Oct. 7 is an important day in Southern Nevada, so mark your calendar. Only once a year do Las Vegas Valley residents get the chance to spend a beautiful autumn Saturday taking a self-guided tour around the city, visiting people's homes and learning about solar energy, green building and ways to save money.

I'm talking about the 2nd Annual Southern Nevada Solar Home Tour. Imagine a variation of the TV reality show "The Amazing Race." Only here, participants are provided with a map that lists nine homes and six educational or commercial sites that they can visit (drive safely, it isn't really a race) and talk with lots of people who'll share information about overcoming environmental challenges and earning rewards.

The challenge is the soaring energy prices we're all facing (some people's bills are half their mortgage payment); the reward is reducing those costs; and the biggest game we're all players in is helping the planet.

I remember how reluctant I was the first time my husband dragged me to a solar home tour in Arizona. I thought I'd be totally bored but, surprisingly, I had great fun going in and out of people's homes, collecting ideas to make my home healthier, more efficient and attractive.

I've always appreciated beautiful things, so when we bought a new house last year, I was more interested in what the exterior looked like, while my husband made sure the house faced in the right direction in order to minimize our energy needs.

While I took on the challenge of decorating and spent hours looking at fabrics for window treatments, my husband calculated where to plant deciduous trees so they would shield west-facing walls and windows from the harsh sun.

While I went on a mission to find the perfect floor tile, my husband understood the benefits of the tile in creating thermal mass to help maintain comfortable temperatures in our home.

While I worked hard to match three shades of paint to faux the walls, my husband refused to use commercial paint that gives off dangerous toxins that can cause allergies, headaches, etc. And he did extensive research to find the safest paint available.

While I complained about dark areas in our home like the kitchen, guest bathroom and laundry room, my husband found Solatubes, a cheery, energy-efficient solution that uses no electricity.

While I searched for the perfect comforter and decorative pillows, my husband found the healthiest, organic mattress for us to sleep on.

The more I learned about green products the more excited I got. For our bedroom, I chose PET (polyethylene terephthalate) carpet from Mohawk, which is made from recycled plastic soda bottles and saves 1 billion bottles from going to landfills every year. It is Green Plus-rated by the Carpet and Rug Institute, and lacks that new carpet smell -- a good thing for indoor air quality.

In my home office, we installed a gorgeous cork floor that is sustainably harvested from the bark of trees instead of killing them. And, thankfully, we were participants in the SolarGenerations solar rebate program, which helps reduce the cost to install solar panels that results in an electric bill savings of $6.30 a month.

The Southern Nevada Solar Home Tour, part of the American Solar Energy Society's National Solar Tour, has something for everyone. It offers a wide range of ideas and products at various prices for greening your home, which helps keep more green in your wallet.

Nationally, more than 90,000 people are expected to attend solar tours in October.

Locally, more and more people are beginning to pay attention:

Last month, Cal Oliver had a solar system installed on his roof. "I've lived in Las Vegas since the 1940s. My wife and I have a modest, 1,650-square-foot house and we've talked about adding solar for several years after finding out about Nevada Power's rebate program. We started doing smaller things that weren't expensive to make a difference in our home's efficiency, but as rates went up and up, we decided solar panels were a better investment than a swimming pool. And, it would raise the value of our home significantly. It also feels good to do the right thing for the environment. Now my neighbors come over and say, 'Hey, your meter is running backwards.' We've never seen that before."

Barbara (who requested her last name not be used) is one of at least a dozen residents in the valley who have embraced straw bales as an alternative building material. She finds it very appealing to use a renewable resource that is typically regarded as a waste product and burned to get the fields ready for next year's crop.

"The walls are so thick that the house is extremely energy efficient, and it has a quiet, peaceful feeling," she said.

And when friends and visitors ask questions about her home, she answers them as she reveals her "truth window," a part of a wall left unplastered that reveals the straw.

Likewise, Rebecca (who also prefers to remain anonymous) loves the new straw bale home she and her husband moved into in April.

"Building the house was my husband's idea," she said.

"Robert would watch shows like 'This Old House' or HGTV and once in a while he'd see an alternative home, but he couldn't conceptualize what he saw on television or in books until we saw a straw bale home under construction in Goodsprings. That's when we made the decision."

For more information on the local Solar Tour, or to pre-register, visit www.solarnv.org.