Picks and Pans – Around Mono Lake

PICKS:

Mono Lake County Park

Our first stop at Mono Lake was actually on Los Angeles city property that is being leased to Mono County for use as a park. For those of you not acquainted with the decades long controversy surrounding Mono Lake, that may be confusing, so let me explain. L.A. has long […]

Picks and Pans – In and around Bridgeport, CA

PICKS:

Bridgeport Inn

Walking in to the Bridgeport Inn was a little bit like stepping back into roadtrip times of yore. The owner’s young son seated us in the small hotel dining room as Frank Sinatra played softly on the radio. We sipped our coffee and watched the locals go about their daily business in […]

Picks and Pans – Nevada City and North San Juan, CA

Going to Sean’s hometown, after so many years, now makes me feel like I’m returning home too. This is mostly due to the fact that Sean’s family and friends have welcomed me with open arms and open hearts since my first visit. And, also, being a Montana girl, I’ll always feel at home in the […]

Picks and Pans – In and around Ashland, OR

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Oregon Shakespeare Festival is sort of a misnomer, as most festivals are temporary and relatively fleeting presences in a town. The OSF runs from February through November, occupies multiple permanent buildings in town, including the U.S.’s first Elizabethan Theater (a la the Globe), and brings in the major income source for the […]

Picks and Pans – Seattle, WA

PICKS: Gypsy Trader Coffee

I know it may come as a shock to our loyal readers, but our first stop in Seattle was a coffee shop….this coffee shop, in fact. They had good sandwiches, really friendly owners, tons of comfy chairs, free wi-fi, lots of outlets and apparently they often have live music at night. […]