Fifty Grande Magazine - The Underrated Issue - (02)

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CHRIS M. WALSH Founder / Editor

ROB ENGVALL Creative Director

ELISSA HUNTER Copy Chief

REBECCA ROVENSTINE

Social Media/Content Strategist

MIA CONTE

Social Media/Community Coordinator

JONATHAN COHEN BRIAN FARNHAM Editors-at-Large

CARI BORJA JOSH KLENERT SCOTT WEBBER Brand Advisors

Very special thanks to these amazing people who helped make this magazine happen: SH A N NON A N D M AT T A LL A I N A M Y BR A N D T K ATH ER I N E COOPER M EGH A N DON N ELLY TODD H ATH AWAY DAV E H Y TI N EN JOSH K LEN ERT N ICK PH I LBI N GA BR I ELLE A N D DAV E PR OI E T TI H E ATH ER R O G OFF ELLEN A N D BRUCE R OTHSCH I LD A N TOI N E SI M MONS M I K E SW EEN EY L AU R A W I LLIS And thank you to ALL 67 donors to our Kickstarter campaign.

We appreciate the support.

All rights reserved.

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EDITOR’S NOTE T

here’s a scene in 1992’s Wayne’s World 2 when cable-access-TV hosts Wayne and Garth, the two endearing doofuses played by SNL pals Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, clown around in front of a TV-studio green screen. The special-effects background allows them to instantly “travel through time and space,” Wayne explains, and off they go.

As postcard-worthy imagery of various U.S. states drop into the background, Wayne and Garth react in the foreground with the first thing that comes to their dipshit minds.

In front of New York’s skyline, an upbeat Garth says, “Hey, let’s go to a Broadway show”; they break into surfing moves when a Hawaiian landscape drops in; Garth flexes an over-the-top old prospector accent in front of Texas’ Alamo, and then...

“Or imagine being able to be magically whisked away to...Delaware,” says Wayne, enthusiasm waning.

“Hi… I’m in...Delaware,” and then a brief moment of awkward silence. Cut to next scene.

That moment got a big laugh from a Massachusetts audience when I saw it in the theater way back when. The joke hinges on a shared assumption that Delaware isn’t a place you want to visit or, I suppose, an absence of any strong feelings about the state one way or the other. Either way, Delaware is the punchline. (Side note: I’ve gone to Rehoboth Beach with my wife’s family a handful of times over the past few

summers, and it’s a blast. If you get the chance, I’d recommend checking it out for a classic East Coast beach experience.)

Fifty Grande’s mission is to inspire more people to see all parts of the U.S. For me, that’s naturally pointed us toward lower-profile states, much more than ones at the top of most-visited lists. Which is the reason we’ve focused on the underrecognized, undervalued places across the country in our first Underrated issue. Here we opine on cities, states, parks and ideas that we think are worthy of your attention. Some were chosen due to low yearly visits, like the gorgeous state of Alaska and the remote Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. Others are cities that are in underrated regions (Midwest) and in a near-constant state of being undervalued, like St. Louis and Knoxville. Some spotlight offbeat ways to explore wellknown places, like classic Los Angeles through a string of recent closings or foraging in Maine. If traveling still isn’t in the cards for you, there’s also an essay on the very underrated idea of exploring neighborhoods close to home with more reckless abandon.

There’s more, of course, and we do hope you’ll find it entertaining, helpful and inspiring as you think about your travel plans in 2021 and beyond.

Enjoy.

Chris M. Walsh

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IN THIS ISSUE CONCIERGE

NEXT STOP

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ONE QUESTION. TEN MUSICIANS.

SOUTHERN CHARM?

Charleston’s Black community pushes for change in local tourism.

Where are you excited to go in 2021?

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10 STUFF WE LOVE

BADLANDS AND BEYOND

A roundup of newish products that we can’t stop talking about.

Five-day guide to South Dakota’s monuments, parks, caves and more.

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CHECK IN

WTF NYC

A roundup of recently opened, Fifty Grande-approved hotels.

A just-moved resident’s fresh eyes wrestle with bodegas, puppy crap on sidewalks and other oddities.

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THE ‘GREAT DRIVING MUSIC’ PLAYLIST

A LYRICAL TREK

Luminaries ranging from Bob Dylan to Taylor Swift guide us through seven locales.

Silversun Pickups star Nikki Monninger shares her fave driving songs for this issue’s playlist.

38 THE INCOMPLETE GUIDE TO BEGRUDGINGLY LOVING SAN DIEGO A life-long New Yorker explores America’s Finest City.

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IN THIS ISSUE U N D E R R A T E D

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92

PITTSBURGH’S PIZZA CURTAIN

A SOUTHERN OREGON GOLD RUSH

By Evan Malachosky

By Tiffany Hill

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THE ART OF STAYING PUT

By Patty Lee

56 VANISHING L.A.

By Tag Christof

78 MIDWEST’S BEST-KEPT SECRET

By Amy Marturana Winderl

82 THE UNDERRATED WAY TO SEE THE MOST UNDERRATED STATE

A CHEF’S GUIDE TO FORAGING IN MAINE

By Katy Severson

106 SCRUFFY CITY

By Caroline Eubanks

110 SACRAMENTO’S NEW KINGS AND QUEENS

By Vittoria Benzine

122 DON’T CALL IT ‘FLYOVER'

By Katy Spratte Joyce

By Anna Rahmanan

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THE FIFTY GRANDE

CONCIERGE TIPS, INSIDER INFO AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR TRAVEL PLANNING

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One Question.

Ten Musicians.

WHERE ARE YOU EXCITED TO GO IN 2021?

REPORTING BY ROB LEDONNE

Abir: “I’m looking forward to traveling to Arizona sometime soon. I’ve always looked at beautiful photos of Sedona online and the views always take my breath away. Imagining what it would be like in person has me drooling.”

Goody Grace: “I’d like to go back to NYC as soon as possible. I’ve spent the first two-thirds of 2020 in LA and the last in Manitoba, but I really miss New York City and can’t wait to go back in 2021. I always feel very inspired there.”

Foy Vance: “Assuming this part-time apocalypse was over in 2021, I must say I would be drawn to the Malibu coastline. I feel sure there is a ley line between Malibu and (my hometown) of Aberfeldy, Scotland.

I get such a sense of home on that coast, and even though it looks nothing like the wood filled valley of Aberfeldy, it has a similar sense of peace.”

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Lennon Stella: “I really really want to take a trip to Maui. I’ve never been and everyone I know says it’s insane! This year obviously went to shit as far as that goes, so I will make it my mission for Maui 2021.”

Misterwives’ Will Hehir: “Is the moon a US territory? [Edit note: It’s not.] Can we go to the moon? We’d like to go to the moon.”

Meg Meyers: “I’d love to go to Yosemite, I love the wilderness and I’d like to free climb El Capitan. I heard it’s quite a rush.”

Sir Sly’s Landon Jacobs: “Next year I would love to fly out to Richmond to visit my brother and his family, then road trip up the east coast playing disc golf at a bunch of the best courses in the country.”

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Upsahl: “In 2021, I want to do a road trip up the west coast. I love driving on the PCH, and it’d be fun to go all the way up to Seattle with some friends and camp along the way.”

Parson James: “I honestly just can’t wait to get back to New York City, hug all my friends and roam the streets of all my favorite neighborhoods. The buzz of that city and the beauty within it is truly something I’m missing more than I could have imagined”

Vincint: “I’d love to visit Hawaii. I want to go deep into the forest, leave my phone behind and just be with nature to remember and feel what being human again is like.

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Stuff We Love

A ROUNDUP OF NEWISH PRODUCTS THAT WE CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT. Looking to enhance your travel experience with books and drinks? We’ve got you covered.

BY CHRIS M. WALSH PHOTOS BY PETE DEEVAKUL

GOOD DRINKS: ALCOHOL-FREE RECIPES FOR WHEN YOU'RE NOT DRINKING FOR WHATEVER REASON $22.99

BY JULIA BAINBRIDGE Good Drinks is a statement as much as anything else.

The book’s collection of inventive, thoughtful and complex recipes is a flag in the ground that marks higher expectations for nonalcoholic drink making going forward. The lively and informed writing from author Julia Bainbridge coupled with the gorgeous work of photographer Alex Lau — I found myself gazing at the photos for uncomfortably long intervals — creates an overall elegance and polish to the book, but there’s levity throughout. Good Drinks didn’t invent nonalcoholic drinks, but it will certainly raise the profile.

A6 MEMOBOTTLE $28 Memobottle’s mission is to, in part, challenge the way we all think about our water consumption habits and what that means for the environment. Based in Australia, they make sleek, well-designed, eco-friendly water bottles for folks on the go. Their A6 is a 12-oz. bottle that can slip easily into your bag with no worry about leaks. It’s also freezer-proof and made from BPA-free plastic. Wins all around.

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UNITED SODAS OF AMERICA $34.99 PER 12-PACK American soda consumption and sales have declined over the past two decades as consumers have said no to sugary drinks, opting more for water or seltzers. United Sodas is a Brooklynbased start-up that’s put a flag firmly in the soda category and aims to attract consumers with healthier (30 calories, organic ingredients) and delicious (12 flavors like mango, pear and cherry) options. They’re pretty darn tasty — sour blueberry is an early fave — and we recommend you give it a try.

SNACKY TUNES: MUSIC IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT, CHEFS AND THEIR MUSIC

BY DARIN BRESNITZ, GREG BRESNITZ AND KHUONG PHAN $24.95 If you enjoy geeking out on chef culture, Snacky Tunes is your chance to dive into the intersection between kitchen chefs and their musical influences. Culinary and hospitality vets Greg and Darin Bresnitz (yes, brothers) and Khuong Phan wrote the collection. It’s packed with 77 interviews with big-time chefs from around the world — including Selassie Atadika, Michael Fojtasek, Asma Khan, Ignacio Mattos and many more — along with recipes, chef-curated playlists and a very cool, breezy design. Check it out.

VINNIBAG INFLATABLE TRAVEL BAG $29.99 The VinniBag product info includes some of my favorite things: “reusable” “recyclable” and “protects single or multiple items by suspending them in an air cushion.” Whomever came up with this deserves a trophy. It’s a plastic bag that protects your breakables — bottles of wine, booze — by securing them in the middle of a protective plastic bubble. After reading this, if you’re still pulling the DIY luggage stunt of packing booze wrapped in towels, we can no longer be friends.

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Check In

A ROUNDUP OF RECENTLY OPENED, FIFTY GRANDEAPPROVED HOTELS.

BY EVAN MALACHOSKY

KIMPTON ARMORY HOTEL

In 2020, the hotel industry underwent a forced evolution. Some ditched check-in and check-out times. A handful set a minimum number of nights you must stay.

Others shuttered when occupancy sunk to near zero. But the U.S. welcomed more hotels during this calendar year than any other country. (Skift reports that 55,000 new rooms opened from the beginning of March through the end of September. China came second but trailed by over 20,000 rooms.)

Although we all may be curtailing our road trips and cross-country flights, destinations aplenty still await us. Here, we’ve rounded up six recent and significant openings.

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Kimpton long stood as the ideal boutique hotel chain. Their offerings weren’t in every city and their initial designs were appropriately quirky while being approachable and enveloping. The Kimpton Armory Hotel, located in Bozeman, Mont., is no exception. Situated downtown but located near landmarks like Yellowstone National Park (78 miles) and Big Sky (50 miles), the hotel stands as the city’s first and only four-star hotel — but it definitely doubles as a base camp for the ambitious. Rustic elements within match the wooden decor, while the rooms upstairs focus on the views from their windows. Downstairs, a bar (called Fielding’s) will craft something warming, and plenty of lobby and private seating space offers a sense of safety. Since opening on August 18, “It’s gangbusters,” Aaron Whitten, the hotel’s general manager, says of COVID-era occupancy. The outpost complies with all of Kimpton’s safety measures but sees potential even in the unprecedented. “I’m not sure that’s a technical term, but business has been great so far.”

CITIZENM WASHINGTON DC CAPITOL citizenM offers hotels all over the world. Their newest is the brand’s fifth U.S. offering, citizenM Washington DC Capitol, which boasts a colorful ground-floor lobby, an open-air rooftop bar and 252 rooms, which are all (nearly) the same size. And while the rooms may be on the smaller side, they all come with an XL king bed, tasteful decor and tech-forward elements embedded throughout. Checkout and checkin can be done online, you can cancel up until 2 p.m. on the same day and an app acts as your room key and controls when your room gets cleaned. “We were already doing a lot of things contactless [before the pandemic],” says Todd Curry, the hotel’s manager. “But, we’ve definitely enhanced those options.” The app controls the in-room lights, entertainment systems and room service orders too.

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CITIZENM WASHINGTON DC CAPITOL FIFTY

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CITIZENM WASHINGTON DC CAPITOL ARRIVE PHOENIX

WHITE ELEPHANT PALM BEACH

Open as of September 4, (with the exception of its dive bar, Don Woods’ Say When) Arrive Phoenix welcomes guests to rooms built for bunkering. (And, no, not out of fear, but because the amenities abound.) Aptly titled room types Balcony, Firepit and Balcony + Firepit succinctly describe their vibe: colorful rooms with adjacent, personal ModFire firepits or private balconies — or both. Beyond your bedroom, a popsicle stand acts as the check-in desk and a midcentury pool-bar hybrid called Lylo offers up drinks and bites to go (until restrictions allow for seated dining).

If you’re keen on a night in instead and would rather not even leave the hotel’s premises, a curated vinyl collection is available for loan; local record shop Stinkweeds curated the selection.

Housed in the historic former Bradley Park Hotel, White Elephant Palm Beach is the newest hospitality project by creative real estate company New England Development.

The freshly polished facade retains much of the former’s design, but the interior bears little resemblance to the 1924-built original. Perks are aplenty here too: BMWs are available for day-long loan, or you can opt for a chauffeur-led trip into downtown L.A.; booking unlocks exclusive access to a fleet of private yachts (for a price); a shuttle provides direct access to the beach, with complimentary ice cream on offer at departure. Best of all, the hotel published a comprehensive COVID-19 safety blueprint, which provides nearly 100 bullet points on how the hotel’s employees and its guests are ensuring safety for everyone.

