Photo by Taylor Williams

First things first. This isn’t the “White Guide to Boston,” so if green – grass, trees, plants – is what you’re seeking, visit Beantown between May and October.

This is not to say traveling to Boston in February would be a complete disaster – but you know what, don’t. Just don’t. Spring, summer and fall are just too good in Boston to waste a trip in the middle of winter. Plus, you’ve heard about the icy demeanor of New Englanders? Multiply that by ten when there’s two inches of slush on the ground and a teeth-chattering wind is blowing off the “hahbah.”

(Leaf-peepers need to time their trips pretty meticulously so as not to miss optimal viewing of God’s kaleidoscope that appears every fall in New England)

Disclaimers behind us, Boston is one of the greenest cities – in both the Al Gore and Kermit the Frog definitions of the word – in the United States. The left-leaning, young and active core of the city’s population makes sure they have ample places to relish in the area’s natural beauty, commute around town responsibly, and eat organically. This means the green traveler will find plenty to do – and eat and drink – in and around Boston.

Here’s a sampling…

Transport

They don’t call Boston “America’s Walking City” for nothing. You can literally get most anywhere in the metro area – from the core of the city as far out as Lexington and Concord or the Boston Harbor Islands – using your feet or public transportation, including the daily improving subway system (the T), above-average water taxis and ferries, and local buses. So don’t even think about renting a car when you come, or else send back your Sierra Club membership card immediately. The T is pretty easy to navigate, and if you get lost, fire up the notebook computer in a WiFi Café and click over to HopStop.com, where you can find riding and walking directions to just about anywhere.

Also, pick up a copy of Car Free in Boston, a self explanatory little booklet that will give you the very best Boston experience, exhaust-free.

To Do

Sure, there’s always the hyper-touristy Duck Tours and the Freedom Trail – the 2.5-mile walking path past many of the city’s historic spots downtown – but I’ll focus on some of the activities you likely won’t find in The Rough Guide. Take an eco-cruise out to the Boston Harbor Islands, a surprisingly fun day-trip that departs from UMass-Boston on Mondays for only $5 per person. (if you want to go on another day of the week, ferries leave several times daily from near the New England Aquarium, but tickets are $12 a person and the trip less ecologically focused) En route, you’ll get some unique skyline views from the water, and the wildly diverse set of islands offers camping, hiking, and a Civil War-era fort, among other things.

You’ll definitely want to take a day or two to explore the core of the city. Take the T to Park Street Station for a Frisbee or Wiffle Ball game on Boston Common, the city’s famous downtown park. Crossing Charles Street from the Common, wander through the Public Gardens, Boston’s hub for floral amazement. From the Garden, a relaxing urban walk down Boylston Street brings you to Copley Square, home to 17th century Trinity Church, the John Hancock Tower, and Boston Public Library’s main branch. Guided tours of Trinity are free when you attend a service beforehand, or $5 otherwise. The Library may seem like an unlikely destination, but you’ll understand when you enter its cavernous and opulent foyer, ascend the grand staircase, and take in one of the many interesting shows and exhibits revolving through the Boston landmark.

You don’t want to miss the bountiful recreation in and around Boston. A sure bet is to bike, walk, or blade a portion of (or all, if you’re hard-core) the 17-mile Esplanade trail along the Charles River, which separates Boston from Cambridge. You can also rent small sailboats and kayaks on the Charles, a timeless summer tradition.

Getting a bit out of the city, the Minuteman Bikeway – which takes you from the Alewife T station on the Red Line through the birthplace of the American Revolution – is a wonderful day-long option. Hop off the trail in the quiet town of Lexington to see where the first shots of the Revolution were fired. Just south of Boston, Jamaica Plain is the greenest – again, in both senses of the word – neighborhood within the city limits. Here, you’ll find beautiful Jamaica Pond (which you can hike, jog, or sail), colorful houses, and colorful people walking dogs, enjoying a book in the park, or experiencing a jazz concert.

