tank!   A little research might be necessary, but ultimately, the time invested in planning your day, weekend or summer vacation will be work it’s weight in silver.   Any ideas where to begin the search?   If you live in Tennessee, there are 53 State Parks open to visitors and offering endless outdoor adventures for those who wish to embrace our natural goodness.

We’ve created a list with a few links to help get the ball rolling as you decide what type of exotic (local) adventure is desired and whether it will be an indoor or outdoor activity. We would love to hear the creative ways you found to have fun, enjoy the summer, save money while being socially aware of the responsibility we have to the planet and people!

eventful.com/

meetup.com

tribe.net

couchsurfing.org/

yogafinder.com/