HOTEL JUNE

CAPRI HOTEL

West L.A.’s Hotel June opened in June of 2020 — fitting.

An airport hotel with plenty of internal oases, June’s the stylish spin-off property of a Kelly Wearstler-designed chain called Proper Hotels. This L.A. outpost proves substantially cheaper than the parent company’s properties but it offers much of the same: well-designed common areas, artist-made murals and commissioned works, minimalist and well-lit guest rooms and drinking and dining destinations of similar quality. Even with state-sanctioned restrictions, June remains largely operational: the outdoor restaurant (Caravan Swim Club) remains open; the pool does too, but chaise lounges are first come, first serve.

Midcentury-modern gem the Capri Hotel operates in Ojai, Calif. — a short trip (77 miles) from L.A. It’s the newest property by clever hospitality group Shelter Social Club. (They own the Ojai Rancho Inn in town too.) Sunny guest rooms feature custom light fixtures by designer Eny Lee Parker and artist-commissioned artworks to match. Parker’s lamps also appear in the glass-walled living room, where guests have space to hang. There’s a trendy, tiny-bit-country-club pool out back too, and it remains open with understandable capacity constraints.

The 30-room accommodation also acts as a solid starting point for a weekend of activities: It’s within walking distance to the historic town center and a short trip away from the Topa Topa Mountains and each of its corresponding hiking trails.

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The 'Great Driving Music' Playlist LA INDIE ROCKER S RADAR BROS. “YOU AND THE FATHER”

W H Y SH E CH OS E IT : "A perfe ct way to start an early mor ning drive. I envisi on the sun sl owly spreading it ’s beams w it hin the song. It ’s an uplift in g, em o ti on a l ex p er ie n ce fo r me, from on e of my favo rite albums of al l time, “And The Surroundin g Mountain s.”

GERMAN ELECTRONICROCKERS NEU! “ISI” “I love the mix of synthetic and analog keyboard lines weaving their way through this song. It gets me in the zone for a long drive.”

SILVERSUN PICKUPS STAR NIKKI MONNINGER SHARES HER FAVE DRIVING SONGS FOR THIS ISSUE’S PLAYLIST. LA alt-rockers Silversun Pickups are seasoned road vets, having spent the better part of their 20-plus-year career crisscrossing the country in vans, buses and planes, trekking from gig to gig. So when Pickups bassist Nikki Monninger agreed to helm this issue’s “great driving music” playlist, we were stoked. By our count, she’s logged about a zillion miles on the road over the years, so you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who’s pressure-tested more highway hits. When your near-stale playlists need a dash of new tunes for an upcoming trek, tap into Monninger’s fave great driving songs. Hit it! —Chris M. Walsh

GERMAN ELECTRO MUSIC PIONEERS KRAFTWERK “AUTOBAHN” (22-MINUTE SONG!) “I find the repetition relaxing on solo drives.”

“Perfect to pl ay on repeat during late night drives . The monot onous drum are hypnotic s and the voca ls are cold yet vulnerab le. There is something very fragile about this song that makes me want to list en over and over again.”

TALKING HEADS ODY)” “THIS MUST BE THE PLACE (NAIVE MEL

a drive, I listen to “Whenever I’m feeling down on er place.” this song and it puts me in a bett

ver. g Radiohead co “It’s an upliftin with ls my heart Toots voice fil .” summer drives happiness on

CLASSIC R OCKERS ZZ TOP “LEGS”

“A clas sic driv ing son Brings g. m e b ac k to m childho y od. I wa nted to both th be e heroin e and Z Z Top in th e video.”

TER BILL WITHERS SINGER-SONGWRI “LOVELY DAY”

ne ytime drive. O tone for a da od go lly a fu ts ay se how it pl “This song all time. I love of es t ec lin rf ss pe cals. Also a of the best ba umbeat and vo dr e th ith w intertwines skating.” song for roller

“A perfect mar riage of disco and the moog co-written by G synthesizer iorgio Moroder . There is so m I love how the ke uch to unfold. yboards build on each other and time to breath have more in this version.

Great for the op en road.”

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h ass in t rt.” riving b d e my hea h lt t e e m ls a “I lov c o ilde’s v Kim W

STARS JAMAICAN REGGAE AY TALS TOOTS AND THE M “LET DOWN”

FRENCH ELECTR O HOUSE ARTIST K AVINSK Y “NIGHTCALL”

QUEEN OF DISCO DO NNA SUMMER “I FEEL LOVE” (12” VE RSION)

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E KIM WILD R E G IN S POP A” BRITISH AMERIC ”KIDS IN , and is song

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INSPIRATION AND INFO TO GUIDE YOUR TRIPS

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Southern Charm?

Charleston’s Black community pushes for local tourism changes.

BY ANNA RAHMANAN PHOTOS BY PETER FRANK EDWARDS

“It

kind of became the foundation of what we now know as Southern cuisine,” explains K.J. Kearney, a community organizer and Charleston City Paper columnist, as we discuss Gullah Geechee food. “We’re basically talking about an amalgamation of both African and West African cuisines.”

Kearney is the founder of #BlackFoodFridays, which he started in April 2020 to help Charleston’s Black-owned restaurants get through COVID-19. The idea was simple: ask people to order from Black eateries on Fridays and post about it using the hashtag. It’s the type of mission that has renewed meaning in Charleston these days.

For years, Charleston’s Black community has argued that the thriving local tourism industry — the one that evokes images of hanging oaks, centuries-old mansions and cobblestone streets — has told only part of the city’s story, at the expense of its African American history. In the past few years, Charlestonians have begun confronting long-held insensitivities (at best) and modern racism (at worst), in part, by promoting businesses that authentically depict the area’s Black history. Black Lives Matter added momentum to the feelings and forced a new look at Charleston’s food, restaurants and attractions.

A majority of the discussions surrounding the honest portrayal of the city’s history involve the Gullah Geechee community, descendants of slaves who lived and still live in the Low Country of the Atlantic coast, between North Carolina and northern Florida. The population’s dishes are a claim to their provenance: The cuisine is heavy on rice, seafood, peanuts, fresh vegetables (okra, yam, tomatoes) and fruits (watermelon, mostly). When asked about the relative scarcity of meat in Gullah Geechee recipes, Kearney points to the direct correlation between African Americans’ former social status and the foods they had access to. “Not a lot of slaves had pigs,” he explains. “But they could always go fishing and crabbing and shrimping.”

Among the most renowned local Gullah Geechee eateries are Bertha’s Kitchen, which serves traditional dishes like crab rice and okra stew; Nana’s Seafood and Soul for fish-centric meals; Gillie’s Seafood on James Island for soul rolls (fried egg rolls stuffed with red rice, collard greens, pulled pork and pimento cheese); and Hannibal’s Kitchen, which, according to Kearney, feels like eating at your mom’s dining table. “I will drive downtown to order crab rice and come back home,” he says. “It’s that good.”

But if it’s one dish that deserves to be crowned authentic

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NANA’S SEAFOOD & SOUL CO-OWNER CAROLYN MCNEIL

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BERTHA'S KITCHEN

and iconic, it is red rice. A direct holdover of West African jollof rice, red rice is tomato based and usually boasts bacon as a fundamental ingredient. “It’s a holy dish,” says Kearney.

“It’s really thought of as an in-the-house dish. It’s a dish we’ve kept for us. You’re not going to find a restaurant that sells it every day.”

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eyond food, one only needs to look up to glimpse into Charleston’s history. “One thing people don’t know about the city is that the buildings downtown tell a story,” says Joselyn Johnson, market manager at the Charleston Black Expo — an annual three-day local event that promotes economic development through increased exposure for minority-owned businesses. “The architecture was done by a Black and brown community, those who were enslaved, and you see fingerprints from those who laid the bricks.”

In addition to Charleston’s architecture and gastronomical offerings, prospective visitors would be remiss not to explore the myriad of African American-connected pursuits

available in town — including a Black-owned art gallery and a trip to Mitchelville, just outside of the city center.

But despite the plethora of offerings, the majority of tourists visiting Charleston in recent years have delved into Black culture via plantations — which have become a major source of contention both within and outside of city walls.

For years, plantations have been popular wedding venues and now represent the crux of the issue when it comes to local tourism: at times appearing to romanticize slavery (or, at the very least, the massive estate that was home to white owners and Black slaves), the destinations have mostly failed to discuss their controversial history with visitors.

“Plantations aren’t something to be glorified but should be educational visits,” says Johnson. “We have to talk about it. We need to start having those hard conversations. So, when visiting those plantations, I encourage people to be intentional about learning. Even finding out what families [used to live there] is something important.”

Michiel Perry, the woman behind lifestyle brand Black Southern Belle, goes a step further and advises tourists

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to look past the plantations toward Reconstruction. “I wish there were more sites dedicated to that era,” she says, explaining that a proper understanding of Reconstruction would automatically grant knowledge surrounding the period preceding it. In a way, learning about the post-Civil War years, she contends, will help folks grasp the fundamentality of slavery in connection to the nation’s, and the city’s, history.

Clearly, Charleston is drenched in the sort of African American-dependent culture that doesn’t just add character to the town but defines it. So why haven’t the city’s politicians properly recognized the Black community’s role in Charleston? “Think about Southern charm and kindness; for some people, it’s just uncomfortable and doesn’t feel Southern to talk about the harsh truths of what happened,” says Johnson. “Especially in Charleston, where nearly 80% of community people can potentially trace back to an ancestor who was a slave here.”

Kearney also thinks that, by not directly discussing the role that local folks played in the perpetuation of slavery, Southerners hope — in some ways — to erase that embarassing part of history. “It’s always been a very polite

society,” he says. “And in that polite society, everybody knew their place.”

Things are, however, slowly looking up. “I see small steps,” says Johnson. “I feel like, especially in the climate that we’re in now, we have an opportunity as people of color to really educate those who have an intention to learn.”

The city’s government recently took steps to acknowledge the role of Black citizens in building and defining Charleston: The $75 million International African American Museum is set to open in 2022. It’s location will be Gadsden’s Wharf, which was the first stop for 40% of the people who were captured and sold into slavery.

As devastating as COVID-19 has been, it has actually helped move the dial forward, according to Perry. “A lot of people that have Low Country roots are moving back down South from New York, California, D.C. and bringing along a renewed sense of interest in different topics and are traveling differently and experiencing different things,” she says.

“People ... want a deeper experience when they’re traveling, and they’re looking for their version of a positive story, and I think that, especially when it comes to African American history here in South Carolina, they are looking to learn.”

BERTHA'S KITCHEN

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CHARLESTON PLACES TO SEE

• The Avery Research Center for African American History

and Culture, now part of the College of Charleston, but formerly the first secondary school for African Americans in the city from 1865 to 1954. It was called the Avery Normal School.

• Part of the National Register of Historic Places, the

Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church is the oldest African American congregation south of Baltimore.

In 2015, it was where a white supremacist opened fire during a Bible study and killed nine African American worshippers. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave one of his most memorable speeches here in 1962.

• Gallery Chuma is one of the few Black-owned galleries in

town and displays the work of artists like Jonathan Green; the site looks to showcase art by the area’s Gullah population.

• Venturing a couple of hours outside of Charleston is also

worth it, specifically if landing in Mitchelville, a small town near Hilton Head Island. Back in 1861, freed slaves formed the town, the first one of its kind in the United States, and by the end of the Civil War, the population totaled over 1,500.

There isn’t much to the destination anymore, but the offered tours do a good job at explaining why and how the town came about. Bonus points: the Toni Morrison bench found at the nearby Mitchelville Freedom Park.

THE AVERY RESEARCH CENTER FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE

MCLEOD PLANTATION

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Badlands and Beyond Five-day guide to South Dakota’s monuments, parks, caves and more.

BY AMY MARTURANA WINDERL PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN BEGEMAN

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et’s be honest, South Dakota is on no one’s must-visit list. For me, if you asked prior to 2020 if I’d ever planned to trek to the Midwestern state, I would have shot back a grimaced, confused look, as if one had just casually offered a recreational root canal. Yet there we were, my husband and I, on the tail end of our year-long(ish) RV trip around the states, on a route designed to maximize time in national parks, wanting more South Dakota. Not only is there more to do than we expected — you could spend weeks in the parks — but the wide open, uncrowded space pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Doubly so with a global pandemic as a backdrop. If your vacation goals include unplugging and being wowed by majestic landscapes, South Dakota’s calming, refreshing remoteness is the answer. Here’s how to spend five glorious days soaking in this must-visit state.

DAY 1: The Monuments We set up base camp in Rapid City, which is sometimes called the “Gateway to the Black Hills” for its proximity to the mountain range. There are plenty of lodging options in the area, including campgrounds, RV resorts, rental cabins and hotels. In the Black Hills, you’ll find two of the most famous monuments in the country: Mount Rushmore, sculpted to honor four influential U.S. presidents, and Crazy Horse, which serves as a tribute to the eponymous Lakota leader and the North American Indians in general. Neither monument is finished, though there are plans to complete Crazy Horse. Spend a few hours at each, learning about the history of our nation from multiple perspectives. Don’t miss the homemade vanilla ice cream at the Mount Rushmore Memorial Team Ice Cream shop — it’s allegedly made using Thomas Jefferson’s own recipe.

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DAYS 2 AND 3: The State Park Avoid making the same mistake we did: set aside more than one day to explore the 71,000-acre Custer State Park, also nestled in the Black Hills just a short drive from the monuments. Hike one of the park’s trails, watching for wildlife and enjoying the creeks and rock formations you’ll pass along the way. Then, take a slow, leisurely drive down Wildlife Loop Road, where you’re likely to spot everything from bison and pronghorns to turkey and prairie dogs. It’s hard to miss the “begging burros,” once-tamed donkeys that were released into the wild years ago and now spend their days begging visitors for food. If you see a bunch of cars pulled over on the side of the road, they’re probably making some hungry burros very happy.

