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to 6 of the coolest cities in America

INSIDER’S GUIDE

Get to the heart of cool America with these tips on what to do, what to see, what to eat, and where to go from “insiders” who live and love these 6 cities.

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‘Must-do’ alternatives

Food & drink

Adventure experiences

Contents:

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Author: Cynthia Houchin

Just shy of the top 10 largest cities in the USA, Austin is only the third largest city in the state, behind Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. Once a humble settlement called Waterloo, the decision to move the capital from Houston in 1839 changed everything. Now it’s a quirky melting pot of progressive politics, higher education, upstart entrepreneurs, musicians, free spirits and visitors flock to Austin for events ranging from SXSW to the Republic of Texas Biker Rally.

AUSTIN

Austin

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While the list of mandatory sites to see

varies greatly depending on what you’re

into, some old faithful standbys have

equally fun alternatives.

Bat-watching

Mexican free-tailed bats living under the

Congress Bridge leave their perch in a

giant wave at dusk from March to Novem-

ber, heading out to feed on insects. How-

ever, bats in fading twilight look pretty

similar to birds, not to mention, a small

‘Must-do’alternatives in Austin

5

percentage of bats carry rabies. Rather

than waiting on a crowded bridge for

these shy creatures to dart off into the

night, why not get a better vantage

point?

Stand-up paddleboarding is immensely

popular here for good reason: it’s far

cheaper than a bat-watching boat cruise,

as fun as a canoe and easy to master.

Rent your paddleboard from the nearby

Rowing Dock.

Boot scootin’

“The Broken Spoke” is a famous,

family-run dance hall dating back to

the sixties on the south side of town,

with regular live music from the likes

of “Ameripolitan” artist Dale Watson

(the Spoke has hosted country music

greats from Tex Ritter to Willie Nelson)

and there’s two-step dance lessons

Wednesdays through Saturdays.

However, the White Horse is an eastside

honky tonk with nearly as much boot

scootin’ charm, an equally hopping

dance floor, live country and bluegrass

bands and best of all, usually no cover.

Natural pools

“Barton Springs” is a beloved man-made

pool in the heart of the city with 68

degree spring-fed waters. But take a trip

out to Hamilton Pool in nearby Dripping

Springs and you’ll discover a natural

swimming hole with a postcard perfect

waterfall. Part of a nature preserve,

it’s a small, cash-only operation with

limited capacity, so the key to entry is

getting there early, with best odds on

a weekday. From May 15 to September

30, visitors must make a reservation,

either online or in the Parks Reservations

Office for entry.

With around 1,000 food trucks in

operation, there’s nearly unlimited

options for cheap, delicious eats. Rather

than hitting a food truck park and

staying put, why not zip through town

on a Rocket Electric foodie tour and

experience a smorgasbord of options at

various food trucks around town? It’s the

most rewarding kind of scavenger hunt,

especially with an experienced tour guide.

Austin

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Best taco in Austin

Breakfast tacos here are what legends

are made of and yes, it’s all true. It’s

both possible and recommended to

have tacos for every meal to experi-

ence the full spectrum. The best in

town is hotly debated, but Tacodeli is

definitely worth a taste test, as is the

increasingly ubiquitous Torchy’s Tacos,

which got its start as a food truck. For

specific taco selections, you can’t go

wrong with migas at Tamale House

Food & drink in Austin

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East, classic tacos al carbón at President

LBJ’s favorite restaurant, Matt’s El

Rancho, or for something a little more far

out, try Chil’antro BBQ Asian fusion pork

tacos (highly recommended with a side

of kimchi fries).

Non-taco dining

Noteworthy upscale restaurants on

food scene include Launderette, you

guessed it, in a former laundromat,

Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile

ranch-to-table dining, and James Beard-

winning local chef Paul Qui’s twelve-

seat sushi bar Otoko.

Be sure to save a little room for super

cool treats like ice cream at SPUN,

liquid nitrogen frozen to negative 321°F

for the creamiest finish. Or sample

innovative, seasonally flavored Lick Ice

Creams with concoctions like Cilantro

Lime or Fresh Oranges and Fennel.

Gourdough’s Donuts, Voodoo Donuts

and Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop are also

sweet spots to indulge.

To wet your whistle, there’s an endless

array of bars, but for something more

unusual, there’s Alamo Drafthouse’s

Midnight Cowboy, a semi-secret

craft cocktail spot with an illicit past

as a clandestine “massage” parlor,

and Garage, inside the former valet

quarters of an actual parking garage.

