Today’s City Guide is brought to you by Kelley Heneveld of Indianapolis!

I’d like to show you the lovely city of Indianapolis, “Crossroads of America.” Since biking is my main form of transportation and the best way to get around, we’ll see Indy by bike.

1. Let’s start with breakfast at the City Market. The market is housed in a beautiful historic building established in 1886. Not only does it hold the local farmers market (summer and winter) but also numerous restaurant vendors.  I suggest getting a crepe and coffee at Three Days in Paris, a “pain au chocolat” at Circle City Sweets, or a fresh squeezed organic juice at Natural Born Juicers. If you forgot to bring your bike along, let’s walk next door to rent one at BGI’s Indy Bike Hub.

2. Over the last few years, the city of Indianapolis has been constructing the Cultural Trail, a path that gives you a great tour through different areas of town. From the City Market, the trail will take us to White River State Park, the Indianapolis Zoo, and Indy Slow Food Garden. We can visit any of these places and then continue along the canal, passing the State Museum along the way. When the trail comes off the canal, we’ll visit the Central Library. It a beautifully renovated library with one of my favorite views of the city from the sixth floor. The landscape includes the War Memorial Historic District- second only to Washington D.C. in acreage and number of monuments dedicated to veterans. You’ll notice “The Monument” as the city’s center point down the way.

3. We’re probably getting hungry for lunch, so we’ll get on the Monon. This rail trail extends north as far as Carmel (more than 16 miles total). Our destination is Goose the Market, a charcuterie that sources only local meats and specialty foods.  Featured in Bon Apetit and voted “Best Sandwich” by the people of Indy, the Batali is always a great pick. We can sit at the community tables downstairs, drinking a craft beer or wine with our meal, or at the counter upstairs with a specialty soda and bag of locally made potato chips.

4. The Monon will take us back to the heart of the city.  Let’s lock up our bikes and stroll around Mass Ave. We’ll definitely stop in Silver in the City, one of the hottest shops that carries many locally made products and art. If we’re in the mood for an afternoon cocktail, we’ll visit Ball & Biscuit, a prohibition style lounge. If yogurt sounds better, it’s definitely Yogulatte; or beer, Chatham Tap.

5. Let’s grab our bikes and follow the Cultural Trail to Fountain Square for dinner and late night activities. Fountain Square is a growing attraction as a hip art scene- one of the most colorful, exciting districts in Indy.  We can dine on anything from Thai to Mexican, local to greasy diner fare. Afterwards let’s imbibe! Locally made meads at New Day Meadery or beer at Fountain Square Brewery are my suggestions. We can see a show at White Rabbit Cabaret or Radio Radio, go duck pin bowling at the historic Fountain Square Theatre, visit IMOCA, or finish the evening with a few more drinks at Brass Ring Lounge. It’s been a lovely day.

A big thanks to Kelley of Kelley Jordan Photography for sharing her favorite Indianapolis spots and photos. You can follow her on Twitter or like her on Facebook!

Today’s City Guide is brought to you by Shelley Turk of Cleveland!

I’m sure I could do one million variations of a Cleveland City Guide. There is so much to do and explore in this city and I attribute that to the creatives and die hard Cleveland fans. I’m not talking sports fans, I’m talking about the ones that get up every day and say, “I love this city!” I highly consider myself one of these fans. So here is a collection of my favorite locations throughout Cleveland, Ohio.

Whether you like it or not, vintage will always be around. History often repeats itself and individuals are becoming more creative. In a society filled with big box stores, it is nice to find mid-century furniture pieces or a floppy hat that can make your normal spring outfit stand out. Flower Child at W. 116th and Clifton is exactly the place to find these unique digs. 30’s – 70’s are featured in this two level store so if you are in the mood for shopping or just some vintage inspiration stop into Flower Child.

We might not be Portland or Seattle but Cleveland takes their coffee very seriously. Root Café in Lakewood is just down the street from Flower Child and roasts one amazing coffee. They also feature a vegan and vegetarian kitchen as well as an organic bakery. I love in the winter when the windows get all steamy from good coffee and great conversation. If you head down to Ohio City, you can stop into Koffie Café. A smaller venue tucked right next to Market Ave Wine Bar, across the street from Great Lakes Brewery Co. and just caddy corner from my favorite location in the entire city, The West Side Market.

The West Side Market has been a staple in Cleveland dating back to 1840. I LOVE this place. I could spend hours here. From the fresh produce outside, to the meat, fish and cheese market inside, the market is a great location to pick up your weekly groceries or prepare a special meal. And if you head to the south west corner of the building, you can catch the stairwell up to the balcony. It’s a great location to drink a coffee or enjoy a sausage sandwich. Be sure to grab a picture while you are up there; the market is absolutely gorgeous!