On your second day, mountain bike on a portion of the Centennial Trail, which runs north to south through the park. Then, take a drive along Needles Highway. Located in the northern portion of the park, the 14-mile road is named after the sharp granite formations you can see along the drive. Anyone afraid of heights might have a tough time stomaching some parts of this narrow road as it winds through rugged mountains and sprawling meadows lined with evergreen forests. If you’re game, it makes for a perfect afternoon sightseeing excursion. For dinner, head to the small town of Custer. We had some pretty great burgers at Black Hills Burger and Bun Co., and you’ll find a handful of other dining options nearby.

DAY 4: The Caves Two more gems of the Black Hills: Wind Cave National Park and Jewel Cave National Monument. Each boasts expansive underground cave systems — 149 miles and 202 miles discovered so far, respectively. While they’re similar in concept, each cave has its own unique geological features that makes it worth visiting. You can only access the caves on ranger-led tours, which were suspended indefinitely due to the pandemic when we

visited. Instead, at Wind Cave, we explored the precious mixed-grass prairie ecosystem that lies above ground and watched more bison roam the area. Somehow, watching them never gets old. Before heading back to your hotel or campsite, check out the nearby city of Hot Springs, which offers multiple dining options. If you have any extra time, visit the Mammoth Site, a museum and active mammoth excavation site.

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DAY 5: The Badlands About two hours east of the Black Hills you’ll find the Badlands of South Dakota. This vast area of unique sedimentary rock formations has tons of landscape to explore and wildlife to watch — but no shade in sight, which was very apparent when we visited. We chose to relocate to a new RV campground just south of Badlands National Park for this part of our stay. Lodging and dining options are sparse here, so plan to do what we did and bring all the food you’ll need. Or you can opt to stay north of the park in the small town of Wall, where there are a few options.

During the day, drive the main road of Badlands National Park, stopping at each viewpoint to take in the quiet solitude and look for mountain goats, prairie dog towns and yes, more bison. If you’re not already staying in Wall, take a quick detour outside the north park entrance to Wall Drug, a massive gift shop and café that sells everything from kitschy souvenirs to Western boots and art. Once you’ve eaten lunch and bought your souvenirs, finish the park loop and soak in the silence for the rest

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WTF NYC A just-moved resident’s fresh eyes wrestle with bodegas, puppy crap on sidewalks and other oddities.

BY EMILY CARMICHAEL ILLUSTRATION BY VANESSA LIM

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have been dispatched from the humidity and sunshine of the Gulf South to New York City, a decidedly faster, colder place. New York does things differently than we do outside of its five boroughs. (Boroughs are what they call sections of the city — itself an oddity.) My mind has been a torrent of questions since my arrival. For those of you who are, like me, Southern in origin, or from places that are more, say, logical, allow me to share parts of what I call the beginning, “bewildering” phase of moving to New York City. This is some of what I have seen in my first few weeks here.

First, they have these things called bodegas. What’s a bodega? I couldn’t figure it out. From Twitter, I knew bodegas sold food and they were a supposed mainstay of New York living. One tweet said they sold hot dogs — my only concrete lead. The tweeters spoke of bodegas like they are some universal, national thing. (They are not.) Do bodegas only sell hot dogs? Are hot dogs really such a common aspect to the daily life of New Yorkers? Wait, were they the carts selling cooked nuts or halal food on street corners? With this vague criteria, thousands of things could be a bodega in this city.

Second, the South has long earned the reputation for being the more unkempt part of the country. But, reader, we are not the dirty ones. Walking down the street, water drips on me from unknown places even on the clearest of days.

What is it? I can only assume it is some kind of runoff from the buildings high above me. What exactly is this runoff? I shudder to think about what it may be.

Then there are the dogs, purebred and sometimes wearing shoes to protect their feet, which shit on the concrete. The concrete! My dogs in Texas — who are civilized — become distressed if they defecate on something other than grass or carpet. These city dogs leave the sidewalks lined with pee streams and poop stains. If you have to commute during peak bathroom hours, the dog excrement mixes with the other flavors of the city, and the street takes on the odor of a carnival Porta Potty.

This, I deduce, is what happens when developers are allowed to cover up every inch of nature with concrete. If I didn’t know better, I’d say New Yorkers have some kind of addiction to large panes of glass. They keep building them higher and higher. Even though New York is the only city

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where I can look up and get vertigo because the buildings are so tall and crowded, I still see new construction everywhere.

Normal-sized buildings are being replaced with glass gilded high-rises and rooftop gardens. With each crane I see, I wonder why they are building that.

Sometimes I run to a park and huff the sweet, sweet grass, get a glimpse of the sky and clear my senses. A brief reprieve from New York’s wildness.

There are similarities to the South, of course.

They too have street performers, except more of them.

Musicians play the same kind of jazz I heard in New Orleans.

I spent a delightful afternoon in Madison Square Park glancing between my book and a group of little ballerinas dancing on the cobbled stone.

And, like us, they have preachers who stand, unsolicited, in public and minister to the masses about the Lord and how he may well damn you. Only here, I have typically

encountered these spiritual vigilantes underground, in the subway stations where they wander just a little bit closer to the hell they speak of.

New York is also warm in its own way. Contrary to what we’ve been told about Yankees, that they are cold, uncaring and inhospitable, the city seems to be for lovers. Everyone is holding someone’s hand or looking for someone’s to hold.

Within its vastness, there is a shape to fit every person, no matter how weird or eccentric they might be. The brownstones with their heavy, earthen stone are kind of romantic.

The Yankees are kind as long as you aren’t slowing them down on the sidewalk.

I quickly made friends here. It was one of these new friends who took me on the tour of the city and answered some of my most burning preoccupations, starting with bodegas.

Reader, bodegas are convenience stores.

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A Lyrical Trek Luminaries ranging from Bob Dylan to Taylor Swift guide us through seven locales.

BY ROB LEDONNE

When done right, music can offer nuanced perspective and layered character to the subjects of its lyrics. That goes doubly so when the subject immortalized in its lyrics is a place and the words lead us to discover it anew. With help from luminaries ranging from Bob Dylan to Taylor Swift, here’s a lyrical map of seven locales that will live forever in song.

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“POSITIVELY 4TH STREET” - BOB DYLAN NEW YORK

Any fan of the legendary troubadour knows that Dylan’s formative years were spent in the folk scene in New York’s Greenwich Village. Fourth St., which stretches horizontally from New York’s East Village to the city’s West Village neighborhoods, cuts across Washington Square Park and past iconic spots including Kettle of Fish (an old Dylan haunt where he’d regularly perform), Christopher Street Park, Sheridan Square and even the spot where the cover for his iconic The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan album was photographed. Dylan himself even lived on the street, in a walk-up apartment between Sixth Ave. and Jones.

“FRICK PARK MARKET” AND “PARTY ON FIFTH AVE.” - MAC MILLER PITTSBURGH

When Mac Miller passed away in 2018 at the

age of 26, the acclaimed rapper left behind a prolific body of work that doubled as a wartsand-all chronicle of his sometimes troubled, sometimes sweet life. A major through line of it all was his beloved hometown of Pittsburgh, which was on full display on his star-making 2011 debut album dubbed Blue Slide Park. The album is essentially a tour of Miller’s stomping grounds and named after an actual playground in the Squirrel Hill section of the city. But that’s not all: on the album, Miller also shouts out specific spots on tracks including “Party and Fifth Ave.” (taking its name from the longest street in Pittsburgh) and “Frick Park Market” (after a market and deli where Miller used to work).

“HOMECOMING” - KANYE WEST FEATURING CHRIS MARTIN CHICAGO

Any fan of the polarizing rapper knows that West hails from Chicago, and his acclaimed 2007 album Graduation (West’s third), immortalizes the Windy City in song with help from Coldplay’s Chris Martin.

“Do you remember when, fireworks at Lake Michigan,” Martin sings in the track’s

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hummable chorus. “I’m coming home again.” Chicago sits next to the second-largest of the Great Lakes (the word “Michigan” has its roots in the Indigenous word for “great water,” after all) and if there were a place to gaze at fireworks on the Chicago shore, it’d have to be the city’s famed Millennium Park, home to an array of tourist attractions including Navy Pier and the famed shiny sculpture known as The Bean.

“WAKING UP IN VEGAS” - KATY PERRY LAS VEGAS

A 2009 smash cut from One of the Boys (the album that turned her into a global pop force), “Waking Up in Vegas” follows in the grand tradition of odes to the pleasures and debauchery of Las Vegas in the vein of Elvis Presely’s “Viva Las Vegas.” It’s Perry who puts a fun, modern take on adventures in the gambling capital of the world with a chronicle of a night out on the town that doesn’t go exactly as planned. “Don’t be a baby, remember what you told me,” Perry implores in the pop hit. “Shut up and put your money where your mouth is, that’s what you get for waking up in Vegas.”

“GORGEOUS” - TAYLOR SWIFT

LOS ANGELES

“MIAMI” - WILL SMITH MIAMI

It’s the sultry Florida city’s signature theme and an anthem to its sun, culture and general vibes. Just as his blockbuster movie career was getting off the ground, Smith unleashed his debut solo album Big Willie Style, complete with the undeniable single “Miami,” in 1997. An outsider’s view of the tropical city (he’s famously from Philadelphia, after all), the track takes visitors on a tour of the riches of the area, whether its people (“Every different nation, Spanish, Haitian, Indian, Jamaican, Black, White, Cuban and Asian”) or actual South Florida hot spots (both literal and figurative), whether Key West or South Beach.

“TAKE IT EASY” - THE EAGLES WINSLOW, AZ

Eagles frontman Glenn Frey clearly sets the stage for the setting of the gargantuan band’s 1972 chart topper. “Well, I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see,” he croons of the actual city located due west of Flagstaff. “It’s a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford, slowin’ down to take a look at me.” It’s a quintessential American observation in a quintessential American city, population 10,000; a former railroad town and stop on the famous Route 66 which was rerouted in the ’70s. Today, the mention is immortalized on the actual Winslow corner, right where the former Route 66 and N. Kinsley Ave. meet, complete with a statue of a man with a guitar and even a gift shop.

Known for exhibiting raw emotions in her heartfelt, autobiographical lyrics, Taylor Swift had a hit in 2018 with her Reputation pop ode “Gorgeous,” about a lover that’s too good looking for his own good. Much like her status as an everygirl, Swift’s mention of “whiskey on ice, Sunset and Vine” zeroes in on the intersection of two of the most famous streets in Los Angeles. While it’s tough to tell where exactly Swift was enjoying her cocktail (the intersection is populated with drug stores and a bank), odds are she chose the name considering their worldwide recognition and short distance to Hollywood Walk of Fame and Grauman’s Chinese Theater, which are two of the City of Angels’ most famous attractions.

“OFF TO THE RACES” - LANA DEL REY LOS ANGELES

Elsewhere in Los Angeles lies the Chateau Marmont, the legendary hotel at the center of Hollywood excess of glamour that has been a hangout for the rich and famous ranging the gamut from F. Scott Fitzgerald and Hunter S. Thompson to James Franco and Lana Del Rey. In fact, the latter artist is so enamored with the place it’s become a motif in her work, whether in the music video to her trademark track “Video Games” in the lyrics of her Born to Die track “Off to the Races.” “Likes to watch me in the glass room, bathroom Chateau Marmont, “ she seductively croons. “Slipping on my red dress, putting on my makeup.”

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The Incomplete Guide to Begrudgingly Loving San Diego A life-long New Yorker explores America’s Finest City.

BY MARIEL CONCEPCION PHOTOS BY ALEX GRECHMAN

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or as long as I could remember, the life I’ve wanted to create for myself was in New York City. I imagined owning a multilevel brownstone on a tree-lined Harlem street, greeted by boundless culture and diversity right on my stoop. I’d wear power suits in clashing bold colors to my kick-ass, primo journalism gig and experience the city’s energy on every bus route with my two kids in tow before catching Central Park’s sights and...you get it. New York.

Nothing dented my optimism. Not the always-increasing and absurd cost of living, not the constant smell of sewer, not the inevitable encounters with vagrants napping across subway seats, not the half a dozen rats

that scurried across my feet in my lifetime. This was home.

Then my non-New Yorker husband pulled me out of my beloved and dragged me, begrudgingly, across the country. I was so against San Diego, I pushed back my departure date (by a year!) and might’ve actually experienced a low-grade depression when it was time to bid adieu. After sulking — yes, I sulked — I pulled up my big-girl panties and decided to explore San Diego’s charm. I quickly found that the birthplace of craft beer and Nick Cannon isn’t the sleepy town I assumed it to be.

Not only is there tons to offer beyond the 75-degrees-andsunny weather, there’s more NYC here than you’d expect.

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WHEN YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR A MEAN PIECE OF STEAK: BARBUSA Much like NYC, San Diego is stacked with high-end chop houses, including Fleming’s Prime, STK San Diego, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Greystone Prime Steakhouse & Seafood, Del Frisco’s, Morton’s The Steakhouse, Eddie V’s, Lou & Mickey’s, Born & Raised — and so on. But for the most flavorful, tender 20-ounce Sicilian bone-in ribeye in San Diego, hit up Italian restaurant Barbusa. Family-owned Busalacchi Restaurants owns three spots in SD’s Little Italy: Italian home cooking-focused Nonna, its companion

cafe Zucchero and Barbusa, the contemporary Sicilian concept. Barbusa’s modern dining room includes pop art set against white walls that complement exposed brick, and the menu includes a crudo bar, handmade pastas, pizzas and mains like the reason-to-go Sicilian bone-in ribeye.

BARBUSA 1917 INDIA ST. SAN DIEGO, CA 92101

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WHEN YOU’RE SEARCHING FOR HIP, CREATIVE CRAFT COCKTAILS: REALM OF THE 52 REMEDIES San Diego’s most thoughtfully designed and interactive speakeasy is Raised by Wolves (it features a Scooby-Doo wall that rotates into the secret drinking room!) in University Town Center, but Realm of the 52 Remedies in Kearny Mesa is by far my favorite wannabe illicit establishment in town.

