Free Carbon Offsets, National Parks Deals, and More

There's a 95 percent chance Senior Editor Christine Sarkis is thinking about travel right now. Follow her on Instagram @postcartography and Twitter @ChristineSarkis.

Christine Sarkis is an SATW-award-winning journalist and executive editor at SmarterTravel. Her stories have also appeared on USA Today, Conde Nast Traveler, Huffington Post, and Business Insider. Her advice has been featured in dozens of print and online publications including The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and People magazine. She has also shared travel tips on television and radio shows including Good Morning America, Marketplace, and Here & Now. Her work has been published in the anthologies Spain from a Backpack and The Best Women's Travel Writing 2008. She is currently working on a travel memoir.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: The Trtl Pillow. It's easy to pack and comfortable, and makes it so I can actually sleep on flights.

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Seeing the Aurora Borealis from the comfort of somewhere warm, like a glass igloo or hot spring.

Travel Motto: Curiosity is an amazing compass.

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: Aisle all the way.

Email Christine Sarkis at editor@smartertravel.com.

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Earth Day is less than a week away, on Wednesday, April 22. On Monday, I’ll round up green-themed hotel deals around the U.S., but first I wanted to pass along some other saving strategies and eco-travel tips.

Free Carbon Offsets

Book a trip through air-and-hotel package provider Go-Today on Wednesday, April 22 and you’ll get a carbon offset for the trip for free. Offsets are good for trips up to 20,000 miles. Go-today is currently advertising rates such as $699 for a six-night air-inclusive Paris package (airfare from JFK).

National Parks

April 18 marks the start of National Park Week, which runs through April 26. In honor of the event, national park concessionaire Aramark is running accommodations specials for spring and early summer travel. Deals include one-night stays and daily breakfast at three lodges within driving distance of one another in Olympic National Park for $359, or a two-night stay, daily breakfast, sightseeing tours, and admission to cultural events in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado for $399. More specials are listed on the Aramark website.

International Destinations

Did you know the Maldives, a chain of islands near India, is aiming to go carbon neutral within the next ten years? Closer to home, the Caribbean island of Bonaire is celebrating its Commitment to Conservation, with activities such as full-moon hikes and festivals running now through November. Finland, meanwhile, is promoting NatureGate, a website where you can browse a collection of photographs capturing images of birds, butterflies, and plants found in Finland.

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