While most discussions of green travel these days are of the earth-saving variety, we know there are plenty of travelers out there hankering for a different kind of green travel this summer - you know, the kind that involves a little white ball and a scorecard.

Who better to answer our questions than David Baum, publisher and editor-in-chief of in-the-know subscription newsletters for golf enthusiasts Golf Odyssey and Golf Vacation Insider?

Read on for David’s destination suggestions for families, tips for avoiding pesky overweight baggage fees and where he’d play if he had to choose one course for the rest of his life.

For a family with young children, can you suggest a golf destination that offers parents fun on course, but plenty of diversions for kids, too?

One great choice is Colonial Williamsburg, as not only do you have some fantastic golf options, but a visit to Colonial Williamsburg is a great way to get your kids interested in American history. The vast Colonial Village is filled with in-character colonists and revolutionaries who bring the past to life and go about their day as if they really were in colonial times. That means they make things using late 18th century technology, and they speak as people did back then. The historical interpreters actively engage visitors as they go about their chores or business. The Colonial Village stays active day and night. Evening events include lantern tours, trial reenactments, and music, magic, and gambols (games) at Chowning’s Tavern.

For a kid-friendly escape of a different type, head to Busch Gardens, a theme park full of its own historical fantasy (Old World Europe) as well as thrilling rides, including state-of-the-art roller coasters.

For golf, Colonial Williamsburg’s Golden Horseshoe Golf Club offers the classic Gold Course by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., the Green Course by Rees Jones, and the 9-hole executive-style Spotswood Course. The Spotswood is still good golf, but the 1,865-yard par-31 layout, with it two par fours and a par five, is great for a family outing. Just show up—there are no tee times here. Kids under 17 accompanied by a paying adult play for free.

Pete Dye’s illustrious River Course heads the course roster at Kingsmill Resort & Spa. More player friendly are the Woods and Plantation Courses. Bray Links is a scenic 9-hole pitch ‘n putt right on the James River. It’s for resort guests only, and on Saturday evenings in summer it is the scene of night golf with glow sticks.

By sheer coincidence, Williamsburg is one of three feature stories in this month’s issue of Golf Odyssey, The Insider’s Guide to Sophisticated Golf Travel. One can get the entire inside perspective on Williamsburg (and access to all of our intelligence reports since 2000) as part of our free trial offer.

What’s your favorite golf course located in a major metropolitan area within the U.S.?

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This week, we had the pleasure of chatting with Veronica Belmont, Internet television It Girl and tech know-it-all extraordinaire who has captured the hearts of geeks and nerds everywhere in her current role as host of Revision3’s Tekzilla, and, before that, on Mahalo Daily and CNET. Of course, she wouldn’t describe herself that way. The 20-something San Francisco resident proved herself to be ultra down-to-earth, funny and personable when we caught up with her to pick her brain about some very important tech and travel topics. Like, for example, the reason my GPS is constantly hurting my feelings. Read on…

When was the last time you took a vacation and were totally “off the grid?” Does that notion even sound appealing – or totally nightmarish?

I’ll just say it’s been well over a year since the last time I truly unplugged. Honestly, I don’t even think it was on purpose. I went to Big Sur, and there just happened to be no cellular reception! My email went unanswered for a record 3 days. The Earth, shockingly, continued to turn.

How does it feel to be known as one of the sexiest geeks alive?

You’re embarrassing me! Do I have to answer? OK, well, I have to say that it’s a little odd, because I never thought of myself that way. It’s flattering that some people do! Next question!!

Favorite airline? (Is it Virgin America? We knew it!)

Oh man, do I really give off that vibe? Yes, Virgin America is my favorite, and I swear that it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that they play Revision3 content. I fly a few times a month, so any steps that an airline takes to make the experience better means a whole lot to me. I’m pretty sure they have the best cocktails too.

Favorite hotel or hotel brand?

I’m a big Westin fan, when I get to stay there. I do not, however, appreciate paying $15 for a bottle of contact saline solution. Also, any hotel with a sand-bottom pool gets me every time.

You live in one of the best cities on the planet: San Francisco. (I’m a bit biased, considering that I live there, too.) What are three things any first-time visitor to San Francisco must, must, must do?

Definitely eat a burrito in the Mission, preferably at Taqueria Cancun and then bike in Golden Gate Park all the way down to Ocean Beach to burn it off!

Let’s talk about GPS devices. Which one is your current favorite?

My current favorite GPS device is the Dash. From a geek’s perspective it’s great, because you can send it addresses from your computer when you’re planning a trip, and the device will update wirelessly when you’re ready to go. The live traffic updating is really convenient too.

My Garmin says, “recalculating,” in a really condescending way. How can I stop taking it so personally? (Note that I’ve already tried changing the voice from the nasal American woman to the stuffy British man. It helped, but not much.)