It isn’t as crowded or loud as Raised, so guests can enjoy the intrinsic space more effortlessly, and they offer small bites along with the libations, because who doesn’t want to eat when they drink? Owned by local restaurateur Cris Liang, the apothecary-style venue is located inside Common Theory, Liang’s brewhouse, and resembles a Chinese herbal shop. Once inside, the aroma of jarred Asian-inspired medicinal ingredients greets you before you’re led through an enchanted forest (you have to see it) on your way to a

very hip version of a secret garden-esque taproom. Get the labor-intensive but well-worth-the-wait Café Funiculi Funicula drink, a blend of coffee liqueur, pineapple juice, mint and coconut flakes. I don’t know about you, but I’m a sucker for a milky drink with anything coconut in it. To cure your hunger, cop the fried eggplant with hoisin BBQ sauce and jalapenos. For fellow New Yorkers: The libations at Realm are comparable to west Harlen’s ramen spot ROKC, in that they are functional, totally thoughtful and social media worthy.

REALM OF THE 52 REMEDIES 4805 CONVOY ST. SAN DIEGO, CA 92111

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WHEN YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR A BRUNCH SPOT: MORNING GLORY Overlooking India Street from the second floor of an apartment tower in the Piazza della Famiglia in Little Italy is one of San Diego’s best brunch spots, Morning Glory. The over-the-top salmon-colored interior looks like Pink Panther and Pepto Bismol’s illegitimate love child, yet somehow feels stylish and chic. A ginormous sunflower-like fixture sits above a secondary bar-like station in the main room, an actual record player is responsible for the classic hip-hop and R&B tunes blaring through the speakers and the servers sometimes wear cute denim overalls with Chuck Taylors.

My favorite dish is the Morning Glory Fried Rice, made with

pork belly, cheese, peas, spinach, scallions and fried eggs.

And the Thai iced tea made with light-blended rum, coconut milk and boba is BOMB. The only downside of Morning Glory is the typical hour-long wait. New Yorkers, this is kind of SD’s version of Beauty and Essex on the Lower East Side, at least in ambiance and flavors. Minus the year-round, warm breeze that flows freely in the indoor-outdoor space.

MORNING GLORY 550 W. DATE ST. SAN DIEGO, CA 92101

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WHEN YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR AN OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH COMFORT FOOD SPOT: DUNEDIN NEW ZEALAND EATS (PRONOUNCED DUN-EE-DIN, LIKE DUNE-EDEN) Named after a city in New Zealand, Dunedin is a funky-casual-rustic indoor and outdoor dining space designed with reclaimed wood and green foliage and landscaping. The space is versatile enough to serve many different settings, including as a family-friendly venue, a date-night spot or an easy daytime-drinking pit (they sell mimosas for $2 on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.!). The vibe is chill and the staff is laid-back. As per the food, you won’t be disappointed with The Cure, which is a home biscuit, sausage gravy, tots, scrambled eggs and a choice of spicy chicken sausage, fried chicken or bacon; or the Dutch baked pancake with fresh berries

and maple syrup. To walk off the food coma you’ll be in once you’re done, take a stroll around a block or two; North Park is by far one of San Diego’s hippest, most charismatic neighborhoods, offering a mix of boutiques, art galleries, hard kombucha bars and music venues.

Think the north Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint for its laid-back atmosphere, trendy bars and trendy art scene.

DUNEDIN NEW ZEALAND EATS 3501 30TH ST. SAN DIEGO, CA 92104

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one thing is clear about the term “underrated,” it’s that Americans are fascinated by it. Over the past 15 years, online searches for the term have tripled according to Google Trends. Among the 51 million results, it feels like everything has been labeled underrated at some point: movies, NBA players, cars, colleges, soccer players, tech stocks, villains, restaurants, TV shows, scotch, South Park episodes and so on.

In fairness, the intent of some of those searches may be to just figure out exactly what we all mean by “underrated,” since it isn’t always clear. In this issue, “underrated” does not mean overlooked (underrated things already have people’s attention), underestimated (which is about assessing

potential) or underappreciated (which is to take for granted), though something could be underrated and a mix of these terms. To be truly underrated suggests an assessment that has failed along the way. Simply put, it’s not recognizing how good something is.

Which brings us to the here and now. What you’ll find in the following pages are the passionate cases for Fifty Grande-stamped underrated places, ideas and things across the U.S. None of this is scientific or statistical in nature, but rather very subjective: We feel you’ll enjoy these places and perspectives more than you think you would. And in that, we hope there’s inspiration for traveling in 2021 and beyond.

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The city’s underrated contributors to its culinary ascension.

Hot & Fresh!

Words and Photos by Evan Malachosky

1-212-666-4200

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P

ittsburgh pizza remains ungoverned by tradition or trademarked construction.

Up close, its most storied slices elude definition — at least by some universal set of standards.

It isn’t deep-dish like Chicago’s; it certainly isn’t shaped like Detroit’s; and it’s far from the stereotypical, foldable, fire-born slice you’ll find in New York. Instead, Pittsburgh pizza is its own amalgamation: different depending on who you ask or where you buy yours. And staunch, almost sports-like loyalties split the consensus.

Locals say Aiello’s or Fiori’s — maybe even Mineo’s — make the best pies. All

of them pile cheese on by the pound (and encourage patrons to wait at least 10 minutes until taking a bite). Just outside city limits, you’ll hear residents vouch for Beto’s, where the cheese is placed on “raw,” or Shelly Pie, where the crust makes up half a slice.

However, Driftwood Oven quickly rose the ranks when it was added to Bon Appetit’s “Top 50 Best New Restaurants List” in 2018, which included finedining standouts like Cervo’s in New York and Bavel in Los Angeles. Trying just one Driftwood Oven’s pies is enough evidence to support its mention alongside some of the most elite restaurants in the U.S. and that the bakers

there make the best pizza in Pittsburgh.

Founders Neil Blazin and Justin Vetter showed promise as chefs and restaurateurs while they operated Driftwood as a mobile oven. It was in the backyards of breweries and metered parking spots in front of events that they amassed a following for their naturally leavened sourdough pies and a rotating selection of sweet, savory and unexpected toppings. Through Kickstarter, they funded the opening of their brick-and-mortar. Once open, they offered a menu that includes favorites like the Bianca Funghi (a pie covered with shiitake mushrooms, morita chile oil, herbed ricotta, mozzarella,

provola, fresh garlic and white wine shallot cream sauce) and A Mason’s Best Friend (mortadella, spicy pickled peppers, herbed ricotta, mozzarella, fresh garlic and house marinara).

“People are looking at pizza slightly differently now,” Blazin explains. “I think people are excited by it, and I think there is an understanding that there is a craft that goes into making a nice pizza. Making a nice dough is a real thing, and so is concentrating on the ingredients that we buy. People are definitely into that. We’re perceived kind of like, ‘Alright, these guys are doing it a little bit better. It’s nicer.

They care more.’”

The intent at Driftwood is to

support other businesses that have similar food ethos, explains Blazin.

“The cheese we get is from only two farms. It’s an amazing thing. We get all grass-fed cheese for our pizza. And I think the concentration on food is becoming present in those things deemed less worthy for fine dining.”

Similar richness, textural satisfaction and origin story can be found at Iron Born, a shop located just down the road from Driftwood Oven, in Pittsburgh’s Strip District neighborhood. Conceptualized inside Galley Group’s Smallman Galley (a restaurant incubator that once resided down the block but has since switched neighborhoods), the Detroit-style pizzas made

here outdo many found in the Motor City (and that’s no jab at the fellow Rust Belt beauty). Iron Born’s pizzas excel primarily because leadership there possesses a willingness to venture beyond the parameters set for traditional steel-pan pies. After all, they are adamantly “Detroit inspired” and not the echo of another city’s cuisine.

Here, they drizzle local honey on top of a loaf-like base with crisp, cheesy, charred crust layered with garlic cream, roasted mushrooms and ricotta. They offer rectangular pies with sharp corners forged from caramelization, a stark deviation from Driftwood Oven’s hand-drawn circle-shaped iterations.

Iron Born’s Commonplace Coffee

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Pie — the same crisp crust topped with smoked pork, bourbon-soaked jalapeno, red onions and Commonplace Coffee-infused BBQ sauce — does, however, further signal an omnipresent affection for atypical, or rather elevated, ingredients.

At Pizzeria Davide, the ingredients employed in their pies are similarly excellent — because they’re the same ones used throughout the menu of DiAnoia’s Eatery, the beloved Italian restaurant next door (which also owns Pizzeria Davide and upstart bakery Pane è Pronto). Their pizzas range from Cacio e Pepe and Pancetti (alfredo sauce, broccoli, pancetta, black pepper, parmesan and olive oil) and Lebanon Bologna and Pepper Relish to Old World Style, a marinari pie sprinkled with parmesan (instead of melded with mozzarella). Local ingredients meet imported Italian ones, and a sprinkling

of chef Dave Anoia’s hometown in central Pennsylvania.

“We focus on fresh toppings and ingredients, like you find at DiAnoia’s, more than most pizza shops, I would say,” Anoia says.

“They have canned mushrooms and peppers and things that are raw on the pizza. But we do prosciutto and arugula; we get a Lebanon sweet bologna. When we opened, we had a mortadella and pistachio.

We do a three-cheese pizza. Right now, we do spinach artichoke. It absolutely is about the toppings. I also believe it’s about the ratio of the toppings per pizza.”

Across the Allegheny River, the handwritten menu at Badamo’s — which turns 10 this year — details a list of nostalgic pies and hoagies. On the wall, a Cola-Cola Classic menu board with replaced letters offers a

simpler version. If there were a baseline for Pittsburgh pizza, this place could be it: familiar, unfettered, friendly, named after a grandfather and fairly balanced.

You won’t find local honey or some extravagant whipped ricotta here, but the square-cut Sicilian with pepperoni on both sides will sop the sadness (or at the least any hunger) from your soul. That’s what pizza is supposed to do, right?

In Anoia’s opinion, Pittsburgh pizza isn’t desperate for a definition or ripe for a universal recipe — perhaps, on both accounts, because there isn’t one. He thinks, whether you favor the cheese-heavy or the ones carried by their crust, you should only be concerned with quality — both of the pies and the people behind them. “If you’re doing it right and you’re doing it well,” he says, “it’ll find a name. But I don’t care what people are calling it as long as they keep coming.”

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The Art of Staying Put One writer’s exploration of the world outside her door.

By Patty Lee Illustrations

by Jensly Baez FIFTY

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The act of traveling

as most of us know it usually involves a mode of transportation — planes, trains and automobiles that get us from one destination to the next. It doesn’t need to be far, but a trip really isn’t a trip when all we’re doing is picking up a latte from our local coffee shop.For much of my adult life, I was one of those annoying Type A travelers: itineraries carefully mapped out by city, restaurant reservations booked weeks ahead and once there, the obligatory stream of casually posed Instagram pics that actually took my husband a dozen attempts.

Since I was fortunate enough to live and work in my hometown, all of my PTO was used on leisurely travel, at least a big one- or two-week international trip with many smaller

domestic ones sprinkled throughout the year.

Even if I was home in New York, I was usually on my way somewhere. During my time as a local newspaper reporter, assignments sent me all over the five boroughs: to the Bronx to check out new concession stands at Orchard Beach, to Dyker Heights to profile the owners of a beloved bookstore, to Randall’s Island to cover a food festival. Later, when I became a food editor, nights and weekends were spent in search of good meals and places to write. I’d take two-hour subway rides to eat dumplings in Flushing or hop on the bus across Brooklyn to work at a new cafe.

But the neighborhood I had moved to a decade ago?

My only regular destination was the Stop & Shop.

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fter I had a baby, suddenly everything changed, and even those short excursions around the NYC boroughs, the ones I’d taken my whole life, felt too far. Between being tied to a pump and a measles outbreak (luckily short lived, but a preview of things to come), I found myself with nowhere to go but my very own neighborhood.

For weeks — as I adjusted to my new normal of sleeping at two-hour clips and mourned the spontaneity I once had — I felt increasingly trapped. All of my go-to spots — restaurants, clothing stores, farmer’s markets — were located in parts of the city that used to be a convenient detour on my commute back to southern Brooklyn.

Then during a daily walk, I popped into a local Russian supermarket on a whim. I meandered slowly through the aisles, in a store I’d normally walk right by without stopping. I marveled at the fresh produce and rows of prepared foods, bewildered that this had been tucked behind the automatic doors all this time.

I spent the rest of maternity leave doing what I used to do — looking

up restaurants to try, finding destinations to Instagram — only I didn’t actually go anywhere. Instead, I “traveled” across Sheepshead Bay and its surrounding neighborhoods, discovering new-to-me places I had previously ignored. A crucial piece of traveling is exploring — but I needed to be reminded that I didn’t need to travel to explore.

When my husband got back from work and we traded shifts, I’d sit down at Divan Bakery for a soothing cup of tea and pistachio-studded baklava.

The Chinese barbecue hanging from Season’s window finally made its way to our dinner table—and the roast pork and duck were every bit as good as the ones I loved in Sunset Park. As winter turned to spring, I strolled the Emmons Avenue pier for the first time in years, only now with a sleeping baby snuggled on my chest.

For many of us city dwellers, our apartments are a place to recharge and our neighborhoods, a place for running errands. We have our laundromat, our bodega, our liquor store, but the perk of being in a dense urban area is the ability

to easily cross into other areas. The one that has the best pizza. The one with the spacious park. The one we wanted to live in but couldn’t quite afford.

It’s easier to get lost daydreaming about where to travel next rather than seeking out what’s around us.

Counting down the days until we can jet to a far-flung beach or villa seems to be the hustle generation’s way of coping with the demands of our nonstop work culture. So what happens when there’s nowhere to go?

It took a major life slow-down for me to have this light bulb moment, to realize that exploration doesn’t need to be measured by distance. I didn’t know it then, but a year later I’d be stuck at home yet again, this time due to a global pandemic that would make even a subway ride feel risky. (Suddenly my years of bragging about not needing to know how to drive came back to haunt me.) While roaming the streets of Sheepshead Bay may not be nearly as memorable as wandering down the cobblestones of Paris, I no longer felt trapped. There were plenty of places for me to see.

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Vanishing L.A. What do we lose when we aren’t able to experience ambience?

Words and Photos

Tag Christof

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The great British architecture critic Reyner Banham once wrote, “Like earlier generations of English intellectuals who taught themselves Italian in order to read Dante in the original, I learned to drive in order to read Los Angeles in the original.” He was definitely onto something: getting around by car is as integral to the L.A. experience as pizza and packed subway cars are to New York. But rather than driving as an end in itself, the real essence of Los Angeles lies in all of the weird and wonderful places that this speedy, personalized mode of travel gave rise to in the first place.