After the Market, explore the neighborhood of Ohio City or head down into the flats to view the industrial river bank. The West side of the Cuyahoga River provides some amazing views of the city skyline as well. I personally like all of the texture from the bridges and machinery that make our city work.

Downtown is a whole other world of fun and excitement. East 4th just off Euclid Avenue has home dining, entertainment and shopping adventures. East 4th features Lola, owned by Cleveland’s very own Top Chef Michael Symon, The Greenhouse Tavern and the newest addition NoodleCat. If shopping is more your style, head into Dredgers Union for fashion and home goods. Designed and styled by owners Danielle Deboe and Sean Bilovecky, Dredgers is absolutely beautiful! You also have West 6th, East 9th, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Little Italy, Tremont, The Museums, Wade Oval…I mean I could go on forever. For me, the options above are my favorites and that is what matters right? So the next time you’re up for a weekend road trip be sure to stop into CLE. We’ll be waiting with a nice smile and a warm cup of coffee.

You can keep up with Shelley over on her blog or follow her on Twitter!

Today’s City Guide is brought to you by Heather Zweig of San Francisco, California.

Each year, more than 16 million visitors make San Francisco their destination of choice. From the breathtaking scenery and the Golden Gate Bridge to the rolling hills of iconic Victorian architecture, it’s no wonder so many people flock to this incredibly unique city.  With that said, I hardly ever see a wide-eyed visitor because they rarely venture into the backbone of SF culture, the neighborhoods outside of the tourist traps.

The easiest of these neighborhoods to boast about is Hayes Valley. Sandwiched between Laguna and Franklin Street, Hayes is beautiful, colorful (literally), lively and one of my favorite places to walk around.

1. When my family and I moved to the bay area six months ago, we learned a very quick and valuable lesson, a car is completely useless. Find decent parking, leave it at home, pay a garage for the day, do whatever it takes to ditch your automobile.  Between the BART, the Muni and the fact that the entire city is only 7-miles wide, you will have a fuller and more enjoyable experience on foot.  Hayes Valley is no exception, parking is rarely found and with all the amazing detail and color dotting the streets, simply driving past would be a crime. Plus, most in-phone maps and navigation systems come equipped with walking and bus directions, a handy tool for exploring.

2. Start your walk with a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever warm drink suits your fancy.  You can select from the Blue Bottle stand, a personal favorite and the mini version of its famous big brother a few miles away; Ritual Coffee, another quaint outdoor coffee stand; Seesaw, family friendly with a play area for children; Mercury Cafe; Momi Toby’s Revolution Cafe & Art Bar; etc.

3. Once you have your beverage in hand, each and every passing retail store is worth checking out. A few of note: Bibliohead, new, used and rare books in a charming space; Room Service, the mecca of eclectic furniture; and Ver Unica, friendly staff with even better vintage clothing.

4. The most important aspect of Hayes Valley is the food. Several charming cafes and restaurants line the streets and although I have only personally tried a few, I have yet to be disappointed.  La Boulange offers delicious soup, salads, sandwiches and the oh-so-important brunch; Hayes & Kebab has a wonderful assortment of organic Mediterranean dishes; Stacks specializes in breakfast; Zuni Cafe; Suppenkuche; and for pizza, Patxi’s Chicago Pizza.

5. A few other places of note: Absinthe, french food and wine bar; Two Sisters Bar & Books, delicious brunch, food and cocktails; Taste, a modern Chinese tea house and a must if you’re in the area; and Smitten Ice Cream, made to order treats in 60-seconds using liquid nitrogen.

If you ever find yourself wandering the streets of San Francisco, I hope you give Hayes Valley a look. I have only scratched the surface of what there is to do, see and eat in this quaint nook of town, go and discover for yourself!

Heather is a wife, mom and freelance photographer (all photos in this post taken by Heather). She can be found blogging at We Three Zweigs, on Twitter as @heatherzweig or on her personal favorite, Instagram as @HeatherZweig. She will also be judging my next photo challenge!

Today’s CITY GUIDE post is brought to you by Steven Stevens of Bend, Oregon. Enjoy!

Bend, Oregon is very local. Everything about it screams small local community but with a population of around 80,000 people it is anything but small. Bend is so local and loves everything about small business they even coming up with the phrase “Make Local Habit.” It is a touristy city located east of the mountains in the high desert so there is a lot to do.

1. The first thing you must know is people from Bend (or Bendites) love their coffee. Every where you look there is a coffee connoisseur ready to answer any question you might have about your cup of joe. But even though you might not know much about coffee you better believe there are a plethora of places to go have some of the best tasting coffee you’ve ever had. One such place is Backporch Coffee Roasters. It is owned by Dave and Majell Beach and there are two locations (both in Bend). You are always greeted by smiling faces, good smelling coffee, and facial hair and sweet looking mustaches.