For the inevitable rainy day, consider visiting Harvard’s Museum of Natural History, which houses the world-renowned Glass Flowers Exhibit, an extraordinary turn-of-the-century collection of 3,000 hand-crafted replicas representing over 800 plant species. You also might consider visiting the New England Aquarium, which not only showcases some of the world’s wildest marine life, but has as its primary mission the understanding and conservation of oceans and their habitats.

To Eat

In Boston, “local” is the operative word. The locals love and prefer their food to be local, so travelers won’t have a hard time finding quality, tasty, and healthy non-fast food options. Here are a few of the local faves.

East Boston’s 303 Café is perhaps Boston’s hottest new spot in one of Boston’s hottest and fastest-growing neighborhoods. 303’s menu offers a variety of vegetarian and vegan options, but all the food – even the Bison Burger – is both delicious and regret-free. After dinner, get an organic and fair trade coffee to go and walk one block to Piers Park, which provides the city’s best panoramic skyline and harbor views, hands-down.

Ashmont Grill in Dorchester offers local and organic food, including herbs grown on the restaurant’s patio. You’ll feel good knowing that the grease used to make your French fries will be turned into biodiesel afterwards.

A number of the spots listed on the Certified Green Restaurant Guide are in and around Boston – no surprise there. For snacks or picnic items to go, visit one of the numerous Trader Joe’s locations in the Boston area, including downtown stores on Boylston and Beacon Streets. Visit one of the many downtown farmer’s markets – including the city’s oldest and largest, Haymarket (open on Fridays and Saturdays) – for fresh produce and vegetables and a healthy dose of Townie charm.

To Stay

You could easily fork over $200 a night – or more – for a hotel room in Boston.

Don’t.

463 Beacon Guest House – at the advertised rate of $75 a night year-round, you can’t go wrong with this downtown bed and breakfast. Centrally located in the historic Back Bay neighborhood, 463 offers nightly, weekly, and monthly stays in a number of room styles, some of which include kitchenettes. 463 certainly lives up to its clever slogan: “Boston’s Best-Slept Secret.” I told you it was clever.

Hostels – Sleep in New England like you would in Old England. For simple and affordable lodging, consider one of Boston’s several downtown hostels, where you’re sure to meet up with other road warriors like yourself. Share stories, swap Boston travel tips, and make plans. That’s what green travel is all about, right?

Monastery – For something a lot different, consider one of the guest rooms at St. John the Evangelist Monastery in Cambridge. Explore mystical Christian spirituality with the brothers on a self-directed or group program retreat for between $60 and $105 a night, or just lodge at SSJE while touring Boston (no price break). Robe not included.

There’s also always camping, of course. The Boston Harbor Islands offer camping, along with many of the outlying suburbs of Boston. (you don’t have to drive far outside the city to begin feeling a tad pastoral)

For those of you who would ignore my imploring against staying in hotels, at least choose one that is eco-friendly. These hotels earned recognition from Boston’ mayor last year for operating in a particularly green way: the Seaport Hotel; Jurys Boston Hotel; the Hyatt Harborside and the Lenox Hotel.

Easier to Be Green in Boston

Boston has tons to do when the weather’s nice, but this guide has to end. This is only a start. Bottom line: Visit Boston (remember: spring, summer, or fall). Travel eco-friendly; Boston makes it easy. Now that you know, there are no excuses, right?

One of Matador’s newest contributors, Steve Holt is a freelance writer living in Boston, eager to explore the world and tell its story.

After five drivers, four vehicles, and two days, we could finally say we had been on an African safari in Tanzania. It was supposed to be a “three-hour tour” of sorts – basically a half-day excursion from our friends’ home in Moshi to Lake Manyara National Park, home to the usual safari wildlife, including the rare and elusive tree-climbing lion. But there would be no lions that day (not anyone’s fault in particular) and a string of mishaps as long as the Nile (basically our fault).

There was Mr. No-Show driver at 5 a.m. the first day, and Mr. Rip-Off-The-Tourists about a half-hour later. On day 2, we had Mr. Don’t-Listen-So-Good driving the Toyota Wobbly Wheel (Stall-Out Edition), Mr. Replacement Driver who couldn’t take us all the way home, and Mr. Replacement Driver No. 2 in the Toyota Blowout (Rubber Inner-Tube Edition).