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L.A. grew up L.A. grew up alongside its forces of transportation. The once-modest village was first strung together with distant parts of its future metropolis like the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica and Hollywood through a large network of streetcars in the 19th century. Then came the automobile, followed a few decades later by the freeway, and over the next half-century, the region’s population exploded across the landscape via multiplying ribbons of superhighways.

They began in earnest with the serpentine Arroyo Seco Parkway from downtown to Pasadena (opened in 1940, now the northern end of the 110) and have culminated in the multilane hellscape of the 405 at rush hour. But despite the city’s reputation for apocalyptic traffic, it remains possible to have breakfast on the beach, lunch in the Valley and dinner downtown any day of the week, with plenty of time to spare in between.

That easy mobility, combined with a confluence of cultures and deep love of fantasy, meant that over time, L.A. became home to a treasure chest of architectural oddities: a grove of Craftsman houses here, a pagoda there, some idealistic modernism here, a little deco there. Southern California was built in no particular order, in a cornucopia of styles, from traditional to futuristic. In almost every town and neighborhood across the region, wonderful, whimsical, weird anomalies, time capsules, stylistic tributes and avantgarde archetypes were built for every purpose imaginable.

DRIVE-THRU AT BOB’S BIG BOY BROILER, DOWNEY

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NORMS ON LA CIENEGA BLVD., WEST HOLLYWOOD

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NORMS ON LA CIENEGA BLVD., WEST HOLLYWOOD

HEART’S COFFEE SHOP, VAN NUYS

Quite often, though, the most wonderful and whimsical were the restaurants: among the best surviving classics are Clifton’s downtown (recently restored to its former glory and once famous for its unusually humane pay-whatyou-can policy); old-school dives like Chili John’s in Burbank; classic bars like Tom Bergin’s on Fairfax; Googie showpieces like Pann’s on La Cienega; themed curiosities like the Clearman’s North Woods Inn chain with its giant fake-snow-covered roofs; and stalwart classics like Musso & Frank, Canter’s, Formosa, the Pacific Dining Car, Yamashiro and Smoke House. And because L.A. hasn’t grown in concentric circles like most cities, which generally have one primary locus of wealth and culture that radiates outward, a good number of these classic haunts have been able to resist market forces, remodeling or redevelopment for a few decades longer than if they were they built in, say, New York, Seattle or Miami. Of course, a great many have been bulldozed or plastered over — beloved hangouts like the Brown Derby and the Ambassador Hotel, a host of Googie treasures and countless roadside oddities — but L.A. has been just a tiny bit kinder than most American cities to this part of its living history.

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Enter COVID-19

Enter COVID-19. Like every other restaurant, the interiors of these places have been closed to the public for the better part of 2020. Most remain open for carryout or have improvised new exterior dining spaces, but who wants to pay top dollar for a fancy meal at Musso & Frank without actually getting the Old Hollywood experience of Musso & Frank? Does a Bobby Burns in a plastic cup on a folding table in the parking lot of Tom Bergin’s really sound like the start of a solid Friday night? And if you can’t linger on that vinyl booth in relaxed conversation over coffee and pie for hours, why not just cook at home instead of stopping at that mid-century diner? These are places that, each in their own way, are far more than the sums of their parts. Their magic is, frankly, not often in their food, but rather in their evocativeness, in their ability to transport visitors to other times and places. And so, with their interiors closed, every one of these classic restaurants still in business is struggling even more than most to weather an already impossible time.

DINAH’S FAMILY RESTAURANT, SEPULVEDA BLVD., LOS ANGELES

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MEL’S DINER, SANTA MONICA

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This moment is embodied especially well in the stalled effort to save Taix French, an Echo Park mainstay opened in 1927 and equally beloved by hipsters, bankers, Hollywood types and grandparents. Taix was partly on the chopping block before COVID hit, but its partial closure is only hastening its demise. The old building, with its deep booths, low-light ambience and wood paneling, sits on a particularly valuable piece of land on a hip stretch of Sunset Blvd., and so one opportunistic developer rightly figures that Taix is worth many more dollars demolished and replaced by a high-density condo tower than as an anachronistic French restaurant. And yet legions of people continue to root for its improbable rescue because they are keenly aware of the intangible value of a place that has been an institution and a cornerstone of

its neighborhood for generations. It’s a place that simply cannot be replaced but almost certainly will be.

Several other venerable spots have closed permanently due to the pandemic too, including, as of this writing, Swingers coffee shop, a well-known late-night hangout spot beloved by many ’90s cool kids; the restaurant at Alpine Village, an enormous 1960s-themed smorgasbord in Torrance; and Conrad’s, a two-location chain of family restaurants with attached cocktail lounges in Pasadena and Glendale. The world-famous Pacific Dining Car has also been shuttered, though its owners claim it will eventually reopen. The good news must be taken with a grain of salt, in any case, as its contents have already been partially auctioned off. Dozens of others are on the brink of collapse.

The good news

PATIO AT TAM O’SHANTER, ATWATER VILLAGE

CLEARMAN’S NORTH WOODS INN, SAN GABRIEL

must be

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LEFT PATRA BURGER, ECHO PARK RIGHT CONRAD’S RESTAURANT IN PASADENA CLOSED PERMANENTLY DUE TO COVID-19

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Of the losses so far, Conrad’s was by far my favorite

FRANK’S RESTAURANT, BURBANK. INTERIOR DETAIL PHOTOGRAPHED THROUGH EXTERIOR

CONRAD’S RESTAURANT, GLENDALE

Of the losses so far, Conrad’s was by far my favorite, and I’ve taken its death especially hard. Both locations permanently closed without notice after Los Angeles’ second ban on restaurant dining-in took effect over the summer of 2020. Until its end, the place was singularly special and gloriously unselfconscious in its squareness.

Waitstaff, most of whom worked there for decades, wore neat aprons over starched white shirts and served with a prim, friendly formality that made the place feel like a true time warp.

Items like cottage cheese and baked grapefruit were about as up-to-date as its healthy menu options got, and most of its regulars were card-carrying members of the way-over-the-hill crowd. Still, Conrad’s was sparklingly clean and perfectly preserved in amber, unrestored and unblemished, in a way so few mid-century spaces are. It was the kind of place where Lou Grant would’ve lingered after the evening news over an Old Fashioned or two, a place to peruse the Sunday paper with an excellent cup of coffee, or to chitchat across a counter with a waitress named Joy or Paloma or Hilda over cheesecake at 3 a.m. Sadly, Conrad’s elegant understatement meant it never caught on with the hipsters in the way more modernized local favorites like Brite Spot, the 101 Coffee Shop or the now late, great Swingers, and so it has slipped away without any public lament, so far as I can tell — no wistful goodbye in Eater nor long, evocative history in the L.A. Times. And so, here is a goodbye to you, dear Conrad’s: at least one earnest memorial in print.

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HEART’S COFFEE SHOP, VAN NUYS

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PHILIPPE THE ORIGINAL, LOS ANGELES

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ASTRO DINER, SILVER LAKE

The Conrad’s chain predated its Pasadena and Glendale locations, but these last remaining buildings were perfect archetypes of one vanishing strand of late modernism that maintained a fundamental geometric rationality but dispensed with the chrome, ceramic and steel vocabulary of space-age machine architecture.

In its place were softer materials in earthy palettes: varnished woods, floral carpets, brass fixtures, glazed tiles. Anyone can spot the in-your-face specialness of Googie showstoppers like Pann’s from miles away, but the magic of places like Conrad’s only reveals itself quietly, over time. They’re low-slung and understated, hunkered down behind moats of green leafy plantings and rectilinear except for one or two angular flourishes.

The style can directly trace its origins to a 1958 design by Thomas

Americans felt more in need of solace than of stimulation Wells, an associate of Vladimir Ossipoff, for a Waikiki location of the long-defunct Snack Shop chain. It was a zen reaction against zany Googie in lava rock, landscaping and wood, designed for a time when America was exhausted of assassinations, riots and Vietnam, and when terrestrial concerns like air pollution at long last began to capture more urgent attention than scattershot dreams of colonizing the moon. Philip Langdon,

in his 1986 book Orange Roofs, Golden Arches, wrote in reference to the style kick-started by Wells’ design that, “By the middle of the 1970s, restaurants recorded an entirely different mood than that of 20 years before. Americans felt more in need of solace than of stimulation. The country was dispirited, and it wore its feelings on the roadside.”

And if that were true in the mid-’70s, there may never have been a better time for quiet old Conrad’s than 2020.

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MEL’S DINER, SANTA MONICA

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I sat down over a milkshake I sit down over a milkshake with Colton Weiss, owner of the Mel’s Drive-in chain, at a booth in their Santa Monica location while customers lunch under the now-standard juryrigged tent in the parking lot. Over the years, Weiss’ family has saved several iconic restaurant buildings around L.A. by purchasing and reopening them as Mel’s Drive-ins. This particular location, at the true western terminus of Route 66, was opened in 1959 as the Penguin Coffee Shop, and converted into a Mel’s in 2017 after spending the better part of two decades as a dentist’s office. Working from historic photos, the family re-created the restaurant’s original layout, unearthed its plastered-over stone column walls, installed proper terrazzo and vinyl and sourced fixtures that came as close to the originals as possible. They even spruced up and kept the original penguin sign out front.

WINDMILL DENNY’S, ARCADIA

ROD’S GRILL, ARCADIA

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FORMOSA CAFE, WEST HOLLYWOOD

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When I first sit down, a waitress tries to shoo me outside, mistaking me for one of many customers daily who try to colonize tables inside the restaurant despite tabletops marked with red X’s and signage everywhere. “People really want to come inside, and so while they can’t come in, we’re doing whatever we can to bring the magic of the building out to them,” Weiss says. Mel’s has recently brought back carhops to all of its locations, started staging drive-in movie screenings in its parking lots and inviting car clubs and celebrities to

generate buzz around socially distanced hangouts. Mel’s is rolling with the punches, and its willingness to try new things is perhaps the best vision for keeping these very special places going strong into the future: the name on the sign out front is less important than keeping the magic of a place alive. Even if for now it means drinking coffee from a paper cup in a tent just outside one of these wonderful, underrated old places, do patronize them wherever you roam. In L.A. and beyond, we’ll need them even more in the future.

CANTER’S DELI, LOS ANGELES

We’ll need them even more in the future.

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CANTER’S DELI, LOS ANGELES

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Midwest’s Best-Kept S ecre Tucked aw ay in North ern Minnesota, Voyageurs is a national pa rk unlike an y other.

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BY AMY MARTURANA WINDERL

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It was the most peaceful weekend of camping I’ve ever experienced, except for the brawling swans and beaver tails slapping water at 2 a.m. Even though the commotion woke me, I sort of loved the whole spectacle: I laid in my tent in the dark and listened as the woods carried on as if we four humans didn’t exist.

It felt like I got away with something, witnessed an intimate moment that I never should have been privy to.

THAT’S THE BEAUTY OF VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK. Tucked way up in northern Minnesota right on the Canadian border, Voyageurs is unlike any other national park I’ve ever visited. And I’ve been to 32 of them (and counting). Yet it’s also one of the National Park Service’s best kept secrets. “There are lots of Minnesotans who don’t even know there’s a national park here, though that’s quickly changing,” said Emily Schwanke, co-owner and guide at Voyageurs Guide Service.

Encompassing 218,000 acres, Voyageurs only sees around 240,000 visitors annually, according to the Voyageurs National Park Association,

an official nonprofit to the Park Service. In comparison, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most-visited national park in the U.S., spans 522,427 acres and draws over 12.5 million visitors each year.

That’s only about 2.5 times the space, but 52 times the number of people.

That’s precisely why the people who know about Voyageurs love it so much. “It is so remote,” Schwanke says. “A lot of national parks are becoming like Disney World, with so many people.” While Voyageurs has the capacity for many more visitors, it doesn’t bring in the huge crowds.

“Which is part of the draw,” she adds.

“It makes it feel like you’re actually going into the wilderness.”

Voyageurs contains 84,000 acres of water, including four large lakes and 26 smaller, interior lakes, which make up the backcountry. When you book a backcountry campsite, like we did, you basically get an entire small lake all to yourself. That type of privacy is impossible to even fathom in more popular parks like Great Smoky Mountains, Yosemite or Zion.

And it’s not due to a limited number of things to do. Voyageurs offers everything you’d want: paddling, fishing, hiking, swimming, camping and, while we didn’t go, cliff diving or rock climbing are options too. The latter most people don’t even know about, Schwanke says. “I’ve only ever seen other people rock climbing one time. It’s a hidden activity.”

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WE STARTED OUR TRIP We started our trip at the boat launch near Ash River Visitor Center. The plan was to canoe from the visitor center across the lake to a dock, and we’d then hike a half-mile to our site. I picked a campground only a half-mile from the dock so we could bring all the food and gear we wanted for four nights without worrying about weight.

Personally, I had no idea what to expect and worried a little as we started to canoe. (A tell-tale sign in today’s age that we bit off more than we could

chew: The internet failed to return any search results when I Googled how far the canoe trip would be. That means even Google is underrating this place?)

As we made our way over the five-ish miles to our dock and trailhead, we passed a few fisherman on motor boats but no other paddlers. When we got to the dock, just one other group of campers arrived at the same time via water shuttle. That was it.

Tawnya Schoewe, team lead for interpretation, education and reservations at Voyageurs National Park, says that the uniqueness of the park may intimidate some people. “Truly

experiencing the park requires one to venture beyond where roads can take them, which sometimes pushes people out of their comfort zone,” she says. “Almost everything, aside from the visitor centers and some shorter land-based hiking trails, is remote and requires a boat ride to access.”

Once we got to our campground on Agnes Lake, we were amazed at how secluded it was. There was no one there. It was just us and our lake. From our campground, we hopped on Cruiser Lake Trail and hiked a few miles. We came upon two other campgrounds, both of which were empty.

At night, we quickly learned we weren’t truly alone out there.

