American trails magazine #1 International edition

EXPLORE WITH US

A CULTURE AND TRAVEL PUBLICATION ABOUT THE USA CURATED BY NORDIC FOLKS

Whoa!

FOLLOW US TO THE BACKROADS OF AMERICA. THE WINDING TRAILS OF VIRGINIA, THE HOT NOLA NIGHTS, PIETER TEN HOOPENS MONTANA, UK £9. WINTER 2017/18 ISSN 2002-7842

THE SUBURBS OF SEATTLE, A BRONX TALE, A BUFFALO ROUND UP IN SOUTH DAKOTA – AND MUCH MORE.

DENIM, VINTAGE AND REPAIR SHOP KATARINA BANGATA 69, STOCKHOLM WWW.SECONDSUNRISE.SE

People, Places, and Passions

W

elcome to the very first issue of American Trails. For us, this is the trailhead for a journey into the unknown that is every bit as scary as it is awesome. We hope that you will join us on this adventure, and enjoy our stories about the people, places, and passions we love so much. In this issue, you’ll encounter banjo builders, cowboys, street artists, foodies, bikers, brewers, tiki lovers, and a bunch of other types.

American Trails is a culture and travel publication that focuses on the soul of the USA. We want to dig deeper into this vast country, and tell stories that don’t often get told in other magazines. American Trails is a publication for anybody with an open mindset and an itching wanderlust.

Just like our fellow travelers, or trailfinders, we have a strong and irresistible impulse to explore, meet new people, and see new places.

The website and social media channels are up and running now. In our maiden issue, the Dutch award-winning photographer Pieter Ten Hoopen takes you deep into Montana, Seattle-based journalist Olivia S. Hall highlights the best of Seattle, and we travel deep into the mountains of Virginia to visit the best banjo builder in the country, explore Nola and the Deep South, dig into The Bronx, venture up the Maine coast – and much more. We are excited beyond belief – and we hope you’ll like it!

We don’t aim to please—we aim to inspire.

Jonas Henningsson and Jonas Larsson // FOUNDERS AND TRAILFINDERS

5

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

WWW.INDIGOFERAJEANS.COM

Washington

THE BEST LITTLE CITY GUIDE TO SEATTLE. PAGE 104.

Montana

SMALL TOWN LIFE THROUGH THE LENS OF A MASTER . PAGE 70.

Oregon

TRAILER GLAM IN WINE COUNTRY. PAGE 16.

California

WE FLOAT IN SAUSALITO. PAGE 148.

People, places and passions!

Here is where we go this time! 13 states, 164 pages– and we love them all! Read all about it in American Trails no 1. If you want us to write about your home town, shoot us an e-mail: hi@amtrailsmag.com

Colorado

HAVE A CRAFT BEER. PAGE 140.

Maine

South Dakota

LOBSTER, LEAVES AND LONG WEEKENDS. PAGE 112.

BISON ON THE ROAD. BADLANDS HERE WE COME! PAGE 56.

Illinois

WE DIVE STRAIGHT INTO THE BEST DIVE AND THE COOLEST VINTAGE STORE IN CHICAGO. PAGE 10 AND 156.

New York

BRONX BABY, LET US SHOW YOU AROUND. PAGE 44.

Virginia

MEET GREG, A BANJO MAKER. PAGE 22.

Florida Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS, WE ALWAYS WANT TO GO BACK. PAGE 84.

Texas

MARFA, AUSTIN AND HOT RODDERS. PAGE 126.

A REAL AMERICAN BARTENDER AND BEAUTIFUL STREET ART. PAGE 20 AND 42.

a tribe called

Contributors

PHOTO: LANA BARKIN

Making this very first issue of American Trails has been a long and wondrous journey, but it wouldn't been half as much fun without the help of some very dedicated and big-hearted friends.

Say hi to some of the American Trails tribe.

OLIVIA HALL, SEATTLE, USA. PAGE 104.

Olivia Hall is a writer whose work has appeared in The Seattle Times, Elle.com, Racked, Refinery 29, and Domino. She has lived throughout the United States but has laid down her roots on Bainbridge Island, a short ferry ride from downtown Seattle.

She lives in a small double-wide trailer with her fiancé and chihuahua. She also happens to be extremely good at Macramé.

PIETER TEN HOOPEN, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. PAGE 70.

Pieter is an internationally acclaimed photographer and filmmaker based in Stockholm, Sweden. Transitioning between editorial work, personal projects and commercial assignments, he has a wide range of returning customers such as The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, Le Monde and Plan International. At page 70 you can take a look on his project Hungry Horse and meet the people that live in the small Montana town.

If you want to see more of Pieters work go to pietertenhoopen.com LAURA KINIRY, SAN FRANCISCO, USA. PAGE 160.

This freelance travel and food writer have called San Francisco home for 22 years. The New Jersey native has traveled thoroughly throughout the U.S. She's also traversed the country by nearly every Amtrak train route imaginable. In addition to American Trails, she writes for Smithsonianmag.com, O – the Oprah Magazine, Mabuhay, several AAA pubs, and many others. Check out Lauras San Francisco guide at americantrailsmag.com BJÖRN MUDA, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. PAGE 154.