Your GPS sounds like a jerk. I suggest selling it and going with a TomTom. That way you can have Mr. T or Tom Selleck reading your directions! If that’s not an option, just remind yourself that at the end of the day the voice in your GPS is trapped inside a little gadget, while you’re visiting interesting and wonderful places.

I’m a frequent traveler, but a pretty bad photographer. Still, I like to try. And cool gadgetry and features make me happy, even if I never actually RTFM and, consequently, never end up using them. What digital camera would you recommend for someone like me?

My favorite point-and-shoot camera is the Panasonic Lumix, and you can’t really mess up a picture too badly with that one. If you want something a little more high-end, I use the Canon G7 as my day-to-day camera, even if it’s not quite pocket-sized. But the pictures are great!

Do you have any strategies for making it through airport security efficiently with a bunch of tech gadgets in tow?

Despite the fact that I carry a small army of gadgets around with me, I’m shocked that I don’t get stopped more often. I keep all gadgets in my carry-on, because frankly I don’t trust airlines to not rifle through my stuff. My best tip is to invest in a bag that has lots of wonderful compartments of various sizes, so every gadget has its own home, and you always know where to find it.

When you travel, are there any rules that you live and die (or fly) by? Can you share them with us?

I never check luggage unless it’s absolutely necessary. I’ve gotten to the point where I can pack for a week or more just out of a carry-on case, which is no small feat for your average lady. If you must check luggage for an extended trip, bring a couple of days clothes with you on the plane just in case, as well as all gadgets and chargers. I also always keep my toiletries on the outermost compartment of my carry-on, for easy access through security and to prevent too much damage if anything leaks!

Want more Veronica? You can catch her dishing out tech advice and insight alongside co-host Patrick Norton every day on Tekzilla.

If anything says summer, it’s a good old-fashioned road trip. And according to some calculations from the Car Care Council, a non-profit that educates consumers on the importance of proper vehicle care, driving can save you a bundle on your next family vacation.

If you’re looking at a trip of 500 miles or less for a family of four, the Car Care Council’s Rich White says driving is a far more cost-effective and convenient way to travel than jumping on a plane - even if you’re driving an SUV and gas were to hit $5/gallon this summer. White estimates that a family of four traveling on a 500-mile trip would save at least $1,000 by driving, maybe more.

Read on for White’s thoughts on why driving kicks flying’s butt, what to do before you head out on the trip and how to stay safe and happy along the way.

Other than saving money, what advantages are there to driving?

Travelers have so much more control over every part of their vacation by car as opposed to by plane. When you go, when you arrive, when you stop to eat, if you want to change your itinerary - that costs you nothing. Try to do that by plane, there are fees. Even if you could find an alternative flight, you’re at the mercy of someone else when flying, and you have very little flexibility and no options. Now they’re charging for a second bag. You’re going on vacation, and you can only take one bag – if you pack your car, you can take a gallon of facial lotion if you want.

You’re based near DC. Would you rather spend two hours stuck in traffic around the Capital Beltway or two hours stuck at the airport waiting for a delayed flight – and why?

I think because you can control when you’re driving, you can avoid the beltway during rush hour, you have alternative routes. You can go down 181. You have no choice when you go to the airport. If you take an hour to get to the airport, and you get there an hour and a half early, and you stand in line and then you leave, get to the other end, and then wait in line to go get a rental car, for a 500-mile trip, you’re spending almost as much time as you would had you driven. And then you have none of the other advantages of driving.

More after the jump….

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You remember Jared from the Subway commercials of yore? Well, this year marks the 10th anniversary of Jared Fogle’s famously successful diet, which led him to lose 245 lbs by exercising and eating the sandwich chain’s subs.

While most people talk to Jared about his weight loss and success at keeping it off for a decade, we wanted to pick his brain about something a little different: travel. You see, in our minds, Jared is nothing short of a travel expert. Over the last decade, he has spent as many as 200 days a year traveling around the country, giving talks and sharing his story. And this year, he is commemorating his 10-year milestone by embarking upon a Tour de Pants (genius name on that, by the way). At the end of the multi-city journey, he’ll officially retire his 60-inch waist “fat pants.”

This week, Jared was kind enough to answer some of our burning questions.

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A weak dollar and a strong euro are prompting some travelers to cross Europe off their lists for Summer ‘08 travel, but The Rough Guide: Europe on a Budget editor Andy Turner recently convinced us that even budget-minded travelers can enjoy Europe.

Below, Turner lets us in on a few of his favorite destinations and tricks for doing it up on the continent on the cheap.

Kayak: The weak dollar has trampled on many an American traveler’s spirits lately. Can you revive our hopes and dreams with your picks for the top three budget-friendly European cities to visit on a Summer ’08 trip?

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