On Friday afternoon, like many Americans (especially those from Michigan), I’ll be packing up the mini-van and hitting the road with my family to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday.

“So what,” you ask. We’ll I’m actually heading somewhere pretty green, and nope, I won’t be staying in a tent in the woods. I’ll be enjoying the amenities of my in-laws’ “cottage” park, including an impressive swimming pool and water park, minigolf course, and the convenience of stores/restaurants right on site.

I’ve been going to Sandy Pines in Hopkins, Mich., for many years to fish, boat, roast marshmallows and relax. But I didn’t realize just how environmentally-friendly this place was until I received a press release from the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds earlier this year about Sandy Pines:

“This 2,220-site park recently invested in geothermal heating and cooling systems, which it uses to heat and cool the park's laundry, store, beauty shop and donut shop in addition to heating water for use in the park's car wash. The park has also converted two of its swimming pools from chlorine to salt water filtration systems. But the green initiatives didn't stop there. This year, Sandy Pines plans to add geothermal heating and cooling to two more buildings while adding saltwater filtration systems to two more swimming pools, said Managing Director Max Gibbs. The park has also recently installed T-8 florescent lighting and other high-efficiency lighting systems in 20 buildings, and added three instant hot water systems to its buildings, he said.”

Our quaint family hang-out earned press in USA Today’s travel section for its solar initiatives (www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-06-29-green-campgrounds_N.htm)

Sandy Pines is just one of many parks and campgrounds in the country that is going green. A new program launched in partnership with the Woodall's North American Campground Directory encourages parks to adopt at least 9 of 18 green initiatives in exchange for a "Green Friendly" icon next to their park listings in the GoCampingAmerica.com and Woodalls.com travel planning websites. From the Carlsbad KOA in New Mexico and the Flagstaff KOA in Arizona, to the Jellystone Park Camp-Resort in Williamsport, Md., and the Crossroads RV Park in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, there are plenty of green places to visit this summer.

Hopefully you’ll spend your July 4th holiday somewhere sustainable. Be sure to tell me about it below.

Michelle