Sometimes it's hard to be a tree hugger (even when you're five minutes from a national park)

Whenever we travel, I'm conflicted on a couple of levels. On one hand, I love getting out and seeing new things, experiencing new experiences and getting a chance to introduce Park to the world and all of the places Carrie and I love. On the other hand, I'm a bit of a homebody, I hate leaving the dogs behind and I'm troubled by the environmental impact of traveling hundreds of miles from home.

However, in the end, my desire to explore always wins out—with a gentle push from Carrie. I set the dogs up with my parents where they feel completely at home and are loved, buy some carbon credits to cancel out my guilt and I'm usually good by the time the plane lands.

The last couple of trips have been different though.

During last month's trip to the Atlantis in the Bahama, I was shocked by the resort's unbridled use of plastic, especially water bottles, and the complete lack of recycling. Every lunch killed me. I tried taking my own water bottle, but there was just no way around all of the plastic that I was eventually forced to throw in the trash. When we got back home I e-mailed the resort's management to ask about their recycling policy and was told there simply wasn't a resource on the island, but they were working on figuring something out, which seemed like a logical response and completely understandable.

Then came our trip to Colorado. During the first half of the trip in Estes Park we accumulated a small pile of recyclables. Before we left, I went down to the office to find out where I could take them and was told that they too did not offer recycling, but it wasn't just the place we were staying, it was the entire city of Estes Park! Seriously. Estes Park, the "Gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park" does not have a recycling program! How in the hell is that possible? How is Wichita, Kansas more progressive than anywhere in Colorado? (That is the first and probably last time I will use the words "Wichita" and "progressive" in the same sentence.)

Luckily, during the last half of our trip, our faith in Colorado was restored, thanks to the Frisco community recycling center.

Once again, Frisco can do no wrong.

I took this photo as I was walking along the beach in the Bahamas. Oddly enough, just before I took it I was looking at the crystal-clear water and thinking about what was going on in the Gulf of Mexico.