For him, too: HER Helmet Thursdays

What’s meant by H-E-R? 

Besides referring to Mother Earth,  who benefits from more people bicycling, HER is also an acronym for H=Hotels/other lodging, E=Entertainment venues and Educational attractions, and  R=Restaurants/other food and beverage service–including related places, such as wineries.

Nearly 200 H-E-R spots are in the HER Helmet Thursdays project already, and they give discounts on Thursdays–to males and females, locals and visitors–to encourage bicycling (details below).

Where do you get the discounts?

HER Helmet Thursdays spots are in Big Sur, Carmel, Carmel Valley, Castroville, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzales, Greenfield, Marina, Monterey, Moss Landing, Pacific Grove, Salinas, San Ardo, Sand City, Seaside, and Soledad.

On the listings page, you can locate HER Helmet Thursdays spots on the Clickable Map, or download the Quick Reference/Pocket Guide (alphabetical list of participants).  You’ll also find “How to get the discount” and other FAQs on the listings page.

A long-term ecology-economy sustainability project

The Naval Postgraduate School Foundation Cycling Club arranged a graphic reminder (pictured below) at Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca, because these strong bike advocates want people to know:  Thursdays are a great day for biking in Monterey County!

Get discounts from businesses and organizations countywide just because you ride a bike.  In turn, the businesses and organizations are better sustained by new and repeat customers who appreciate getting around our bike-friendly county.  That’s the economy part of the HER Helmet Thursdays Project.

As the City of Monterey says, all this biking benefits HER–Mother Earth.  That’s the ecology part of HER Helmet Thursdays.

H=Hotels/other lodging

Below is a participant in the H/hotels category, Sanctuary Beach Resort.

For a lodging discount on your Thursday night stay, just BYOB (bring your own bike) or rent a bike for a day or more from any Monterey County rental location. Click here for details.

E=Educational/Entertainment venues

The Steinbeck Center is a participant in the E/Educational/Entertainment category.

For a discount at an “E” venue, just bike or bike-and-ride there, then walk in with your bike helmet in hand (as evidence), and mention HER Helmet Thursdays.

R=Restaurants/other food and beverage service

Below is a participant in the R/restaurants category, Lalla Grill.

For a discount at a restaurant (or other food and beverage spot),  just bike or bike-and-ride there, then walk in with your bike helmet in hand (as evidence), and mention HER Helmet Thursdays.

How to participate

• For cyclists–including how to invite more businesses and organizations
  
• For businesses and organizations
• For all others

Want to know more? Some history of the project:

• For FAQs about the project, click here.
• Check out a two-minute audio or video intro.
• “Wheel the Earth:  HER Helmet Thursdays cuts carbon emissions and costs” was published as the Monterey County Weekly‘s Earth Day 2010 local editorial.  See who’s participating a year later!
• See a first-anniversary review of the project.

Helmet? Gotta wear a helmet?

Not for lodging discounts.  For all other discounts, having a bike helmet in hand is your evidence of biking–no need for punch cards, coupons, etc.  Nice and simple!  A few places (e.g., Lucia Restaurant & Bar at Bernardus Lodge, Will’s Fargo Steakhouse & Bar, Spa at Bernardus Lodge) allow walking in with a bike pump instead; if so, that’s noted in their individual listing, found here.)

Outside Monterey County?

HER Helmet Thursdays, launched in Monterey County, is appropriate for other geographic areas too.  For goals and overview, click here.