One of our travel guides partners, Not For Tourists, has several unique offerings for travelers on their website this week. Check out the following highlights from their Los Angeles correspondents this week...  

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Commute by Boat! By:  Michael Kasparis

Thames Clipper

The banks are strewn with rusty Tesco trolleys, grumpy seagulls mull about on antique buoys, and Tower Bridge's shadow looms over a family of European faces. Yes, we're on the glorious Thames River, and we're reclaiming it for us proper Londoners. You may have never believed it was within your reach, but the Thames is yours. The Thames Clipper is actually a commuter boat and is thus incorporated into the Oyster scheme (though a small surcharge applies), but essentially you get a thrilling boat ride up the city's main artery. Running from Millbank Pier to the Royal Arsenal Woolwich Pier, the Clipper slices through central and east London with gusto, taking in most of the architectural loves we've grown bored with as land-lubbers. For whilst sitting stern-side the Houses of Parliament, the Royal Observatory, and even the London Eye are all wondrous. And if it's a really nice day you may spot a stranded whale sun-bathing on the banks...

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Last of the Best By:  Trevor Baker

The Winchester Pub Hotel

The Winchester famously provided the name for the pub in Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's debut film Shaun of the Dead. It was actually another pub, The Shepherds, just up the road where the comedy duo spent a large part of their 20s but, since The Shepherds changed its name to the Boogaloo and went all trendy, The Winchester is the standard bearer for proper pubs in the area. This means it's down to Earth but doesn't take its clientele for granted. It looks fantastic with its enormous bar and panes of frosted glass and yet it has a quiet efficiency that very few other British institutions could match. You can always get a table, the service is very quick and they serve nice, unpretentious food. There should be some kind of protection order on it because pubs like this are becoming increasingly hard to find.

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Crafty Creature Presents: An Afternoon of Craft, Music & Cakes  By:  christine crowther

St Pancras Church Hall

This Saturday (April 18) from 2 pm to 5 pm, Crafty Creatures launches its very first crafternoon extravaganza at the St Pancras Church Hall. This is your chance to create your very own T Shirt Dog, pig out on the finest range of homemade cakes, drink tea until you turn into a tea bag. and listen to some very fine music. What more could you want? Roller skating hostesses...ok then. Crafty Creatures is the clever guise of the charity FairPensions (full notes on charity below) and the all profits will go directly to them. Keeping in line with the ethical ethos of FairPensions we will be encouraging attendees to bring their oldest, most loved but well worn T shirt--which they don't mind cutting up and transforming into a stuffed dog--to this event. Whilst your creative juices are flowing our lovely hostesses will be at your beck and call serving up homemade cakes and a wide selection of hot drinks. If you love winning prizes (and let's face it who doesn't?) then our raffle will tickle your fancy. Take pleasure in knowing that you are helping to save the planet whilst creating your very own piece of dog shaped art. This is a fun filled day that will leave your heart and mind feeling satisfied and your stomach filled to the brim. ENTRY: £5

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Take A Chance By:  Anne Seymour

The Diner

For the few among you who have never previously had to identify yourself with either a red or black lightning bolt, knowing which loo to use at The Diner will be a moment fraught with foot-hopping anxiety: their baffling lightning symbols are all you have to work with. However, pass this obscure test of your toilet selection intuition--a brave move in a place where people are full of cocktails--and you can kick back to enjoy a well-delivered good time, as The Diner provides everything your cholesterol level hopes you never find: burgers, pancake stacks, pecan pie, dog. Yes, dog. Not the waggy, loyal, big-eyed kind though, promised our perky waitress, whose warm and attentive American-trained customer service will no doubt confuse many a customer into thinking she's gagging for their number. With a decor and drinks menu aimed more at adults than the pink-and-blue neon of many of the city's more family-aimed diners, it avoids the normal theme-bar cheesiness. Not that it quite hits classiness either, but it does stump up a good time in a very fun part of town.

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Strange Encounters By:  Jenny Wight

The Royal Sovereign

The man with the white trilby clasps my hand and gazes into my eyes. We'd said goodbye and shaken hands, which had turned into a clumsy embrace. Earlier he'd been showing us how to play dominoes. After a pleasant afternoon sipping pints in the beer garden of The Sov, discussing our planned street dance film, 'Too Ashamed to Stop,' we'd made our way inside, out of the autumn chill. 'I been coming here forty FIVE years, y'know,' he says leaning back and looking down his face at me. 'I seen four changes of owners in that time. And these boys, these boys are the best.'  His friend, the other domino guy, is talking to The Norwegian. 'If I had a wife like that...' he says. The Sov is a pub in Clapton, that's been taken over and refurbished by two local lads and has miraculously managed to maintain a mix of original drinkers and new locals. It still sells Fosters, but now has 'Nice Wine' and organic cider. It still sells crisps and nuts, but now does gourmet pies with mash and gravy. One may win out over the other, who knows, but for now it's bloody great.

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Check out their website  - they have free downloadable guides, maps, gear, and of course, the travel guide books. Not to mention, they are pretty funny people. I am always laughing when I visit their site, or read their newsletter.

They also have sections of their guidebooks available for download at only $1.50.

Not For Tourists has offered a coupon for Wandering Educators - please use the coupon code: WE for a 10% discount.

http://www.notfortourists.com/