I am a little tired of “going green,” as most companies just say it rather than do it! Here are a few examples:

- ADP Payroll Services: GT uses ADP, and they recently stopped sending us (and all companies) a year-to-date payroll by employee sheet (something that really is needed). This report can be sent by request as they are trying to be “green.” Then why do they send several payroll reports with multiple sheets that say “This page intentionally left blank”?

- Travel + Leisure magazine: They print a small recycle logo with “Please recycle this magazine” under their masthead. When I first saw the recycle symbol, I was wowed that they were using recycled paper, but then I looked closely and noticed they were not. I thought this was a little misleading and took advantage of the people who really try to go green. For those not in the printing and publishing business, recycled paper is considerably more expensive, as much as 30 percent more.

- Our own printer: They tried to send us our bills via email. I put a stop to that. I am not spending my time, paper and ink printing these out for them. Imagine me in Hong Kong, Rome or Barcelona, trying to remember to print and mail all this stuff when I return. Their green efforts were not very green for me!

- A major hotel chain: They requested only one copy of Global Traveler be sent to them for all their staff. Once received, it would be passed around from person to person because they are going green. Well, that is great, but we are a printed magazine and limiting our access to decision-makers is simply unfair. Imagine if I said they could only have one hotel in each city as we thought it was wasteful otherwise!

Recycling is a good thing, but being a recycling Nazi or abusing the trend when you are really doing nothing is wrong.

Print is here to stay; readers like it. There is something about the feel of print, kicking back and reading a book or magazine on the train, plane or beach. Electronic media does not have the same pass-along quality; it is not as random. And the random nature of reading a magazine or newspaper opens one to other areas of interest.

I hate to inform my bloggy readers, but the electronic world has not created a paperless office, it has created more paper! Letters that would have been written once now have drafts upon drafts — this includes important emails as well. Years and years ago, when executives had secretaries, letters were drafted and revised less often. The electronic means of creating letters (computers) has created even more revisions and more paper.

The good thing is that all this paper can be recycled, if properly sorted. Jackie Adam has started a recycling bin in our office, and I should contribute more. New York City is a champion of recycling. As long as newspapers and magazines are bundled together and separated, they are recycled, and many are turned into the famous NYC pizza boxes.

So, go green, but mean it. Recycle, it works. But, above all, don’t be a green abuser!

-Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

I took an impromptu trip to Albany via Amtrak, along the Hudson River. The ride is a mere 2.5 hours and is one of the most beautiful views from a train in the United States. The other incredible part of this area is its close proximity to New York City.

The tracks that were used were originally part of the New York Central Railroad and Delaware and Hudson Railroad Systems. The trip includes stops in Yonkers, Poughkeepsie, Hudson and Albany. All the while, you are traveling level with the Hudson River as it changes mile to mile. From an urban river to a wide passage of commerce to marshes and estuaries, the Hudson River is an excellent example of the effectiveness of environmental clean-up. Once an industrial dump, the Hudson, called Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, has been cleaned up to support bird life and fish species it had not seen in decades. In 1983, the river, from NYC to Hudson Fall, was declared a Superfund site. GE will be dredging the river to remove PCBs that are still in the riverbed. This dredging will take place at its own expense because of its part in the pollution of the Hudson.

The train was continuing to Toronto, stopping in Saratoga Springs, Buffalo and a few other stops. The Amtrak Web site says, “Along the way, you’ll travel through the beautiful Hudson River Valley, New York’s wine country, the incredible gorges of the Finger Lakes region, nearby the dramatic spectacle of Niagara Falls.”

The trip was a real treat, close to NYC, and a wonderful route taken through a historic region and a beautiful part of the country.

-Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

For the rest of my journey through the Columbia River Gorge, I follow Interstate 84 on the Oregon side, a route that hugs the riverbank and allows water-level views of the action on the river–salmon  fishermen, commercial barge traffic, windsurfers and waterfowl. Still some 70 miles from Portland but on the drier, sunnier side of the Cascade Mountains, the vegetation is still fairly sparse and dominated by pines, grass and sagebrush–along with cultivated orchards and vineyards. Each mile further west, though, green becomes more prevalent. Pines give way to Doug fir; sage to salal, wild rhodedendrons and ferns. With the green comes moisture: low-lying clouds drape themselves between ridges and shroud the upper reaches of cliffs and mountains. The river goes from blue-green to gray, but there is something satisfyingly moody and mysterious to the shifting atmosphere.

Just before approaching the last great hydroelectric dam on the river, Bonneville (Dad never fails to remark that “Me and some other fellas built that”–a reference to a distant college-summer job–whenever the subject comes up), I pass the Bridge of the Gods, a name which never fails to evoke a romantic appreciation for the native lore surrounding the site. The current bridge is a modern steel structure, but geologists tell us that at one time there was indeed a great stone landbridge here. They speculate that it was originally created as a result of massive landslides which for a time completely blocked the Columbia. Eventually the river broke through but left a stone arch in place spanning the water, which in turn finally collapsed, perhaps as late as 1700, when there is evidence of an enormous Cascadia earthquake. That’s what the scientists say, but I far prefer the ancient legends of great gods battling over a beautiful maiden, providing explanations for the one-time natural bridge and the three mountains that loom over it today: Hood, Adams and St. Helens.