2. Bend is also the place for beer. One such places that should be on your Bend to-do list is take the Deschutes Brewery tour! It pretty much is one of the best free things to do that involves walking and drinking free beer samples. You get to sample their different types of beers on tap and see the factory in which they do the different processes to end up with the malty goodness. Just make sure you bring your DD with you.

3. After your stomach is full of beer and coffee it would be good to walk. Good thing you’re in Bend! There are literally hundreds of walking trails. Every where you look you will find a beautiful place to walk. The mountains and hillside rocks make a perfect scenery to take a nice stroll. Bend is also one of the most dog friendly places you can be! Most businesses and places even put a dish of water outside of their business for all your fury friends.

4. Finally, one of the things that makes Bend, Bend is the community. There is a very lively downtown area with lots of community events. There are events from the Wiener Dog race, Brewfest!, a ton of bike races, and a huge farmers market all throughout the year. For all of these events most people come out, eat, drink, and have a great time! There are also huge parades down the main street of downtown Bend.

For being such a tucked away city in central Oregon it is definitely a great place to visit, and one of the best places to live. Lots of beer, coffee, community, and facial hair.

*All photos taken by Steven and his Polaroid.

Today’s CITY GUIDE post is brought to you by Tom Summerfield of Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Enjoy!

Rotterdam in The Netherlands often gets overlooked by travelers who tend to frequent Amsterdam instead and then move straight on to another country. I would just like to say that although Amsterdam is wonderful, Rotterdam is more than worth your time as well.

I’ve been living here for the last few months with my girlfriend and have come up with a mini city guide so you can get a feel for what Rotterdam is all about. These are some of our favorite things to do and some of the places that we love to frequent.

1. Start the day with a walk through the Oude Haven (which means Old Port in Dutch) – there are some neat little shops here and some great photo opportunities. It’s also surrounded by lots of fantastic bars and restaurants where during spring and summer when the weather is nice, are overflowing with locals eating and drinking.

2. Head towards the close by and famous ‘Cube Houses’ – Rotterdam is renowned worldwide for its amazing Architecture which came about due to the fact it was almost completely bombed in World War II. Instead of rebuilding the city the way it was, Rotterdam decided to get funky and creative and build lots of architecturally quirky and stunning buildings. The Cube Houses are a great example of this attitude, and believe it or not – real people live inside them! They are fun to see and one of them is even open as a museum, so you can go in and see what it’s like on the inside for yourself!

3. From the Cube Houses, you can head straight down into the Rotterdam Markets. They run on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and the markets are truly something that we just love about this city. They are vibrant, buzzing and alive with vendors selling everything from flowers to cheese to bicycle locks to clothes to antiques to old video games.

When you’re at the Markets, make sure you try a ‘Turkse Pizza’ (thin warmed Turkish bread with meat on top rolled up with fresh salad and garlic and hot sauce) and ‘Kibberling’ (snack bite pieces of deep fried fish served with garlic sauce). I also love getting my cheese here from the smaller cheese producers that come in especially for the Markets. They tend to sell much nicer cheese then what you can get from the local supermarkets.

4. Once you’ve had your fill of the busy markets, go to the ‘Meent’ – which is a street full of wonderful cafes, bars and restaurants (and it runs through the end of the Markets). Here I recommend stopping for a coffee and a bakery treat at ‘Vlamsch Broodhuys’. If you didn’t find the Turkse Pizza or Kibberling appealing, then Vlamsch Broodhuys also has a selection of divine sandwiches on offer – I’ve found all of the ingredients they use to be of the highest quality, and tasty too!

5. When you’re ready for dinner, a favorite of ours on the Meent is the Italian restaurant Napoli (the Dutch love Italian food). They serve extremely delicious and authentic Italian in a lively atmosphere. The house red wine is an excellent drop, and the food is top notch. If you’re going on a Saturday night – you will want to book ahead to secure a table.

6. Once you’ve enjoyed your dinner, then no doubt you’re ready for a few drinks. In Holland, most drinking spots are called cafes rather than pubs – so don’t be fooled into thinking a café is not a fantastic spot to enjoy a drink! One of the best cafes on the Meent is definitely Café Van Zanten. The atmosphere is trendy yet unpresuming and there is a nice selection of various drinks to keep everyone happy. Whenever we go there we find the staff are always friendly and a treat to deal with.

Thus ends the little tour of some of our favorite places in Rotterdam city, so if you do find yourself traveling through The Netherlands – give Rotterdam a chance to win you over.