City Spotlight

I recently found myself in North Carolina on a cool weekend in January to see the sights with my companion. Although it was the midst of a southern winter, the desire to get outside and do something athletic (and obviously sustainable) was high as ever. After searching for a few options, we found Zipquest Zip Lining. (Find the full story and tons of pictures (AND video) after the jump!)

When you think of the Midwest you may not immediately think "hip vegan cafes." I certainly didn't. The truth is some of my Midwest dining experiences have been challenging as someone who doesn't eat any meat or poultry. When I found out I would be spending a significant amount of time in Cleveland, Ohio I wondered what a veggie loving lady was to do... Cleveland offers an impressive restaurant scene with big-time restaurateurs like Michael Symon of The Chew and Rocco Whalen each providing several four star restaurants. But, during my time in this city I've noticed that they loooove their pig - and put it on everything from greens to fish.

A few weekends ago, I found myself in Pittsburgh for my friend's wedding and had time on Saturday morning to explore. Wanting to find Pittsburgh's green side, I received recommendations from Twitter friends Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project and Ali Shapiro for Phipps Conservatory. Dating back to 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is set in Pittsburgh greenspace Schenley Park, right in eyesight of University of Pittsburgh (and the Cathedral of Learning). All of the exhibits are... (Find out more about Phipps, after the jump!)