Santa Barbara's air pollution district has a little challenge for you: Leave the car at home.
The district, in cooperation with the city's tourism office, is trying to make it easier to travel green. Hop on an Amtrak train and you could qualify for cheap hotel rates. And, once you're in town, there are ferries, a 25-cent electric shuttle and bike rentals.
"On a vacation, if you drive somewhere, you're not just going to be driving there, you're going to be driving all around when you get there," said Mary Byrd, manager of the program. "You can get here without a car and you'll be fine."
Wherever you're going, taking mass transit, such as a bus or a train, is the best transportation choice if you want to minimize harm to the environment (and it's almost always cheaper than driving or flying).