It’s a really funny story, and if we had a couple hours and some Kilimanjaro Lager, I’d give you the full version.

Five cars. Four drivers. Two days. One safari.

I say this was basically our fault because we didn’t do sufficient homework before setting out. During and after the safari debacle, the most common phrases coming out of our mouths were, “Next time, we’ll…” So, here’s my Top 10 “Next time, we’ll…” List (Safari From Hell Edition):

1. You get what you pay for. Go with a major tour operator, and check references. (resist the urge to do business with a friend or acquaintance who is giving you a really good price. It’s better to pay a little more and have a good experience.)

2. Try to meet your driver the day before so that you can assess his English skills and capability. If you meet several drivers and find a driver you like, make sure you get the one about whom you’re confident. Clearly state your expectations to the driver and your guide before you leave for the safari. Avoid scenarios involving several drivers if possible by planning ahead.

3. Inspect the car when you meet your driver. Major tour operators should ensure an operable vehicle. There should be some contractual obligation on the part of the tour operator to provide a vehicle that is not only comfortable, but safe. Take a swing around the block if necessary, and if you’re unsure about anything, demand another car. Simply put, a bad vehicle will ruin your safari.

4. Make sure someone in the car (if not the driver) speaks both English and the predominate trade language in the country. If it’s Kenya or Tanzania, Swahili. If it’s Burkina Faso, French. And make sure your translator understands the expectations you communicated to the driver and is ready to back you up if a problem arises.

5. Arrange to pay after the Safari, and negotiate a contingency payment should anything go wrong. If the tour operator guarantees quality, then this shouldn’t be a problem. If they demand money in advance to pay for gas, then you’re probably not dealing with a major tour operator. (see No. 1)

6. Have a flexible schedule so that you can say “no” and go a different day if things don’t look right. Don’t get pigeon-holed into taking an expensive or low-quality safari. For most westerners, safaris are a rarity, if not once-in-a-lifetime. Make sure it’s special by giving yourself enough time and having a couple possible days to go.

7. Don’t let the driver rush you. The less driving he does, the less fuel he burns, yielding the greatest profit. And he’ll want to get home early, if possible. You paid for a whole day, so make sure you get it if you want it. Your chances of seeing rare and beautiful wildlife are also greater if you can occasionally kill the engine and wait it out for a few minutes. Keep in mind the driver is working for you.

8. Get advice about which park is best from sources outside the tour business. Tour operators will try to convince you that the best park is the one that will make them the most profit (because it is smaller, closer, etc.), while other tourists or people with no connection to the safari industry are more likely to tell you the truth.

9. Remember that animals in parks are still wild, so no tour operator can guarantee that you’ll see the specific rare beast you’ve been dreaming about.

10. Relax. You’re in Africa. If everything goes like it is supposed to, it’ll be surprising, so don’t get bent out of shape when it doesn’t.

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One of Matador’s newest contributors, Steve Holt is a freelance writer living in Boston, eager to explore the world and tell its story.

Let’s face it – when it comes to highlighting diverse and wonderful locations around the world, words sometimes don’t cut it. Travelers want images. They want sounds. They want local flavor. They want authenticity. They want the next-best-thing to actually being there.

A good option for expanding your travel documentation and reporting into the realm of new media – which, let’s be honest, is both the present and future of the industry – is the audio tour or podcast. The pioneer of the mp3 audio tour industry is Rob Pyles, a twentysomething whose “aha!” moment came while he was hitchhiking through the Irish countryside in 2000. As he traversed the Emerald Isle, he’d come across remote historic locations – old castles and battlefields, for instance – that didn’t even have as much as a sign telling him what happened there.

“It was frustrating because you knew these places had these incredible stories, but you had no way to connect with them,” Pyles said.

Out of this frustration grew the concept for “progressive audio tours,” and from this concept – once mp3s and iPods had gone mainstream – Audissey Guides was created. Starting with his hometown, Boston, Rob produced an audio experience that takes travelers beyond the tourist traps, guidebook clichés, and group tours to the places locals take their visiting friends. With a local narrator, hip yet relevant music, ambient sounds, and off-the-beaten-path stops, Rob’s goal is to get people involved with their surroundings.

