Sustainable Vacationing: Ecotourism

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THOUGH FAR-FLUNG plane jaunts and cruise tours can pack on the CO2 pounds, green-leaning globetrotters needn't despair. These days, conscientious travelers can trim their eco-tracks at a growing number of destinations that give sustainability top billing. And as more places get hip to green, their wanderlust-appeal has widened from a handful of granola-toting hippies to even the most slicked-back urbanites. But just what does "green travel" mean, anyway?

"Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people," explains Ayako Ezaki, spokeswoman for the International Ecotourism Society. "The people that live in a community can't be separate from the ecosystem."

Lucky for Washingtonians, a bounty of Earth-happy spots can be found right here in the Mid-Atlantic. Even better: Staying close to home is gentler on the planet and your wallet.

» Restaurant at Patowmack Farm
Locavores with a hankering for farm-fresh fare savor country-cooking-gone-chic chow at the certified-organic Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, where dinner is grown sustainably on-site and at nearby farms. Hugging a Potomac riverbank in rural Loudoun County, the farm's glass-paneled dining conservatory overlooks the Civil War-era Point of Rocks Bridge and sets a scene ripe for special occasion brunches and dinners. Think nattily dressed brunchers sipping mimosas; twinkling white string lights illuminating a sunset dinner; your party's name stamped on the menu, carefully rolled and bow-tied with satin ribbon. Dig in to Chef Christopher's artfully delish dishes: creamy leek and pecorino risotto sprinkled with purple basil, grass-fed Hedgeapple Farm beef sirloin, waffles and sherried apples drizzled with maple syrup and pine nuts. What's that fascinatingly unfamiliar flavor? Oh, just the rarely tasted bouquet of fresh-picked ingredients sans glaze o' pesticide.
Details: 42461 Lovettsville Rd., Lovettsville, Va., 540-822-9017, patowmackfarm.com. Reservations required.

» Black Ankle Vineyard
Wend along backwoodsy Maryland roads to Black Ankle Vineyard, a buzzy new estate farm in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Surrounded by neat rows of grape vines, the cheery yellow tasting room is a tutorial on eco-friendly construction, built from locally milled wood harvested from the vineyard's forest and insulated with straw bales grown on-site. Once inside, belly up to the glossy bar — cobbled together from crushed grape vines, then lacquered smooth — and sample Black Ankle's sustainable vintages, from the tart white Albarino to the full-bellied red? Crumbling Rock (which notably snatched the 2008 Maryland Governor's Cup before Black Ankle had even opened shop). Once you've picked your favorite vino, relax with a generous pour and plate of local Maryland cheeses as you perch in the wrap-around booth inside or from a wooden rocking chair on the terrace. Curious oenophiles can join weekend winery tours.
Details: 14463 Black Ankle Rd., Mt. Airy, Md., 301-829-3338; Blackankle.com.

» Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship
Pack a picnic to Purcellville's Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship, an 894-acre tract of crunchy woods, streams, wildflower-speckled meadows and a bird-watcher's flight of fancy. Get your bearings at the red-roofed resource center, stocked with trail maps, nature magazines, bird identification guides, binoculars and kids' birding packs free to check out. Then plot a course around the preserve's 10 hiking trails, making sure to wander the Birds of the Ridge Trail Loop, dotted with 12 interpretive signs and prime perches for spying on 130 species of chirping warblers, sparrows and wrens. Greet the gaggle of snorting pigs, goats and roosters moseying around the farmyard at the organic Mountain View Farm, an on-site historic farmstead that sprouts all-natural zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, garlic, spring onions, basil, medicinal herbs and bouquet-ready flowers. Overnighters can call ahead to pitch a tent ($5 a camper) in an open field or meadow, with a wooden pavilion and readymade campfire pit. Each fourth Saturday of the month, local naturalists lead free birding walks.
Details: 11661 Harpers Ferry Rd., Purcellville, Va., 540-668-7640, blueridgecenter.org. Donations welcome.

» Savage River Lodge
Bed in one of 18 eco-luxe log cabins at Savage River Lodge, a sustainable retreat wedged cozily among 700 acres of western Maryland's lush Savage River State Forest. Snap up a rental bike from the lodge's fleet and hit the nearby Allegheny Passage Bike Trail — fuss-free when you opt for their bike shuttle service, complete with packed lunch. Plus: nature geo-caching, bird watching (50-plus species), bonfires/s'mores, fly-fishing and a comfy-swank restaurant with a wood-fired brick oven and handmade maple syrup from on-site sap.
Details: 1600 Mt. Aetna Rd., Frostburg, Md., 301-689-3200, savageriverlodge.com.

» Miracle Farm B&B Spa and Resort
Veg out naturally at Miracle Farm B&B Spa and Resort, eight miles outside Floyd, Virginia — a certified green lodge surrounded by a tangle of wild, native flora (blackberries, milkweed, yarrow), 60-year-old hardwood forest and bamboo grove, plus a network of gently flowing springs, creek and river. Book the two-story farmhouse or one of three snug cottages; relish four-course organic vegetarian breakfasts cooked with garden-grown ingredients and delivered right to your room; pamper yourself at the spa (Pilates, deep-tissue massages, acupressure, hot rock massages, aromatherapy with organic oils).
Details: 179 Ida Rose Ln., Floyd, Va., 540-789-2214, miraclefarmbnb.com.

» SouthEast Expeditions
Kayak the Eastern Shore of Virginia on a SouthEast Expeditions trip led by a certified "eco-tour guide," at your service for pointing out wildlife (Great Blue Herons, pelicans, piping clovers, periwinkle snails and the occasional dolphin or sea turtle). Nearly 40 trip varieties range from popular two-hour beginner paddles through the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge ($45) to multi-day trips based out of a century-old oystermen cabin ($595 for three days and two nights), plus half-day and daylong trips with fun themes like wine and blue crabbing.
Details: 611 Mason Ave., Cape Charles, Va., 757-331-2680, sekayak.com.

Written by Express contributor Katie Knorovsky
Photo courtesy Southeast expeditions; Marge Ely/Express