At night, we quickly learned we weren’t truly alone out there. Each night, we watched a beaver swim across the lake, get out on the shore and then hop back in again. I still have no idea what his agenda was. We saw fish and turtles in the lake. And after we went to bed, we were awakened almost every night by what we could only imagine were territory wars. Trumpeter swans honking endlessly; a beaver (maybe our same guy?) slapping its tail, hard, on the water’s surface. At first, we thought it was a boat horn. Then we realized we were just getting an inside look at what goes on out there in the wilderness when humans don’t get involved.

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cities or towns — which means you can see the Milky Way and, if the conditions are right, the Northern Lights, says Schoewe.

“If you’re floating on a boat or canoe in the water, the sky is so huge, so the sunsets are just incredible,” Schwanke says. In the fall, she often sees the Northern Lights without even trying.

She offers night-sky paddling tours, and for many of her clients, it’s the first time they’ve seen the Milky Way. Schwanke sees a Dark Sky certification bringing a lot of good publicity to the park.

Another thing that makes Voyageurs unique is that it’s open and accessible year-round. “It’s a really beautiful and enjoyable park in the winter. It’s even less busy then,” Schwanke says. From some of the boat landings, you can drive across the frozen lake to access cross-country ski 80

trails and sledding and skating areas, says Schoewe. You can access campsites by snowmobile, cross-country ski or snowshoe. Ice fishing is really popular, too.

Since we visited Voyageurs, I’ve talked it up a lot. My friends and family are probably annoyed, to be honest. I just can’t get over how beautiful and wild and unique it is. If you’re looking to get close to nature and far from other humans, book a trip. As for me, I’ll be back soon to see the Northern Lights — a big bucket-list item I never knew I could cross off in Minnesota.

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THE UNDERRATED WAY TO SEE THE MOST UNDERRATED STATE ALASKA’S ECO-FRIENDLY MEASURES MAKE SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL EASIER THAN EVER THERE.

BY ANNA R AHMANAN PHOTOS BY ELLEN CARTY

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WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU HEAR “ALASKA?”

Gorgeous landscapes dotted with roaming wildlife? Air so crisp that a mere breath of it will fill the body up with shivers of delight? Igloos, perhaps? Alaska’s plethora of outdoor activities, expansive beauty and the sorts of dishes that appeal to any foodie’s palate make it one of the most majestic and interesting wide open states across the country.

Yet no one goes to Alaska. In relative terms, anyway. It’s the least-visited state in the country. The 2.26 million annual visitors, according to its Resource Development Council, amount to less than a third of the visitors of Delaware, the state just behind it on the list. We can chalk this up to its location (it’s 55 miles from Russia) or misconceptions about its climate (it’s not always cold) or the amount

of daylight (you don’t get 18 hours of sunlight year-round). But whatever the reason, the low visitor numbers have propelled Alaskans to creatively engage tourists with some solid eco-friendly measures, making sustainable travel one of the very best ways to visit the underrated 49th state.

Programs dedicated to sustainable travel abound. Adventure Green Alaska (AGA) — established in 2009

— guarantees that companies meet certain standards of economic, environmental and social sustainability, like ensuring operations do not harm sites of cultural or historical significance, complying with U.S. environmental, consumer protection and labor laws and a dedication to alternative energies and green initiatives.

Would-be travelers can browse through a wide roster of AGA-certified

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activities, but standouts include a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a sanctuary dedicated to preserving the local wildlife (you’ll get to see bears!); an exploration of the Alaska Range and Denali National Park via Talkeetna Air Taxi; a look at the Red Onion Saloon & Brothel Museum, on the list of National Historic Landmarks and once considered Skagway’s finest bordello; and a stay at Harbor 360 Hotel, found on the waterfront of the Seward Small Boat Harbor and committed to reducing environmental impact.

There are other programs too: enlisting the help of local naturalist guides will go a long way when trying to leave as little a footprint as possible while exploring. Alaska Wildland Adventures offers an array of “leave no trace” guided activities that include

sustainable catch-and-release trout fishing expeditions on the Kenai River, hikes across the state’s fauna and flora and kayaking adventures inside Kenai Fjords National Park.

As COVID-19 changed how we think about travel and our ways of life, Alaska offers the wide open, unencumbered areas that make social distancing guidelines easy to abide by.

Take Talkeetna: the rural community adjacent to the Alaska Range and Denali is pretty under the radar and can be enjoyed almost entirely outdoors, so visitors will actually get to vacation without having to worry too much about the perils of indoor activities. (Bonus green points: minimal-impact living is a priority in town).

In addition to the breadth of outdoor activities the state offers,

two local attractions tend to mostly draw in tourists. Anchorage’s Alaska Zoo is one of the very best around the nation, home to the sorts of Arctic wildlife that aren’t easily encountered in other zoos — including gray wolves, Bactrian camels, yaks and Amur tigers. The facility opened back in 1969 and, since then, it has vowed to adopt injured wildlife and promote the conservation of Arctic and sub-Arctic species through education and research. But it is Alaska’s distinction as the only destination within the United States where you can take in one of the most visually striking astronomical phenomena in the world, the Northern lights, that makes it a must-visit. The Northern lights (also called aurora borealis) are most visible in Alaska between mid-September and late April — peaking through March.

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On a culinary level, fresh seafood defines the area. Specifically, residents of Juneau, the state capital, have made use of their access to wild sea life and their proximity to forest-covered mountains to source ingredients.The city’s cooks have invented an all-encompassing cuisine that’s as fresh as it is sustainable. Word to the wise: when in town, indulge in smoked salmon anything. The brave ones might also want to taste a truly Alaskan dessert option: aqutak. Also known as Eskimo ice cream, the treat is made by whipping together wild Alaskan berries, seal oil, snow and animal fat.

The perils of singing the praises of an underrated destination include the

promotion of too much tourism, which might negatively impact the same environment that renders the area unique in the first place. “That was a big topic pre-COVID-19 and continues to be one now as we’re starting to, hopefully, recover from the pandemic,” says Sarah Leonard, president and CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association.

“I think what is great about Alaska is that we have the space to manage tourism and work with communities and residents so that if we are seeing increased visitation, we can showcase a different place or help create the kind of visitor flow that minimizes impact to the destination.” She goes on: “We have some really remote places, especially

within our public lands, where there are native villages that may welcome or choose not to have visitors.”

The reverence that locals have for the state’s nature takes center stage in just about any conversation with Alaskans. A true love affair with the greenery that continues to shape the area is at the heart of Alaska’s entire ethos. “I believe that wilderness really inspires so many of us to live as responsibly as possible,” says Amy LaHaie, director of sales and marketing at Alaska Wildland Adventures. “And for those of us who have made tourism our livelihood, this reverence is carried out through eco-friendly business practices.”

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Jacksonville Inn is a glittering example of historic, small-town charm.

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where everyone waves and says hello as you stroll down the sidewalk, where history remains vigorously protected, like a streak of gold in rock. Jacksonville, Ore., is one of those places. Situated in the virile Applegate Valley in the southern part of the state, this quaint place is one of the best small towns in Oregon.

When most people plan a trip to the state, the foodie city of Portland or the outdoor adventurer’s utopia of Bend usually top the list of places to visit.

But bucolic Jacksonville shouldn’t be overlooked. The town was built after prospectors buzzing from California’s Gold Rush headed north and found a significant discovery in 1851. Thanks to a progressive historical society, Jacksonville, today with a population of only 2,190, retains a glittering charisma from its gold mining past.

In fact, in 1966, the entire town was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark. It’s the best example of a preserved mining community in Oregon.

First glimpses of Jacksonville transport you back to the mid-1800s — just swap horses and buggies for hybrids and SUVs. The town’s commercial buildings are all made from brick or stone. Placards, signs, even carved stone pathways throughout the town inform you of its history, from the discovery of gold to a momentous visit by 19th president Rutherford Hayes in FIFTY

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1880. And in the middle of California Street, the town’s main drag, sits one of the most significant historical buildings: the Jacksonville Inn. A stately two-story, redbrick building, the inn was first built in 1861

by Irish immigrant Patrick Ryan. It was the town’s tallest building and was originally built as a storehouse, but later became an inn for travelers and long-term tenants. Husband and wife Jerry and Linda Evans have owned Jacksonville Inn for more than 40 years, which include four cottages nearby. The inn has eight historically authentic rooms, as well as a restaurant and wine shop. The rooms are named after Jacksonville VIPs, including Ryan, the town’s reverend, its banker and others. The inn’s rooms are cozy and unique, featuring old-fashioned, eclectic decor — think Martha Stewart meets Laura Ingalls.

One of the best rooms is Room No. 1, the Peter Britt room, named after the Swiss-born pioneer photographer who documented the people and places of Southern Oregon in the 1850s. You immediately notice the indigo blue carpet and the queen-size, four-poster bed, its ebony wood draped in white lace. The real perk of the room, though, is the intimate Jacuzzi bath. It’s elevated on a white tile floor in the rear left corner of the room and the perfect way to end your day. Plus, it’s only $34 more than the inn’s basic rooms, which have just a traditional 94

shower. Few furnishings clutter the Peter Britt Room, pulling focus to the room’s rustic brick walls. A hole in one the walls has even become an informal “guestbook.” Visitors have tucked handwritten notes, poems, even photos,sharing stories of their visit and happy occasions. (There are actual guestbooks in the room; they’ve been filled.)

The ground level of the inn is home to its wine shop, which boasts more than 2,000 varieties, many from Oregon. Adjacent to the shop is the restaurant, which serves breakfast and dinner. With white tablecloths and red chairs, the dimly lit dining room is a mood setter. There’s also a back patio, ideal for al fresco dining during Jacksonville’s warmer months. The menus feature traditional fare: waffles and omelettes for breakfast and fish and steak for dinner. The food is tasty, but uninspired.

The boutique hotel isn’t luxurious — don’t expect four-star level amenities. It should also be noted that Jacksonville Inn, and many of the town’s businesses, are not ADA accessible. But the inn’s quirks, from the local art to the patterned wallpaper, are endearing.

For 159 years, the inn has been the heart of this historic town and is within walking distance of Jacksonville’s best shopping and dining. A stay here reminds you that pioneer history is alive and flourishing in this small Southern Oregon town.

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LOCATION: Jacksonville is ten minutes west of Medford, a city with everyday modern amenities. If you’re visiting from Portland, allow for a roughly four-hour drive South.

ADDRESS: 175 E. California Street, 541-899-1900, jacksonvilleinn.com PARKING: Lot and street parking.

RATES: From $165.

AMENITIES: Free WiFi; a voucher of $15 per person for breakfast is included.

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS: The inn is fully operational. There’s hand sanitizer throughout the hotel and restaurant. There are masks in the gift shop, where you check in. Although masks are required in the inn and throughout Jacksonville, some business owners and residents didn’t always comply.

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BELLA UNION RESTAURANT & SALOON

THIS WALKABLE TOWN GLIMMERS WITH QUIRKY BOUTIQUES AND HOMESTYLE DINING.

GANJE’S Ganje’s is part vintage sweet shop, part homegoods boutique. It’s an odd pairing to be sure, but it works. You’ll leave with salt-water taffy and a locally-made bath bomb.

150 S. Oregon Street, ganjes.com

PICKETY PLACE Co-owner Margaret Barnes is always on the search for vintages good to fill antique store, Pickety Place. And she’s done a good job. The cozy shop features kitchenware, jewelry, books, clothing and more.

130 N. 4th Street, 541-899-1912

REBEL HEART BOOKS What Rebel Heart Books lacks in space, it makes up for in, well, heart.

One of the best parts? The shop doesn’t have traditional book sections, encouraging you to explore genres and authors you might not otherwise.

157 W. California Street, 541-7022665, rebelheartbooks.com

MINOR’S BAZAAR This charming 150-year-old house has been transformed into a bar, art gallery and artist DIY space. Here you can buy already made art, or learn to make your own, including printmaking, painting, fiber arts, jewelry and more. The bazaar also serves wine, beer, soda, tea, coffee and food.

235 E. California Street, 541-7022380, theminersbazaar.com

Bella Union is a local favorite; you’ll always see folks lining the bar and families out to a Friday night dinner.

The menu features pizzas, pasta and sandwiches.

170 W. California Street, 541-8991770, bellau.com

SOUTH STAGE CELLARS South Stage Cellars features its own estate wines, plus wines made by other Oregon winemakers. Order a flight—$10 for five wines—and sniff, swirl and sip them on the patio.

125 South Third Street, 541-8999120, southstagecellars.com

THE GOOD BEAN COFFEE CO. Like the name says, you’ll get a good cup of coffee here. The artsy, red brick shop also serves teas, baked goods and sandwiches.

165 South Oregon Street, 541-8998740, goodbean.com

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Words and Photos KATY SEVERSON

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Midcoast Maine is a popular tourist destination for a reason.

Come here in summer and the lobster shacks might lure you into eating a butter-basted lobster roll twice in one day. Stick around for fall foliage — when the oaks and birches and maples turn electric red, hot pink and golden yellow against the deep green of balsam firs — and you’ll witness a symphony so beautiful it might make you weep.

Pay closer attention to the changing trees, though, and you’ll find more than beauty: you’ll find food. The Maine isles are known among some locals for their prolific wild edibles — from the more well-known wild blueberries to fiddlehead ferns to highly coveted mushrooms to a slew of edible berries, greens, seaweed, seafood, bushes and trees that form the natural beauty of this landscape — but that only a few of us know that we can eat.

When traveling to Maine, foraging implores us to look a little deeper, beyond a checklist of destinations to the intimacies and complexities of what’s going on beneath our feet.

Spend a day foraging for food through the Maine isles and you’ll get to know the state in a new and visceral way.

What does Maine taste like, smell like, feel like? What are all those trees that frame our Instagram shots? What stories do they tell about this place?

“I like to bring awareness to the plants that people spend time with but are not fully aware of,” says Jenna Rozelle, a local forager, hunter and wild-foods educator. “I like to start FIFTY

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with trees because they’re the biggest plant on the land, but they’re often overlooked and people usually don’t view them as food.”

Wild sumac, which you’re likely to find along roadsides, is one of the very first trees to turn red in autumn. It bears a deep red, fuzzy fruit: sumac berries, used to make a lemonade-flavored tea or dried and ground into an acidic, slightly smoky spice. Rozelle likes black birch bark too, steeped into tea and wild-fermented sodas. She picks balsam and spruce tips to infuse ice cream or grind into flavorful sugars for baking and salts for seasoning meat.

Rozelle can name nearly every wild edible in Maine, how and where to find it, plus a recipe or two. She estimates that 40% of her diet comes from wild foods, including what she hunts.

Maine is one of two states in the country with permissive land access laws, meaning all land — even private property — is free to forage on, unless there’s posted signs saying otherwise.

On beaches, anything below the highwater mark is considered public land.

But foraging can still get competitive. There are stories of people being blindfolded and driven in circles before reaching particularly coveted fields of fiddlehead ferns — the young, curled-up shoots of the ostrich fern that taste like asparagus. Mushrooms — black trumpets, morels, chanterelles, chicken of the woods — are similarly sought after.

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But here’s the thing: wild edibles are everywhere in Maine. You don’t even have to look very far. Look behind the lobster shack and you’ll probably find sea beans, goose tongue, brambles and sweet fern. “You’re probably standing within 100 yards of a sweet fern and you don’t even know it,” says Rozelle.

“I’m sure you’ve smelled it but maybe didn’t recognize where it was coming from.” The woody, aromatic shrub can be used like oregano or thyme. And it goes particularly well with blueberries, which are often growing nearby. Infuse a few sweet fern sprigs into a jug of good local cream, she says, and pour it over berries for breakfast.

Rose hips — the delicate orange fruits of beach rose bushes that grow along the coast — hit peak ripeness in autumn, when they’re as ubiquitous as blueberries. You can steep them into tea or use a food mill to blend them into jam, hot sauce or barbecue sauce.

Even cat tails, which grow wild in ponds and marshes around the state, have an edible yellow pollen that tastes subtly nutty and floral and dyes foods a golden yellow like saffron.

Hike one of Maine’s forested paths — usually unmarked along rural roads on the Blue Hill Peninsula — and you’ll find wild berries growing along the forest floor, different depending on the season. In spring, wild strawberries. In summer, blackberries and other wild brambles. In winter, wild cranberries lie beneath blankets of snow. Even some mosses are edible: reindeer moss, seafoam green and bushy, serves as pasture for reindeer and moose, but it’s edible to humans too. It can be blanched

in salted water, infused in cream or candied and tastes, aptly, like the forest.

Wander the rocky beaches at low tide and you’ll step on three or four different varieties of edible kelp.

Irish moss, a brown, fuzzy variety of seaweed, is traditionally made into a pudding called blancmange.

Sugar kelp, dulse and wakame can be sauteed, used to flavor broths or dried and milled into a powder. Lift the blankets of seaweed from the rocks and you’ll find wild mussels, periwinkles (a type of edible snail) and green crabs crawling through the crevices. On muddy banks, you can dig for quahog clams — once made into a soup by Native American tribes with foraged sunchokes and seawater before French Acadian settlers adopted it into New England clam chowder.

And then, of course, there’s blueberries. Now a multi-million-dollar industry, wild blueberries are a result of the loamy soil left by the last Ice Age. For many Indigenous people of this region, blueberries were considered a sacred fruit — used for food, medicine and preserving meat — and the fields were burned to manage production, a technique still used today. You’ll find vast fields of low-bush blueberries along rural roads, bright green in summer when the berries are ripe and fading into maroon in fall. Berry picking is allowed unless there’s a sign prohibiting it. But keep in mind that many of the managed fields are sprayed with herbicides and fertilizers. Rozelle suggests looking along trails, mountains and timber company land, where berries particularly thrive.

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USE AN APP Use an app, like PictureThis or PlantSnap, to help identify wild plants.

Be careful though — while apps can help you identify plants, the identification isn’t guaranteed, so it’s not a good idea to use it for mushrooms, which can often have toxic lookalikes. Guidebooks are helpful too. Tom Seymour, a famous Maine forager, has several.

And the best thing to do is go with someone you know. Rozelle and many other foragers host foraging walks and classes in the area.

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DON’T TAKE TOO MUCH Don’t take too much. It’s important to avoid disturbing natural ecosystems as much as possible and to leave wild food for wild animals. To quote Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass and a member of the Potawatomi Nation: “Take only what you need. Take only that which is given. Never take more than half.

Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimizes harm. Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Share.”

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The cries of “Rocky Top” and the Creamsicle-orange color have always made my teeth grind.

The unbridled enthusiasm for college sports was something I’d never felt myself. We skipped the University of Tennessee on my tour of colleges as a high school senior in favor of a campus near the beach. But a few years ago, I visited and was quickly attracted to its personality, its “Scruffy City” nickname. [Side note: How great is this? When the Wall Street Journal disparagingly called the city “scruffy” in a 1980 article, the locals decided to adopt the moniker lovingly, adding it to the names of bars and on T-shirts. Take that, smart-ass writer.]

Since then, Knoxville has become one of my favorite destinations and easily an unqualified pick for most

underrated city in America. For its proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains and easy access to the great outdoors. For its flourishing arts scene, seen in the galleries and murals that cover the alleys behind Market Square.

For the equally stellar craft beer scene, which rivals what you might find in Colorado cities. And the restaurants here showcase what makes Southern cuisine so beloved.

When the leaves started to turn this fall, I loaded up my car to make the three-hour drive from my house in Atlanta through the mountains to Knoxville, winding through the familiar curves of the highway. It’s the best time of year to visit, thanks to the

mild climate and plentiful activities.

Most visitors spend time in five main neighborhoods, including Downtown/ Market Square, Old City, the UT campus area and SoKno, or South Knoxville.

I checked into my Downtown hotel, the Hyatt Place, one of many stylish properties to open in Knoxville in recent years. It has a rooftop bar and is located in the 1919 Hotel Farragut, which had a lengthy roster of celebrity clientele. A few blocks away lies the Oliver Hotel, an art-filled hotel with its own speakeasy. The Graduate Hotel Knoxville is another addition, bringing the brand’s signature collegiate whimsy (not to mention that Creamsicle orange) to the University of Tennessee campus. UT alumni Peyton Manning even has his own bar here, The Saloon.

After checking in, first-timers to the city should make a beeline for the Knoxville Visitor’s Center — it’s not as boring as it sounds — which plays host to the WDVX Blue Plate Special, a live radio recording with bluegrass and country bands. The city has long been a launching pad for artists to continue on to Nashville, so you never know who you might see.

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Speaking of music, homages to the unofficial queen Dolly Parton are all over the city, including the mural in Strong Alley and the “Dolly for President ” paraphernalia at Rala, an Old City boutique that focuses on clothing and gifts from local makers.

She’s one of the artists honored on the Cradle of Country Music Self Guided Walking Tour, honoring the radio station where she performed before hitting it big in Nashville.

The Sunsphere, constructed as a futuristic orb and tower for the World’s Fair, makes up the city’s unusual skyline and is viewable from all over town.

While it’s one of the top things to see, it’s far from the only one. The Museum of East Tennessee History is the perfect primer to the region, with exhibits on Native American tribes, frontier life and the influence of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture is full of oddities like fossils from around Tennessee and artifacts from ancient Egypt. The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame is the only museum devoted to women’s sports in the world.

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river in houseboats as an aquatic form of tailgating. My visit fell on a weekday, so, without my own watercraft, I went out with Knoxville Adventure Collective, a kayak and paddleboard outfitter downtown.

These rivers have played a large role in the outdoors, as the Tennessee Valley Authority dams created the nearby lakes. The water was important for the quarries that once dotted the area. One of Knoxville’s limestone quarries is now Ijams Nature Center, a sprawling urban wilderness with mountain biking, hiking trails, and paddleboarding on the calm water of the quarry.

After struggling up the one-mile loop to the top of the quarry, I went in search of sustenance. Knoxville may not have the big-name chefs of cities like Atlanta, Nashville and New Orleans, but the restaurants are the perfect primer to Southern food. I still think about the Tuscan chicken sandwich at The Tomato Head, a restaurant well ahead of the vegan and specialty diet curve. JC Holdaway was the first in the state to earn a James Beard award. I had a lovely orecchiette ragu at Emilia, named for the chef ’s Italian grandmother.

Once it’s after hours in Scruffy City, get the password for Peter Kern Library — grab the code from their social 108

media or ask a hotel concierge — at the Oliver Hotel. It’s a speakeasy and one of the top bourbon bars in the country, featuring famous brands alongside Knoxville labels. While waiting to get in, I chatted with my new friend, the bouncer, who told me about the history of Market Square before I eased into a booth for the perfect Old Fashioned.

And a Knoxville visit needs to include a foray into its craft breweries, which rival Asheville with more than a dozen in a 100-square-mile radius.

South Knoxville’s Printshop is across from the Tennessee River and features tap handles inspired by its former life. There’s also a mural honoring the passage of the 19th Amendment, women’s suffrage, by Paris Woodhull.

In the Old City, Pretentious Beer Company owner Matthew Cummings is like the Willy Wonka of glassware, crafting artisanal containers to hold his equally quirky beer.

Back at the hotel, I packed up my car, already planning my next visit’s itinerary. Of course, I barely scratched the surface of Knoxville. I could have continued on to the Smokies or explored the surrounding counties along the Tennessee River. And while I’m not ready to don an orange T-shirt, the Scruffy City’s lack of pretension is something I can get on board with.

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Tour the most underrated street art scene in America right now.

BY VITTORIA BENZINE

PHOTOS BY MIKE STALTER

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From the outside, Sacramento is the California dream scaled down to a Midwest size. It’s far from the glitz of Los Angeles, San Francisco’s tech cache or San Diego’s laid-back cool. It’s too far inland to benefit from the ocean’s glow, like the many shimmering beach spots that dot the coast from Avila to La Jolla. What is here in the self-declared “Farm-to-Fork Capital,” besides a storied agricultural industry and the state house, is a simmering street art scene that’s ready to boil over.

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to have any kind of impact on the future, we have to have a collective voice.”

Of all the murals in this rapidly blossoming city, Alexander says that his favorite pieces are his two most recent works, “Gemini” and “Untitled,” which he painted for Wide Open Walls mural festival in 2020 on Seventh St., between I St. and J St.. “The intent is everything,” he elaborated. “[The murals] were created to give people a reason to celebrate themselves. That’s how you make magic happen.”

Alexander admits his answer might seem self-indulgent.

But asserts that his choice stems from genuine passion and belief in his own mission among the city’s many moving pieces. He notes Raphael Delgado’s mural by the stadium as a second favorite.

“There are so many different personalities that this city has that it’s hard for one to speak on behalf of us all,” says local artist Brandon Alexander. While Sacramento is rich in diversity — whether it’s racial, cultural, professional or stylistic — its many populations have historically remained isolated from each other, confined to their own neighborhoods. Alexander believes that former boundaries are blurring, with the arts community pioneering this trend. Growing arts initiatives like the Wide Open Walls mural festival (more on that in a minute) and Alexander’s own event Elysium Live introduce the city’s artists to each other, helping the greater whole grow more unified.

“I think Sacramento is finally starting to meet itself right now because it realizes it has to,” he continues. “In order FIFTY

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Art was an ever-present force throughout curator David Sobon’s early life. A Sacramento resident for 43 years, he recalls, “I moved to the area with my family when my father decided to change careers from being a research scientist with Lockheed to winemaker in Amador County. My parents took us to museums and my mother had a gallery for 10 years.”

In 2017, Sobon founded Wide Open Walls mural festival, which hosts an annual event that imports international street artists to work alongside local talent, endowing Sacramento with fresh large-scale installations.

The idea came to him while walking his dog along the languorous city streets. Admiring the pockets of local art, he realized “we needed to paint big walls with big

names in order for anybody outside of the area to notice.”

The acclaimed talent showcased with Wide Open Walls includes murals from Dutch artist Caratoes, Spanish artist Borondo and an incredible three-part collaboration titled “Where’s Wally?” from Axel Void, Ivan Floró and Alberto Montes.

“We’ve always tried to balance our festivals with half local artists and half from outside of California,” Sobon states. “It is very rewarding when a local artist gets job offers and the opportunity to travel the world and spread the word about Sactown.” While Sobon says that his favorite mural changes every month, “right now, without a doubt, it’s Raphael Delgado‘s piece that he did on Sixth St. at 555 Capitol Mall parking garage.”

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away from my studio so I walk past it almost every day, constantly finding things I like about it. It’s huge but seems very intimate. The paint looks loose and improvisational in some areas, but controlled and delicate in others.

There are quickly splashed and dripped areas that mix with razor-sharp brushwork and fine lines. It’s beautiful, but I particularly love the quote she added to it. It says: ‘There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.’ Nelson Mandela. I have it memorized, because I love the way her handwriting demands that I read it every time I pass.”

Raphael Delgado moved to Sacramento in 2008 and found a haven teeming with homegrown talent, enthusiastic audiences and attractive rents. The city steadily worked its way into Delgado’s creative headspace, particularly the R St. Corridor. Delgado explains, “R St. is a long warehouse-lined corridor that creates a beautiful vanishing point of shiny railroad tracks as the sun sets. This area has become the epicenter of the street parties, musical events and open studios due to the dense concentration of galleries, shops and art studios in the area.”

Delgado divulges that his favorite mural “is the Herakut mural done during Wide Open Walls in 2018. It’s a block FIFTY

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“Our city is so spread out that there isn’t a concentration of artists working side by side to even subconsciously dabble in another’s style for more than a short experimental period,” says local artist Lily Mott. “In other words, artists here don’t shit where they eat but will happily share practical knowledge because it’s part of the process of becoming.”

Mott’s favorite place to find street art is “Improv Alley, because the Sac County Jail literally towers over the alley,

giving those who are incarcerated something to stare at besides the inside of a cell.”

What’s your favorite mural in the city? “Anything that comes out of Dwellpoint is insane. Molly Devlin is incredibly surreal, drawing from the dreamscape and natural world. Anything Stephen V. Williams does blows my mind from originality. Or Lin Fei Fei for her painterly depth of soul displayed in black and white. Brandon Alexander for his warrior spirit and animalistic instincts in symbolism.”

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that each year adds more murals to the urban environment, we have a rich nonprofit art scene that includes music, theater and museums like the Crocker.”

As another passion-driven curator, Shields seems half-reticent to declare his favorite mural. “That’s a tough question,” he says, noting that his favorites change as new works are created. “Very recently, Spencer Keeton Cunningham just completed a powerful one on Del Paso Blvd. that acknowledges the devastating impact of climate change and fires on nature and animal life.”

Alongside these grittier, downtown-type scenes, Sacramento is home to The Crocker Art Museum, the oldest continuously operating art museum west of the Mississippi, which houses its own innovative yet esteemed permanent collection among a steady stream of rotating exhibits from in and out of town.

“The arts have long been important in Sacramento and are becoming more so as the city itself is coming into its own as a major cultural destination,” says Associate Director and Chief Curator Scott Shields. “Not only do we have Second Saturday community gallery openings and Wide Open Walls FIFTY

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Animals and nature will forever stand at the cornerstone of Sacramento’s identity. This truth manages to manifest among its varied artistic offerings. Local artist Ana Valentine has also painted with Wide Open Walls.

A Sacramento native herself, she tells me, “I developed arthritis by age 15 due to heavy labor as a farmer, but I found my muse in life: flowers!”

This notable piece of her past still drives her paintings of

flora and fauna today. “All of my paintings are inspired by the plants I once grew.” Even with this intimate knowledge of the land itself, Valentine tells me, “We might be the Farm-to-Fork capital of the country, but there’s so much more going on here.

The contemporary murals cover hundreds of unique ideas.”

Her favorite is the KiriLeigh Jones mural at 1808 14th St. “It looks like a floral explosion, and I admire how she first started as a nail artist in San Francisco. Now look at her!”

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OVER ST. LOUIS IS NOT SIMPLY A GATEWAY TO OTHER PLACES, BUT A DESTINATION FOR CULINARY CREATIONS, INVENTIVE COCKTAILS AND COOL ATTRACTIONS.

BY KATY SPRATTE JOYCE

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THERE’S A GENERAL CONSENSUS THAT THE MIDWEST ISN’T EXACTLY THE COOLEST PLACE EVER.

In St. Louis, there’s even an entire monument — a 630-foot arch that sits on the Mississippi River and is the city’s most recognizable landmark — that celebrates the Gateway City’s history as a passageway to the country’s other parts. That giant upside-down U essentially serves as a reminder to get out of town. But resist the urge to travel elsewhere and you’ll find that St. Louis punches above its midsize Midwest weight class. Its sweeping list of James Beard-nominated eateries, quirky attractions and upscale lodging options are just a few of the reasons why it’s an excellent travel pick in an often-overlooked region of the country.

The city’s attractions are a mile long, but newcomers should focus on hitting the big three on their first trip: City Museum, the Missouri Botanical Garden and the aforementioned Gateway Arch.

City Museum is a former shoe factory that is now best described as imagination allowed to run wild.

There’s almost too much going on to highlight specific spots, but the rooftop school bus and Ferris wheel are iconic City Museum symbols.

The impressive Missouri Botanical Garden boasts 79 acres for exploration and includes one of the country’s largest Japanese gardens. There FIFTY

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are 5,000 trees on the property and sculpture enthusiasts will recognize the striking azure Chihuly chandelier in the Ridgway Visitor Center Atrium.

The George Washington Carver Garden is another highlight, with its central statue of the groundbreaking Black scientist by acclaimed African American sculptor Tina Allen.

While here, take some time to wander the scenic streets of the Shaw neighborhood that abuts the green space. Named for the philanthropist Henry Shaw, the enclave is adorned with fairies. (Yes, fairies.) As in the magical variety, like Tinkerbell. Keep your eyes peeled for the abundant fairy doors that are sprinkled throughout this historic area. Some even get decorated for the seasons.

And no first-timer to the region can visit without checking out the Gateway Arch National Park, the monument that honors the country’s westward expansion and St. Louis’ role in it. It includes a newly refurbished museum, the Old Courthouse where Dred Scott v.

Sanford was tried and a claustrophic’s nightmare one-of-a-kind elevator to the top of the Arch. Plus, history nerds will appreciate its proximity to the start of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Perhaps the single greatest component of St. Louis that visitors need to 124

experience is its vaunted culinary and beverage scene.

One of Food & Wine’s best new chefs 2020, Nick Bognar calls the city home.

His acclaimed Indo is inspired by Thai street food. Consider the omakase menu, which is a well-worth-it splurge; other standouts include the palm sugar ribs and short rib khao soi noodles.

Another delight, located in the suburb of Webster Groves, is Balkan Treat Box. What used to be the hottest food truck in town, this eatery prepares divine traditional Bosnian and Turkish fare.

(Get the Sarajevo-style ćevapi.)

Plant-based visitors can expect food excellence too; a favorite vegan spot is the seasonally driven Lulu’s Local Eatery, which has the weird-but-we’rehere-for-it addition of a ping-pong bar directly above the restaurant. And the best dessert can be enjoyed at the area’s first and only microcreamery, Clementine’s Creamery. Funky flavors like the activated charcoal-infused black tahini will delight adventurous eaters. Plus, there are boozy choices, vegan flavors and the incomparable classic Madagascar vanilla, all handcrafted in small batches. For the quintessential St. Louis sweet moment, try the gooey butter cake, an ice cream version of the famed dessert that was invented in the city.

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PERHAPS THE SINGLE GREATEST COMPONENT OF ST. LOUIS THAT VISITORS NEED TO EXPERIENCE IS ITS VAUNTED CULINARY AND BEVERAGE SCENE.

Beer lovers should visit the Clydesdales (from the commercials!) at the Budweiser Brewery Tour, sample craft brews at Urban Chestnut or visit the Schlafly Tap Room for local beer and pub grub. Oenophiles can rejoice in the unpretentious wine offerings that abound in St. Louis. Standout spots in the wine bar realm include the Italian-wine-forward Sasha’s on Shaw and Robust Wine Bar, which boasts a generous 40 by-the-glass choices.

For those with a pioneering spirit, consider visiting America’s first wine region, yes, is in Missouri. The country’s first ever American Viticultural Area is the Augusta AVA, an hour from the city. The Hermann AVA is another wine hot spot that’s roughly another hour farther west via car. If time allows, consider driving south of St. Louis to Ste. Genevieve, which is ensconced in the massive Ozark Mountain AVA, the sixth largest in the US. Be sure to sample wines made using muscadine, a grape native to North America that is high in the famed resveratrol, the antioxidant FIFTY

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component of red wine.

Cocktail connoisseurs should check out Narwhal’s Crafted in Midtown (plus a suburban St. Charles locale), which specializes in inventive drinks.

In the summer, their patio is unbeatable and the frozen drinks deliciously potent, while hot cocktails liven up the cold weather months and their draft cocktails shine in the spring.

Multiple lodging choices can help set the tone for any Gateway City getaway. The Four Seasons Hotel rates are surprisingly approachable considering the luxury experience it offers, with the Arch views, a delightful rooftop pool, a full pampering spa and award-winning dining options. For those who prefer a maximalist approach to decor, stay at the not-so-subtle but well-appointed Central West End Bed & Breakfast, which boasts a prime central location for exploring the area. Within walking distance to Forest Park, The Cheshire boutique hotel harnesses across-thepond vibes with its complimentary English breakfast and on-premise 126

tavern. And finally, if a midcentury-modern decor straight out of a ’60s game show is more your thing, there’s the Moonrise Hotel. This boutique combines chic style and cozy accommodations for a unique hotel experience. There’s also a rooftop terrace bar overlooking the city.

It should be clear by now that St. Louis is a city deserving of travelers’ attention, and innovation shows no signs of slowing down in the Gateway City, with numerous noteworthy openings on the horizon at press time.

The City Foundry development will be debuting a food hall, while a 21C Museum Hotel will be opening in 2021 in a renovated former YMCA complex. Additionally, revitalization is in the works for Laclede’s Landing, on the banks of the Mississippi, as well as a brand-new Major League Soccer stadium in Downtown West.

Further down the road, the Brickline Greenway project aims to connect major attractions in St. Louis such as Forest Park, Tower Grove Park and Gateway Arch National Park.

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CONTRIB JENSLY BAEZ is a Dominican illustrator based out of Long Island.

She enjoys horror video games, classic cartoons and long winded video essays on YouTube. You can contact her for more vibrant illustrations on her website www.Jenslybaez.com CHRISTIAN BEGEMAN works at Midco in Sioux Falls in the Marketing department. In his free time you will find him crisscrossing South Dakota looking to capture the infinite and ever-changing beauty the state has to offer. Christian’s photos have been featured in South Dakota Magazine and he also is a regular contributor to southdakotamagazine.com where he writes a photography column.

Christian’s current projects include the Prairie Sanctuaries and Prairieverse Facebook pages. Both collections seek to celebrate the life and beauty found in the upper great plains. A selection of photos are available for printing or digital download at cbegeman. smugmug.com VITTORIA BENZINE is an art journalist, essayist and editor based in Brooklyn. You can find her work in UP Magazine, The Smart Set, Street Art United States and more. Her full body of work is available at vittoriabenzine. com, and you can send her love letters @vittoriabenzine.

EMILY CARMICHAEL is a writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in The Lily, OffBeat Magazine, New Orleans CityBusiness and more.

ELLEN CARTY is an adventure/travel photographer and graphic designer based in Alaska.After working on the ocean for years and going to school for a BA in Marketing, Ellen turned towards photography and design. Her fine art work encapsulates the whimsy and negative space of the most obscure Alaskan landscapes. Ellen divides her time between a range of photographic assignments, graphic design projects, and mountain exploration, whilst utiilizing social media as a platform to share her experiences and perspectives on life and nature in the Last Frontier. She goes by @ viewswithellen on all the socials.

BRANDON CELI is an Artist and Illustrator based in Toronto.

TAG CHRISTOF is a photographer and writer based in Los Angeles and Santa Fe, N.M. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Intercept, Monocle, Vogue, apartmento and others.

MARIEL CONCEPCION is a writer and editor based in San Diego. She’s currently a reporter at the San Diego Business Journal, and her work has appeared in Billboard, XXL, Vibe and more.

PETE DEEVAKUL grew up in Norwalk, CA, but learned to ride a bike on his grandma’s farm in Chainat, Thailand.

He keeps a scar on his knee from happily chasing loose chickens there.

When not working on photography commissions, he’s usually outdoors chasing the local and migrant birds of NYC. PETER FRANK EDWARDS is a photographer who specializes in travel, food and the culinary world for books, magazines, and advertisements. Recent assignments have been for Garden and Gun, Hilton, and Town and Country.

CAROLINE EUBANKS is a freelance writer based in Atlanta and the author of the award-winning book This Is My South: The Essential Travel Guide to the Southern States. Her work has appeared in Afar, BBC Travel, Travel + Leisure and Roadtrippers. You can follow her work and travels in the South at @ cairinthecity.

DAVID GIBB has been active in photography for over 30 years. Since picking up his first Polaroid Swinger in Rochester, NY, he has been devoted to creating images with impact and interest. Fast forward 36 years to find David shooting for clients such as Gallup, Eastman Kodak, SAIF, Henry Calvin Fabrics, Jackson and Perkins, Leo A Daly to

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IBUTORS name a few. David Gibb Photography offers professional photography services for all your commercial, business, and portrait needs. David operates his studio in historic Jacksonville, Oregon, a greatplace to live, work, and create.

Hello, my name is ALEX GRECHMAN I’m a freelance photographer based in San Diego, California. I like to shoot in different styles and genres, but my favorites are travel and street photography. Like a lot of people, I love to travel, discover different places, and share them with the rest of the world. If you are a fan of black and white photography check out my IG @ fotoskeptic (https://www.instagram. com/fotoskeptic/).

TIFFANY HILL is a writer and editor based in Portland. She specializes in travel, culture and business. Her work is regularly published in regional, national and online publications. When she’s not on assignment, you can find her playing roller derby.

ROB LEDONNE is a Brooklyn-based culture and humor writer who has written for Billboard, The New York Times, GQ, Rolling Stone and Esquire. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @RobLeDonne.

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PATTY LEE is a Brooklyn-based editor who has written for Time Out New York, Zagat, Thrilist and more. A native New Yorker, her perfect weekend breakfast is a combination of bagels and dim sum — see what she (and her toddler) are eating on Instagram at @bypattylee.

KATY SPRATTE JOYCE is a Midwestbased freelance writer who specializes in food and travel coverage. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Travel+Leisure, EatingWell and more.

For lots of brunches at home and geriatric dog pics, follow her on insta @ katysjoyce.

ANNA RAHMANAN is a writer and editor based in New York. Her writing has appeared in the Huffington Post, the BBC, the Telegraph, Forbes, Fortune and more. Read more of her work at https://www.annabenyehuda.com.

KATY SEVERSON is a freelance writer passionate about all things food, farming and foraging. Her work appears in Bon Appetit, Huffington Post and Cherry Bombe. Read more at katyseverson.com.

VANESSA LIM is a Singapore-born independent illustrator and designer.

Her experience spans across self initiated projects to commercial projects for multi-national brands and independent boutique brands.

MIKE STALTER is the Media & Advertising Director of the leading international contemporary art magazine, Juxtapoz, based in San Francisco, California. Mike currently lives in Sacramento with his wife and two children where he is involved with various organizations to help grow the local arts community.

EVAN MALACHOSKY is a writer/ editor based in Pittsburgh. His work has appeared in Cool Hunting, Mr. Porter, Valet., Grailed, Fifty Grande, Cool Material and more. He received the 2020 Media Trailblazer award from the Consumer Technology Association for his work covering consumer electronics.

AMY MARTURANA WINDERL is a freelance writer and editor based in central New York. Her work has appeared in Self, Outside, Livestrong, Martha Stewart Living and more.

You can find her on Instagram (@ amymart) and Twitter (@amymarturana) or check out more of her work at amymarturana.com.

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A BIANNUAL TRAVEL MAGAZINE THAT EXPLORES THE U.S. SPRING 2021

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SPRING 2021 ISSUE TWO