“It’s definitely not a passive experience,” Rob says of his audio tours.

Audissey’s resume now includes five U.S. cities – Boston, Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, and Miami – with several international cities on deck. Rob was recently awarded a contract by the City of Boston to produce a series of audio guides for the many miles of pathway around the city’s harbor waterfront.

For aspiring travel journalists or amateur globetrotters, audio is one of the best and yet under-used media for highlighting great travel spots. But before you whip out your hand-held recorder and go to town, consider the following tips for producing your own travel audio tours or podcasts that don’t suck, straight from the audio guide pioneer himself.

1. Keep it real. “Stick to what you know,” Rob says. “People know when you’re talking about stuff you don’t have a clue about. So talk about what you know and what you’re interested in.”

2. Use your independence. “Take advantage of the fact that this is an audio tour by taking people where they can’t go in a group. When you’re on an audio tour, you can go down tiny alleys that you can’t go down when you’re on a tour bus, or you can actually go eat inside a bar or a café. Use that.”

3. Facts are good, but so is emotion. “When I think ‘audio tours,’ I think of something that puts you to sleep. Very dignified, but totally boring. People want facts, but they also want personality and emotion.” Tips: make the delivery of the narrator less formal and more conversational and use background music that is influenced by the city or place you’re describing.

4. Make it personal. “We like to have a very, very strong first-person narrator. It not a voiceless, omniscient narrator, it’s Claudia Verela, the bartender and bikini model in Miami Beach. It’s Kevin Coval, the Jewish hip-hop poet in Chicago. The tour is almost like an extension of them – ‘this is my town, this is my neighborhood, that bartender is a friend of mine.’ It’s a very personal experience.”

5. Get a decent mic and a quiet room. “I’ve heard audio tours where you can hear people talking behind the narrator, lots of background noise. Not everyone has access to a professional sound studio, but at least find a good microphone and a quiet room to work from.”

6. Ambient sounds are good. “We always walk through once with a microphone recording the sounds of the city. A revolving door, for instance, has a distinct sound that is really cool. There’s something about walking down Hanover Street [in Boston] and hearing Italian men yelling at each other.”

7. Music: Tough, but awesome. “Music takes the listening experience to a whole new level, and it helps capture the flavor of a city. It’s unbelievable how each city tour has taken on its own personality – the music just feels like that city. The Miami tour is a lot of salsa and meringue, but also a lot of Reggaeton, club music. Seattle’s is way more chill – a lot of down-tempo beats, some electronic stuff, experimental stuff. That’s a departure from other audio tours with canned music or no music at all.”

8. Keep things moving – short and sweet. “People have a very short attention span, and anything over an hour is completely lost on people – their eyes begin to glaze over. So you’ll have to decide which stories to leave out of the tour. Our tours are also short from a distance perspective, rarely over a mile.”

9. Surprise me. “Give me something I never expected on this tour. In Boston, we take people to the former headquarters of the mafia. In Seattle, we incorporate public transportation by telling listeners to get on a bus and get off at the Seneca stop. We don’t tell them where Seneca is; they have to ask someone on the bus where Seneca is, forcing them to engage a local person. The things you don’t expect are the things you remember.”

10. As a narrator, I am your friend. “The narrator should be casual, funny, personal, un-touristy. Our philosophy is that our audio tour is the next-best-thing to knowing someone in the city. Narrator delivery should be like it would be to a friend: relaxed, occasionally irreverent, authentic.”

To truly know where Rob is coming from, though, you have to listen to one or two of his audio guides. Rob says his guides are unique because they appeal to “travelers, not tourists.” Travelers, he says, are interested in genuinely exploring the culture. Tourists simply follow other tourists and receive a superficial cultural experience. Rob himself is an avid traveler, and his intrigue with the history and beauty of the world around him is clearly why he does what he does. In fact, when pushed on this point, the truth comes out regarding Rob’s real motives.

“This is all just an excuse to pay for our travel,” he says with a laugh.

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One of Matador’s newest contributors, Steve Holt is a freelance writer living in Boston, eager to explore the world and tell its story.