Austin

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Adventure experiences in Austin

Austin from the air

To get your adrenaline pumping, there’s

no better adventure than cruising in the

open cockpit of an Austin Biplane tour

over the city. Get into the spirit of this

WWII era plane, fabricated in 2012, and

pose for old-time photos on the tarmac

wearing a bomber jacket, goggles and

requisite white silk scarf. For the full

experience, take the Red Baron aerobatic

tour for a loop, barrel roll and wingover,

while wearing the mandatory parachute

just in case.

You can also take flight at Trapeze Texas,

now offering the only double facing, out-

door flying trapeze rigging in the world,

complete with an 88” long safety net, and it’s as little as $10 a swing. Trapeze

Texas also recently added bungee tra-

peze and swinging trapeze classes.

Austin water sports

Between Ladybird Lake, Lake Austin and

Lake Travis, water sports are everywhere

but friends with boats are hard to come

by. There are a few options that don’t

require one, however. Channel your inner

Iron Man and learn to flyboard via jet ski

out at Lake Travis with Aquafly, now with

a jet pack option. Or Quest ATX wake-

boarding cable park is a great option

for wakeboarders looking to practice

tricks. Construction is even underway on

NLand Surf Park, slated to open later this

year. This giant wave pool is the size of 9

football fields and will offer landlocked

surfers the chance to surf perfect breaks.

Cycle Austin

But after all that excitement, a pedal

party cruise might be more your speed.

On the Hipside Peddler, you can drink at

a moving bar while riding to local craft

breweries on a party bike built for 15.

Cheers, y’all!

Austin

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Author: Marissa Pedersen

Seattle is known for several different famous places. Pike Place Market, the Space Needle, and Starbucks are among the more commonly known locations. Skip the tourist crowds and head to these local favorites instead.

SEATTLE

Seattle

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Ballard Farmers’ Market

Pike Place Market is possibly the most

tourist-saturated attraction in Seattle. If

you want to avoid crowds and slow-moving

tourists, head north of downtown to the

Ballard neighborhood. On Sundays, they

hold their weekly farmers market. Besides

being less crowded, it’s a great way to really

get to know the local vendors. You can sam-

ple what they’re selling, talk to them about

where it came from, or just make small talk.

It’s a much more personal experience and

‘Must-do’alternatives in Seattle

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you’ll still walk away with fresh pro-

duce, flowers, or handmade items, to

name a few.

Columbia Tower

The Space Needle will charge you an

arm and a leg to get in, and it’s not even

the highest building in Seattle. Sure,

there’s a rotating restaurant on top,

but it’s extremely overpriced. Visit the

Columbia Tower to get the best view of

Seattle. Taller and more centrally locat-

ed than the Space Needle, you’ll be able

to see a majority of downtown, Puget

Sound, and even the Olympic Mountains

on a clear day. You’ll be able to get much

better pictures here. Afterwards, have

lunch at a variety of restaurants around

the area, which will be much cheaper

than the Space Needle’s restaurant.

Kayaking Tour

This cheesy tour will whiz you through

Seattle while forcing you to listen to

corny jokes and blow duck whistles. Save

your pride and head to Alki Beach for a

kayaking tour instead. You’ll be able to

actively discover Puget Sound in a much

slower way as you glide through the

water. The tour guide will still provide

plenty of interesting information along

the way. If you’re lucky, you might even

see some seals or Orca whales.

Seattle

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Seattle Dog - You haven’t had a real hot

dog until you’ve experienced the “Seattle

dog.” Smothered in cream cheese and car-

amelized onions, you’ll never want to go

back to a normal hot dog with just ketch-

up and mustard. You can find hot dog

stands selling these on weekend nights in

Belltown or Capitol Hill.

Talarico’s Pizza - New York and Chicago

have nothing on Talarico’s pizza. These

12” slices are literally bigger than your

head, and you’ll be hard-pressed to order

multiple slices. Choose from a variety of

different toppings to make your own

customized pizza while catching the latest

sports game on their huge TVs.

Garlic Fries at Safeco Field - Garlic fries in

the summer during the Mariner’s games

are a Seattle tradition. The hot fries with a

side of apple slices while the sun’s beat-

ing down on you can’t be beat. You might

even find yourself coming just for the

fries, not the game.

Molly Moon’s Honey Lavender Ice Cream

It’s easy to find this ice cream shop, as

there’s always a line out the door no

matter what time it is. If you’ve never had

lavender in ice cream before, you’re in for

a treat. The floral taste mixes in perfectly

with the sweetness of honey. You’ll never

have plain vanilla ice cream again.

Food & drink in Seattle

Seattle

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Duke’s Chowder House in Greenlake -

The city’s great, but sometimes you

want to get away from the hoards of

people and long wait times for restau-

rants downtown. Head north to the

Greenlake neighborhood to Duke’s, and

grab a table out on the patio. It’s a great

place to enjoy a view of the lake and

people watch all the walkers and jog-

gers on the trail. The clam chowders are

delicious here as well.

Dick’s Drive In in Capitol Hill - Dick’s has

been a Seattle favorite since 1954 when

the first drive in opened. The bright or-

ange and white sign always draws huge

crowds for their hand-cut fries, hand-

made milkshakes, and 100% fresh beef

burgers. It’s always a cause for celebra-

tion, whether there’s teenagers hang-

ing out in the parking lot with their cars

after school or the older crowd trying to

sober up after a long night out.

Victrola Coffee - Seattle may be the

home of Starbucks, but every local

knows it’s overrated and overpriced. To

go where the locals go, try out Victrola.

Their cozy atmosphere will make you

want to stay for awhile, and one sip of

their coffee will quickly convert you

from other coffee places.

Unicorn - This Capitol Hill establishment is

part bar, part circus with the large amount

of strange decorations that adorn the

walls. The upstairs always has their booths

filled to capacity, while the downstairs

holds yet another bar and pinball ma-

chines galore. You’ll feel like a kid again

playing all the games, minus the strong

alcoholic adult drink in your hand.

Authentic Seattle feeling?

Seattle

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Seattle is a natural wonderland

full of mountains, rivers, lakes, and

even an ocean. There’re very few

adventures the city doesn’t have,

and different activities can be done

for each season. Here’s just a small sample of what Seattle has to offer.

Snow Sports - In the winter, head to Ste-

vens Pass for powdery days full of skiing.

If that’s not your thing, try snowshoeing

or cross-country skiing at the Nordic

Center at Snoqualmie Pass. You can get

lessons, or head out on your own to ex-

plore the snowy forests. It’s the best way

to explore such a serene area.

Hiking - The warm and sunny summers

are full of even more opportunities for

adventure. Head to Mt. Si for a challenging

hike that’s eight miles round trip. If you’re

not quite in shape, try its sister, Little Si. At

only four miles round trip, it’s still a decent

hike that gains a good amount of eleva-

tion in a short period of time.

Rock Climbing - If you’d rather climb the

mountain, you can rock climb the face

of it as well. Mt. Si is always full of rock

climbers testing out their skills on any

given day. Just make sure you’re proper-

ly trained in rock climbing and go with a

group for safety.

Water Sports - More of a fan of water

sports? Find a friend with a boat and

go to Lake Washington for a day full of

water skiing. You can zip around the lake

all the way from Kirkland to south Seat-

tle, stopping at one of many waterfront

restaurants for lunch. If you prefer more

speed, take a jet ski out to see the entire

lake in a day.

If you want to enjoy yourself at your own

leisure, take a kayak out on Lake Union.

You can see boats whiz by, watch sea-

planes land, and wave at other kayakers.

Your backdrop will be the Space Needle

and the Olympic Mountains to top it off.

Adventure experiences in Seattle

Seattle

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Author: Jessica Spiegel

Portland doesn’t have a big must-see monument – there’s no Eiffel Tow-er equivalent. For many visitors, hanging out in the city is the must-do. Portland is a place to eat well, drink well, and enjoy Mother Nature, rain or shine. And that’s true whether you’re a visitor or a local.

PORTLAND

Portland

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How Portlanders spend their free time:

Powell’s City of Books – If there’s one place

that’s got pilgrimage status in Portland, it’s

Powell’s. Book nerds regularly arrive with

an empty suitcase. Prowl the three-story

city-block-sized flagship store for used and

new books. Don’t miss the Rare Book Room

on the top floor.

‘Must-do’alternatives in Portland

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Get Outside – Weather in Portland often

doesn’t cooperate, so when it’s even half-

way decent locals are outdoors. Cover

both sides of the Willamette on the Wa-

terfront Park/Eastbank Esplanade loop,

crossing the Steel and Hawthorne bridg-

es. Stroll through the Japanese Garden

or (free) International Rose Test Garden,

with grand city views, or enjoy the peace-

ful escape of the Chinese Garden in the

heart of Old Town. See how the 1% lived

in early 20th-century Portland with a hike

up to the hilltop Pittock Mansion. Go for

an urban hike (or mountain bike ride)

through Forest Park.

Happy Hour – Portlanders love happy

hour. Here, it’s not cheap well drinks and

potato chips. Instead, it’s regularly-priced

drinks (with a couple happy hour drink

specials) plus a menu of discounted

plates. (Think $3 full-sized gourmet burg-

ers.) You can, and many locals do, make

an inexpensive meal out of happy hour.

Some restaurants offer two happy hours,

like bookends for the prime dinner hour.

Get Arty – The Portland Art Museum has

an excellent Asian art collection, but turn

looking at art into something like a pub

crawl on First Thursday (in the Pearl Dis-

trict) or Last Thursday (on Alberta Street)

when galleries open their new shows.

Portland

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Portland has a wider variety of food

options than it should for a city its size.

Food carts in Portland

Visit a few food cart pods (what locals

call groupings of food carts) on both

sides of the river. The landscape chang-

es regularly; research current options

on foodcartsportland.com.

Enjoy a table with an amazing view at

Portland City Grill or, in nice weather,

the rooftop patios at Departure.

Beer, wine, coffee

Portland has more microbreweries

per capita than any other city, and

we’re known for attempting to use all

the hops in the world. If you like IPAs,

you’re in luck.

Don’t love hops? Sip some world-fa-

mous Oregon wines (especially Pinot

Noir) or a craft cocktail made with

locally-distilled spirits.

Pick nearly any coffee shop besides

Starbucks (we’ve got those, but you

won’t need one). Some to try: Coava,

Oblique, Spella, Barista, and Case Study.

Portlanders won’t often stand in the

Voodoo Doughnuts line unless we’ve

got a visitor who simply must go there.

We get our doughnut fix at places like

Pip’s Original or Blue Star.

Locals will stand in line for Salt &

Straw’s strange ice cream flavors, but

there are other fabulous ice cream

spots to try, too – Ruby Jewel and Fifty

Licks among them.

Skip Chinatown if you’re looking for

Portland’s best Asian food. That’s on

SE 82nd, though parts of that (unat-

tractive) street are dodgy. There’s some

great Mexican out there, too.

Food & drink in Portland

Portland

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Portland is an outdoor enthusiast’s utopia in many ways, not least for its proximity to even greater outdoors than are inside the city limits.

Hiking around Portland

Within a relatively easy walk from down-town, you can go for a long hike in Forest Park, the largest urban park in the United States (six times bigger than NYC’s Cen-tral Park). Lace up your hiking boots and enjoy 80 miles of trails (28 of those miles are open to cyclists).

Adventure experiences in Portland

Portland

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Cycling in Portland

Turn your bike into a thrill ride with the weekly Zoobomb, when adrena-line-seeking cyclists bring their bikes (the odder the better) to the top of the West Hills and ride downhill as fast as they can. Helmets – and costumes – are strongly encouraged.

Jet boat experience

During warmer weather, go on a Willa-mette Jetboat ride. You’ll get a little wet, but you’ll also see the city from the water – always a good idea.

Adventure near Portland

The appeal of Portland for many, howev-er, is actually outside Portland. Spend a day hiking in the Columbia River Gorge. Head to Hood River for some world-class wind surfing. Take advantage of the only year-round skiing in the USA at Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge. Cross the bor-der into Washington State to hike around the still-fuming crater of Mt. St. Helens. There is adventure a-plenty around Portland for anyone with a car and (more often than not) good rain gear. Get out there and have some fun.

Portland

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Author: Dylan Angell

When most people think of NYC, they are often thinking of Manhat-tan, all of the major museums and classic tourist sites are based there, twenty or so years ago the other boroughs were not even on a travel-er’s mind but as NYC has continued to evolve tourists have begun to take notice of the four other boroughs.

NEW YORK

New York

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Brooklyn

Williamsburg in Brooklyn, which popular

culture has deemed the mecca of cool, can

feel a bit like a fashion show on a college

campus, but it can also be terribly enter-

taining and fun as it contains all things hip-

-great coffee, plenty of bars, music venues

and shopping boutiques. But the rest of

Brooklyn should not be neglected.

‘Must-do’alternatives in New York

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Greenpoint, which is next to Williams-

burg, is a quieter but equally hip neigh-

borhood which is a good place to go

to if you want to avoid the crowds.

The neighborhood was predominant-

ly Polish prior to the recent wave of

gentrification and there are still quite a

few places to get Polish pierogies and

baked goods.

From Greenpoint you can go to Long

Island City in Queens where you can

find MOMA PS1, the younger, hipper

sibling to Manhattan’s Museum of

Modern Art - it’s considered the more

cutting edge of the two museums and

often hosts the work of younger artist--

every Saturday during the summer the

museum puts on it’s Warm-Up parties

which showcase world famous DJs .

The Bronx

The Bronx, which was once deemed

one of the worst slums in America is

now a cultural hodgepodge where one

can visit the Botanical Gardens, The

Bronx Zoo and its own fraction of Little

Italy. The Bronx Modern Art Museum

presents much of what makes the

Bronx unique as it showcase the mul-

ticulturalism of the borough as well as

celebrates its history as the birthplace

of Hip-Hop.

New York

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NYC has one of the most varied food scenes

in the world and each borough has its specific

gems; Staten Island is the place for Sri- Lankin

and Italian food, Queens has Indian and Thai,

the Bronx has everything from traditional

West African to Mexican food, Brooklyn is

leading the farm to table movement and

Manhattan has its upscale fusion dishes and

plays host to Little Italy and Chinatown and

that’s just the beginning.

If you are traveling on a budget then you

can keep things on the cheap side by

keeping the NY staples of Bagels, Pizza and

Falafel in your meal rotation. If you want

to switch things up then you can head to

Chinatown for cheap Dumplings, Bahn Mi

sandwiches and Pho. Cheap food trucks

can be found in each borough with every-

thing from Tacos to Dosas.

Farmers’ markets

If you are staying for a while and want to

cook for yourself and eat healthy then

you can find the schedule for each neigh-

borhood’s farmer market at NYC.gov.

and enjoy NYC grown produce. In the

summertime, you should head to Wil-

liamsburg’s Smorgasburg, which is

organized by the Brooklyn Flea Market.

It takes place every Saturday on the

Williamsburg waterfront and Sundays

in Prospect Park.

What to drink in New York

NYC has every kind of drinking hole you

can imagine--from new “Mixologist”

cocktail bars to local breweries to sim-

ple dive bars that just serve domestic

beers. If you can’t find the bar that suits

you then ask around because there are

always more bars..

Food & drink in New York

New York

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Art in new York

NYC has long ago established itself as a

leader in the art world and as the art world

elite flock to Chelsea every Thursday gal-

lery hopping from opening to opening they

are often missing out on many of the under

the radar openings that are taking places

in Brooklyn and Queens. In these neighbor-

hoods you can find a thriving scene that has

redefined the NYC underground art world

with such venues as Pioneer Works in Red-

hook and Journal gallery in Williamsburg

leading the way.

Adventure experiences in New York

New York

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Music in New York

With NYC being the birthplace of the Avant

Garde, Jazz and Hip Hop one can always

find exciting music on any given night. Issue

Project Room, The Stone and the Kitchen

are all underground establishments that

have a long history in the NYC avant garde.

Troost, Sunny’s, the Jalopy Theatre, Pete’s

Candy Store and Sisters are great bars that

often have all kinds of live music that come

with the price of your drink.

Beaches in New York

In recent years it seems New Yorkers of all five boroughs have been waking up to the fact that they have beaches; Rockaway beach in Queens in particular has become host to free summer concerts and new restaurants on the boardwalk that include tacos, fresh juices, ceviches, bbq and more.Of course these are just a few examples of what NYC has to offer but if you follow your instincts and zero in on what aspect of New York you want to explore then you

are sure to have a unique time.

New York

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Author: Elena Valeriote

Los Angeles thrives as a multicultural center of life in constant motion – except maybe on the freeway. With a little patience for its infamous traffic, you can do anything in Los Angeles. Begin the day with a hike in the Hollywood Hills and descend into the city to shop. Spend an after-noon lounging on the beach and a night dancing downtown. Fulfill your cravings for fine art and haute cuisine at any of its numerous museums or restaurants.

LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles

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Hollywood or hike

Most tourists come to Los Angeles to see the Walk of Fame, but find themselves dis-appointed by the dirty, star-studded side-walk. Unfortunately, Hollywood can be dan-gerous, especially to tourists, who may be distracted by sightseeing or overwhelmed by the wild characters (often in costume) that hover near the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine. Avoid the crowds and scammers and hike to the Hollywood sign itself for a beautiful view of Los Angeles.

‘Must-do’alternatives in Los Angeles

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Go east to eat

When you’re ready for a bite to eat, try ex-ploring some of L.A.’s less famous neigh-borhoods on the Eastside. The trendy cafés in the Arts District, Little Tokyo and Silverlake offer coffee and pastries that are worth a visit, even if they’re a little out of the way. Farmers’ markets are also a fun way to get a taste of Los Angeles. You can find one any day of the week with plenty of good food and great opportunities for people watching.

Art instead of movies

When you’ve had your fill, feast your eyes on art at one of the city’s many museums. The newest museum, The Broad, opened in late 2015 to much excitement about its vast collection of contemporary art. Entry to The Broad is free, but online reserva-tions are recommended. If you can’t get in, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an excellent alternative for viewing modern artworks. Art lovers who prefer more traditional collections may prefer to visit the Getty Center or spend an afternoon at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.

Los Angeles

3030

Smart shopping in LA

You don’t want to leave Los Angeles emp-ty-handed, so leave a day open in your schedule for shopping if you can.

Alternatives to Rodeo Drive

Many tourists consider shopping on Ro-deo Drive as a bucket list item, but unless you’re willing to spend a few thousand dollars on designer clothes (or a lot more on expensive cars or watches), there isn’t much reason to visit this Beverly Hills hub. One of the most affordable and fun attrac-tions in Beverly Hills is the Sprinkles Cup-cakes shop. This flagship location is respon-sible for the cupcake trend that exploded a few years ago in the U.S. and these pastries are worth the popularity and price. You can have a Sprinkles Cupcake at any hour of the day from the ATM machine out front, which dispenses cupcakes on demand for $4.50 (a dollar more expensive than if you pay inside).

The Grove, a palatial outdoor mall, is a truly Los Angeles shopping experience. There are stores for all ages and most budgets,

plus a trolley, a musical foundation and a movie theater. The Farmers’ Market, a diverse collection of restaurants and food vendors, is adjacent to the shopping area. If you’re driving, be forewarned that park-ing (as always in L.A.) can be chaotic. The first hour in The Grove’s parking structure is free and the first two hours in Farmers’ Market parking lot are free with validation from a vendor at the Farmers’ Market, but with either option every additional hour becomes increasingly expensive so it’s a good idea to set alarms on your phone to keep track of time.

Venice and Silicon Beach

If you’d rather be on the beach than at the mall, but you still want to find a souvenir, head to Abbot Kinney Boulevard, a trendy shopping street in a costal neighborhood called Venice. Here you’ll find unique, somewhat expensive clothes, jewelry and home décor, as well as food in the genre of New California Cuisine – healthy, fresh and flavorful. You’ll even find several pretty ca-nals mimicking those in the neighborhood’s namesake Italian city. This area has gained popularity among celebrities and tech start-ups, earning it the nickname “Silicon Beach.” When you want to take a break to catch some sun and nap on the warm sand, just walk a couple blocks down Venice Bou-levard in the direction of the refreshing sea breeze. You’ll find that hippies are at home on Venice Beach, lending to a relaxed vibe complete with the sound of street per-formers and maybe a whiff of marijuana.

Los Angeles

3131

If you could only have one food experi-

ence in Los Angeles, it should be at Grand

Central Market. Located in Downtown

L.A., Grand Central Market has been

around for almost a hundred years (an-

cient relative to everything else in Los An-

geles) and houses dozens of restaurants

in a lively, open setting. In recent years,

some of the best chefs in the city have

used this venue as the conduit for sharing

their talent with the people of Los Ange-

les. Grand Central Market has options for

every craving, whether it’s for Mexican,

Italian, German or Japanese cuisine.

Food & drink in Los Angeles

Los Angeles

3232

Road tripsfrom Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the perfect starting point

for a weekend escape. Drive just an hour

and you’ll find yourself in vastly different

surroundings. Depending on the direc-

tion, you might end up in the mountains,

in a forest, in the desert or on the beach.

Southeast desert experience

Head east (and a little south) on the free-

way for about two hours from Los Ange-

les and you’ll find yourself in Joshua Tree

National Park, which looks much like the

setting of a Dr. Seuss book. The name-

sake trees sprout up sporadically across

the golden-hued landscape, recognizable

by the spiky tufts that branch off in every

direction from the trunk. In the daytime

they look comical, but at night, the forms

can look eerily human-like. If you’ve never

been in a desert before, visiting Joshua

Tree will be an entirely new and magical

experience, but you do need to prepare.

Bring your camping gear, sunscreen and

comfortable hiking attire, along with

plenty of food and water. Even if a desert

landscape isn’t your ideal getaway, the

clear view of the stars after dark is worth

the drive.

Northwest hippie experience

For an extraordinary adventure of a

different sort, drive in the exact opposite

direction to a small town called Ojai. Lo-

cated two hours northwest of L.A., Ojai

(say it “Oh, hi” like an awkward greeting)

is one of the better-kept secrets about

where Angelenos go when they want

to get away from the hustle and bustle

of the city. Ojai is essentially a commu-

nity of hippies clustered around organic

produce shops, vegan restaurants, used

book stores, yoga studios, massage

parlors, handmade jewelry boutiques

and New Age crystal vendors. The main

attractions are the hiking trails and the

citrus groves. If you happen to be visiting

in early spring, try an Ojai Pixie Tangerine,

an especially sweet and small variety that

grows only in the Ojai Valley. The town

itself can be explored in one day, leaving

time to visit the nearby coastal towns of

Santa Barbara and Carpentaria.

Los Angeles

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Author: Elena Valeriote

The city of San Francisco has undergone a change of identity in the

last few decades; where the Beatniks once wrote revolutionary

poems, tech startups now reside writing revolutionary algorithms.

While it’s up for debate whether this change is for the better of

worse, there’s no doubt that San Francisco remains one of the most

influential and exciting cities in the world.

SANFRANCISCO

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Haight-Ashbury

This is no longer a traveler’s secret, but it

shouldn’t be relegated to a list of overhyped

tourist experiences. The Haight district of San

Francisco – where you’ll find the intersection

of the two famous streets – represents an

important part of the city’s identity.

During the 1960s, a community of bohe-

mians settled in the beautifully detailed,

colorful homes around Haight-Ashbury and

‘Must-do’alternatives in San Francisco

3535

led to the rise of the hippie era that the

city became famous for. The influence

of love, drugs, freedom and psychedelic

rock remains strong in this area. Along

Haight Street you’ll find vintage clothing

boutiques, music shops, anarchist book-

stores, smoking paraphernalia and an

exceptionally nice, small grocery store

simply called Haight Street Market. Order

a sandwich at the deli counter, pick up

some of their reasonably priced fresh

produce and choose a craft beef or qual-

ity coffee to-go and enjoy a picnic nearby

on the grassy offshoot of Golden Gate

Park called The Panhandle.

Golden Gate Park

If you’re spending a couple days in the city, it warrants at least a morning or af-ternoon left open just for walking around it. The park is a little over a thousand acres in size, much of which is covered by picturesque Eucalyptus, pine and cypress trees. If you’re especially interested in nature, you might want to check out the Japanese Tea Garden, Conservatory of Flowers or San Francisco Botanical Gar-dens, but know that entry to each garden costs $8.00.

San Francisco

3636

The main attraction at Golden Gate Park is undoubtedly the DeYoung Museum, which has a diverse collection of inter-national artworks, but is particularly well known for its American paintings. The $10.00 admission is a great deal, espe-cially in comparison to the $34.95 fee to enter the California Academy of Scienc-es, located directly across from it. If you prefer architecture to art, it’s still worth visiting the two buildings to see the juxta-position of the DeYoung Museum’s geo-metric copper structure facing the grassy knolls that form the roof of the California

Academy of Sciences.

Best view of the Golden Gate Bridge

If you travel into San Francisco via the 101

freeway in a car, by all means, stop at the

Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center and

snap a selfie with the iconic red structure,

but don’t go out of your way to get there.

If you want a breath-taking view, head to

Lands End, a park on the northwest tip

of the peninsula. Standing on the cliffs

at the edge of the park with the ocean

waves crashing below, you’ll see that the

dramatic name is worthy of the vista. On

San Francisco

3737

a clear day, you’ll see the Golden Gate

Bridge emerge heroically over the craggy

rocks. If you descend the steps to the wa-

ter’s edge, you can explore the Sutro Baths,

the ruins of a public bathhouse opened by

a nineteenth-century San Francisco mayor.

Try to arrive at Lands End an hour before

the sun goes down so that you can wander

around the park before enjoying the re-

splendent sunset over the ocean.

Alternatives to Fisherman’s Wharf

In every big city, there’s a place that the

locals will do anything to do avoid. In San

Francisco, that place is Fisherman’s Wharf.

Instead of spending your day amongst

other tourists staring at fat sea lions from

Pier 39 and buying I heart SF t-shirts, get

lost with the locals in the surrounding

neighborhood, North Beach. North Beach

is known as San Francisco’s “Little Italy,”

a name that reflects the abundance of

Italian restaurants here, especially along

Columbus Avenue. Also on Columbus

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3838

Avenue, you’ll find a great view of the

Transamerica Pyramid, one of the city’s

most iconic skyscrapers. Besides its large

Italian-American population, many Chi-

nese-Americans call North Beach home,

due in part to its proximity to San Francis-

co’s Chinatown. North Beach has always

been a haven for immigrants and outsid-

ers, most famously, the Beatniks. In fact,

the Beat Generation harbors a deep con-

nection to City Lights Bookstore in North

Beach, which published Allen Ginsberg’s

Howl and continues to independently

publish provocative literary works.

Lombard Street alternative

The perimeter of the North Beach neigh-

borhood is just a few blocks from Lom-

bard Street, a well-known block of San

Francisco that has earned recognition

for its steep and crooked path. Skip the

crowded sidewalks of tourists taking pho-

tos and head deeper into North Beach

for a more impressive view at Coit Tow-

er. The cylindrical concrete form of Coit

Tower isn’t the most elegant structure in

the city, but its vantage point has much

to offer. If you want to reach the tower,

San Francisco

3939

be prepared for a hike up the 400 stairs

of Telegraph Hill. Once there, you can

pay a few dollars to ascend a little higher

within the building, but it’s not necessary

to enjoy the sight of San Francisco from

above.

Where San Francisco goes to play

When you’re ready to explore a new

neighborhood, check out the Mission

district. At its heart, you’ll find the Mis-

sion Dolores Park. This is where every-

one goes on sunny days to camp out on

the grass with a book, have a picnic or

play Frisbee, all with the city skyline as

the backdrop. If you head down 18th

Street towards Dolores Street, you’ll pass

Bi-Rite Creamery, where you can get a

taste of homemade organic ice cream,

and Bi-Rite Market, where you can buy

organic and locally produced goods. If

you’re really hungry, keep walking anoth-

er block and you’ll reach Tartine Bak-

ery. Tartine Bakery has been one of the

leaders of the high-quality bread trend in

the United States and has earned global

praise for its baked goods. Continue on in

this direction and the next major street

you’ll cross is Valencia Street. Here, you

can find some truly unique shops, like the

Pirate Supply Store, a quirky storefront

attached to a writing center, co-founded

by author Dave Eggers. Along Valencia

Street you can also visit Paxton Gate,

which offers an eclectic mix of amusing

taxidermy, gardening supplies and home

décor, and many other shops that you

won’t find elsewhere.

San Francisco

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If you could only visit one place to get a taste of San Francisco, the Ferry Build-ing Marketplace would be a pretty good start. The Ferry Building is located in an area called Embarcadero, right on the edge of San Francisco Bay. It offers all kinds of specialty culinary shops and clas-sic San Francisco food brands including Acme Bread Company, Cowgirl Cream-ery’s Artisan Cheese, Blue Bottle Coffee, Hog Island Oyster Company and Miette bakery, plus dozens of other restaurants and fresh produce markets.

For anyone visiting San Francisco, nearby

Marin County is the perfect place to take

a break from city life. Rent a car and head

north on the 101 freeway or board a fer-

ry to Sausalito or Larkspur.

On a clear day in Sausalito, you’ll have a

great view of the San Francisco skyline

and plenty of picturesque sailboats. The

town itself has a cheerful maritime feel.

You can stroll by the shops along the

main street, called Bridgeway, snacking

on fish and chips or ice cream, or head to

a favorite local café, Cibo. If you have a

car and want to continue exploring – or if

you chose to take the ferry to Larkspur in-

stead – head to the Marin Country Mart.

Here you’ll find cute shops and excellent

dining options. When you’re ready to see

some of the Bay’s stunning natural land-

scape, keep heading north.

As you pass Muir Woods, you’ll have to

make a choice: head west and you’ll end

up at Stinson Beach, head east and you’ll

find yourself at the base of Mount Tamal-

pais. If you don’t feel like lounging on the

beach or embarking on a hike quite yet,

keep going north and you’ll reach Point

Reyes. In addition to the abundance of

hiking options and beach territory, Point

Reyes has some great eateries. Locals

love Cowgirl Creamery, an artisanal

cheese shop, and you can also find count-

less places to eat fresh oysters around

Tomales Bay. Point Reyes is roughly one

and half hours from San Francisco, so you

can make it a day trip, but if you want to

spend more time in Marin County, make a

reservation at a hotel or camping ground

in advance.

Food & drink in San Francisco

Road tripsfrom San Francisco

San Francisco

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Elena Valeriote: Los Angeles & San Francisco

Elena is a native Californian who knows her home state top to bottom She’s a passionate foodie – which helped her win the World Nomads Passport & Plate Italy scholarship in 2014.

https://www.instagram.com/elenavaleriote/

Dylan Angell: New York

Dylan is a passionate traveller, musician, and documentary maker. His home for the past 7 years has been NYC where he’s made it his mission to find the best music venues and

Vietnamese Pho restaurants.

Jessica Spiegel: Portland

Jessica is a Portland-based freelance writer and social media strategist. She also runs the Italy Travel Guide, which we highly recommend.

http://italyexplained.com/

Cynthia Houchin: Austin

Cynthia is a graduate of Texas University (go Longhorns!) who lives and works in Austin. When she’s not working ( check out her

writing here http://www.cynthiahouchin.com/ ) she follows her other passions: yoga and music. She’s a Hatha

yoga teacher and plays bass in cover bands.

Marissa Pedersen: Seattle

Marissa is a travel writer with an impressive collection of work mostly about Seattle. It hasn’t happened in this happening city until she’s written about it. Getting outdoors and exploring

the Pacific Northwest is her passion.

About the authors

42

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Austin

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