A Carbon Negative Getaway
October 31, 2008 by Andy
A main attraction for the Chicago 2016 Olympic & Paralympic Games Bid is the compactness of venues, athlete living quarters and downtown tourist destinations. However, the influx of visitors to Chicago would also have access to relaxed pastoral getaways such as Monroe, Wisconsin’s Inn Serendipity during their stay.
Ecopreneurs Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko left corporate positions in Chicago to build a Bed & Breakfast incubator (never thought I would type that phrase) for land-stewardship and sustainable living. The couple has created a retreat completely powered by renewable energy including a Straw Bale Greenhouse heated by passive solar. As a result of their efforts, Inn Serendipity is officially a “carbon negative” business, capturing more carbon than emitted through yearly operations.
Features of Inn Serendipity include:
- 680-watt photovoltaic system
- A labyrinth with 3000 years of history
- Solar heated water for bathrooms
- 10kW wind turbine system
Chicago’s skyscrapers and dense neighborhoods may intimidate some visitors, but a slower lifestyle is available in the surrounding areas. Don’t forget Wisconsin and Indiana are less than an hour away!
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