Green Business Travel Sample Itineraries
Not just Blues but GREEN in Chicago! A 4-day/3-night business trip
(Priced for September 29th through October 2nd 2008)
Total price: $745.20
Price includes: rail fare with accommodations, air fare, transit pass and bike rental.
Day 1 – Depart Austin TX enroute to Chicago
Day 2 – Arrive Chicago, IL
You wake up on Amtrak’s Texas Eagle while the train is stopped in St. Louis. After coffee and breakfast you return to your room to prepare for your business meetings over the next two days. You have time to reread your proposal without interruption and put the final touches on it.
Arriving at Union Station in Chicago, you head for the Chicago Transit Authority ticketing kiosk to purchase a Transit Pass which will cover all your transportation for the next two days. (A frequent business traveler to Chicago may opt for the Chicago Card, a more permanent card with a $5 purchase fee).
Having purchased the card, you review your transit options provided by Green Concierge Travel. Selecting one, you head for your accommodations. You arrive about 25 minutes later in the Gold Coast neighborhood just north of the Chicago loop and Michigan Ave stores.
You are staying at the Gold Coast Guest House Bed and Breakfast, an 1873 brick Victorian town home. The town home is conveniently located about a block away from the Clark/Division stop on the Red Line which will transport you quickly back to the downtown businesses.
The Gold Coast caters to business travelers providing a convenient location, comfortable guest suites, hi speed wifi through out the town home including the garden and a computer/printer available for guest use. And of course breakfast and snacks including a variety of organic items.
You will be meeting your first client this evening for dinner at Frontera Grill, one of Rick Bayless' three restaurants at 445 North Clark Street. This would be a good walk from the Gold Coast Guest House or an 8 minute transit ride.
Frontera Grill is a member of Chef's Collaborative, a group of "chefs, farmers, fishers, educators, and food lovers dedicated to promoting sustainable cuisine.
"Rick describes the core principles for his restaurant on his Collaborations for Sustainability web site page:
- Investing in our community, our staff, our customers, and the local family farmers who grow for us.
- Living in balance with our environment and the seasons.
- Running our restaurant in a financially responsible way.
Having completed your dinner you head back to the Gold Coast where you can comfortably prepare for the next day.
Day 3 – Chicago
Today’s agenda includes more meetings with clients and a lunch with reservations made by Green Concierge Travel. You depart the Gold Coast Guest House for your meetings in the loop taking one of several transit options. Your reservation for lunch has been made at the Kendall College Dining Room for 12:30 PM.
Located on Goose Island, Kendall College can be reached by subway and bus. You can admire great views of the Chicago skyline from the dining room as you sample someone's homework! In 2005, the College’s School of Culinary Arts embarked on a deliberate path to green itself. From kitchen composting to growing its own herbs to energy efficiency and helping develop a seafood sustainability curriculum, the School is committed to creating a positive environmental impact while reducing its footprint!
After your delicious and exciting lunch, you finish your afternoon of work early and return to the bed and breakfast. It's such a beautiful fall day that you decide to get a bike and some exercise while taking in the views of Lake Michigan. You head to Bike Chicago's Navy Pier location. Open until 7 PM at this time of year, Bike Chicago offers a range of bike styles including a helmet and a lock if needed. Get inspired along Chicago’s waterfront and don't forget a camera!
Your return to the Guest House to refresh yourself and think about dinner options nearby. This is your evening to explore the neighborhood and your hostess, Sally, can provide you with lots of ideas for an evening meal and entertainment.
Day 4 Complete business and Depart Chicago
You get your last breakfast at the Gold Coast in the morning and settle up your bill. Once again you get on the Red Line heading to the loop for your final meeting and lunch.
Your flight departs from Chicago's O'Hare airport at 5:45 PM. The Blue Line, which stops several places in the downtown loop, will take you O’Hare airport in about 50 minutes. You leave at 3:45 PM to give yourself time to check your bags. Arriving back in Austin at 8:30 PM, you return home to prepare for Friday's summary of the trip. Don’t forget to log your Carbon Footprint provided by Green Concierge Travel; your company has started to track carbons emissions during travel and plans to neutralize them twice a year.
Your Carbon Footprint for the travel segments:
Rail: Austin (973 miles) – Chicago = .20 tons of carbon dioxide
Air: Chicago (973 miles)– Austin = .39 tons of carbon dioxide
Total = 1946 miles and .59 tons of carbon dioxide.
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