Some 30 miles from Portland I pass numerous twisted ribbons of white, waterfalls spilling over the high black cliffs and between walls of lush vegetation to the river below. They are dominated by Multnomah Falls, a cascade plunging 620 feet and providing a beautiful rest stop (or a challenging climb on a trail to the top) for those so inclined.

Not far beyond this point the interstate passes from between the towering basalt walls of the Gorge and out into the broad floodplain of the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette rivers. As always, I emerge rejuvenated by the sights and history I have passed through, looking forward to my next journey through.

Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader 

As the cold weather begins to creep in, I find myself daydreaming of a sunny beach somewhere on a remote island, sipping fruity drinks and napping in the warmth of the mid-afternoon sun. I act like I want to be somewhere warm for the holidays, but the truth of the matter is, the one year my family and I spent Christmas with relatives in Florida, I did not like warm weather on Christmas Day!

In 1999, my family decided we would be ringing in the new millennium on a Carnival cruise ship. This trip was met by much resistance from my end. I didn’t want to spend Christmas in Clearwater, Florida - warm temperatures and palm trees do not translate to Christmas for me. Plus, I wanted to open presents under my own tree on Christmas morning. I like our Christmas morning routine, and I didn’t want the routine disturbed. Not to mention, at 16, I wanted to spend New Year’s Eve, especially that one, with my friends. And I didn’t really buy any of the hype that the world was ending, but if it did, I didn’t want to be stuck on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean!

We have a pretty small family, all in the same general area, so this was my first time really traveling for the holidays. I was not looking forward to the traffic, crowds, lines, etc., etc., etc. In my mind, there were no positives in the situation. But, guess what, I had a great time! Once I got over the warm weather on Christmas Day, which I didn’t love, I was able to have fun, especially on the cruise, which was a ton of fun. My family jokes that they didn’t see me the whole trip. I did spend the Millennium with friends - my new cruise ship friends. And spending that week between Christmas and New Year’s hopping from the Grand Cayman to Cozumel, Mexico, back to New Orleans and Tampa, wasn’t so bad after all! So, as long as I have cold weather on Christmas (it doesn’t feel right otherwise!), I’ll take the warm weather, beaches and poolside lounging the rest of the time! I won’t be convinced otherwise - it’s gotta be cold on Christmas Day!

-Kimberly Krol, eFlyer editor, circulation and public relations executive

In the coming months my husband and I will be hunting for our next home, now that it seems our Washington house is sold (until the money is in the bank, I am hedging to avoid jinxing myself!). In the midst of the flurry of counter offers and moving plans this past week, Global Traveler’s editor in chief Lisa Matte sent me some encouraging words. She shared some of the characteristics and features she would look for if she had the opportunity to pick out a new abode, and it reminded me that while I’m having to say good bye to a really lovely house that has been a welcoming home to our family and friends, I can look forward to finding another great new place. What do I want most in that new home? Hmmmm . . .

 One of the shows Harry and I watch fairly regularly is House Hunters on HGTV. We shake our heads when a couple lists their “must-haves” and then proceeds to pick a place that doesn’t seem to come close to those ideals. Or they’ll walk through a home and focus on details which don’t match what they want but are readily fixable, even though the basic layout of the home, neighborhood and lot (not-so-easy-to-change features) match their expressed wants and needs. Of course, when I go house hunting, I will be completely logical and unemotional–a real estate agent’s dream! (And, thankfully, there will be no camera crew around to record any evidence to the contrary.)

Okay, so here’s the list we’ll give our agent (I have not consulted on every item with my dear husband, but he will certainly have the good sense to agree with me completely):  The house should be no more than 10 years old (Harry is a fabulous cook but not much of a do-it-yourselfer), have at least three bedrooms and two baths, preferably on one level (we’re not getting any younger!), an oversized 2-car garage, and a great kitchen (gas stove preferred) open to family room/great room which will allow for lots of entertaining. There should be plenty of storage space–cabinets and pantry in the kitchen, roomy closets throughout–and a livable floor plan without a lot of wasted space (at least 2,000 sq. ft., won’t need more than 2,500 or so). Desired, but not absolutely necessary, would be two sinks in the master bath (contributes greatly to matrimonial harmony, we’ve learned) a wood stove or fireplace in the main living space (great for both heat and ambiance) and a good-sized window with a nice view over the kitchen sink (one way to make washing the dishes a little more tolerable).

As for the location, I’ve come to appreciate living on a hill as opposed to in a valley (as long as I’m not on the edge of a hill that is prone to sliding in torrential rains). I would want a lot that gets plenty of sun but also has room for some sizeable, attractive trees. The house should be placed so that the back patio/deck is shaded from hot afternoon sun and yet the rooms get plenty of natural light–especially during our dark, dank, short winter days. I’d like room for a vegetable and herb garden that would get sunlight all day, a modicum of lawn to set off nice, deep flower beds and borders, and a driveway that allows at least four guests to park their cars on it while not being so large that I couldn’t clear it of a few inches of snow in a half-hour or so.

As for the community, give me a neighborhood with a nice mix of families with kids of all ages, older folks who can tell you about how it all was 50 years ago, and young singles or couples with a lot going on. I’d like to be able to walk to a park or small shops and find that my fellow citizens agree with me that funding schools, public safety, libraries and parks are important in creating a livable and humane environment.

That’s not too much to ask for, is it? I guess I’ll find out in the coming months!

I’d love to hear what you have found essential to you in a great living space–I’m all ears!

Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader