Unanchor Blog: Heart of a Local Travel

Are you looking for a casual night out on the town? Start at The Pharmacy in East Nashville, a popular dinner destination for locals and tourists. Make sure to try one of their famous milkshakes with your burger! If the weather is nice, eating in the Beer Garden gives you a view of the historic neighborhood.

Whether you’re looking for delectable tacos, vintage clothing, or local artisans, Wicker Park is the neighborhood to visit when you’re in Chicago. Grab a friend, a couple of bags – there’s a bag tax in Chicago – and some Ventra cards, and head out for an incredible day in an ever-intriguing neighborhood.

Lake Geneva is a charming rural lakeside town in southeast Wisconsin nestled between three metropolitan centers in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison. It is quintessential Main Street Americana with shops, galleries, restaurants, and bars along the sidewalks. This tour provides an active morning adventure hitting highlights of Lake Geneva’s downtown.

Inside scoop on the best specialty retail shops to visit in Soho, NYC. Recommendations for your pre-shopping munchies. A hit list of best stores on key Soho streets.

Long known for being the home to a slightly older crowd, I’m here to tell you that things in Scottsdale have changed. People of all ages have heard the call and...

This Guide Will: Put you in the shoes of a local without having to play the guessing game Provide you with diverse activities and food options for a quick morning in Ojai The Itinerary - Overview This itinerary will give you ample time to explore Ojai’s natural beauty and unique charm with a hike from downtown to a popular, scenic trail, while leaving room to experience the one-of-a-kind Bart’s Books and Ojai farmers market, capping it off with a healthy and unique brunch. Time Activity 7 a.m.-8:00 a.m. Shelf Road Walk/Hike 8:15 a.m.-9:30 a.m. Beacon Coffee breakfast 9:30 a.m.- 10 a.m. Bart’s Books 10:00 a.m.-10:55 a.m. Ojai Certified Farmers Market 10:55 a.m.-11:05 a.m. Walk to Hip Vegan 11:05 a.m.-12 p.m. Hip Vegan brunch  Shelf Road Walk/HikePrice: FreeDuration: 1 hour From Signal Street and Ojai Avenue, head north until you come across a gate, which is the trailhead. Free street parking is available. Become acclimated to Ojai by catching a view of it in its entirety, bright and early. This unpaved trail will lead you alongside Ojai’s foothills, providing a view of the entire valley. The trail is approximately 1.2 miles in-and-out with small rolling hills. Bring a hat and sunscreen. Local’s Tip: Ojai is a health-conscious city; early morning exercise is a popular way to work up an appetite. From the trailhead is a 1 mile walk back to downtown. If you’ve brought a car, simply park along West Matilija Street for the remainder of the morning, and head back to Ojai Avenue and turn right. Beacon Coffee is just passed N. Blanche Street, on the left. Beacon CoffeePrice: $3 – 10Duration: 1 hourWebsite: www.beaconcoffee.com Beacon Coffee is Ventura County’s premier coffee roaster, with all of the coffee personally chosen by the owners who visit the small South American farms on which the coffee is grown. The actual roasting location is in Ventura, but recently, Beacon opened a coffeehouse in Ojai that has made regulars out of the locals and the many celebrities who call Ojai home. Sit back and relax with a single-origin brew orone of many creative, seasonal offerings such as the locally grown lavender-infused mocha, with a freshly baked tart or pastry. Local’s Tip: Cattywampus Crafts shares a building with Beacon and is a great place to pick up a small project to pass the time over coffee. From Beacon, cross Ojai Avenue and head up Canada Street toward E. Matilija Street; Bart’s Book will on the left. Bart’s BooksPrice: VariesDuration: 30 minutesWebsite: www.bartsbooksojai.com Interior of Bart’s Books Book worms, rejoice: Bart’s Books is a bookstore out of your favorite fantasy novel. The converted home offers shelves upon shelves of books in every genre in a truly unique setting with no ceilings in an open floor, choose-your-own-adventure-style exploration. Local’s Tip: Should the weather turn dour (very rare!), remember to bring your umbrella inside! Out of Bart’s, turn left on to E. Matilija Street and proceed for four blocks. Ojai Certified Farmers MarketPrice: FreeDuration: 55 minutesWebsite: www.ojaicertifiedfarmersmarket.com Ojai Farmers Market Depending on the season, expect to find unique, organic fruits and vegetables as well as a slew of handmade craft items such as soap and hand-woven baskets, and a plethora of baked goods. One can get lost wandering the booths listening to musicians busk away the morning. Local’s Tip: Don’t miss out on Freezer Monkeys popsicles featuring unique combination of farmers market flavors as a mid-morning treat. Head east on Matilija Street and make a right on Montgomery; make a left on Ojai Avenue. We’ll be heading to Hip Vegan now for brunch, which will be on the left passed Park Road. Hip VeganPrice: $10-$20Duration: 1 hourWebsite: www.hipvegancafe.com Exterior of Hip Vegan They say that when in Rome, do as the Romans do, and Ojai locals love vegan fare. There is no better place to get acquainted with the meat-free, dairy-free cuisine than at Hip Vegan, offering wraps, sandwiches and bowls. Don’t miss out on the Ojai Pixie Tangerine cake, when available. Local’s Tip: The classic burrito with farm-fresh guacamole is a local favorite. --- About the Author:Chris O’Neal lives in Ventura, 15 minutes from Ojai. He writes for a local newspaper and has lived in Ventura County for 15 years. He can be contacted at chris.oneal13@gmail.com.   Interested in getting more information about SoCal? Check out a few of the rest of Unanchor's California guides:  

Many people confuse Los Angeles with Hollywood - probably one of the most famous places in the world, but just a small part of Los Angeles, an enormous city that can engulf many of the US's other cities and still have space left over. Los Angeles is the Mecca for wannabes, could-bes and might-bes, and it's the Hollywood sign, one of the most recognizable signs in the world that draws them here. It's a symbol of failure and tragedy for many, hope and success for others. It's been featured in countless movies and TV shows, and it is cherished by Angelinos whatever their connection to it and the city.Los Angeles is unique in the fact it has no real center, it is like lots of little cities in one big city, unkindly called urban sprawl by some people! With 4 million people in the city and 10 million in LA county, one of the great things is you never feel hemmed in! Because of the vastness of the city, the best way to see Los Angeles is to split your stay into two areas for example: inland and the beach. With that in mind, here’s an ideal morning spent inland in Los Angeles. Start with breakfast at the 101 Coffee Shop (6145 Franklin Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028) in Hollywood. This gorgeous retro diner isn’t what you would probably expect to find in a Best Western Hotel but it’ll take you back to diner glory days of the 60s. Not only a historic landmark, it probably comes as little surprise that its starred in movies, in particular Swingers. Order the Mickey Fitz and wash it down with plenty of coffee. You’ll need the energy for the rest of the day. Next stop is the Griffith Observatory (4730 Crystal Springs Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90027) This museum is situated inside Los Angeles favorite outdoor space - Griffith Park. Whether you consider yourself a space nerd or not, there is plenty for everyone to do at the Observatory. You can just wander around the grounds and admire the view of the city, and the Hollywood sign from here. Or enter the Observatory (free!) and check out the astronomy themed exhibits including a Tesla coil and a camera obscura. Or... weigh yourself to see what you would weigh on other planets and touch real moon rocks! There is an excellent planetarium show with live narration (about $7 for an adult), which is well worth the price if you can afford it. If you have plenty of energy left, you can walk the trail that starts just near the parking area for amazing views of the city. Just be sure to take plenty of water, sunblock! After the Observatory, if you haven’t brought a picnic to enjoy in the park, then head back down to Los Feliz (pronounced Los Fey-Lease) to one of my favourite outdoor restaurants - Home (1760 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027). There truly is no place like Home - the food is very good and plenty of variety whether you want sandwiches, salads, burgers, wraps. The highlight has to be it’s wonderful patio so be sure to ask to sit outside and bring your sunglasses - if you are lucky, you will spot a celebrity especially during the weekends. After lunch if you have time explore Los Feliz - original home of Walt Disney studios, childhood neighborhood of Leonardo DiCaprio - check out the boutique shops, pop into the wonderful Skylight Bookstore on N Vermont Blvd or sit and watch the world go by with a coffee at H Coffee house or Blue Bottle Coffee both on Hillhurst. Thanks Clare Interested in getting more information about Los Angeles? Check out the rest of Clare's guides:  

By: Jill Dutton Spring is the perfect opportunity to get out and explore Kansas City. Thanks to the KC Streetcar, you can spend a Saturday morning with a streetcar ride from Union Station to the City Market, enjoy brunch at The Farmhouse, a farm-to-table restaurant, walk and shop the City Market, then return to Union Station for a trip back in time as you explore a living piece of history. KC Streetcar Head to Union Station located at Pershing and Main. There you’ll jump on the KC Streetcar for a visual ride through the Crossroads area, Kauffman Center, Power & Light District, the Library, and the City Market. Stay on until the last stop at the River Market which will put you at 4th & Delaware. The KC Streetcar is free to ride and runs daily from Union Station to the City Market. Track the streetcar and see where it’s at while you wait. Brunch at The Farmhouse Walk the short distance from the Streetcar stop to The Farmhouse at 300 Delaware. The Farmhouse serves up local meats and produce, a la comfort foods. Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. You’ll find a decadent selection of entrees like Steak and Eggs (Two Windhaven Farms’ eggs, salsa verde, bleu cheese butter, pickled onion & potato hash) or Midwest Croque Madame (Brioche Texas toast, smoked provolone, ham, country gravy, and sunny up farm egg). Non-meat eaters will enjoy the Veggie Benedict (Two poached eggs, roasted butternut squash, spinach, hollandaise sauce, on challah bread) or Vegan Street Tacos (Tofu chorizo, napa cabbage, slaw, and pickled jalapeños). After such a hearty, satisfying brunch, you’ll want to do some walking, so head the few short blocks to the historic City Market. City Market The City Market, a Kansas City farmers market since 1957, offers an outdoor market with more than 40 tenants providing everything from live goats, gift items, herbs and plants, to a variety of produce. After you’ve perused the market, jump back on the streetcar at 5th & Walnut and return to Union Station. Union Station History abounds at the Kansas City Union Station, the location of the 1933 “Kansas City Massacre,” where Charles Arthur “Pretty Boy” Floyd, Vernon Miller, and Adam Richetti attempted to free Frank Nash from the custody of law enforcement officers. Four officers and Frank Nash were killed in the shooting. Things have calmed down since, but the station is still a glorious tribute to the days of rail travel. There are too many things to do in one morning, but it’s free to explore Union Station, or you can choose from one of the activities like Science City, the Arvin Gottlieb Planetarium, the H&R Block City Stage, or the Regnier Extreme Screen Theater.               -- Jill Dutton is the publisher of Evolving Magazine (www.evolvingmagazine.com) and a travel writer who explores the United States and Canada by train (www.usabyrail.blog). She leads group tours by train, starting with Santa Fe, NM, July 2-8, 2017. Visit https://usabyrail.blog/guided-rail-tours/ for more information. Photo credits (except cover image): Claus Wawrzinek    Interested in getting more information about Kansas City? Check out Jill's guide: