Photo credits: Tokyo Century, Goldtop; Reach the Beach, Gabriel Amadeus; Rick Flens at Giro d’Italia, Robert Lotgering

Photo credits: Portland Providence Bridge Pedal, Allison Park; CMWC Tokyo 2009, Incase Designs; Amsterdam bikes, Aloxe

For many years I have said, “I want Portland to be the Amsterdam of America” and when you visit Amsterdam, (and from there to Copenhagen), prepare to be impressed by the sheer number of enthusiastic cyclists. They ride to work, school, shops – everything! – is simply part of the culture in those cities. On my Blue Ribbon Committee trip last year, we rode our bikes almost the entire trip (except for a couple taxi rides to and from the airport, and a couple mass transit rides). I was pleasantly surprised to see that our agenda included time to get from place to place … via bicycle! But then again, bikes are the most efficient way to get around, bikeway facilities are excellent, and bicycling is a normal part of daily life.

One fun thing to check out en route or in Copenhagen is a Web site called Cycle Chic. Great photographs! Notice how they cycle in their normal clothes.– no spandex or helmets. Over 1/3 of all trips are done on a bicycle. And, they mostly ride bikes that are designed for comfortable, safe urban mobility, not for going fast and furiously. Riders of all ages sit up straight, look around and are tuned in to their surroundings.

For those travelers coming to Portland (hopefully also on the nonstop from Amsterdam!) start by visiting Web sites that help you dive into the culture of cycling, including BikePortland, the Community Cycling Center and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. Then follow up with some fantastic cycling to some of Oregon’s great festivals, concerts and wineries: some of these rides benefit wonderful causes, such as The Children’s Heart Foundation. And of course, I invite visitors to stop in at a Bike Gallery store for maps and fun cycling gear. We’re the “local, family owned bike store dedicated to connecting people with bicycles, and creating healthier hearts, minds and communities”.

Happy cycling!

Jay Graves
Owner, The Bike Gallery
Portland, Oregon

Photo credits: bicycle garage, Dan Kamminga; woman biking, Lars Daniel, Jay Graves, Courtesy of Bike Gallery

What to See and Do?

Amsterdam’s reputation as a cultural and artistic center precedes itself, but there’s more to this city’s artistic expression than traditional art housed at the Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum. Fashion-focused visitors can appreciate wearable art from some of Amsterdam’s most eco-conscious designers’, including Studio Jux, Van Markoviec, and Brennels. Each of these designers sets the latest fashion trends using sustainable products such as organic cotton, linen, bamboo and even stinging nettles. In recognition of their green fashion efforts, Studio Jux, Van Markoviec, Brennels and six other Dutch designers were recently celebrated during Dutch National Sustainability Day.

Where to eat?

“You reap what you sow” claims new meaning at Amsterdam’s De Kas Restaurant. Each day executive chef Ronald Kunis and head chef Meindert Heijer carefully select the menu from the restaurant’s local garden and greenhouse. If they require ingredients outside of what their nursery provides, Kunis and Heijer select only the finest produce from other local, environmentally conscious farmers. Choosing to farm and shop locally keeps de Kas’s transportation and emissions rates down, while helping their fellow business partners to thrive. The restaurant’s unique dining experience promises to keep its customers on their toes with fresh, local ingredients, a constantly changing menu, and a mission of sustainability.

Where to play?

We know you can dance (or at least try to) and after spending a day grazing off of Amsterdam’s sustainable restaurants, it might be time to consider burning off a few of those vacation calories. Dancing can burn up to 350 calories per hour, but did you know that it can also produce 50 watts of electricity per hour? Named in honor of the energy it produces, Watts Dance Club in Rotterdam uses sensors in the dance floor to collect dancers’ vibrations and produce electricity, which is then used to power the club’s lighting schemes. Rotterdam-based innovator Enviu created the Sustainable Dance Club concept in 2006, and has shared its dance-inspired technology with clubs like Watts across the globe.

Where to Stay?

Some might say luxury must be sacrificed for the environment’s sake, but in Amsterdam you can have the best of both worlds. Whether you’re interested in budget-friendly or high-end luxury, Amsterdam has a hotel that will both fit your interests and provide green service with a smile.

For a low-budget, high quality hotel experience, consider a stay at the Bicycle Hotel. This hotel is a “green” model citizen with its bicycle rentals, recycling and solar powered electricity. Known for its friendly staff, accessibility to the city’s historical sites and recommendations for great biking routes, the Bicycle Hotel is a perfectly affordable solution for your hotel needs.

Kicking your luxury experience up a notch doesn’t have to come at Mother Nature’s expense.  At the Hotel de l’Europe, you can have a world class lodging experience with eco-friendly frills. The hotel’s chain, Leading Hotels of the World, was the first hospitality entity to offer patrons a completely carbon-neutral experience through their environmentally responsible practices as well as an additional financial carbon offset program.

Now that you’re geared up with a few green Amsterdam itinerary tips, we want to hear from you! What recommendations do you have for a more environmentally-friendly travel experience?

Photo/video credit: Bikes in Amsterdam, liber; Studio Jux, Teska Overbeeke; De Kas Restaurant, Magnusdigity; Sustainable Dance Club, panxut; Hotel de L’Europe, Mark & Danielle Parris

First, it’s different and yet similar – Portland has bikes; Holland is bikes! You just have a look at the bike-parking garage next to the main train station when you’re there. Food, spirits and ales are another reason. Amsterdam has an array of international restaurants that will make your mouth water. Try an exotic rijstafel in an Indonesian place. Mr. Bols created the original gin or genever, so be sure to try a Kopstoot at a local brown café, and you’ll be more local than the locals – and find you have a lot of new friends. And then there’s the beer: Heineken, Grolsch and Amstel. Need I say more? And while you are at it, tell your new friends how cool Portland is with our microbrews, wines, farm fresh cuisine, and the heart of the slow food movement. The Dutch are explorers, and the nonstop works great for them to spend a long weekend in Portland, which is good for our local economy, and tax-free shopping for them to boot.

Oh, where was I?  Ah yes, Amsterdam!  Well, you’ll find museums galore, like the Rijks, Van Gogh, and the new Hermitage. For nightlife, hit Boom Chicago in the Ledesplein and see Portland native, Jamie Kirkland, perform in this most entertaining improv show. Amsterdam has so many ways to get around the town: bike, canal bus, trams and walk, walk, walk. And the people are friendly, so no matter where you are, they all speak English. No worries; they’ll get you back to your cozy canal house hotel with lots of interesting fellow travelers to share your Amsterdam adventures with over a Dutch breakfast.

Do you really want to know the best part of this nonstop, and I fly to Europe a bunch? It’s because it’s right from my doorstep to my doorstep, with friendly customs and immigration agents who get you out in a jiffy in between. No more long queues in New York or Chicago and then the long flight home. That’s why I fly nonstop, shouldn’t you?

Ciao,

Harry

Photo credits: Amsterdam bicycle garage, ceris42; Amsterdam canal and Rijksmuseum provided by Avanti Destinations