Björn is a man of many skills; writer, actor and music missionary. He also happens to be a highly acclaimed mailman.

That’s why he goes ty the name Mailman when dj:ing and blogging. In this issue of American Trails you can read his story growing up with a father that loved jazz and was friends with Chet Baker, Toots Thielemans, Monty Alexander, Dizzy Gillespie and other jazz musicians. Look up page 154.

10

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

11

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

12

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AMERICANTRAILSMAG.COM

INSTAGRAM: AMERICANTRAILSMAG FACEBOOK: AMERICANTRAILSMAG PINTEREST: AMERICANTRAILSMAGAZINE TWITTER: @AMTRAILSMAG

13

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Contents 5. HI

104. SEATTLE CITY GUIDE

10. THE TRIBE

112. EXILE ON MAINE STREET

16. SHORT AND SWEET

126. PORTFOLIO ANDERS BERGERSEN

22. BUCKEYE BANJOS

140. SUDS FOR THE SOUL

42. THE AMERICAN

148. THIS FLOATING LIFE

44. A BRONX TALE

154. MY DAD'S RECORD

56. PRAIRIE WONDERS

156. TO DIVE FOR

70. PIETER TEN HOOPEN

160. PARK LIFE

Nice to meet y’all, this is American Trails.

Olivia Hall shows us her favorite spots.

Just some of all the talented people who have helped us make this first issue.

Jonas and Linda share some sweet memories from the east coast.

Some of our favorite places.

The Norwegian takes us on a road trip to Texas.

The banjo maker at the end of the road.

Colorados finest craft brewers say hi!

A guy walks into a bar …

We talk to the author of Floating in Sausalito.

Let us show you The Bronx.

Björn remembers his jazz-obsessed father.

We hang out with some furry friends in South Dakota.

Hang out at the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago, probably one of the best dive bars in the US.

I'm in love with Montana.

Laura Kiniry guides us to Dolores park.

84. NOLA

There is a magical city in the Deep South.

102. MIAMI HEAT

Why we love deadlines.

14

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

It’s easy to see how Monument Valley in Utah got its name.

American Trails EXPLORE WITH US

JONAS HENNINGSSON EDITOR IN CHIEF HENNINGSSON@AMTRAILSMAG.COM

JONAS LARSSON CREATIVE DIRECTOR LARSSON@AMTRAILSMAG.COM

LINDA GREN PHOTO EDITOR GREN@AMTRAILSMAG.COM

ANDERS BERGERSEN STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER BERGERSEN@AMTRAILSMAG.COM

JOHAN LETH TRIBE MANAGER/EDITOR LETH@AMTRAILSMAG.COM

ADVERTISING AND SPONSORSHIP FRIENDSFOREVER@AMTRAILSMAG.COM

TO PARTICIPATE IN AMERICAN TRAILS HENNINGSSON@AMTRAILSMAG.COM

OFFICE MALMGÅRDSVÄGEN 24 S-116 38 STOCKHOLM SWEDEN AMERICANTRAILSMAG.COM INFO@AMTRAILSMAG.COM

AMERICAN TRAILS IS A WEBSITE AND A QUARTERLY MAGAZINE ABOUT PEOPLE, PLACES, AND PASSIONS IN THE USA, CURATED BY NORDIC FOLKS, DISTRIBUTED IN THE NORDIC COUNTRIES, UK, AND SELECTED STORES IN THE REST OF THE WORLD. ISSN 2002-7842

16

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

A Happy Camper WILLAMETTE VALLEY, OREGON WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JONAS LARSSON

Oh how I love to wake up on the mountain, in my tent and greet the morning sun as it slowly climbs over the mountain top. But on the other hand – oh how I love to wake up in a mint-condition vintage trailer after a full day of exploring the wines of Wilamette Valley (leaving myself in anything but mint condition). Two very different things, but also very similar. Spending a couple of nights out under the skies, away from home, can really be fantastic, but it’s really hard to come across a good Pinot above 3,000 feet. But hey, why choose, do both!

Go explore! the-vintages.com

17

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

18

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

These Boots are Made for Walkin' WICKER PARK, CHICAGO WORDS AND PHOTOS BY: JONAS HENNINGSSON

If you’ve ever wondered were to find that awesome pair of boots you need, your quest is over: the place you need to go to is US #1 in Wicker Park. Movie stars and music legends alike buy their outfits here—and we love to browse the selection of vintage boots and 30s leather jackets and listen to owner Dominic as he lectures us on the various items of clothing he has for sale.

Not many others know this stuff as well as he does. You can literally spend a fortune on improving your wardrobe here—and many do just that.

US #1 1460 N MILWAUKEE AVE WICKER PARK

19

AMERICAN TRAILS 1 | 2017

20

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Wynwood Walls WYNWOOD, MIAMI WORDS AND PHOTO BY JONAS HENNINGSSON

The vibrant art scene of colorful downtown Miami is at its very best in Wynwood. Here, run-down warehouses and worn neighborhoods have been granted a new lease on life as some of the best graffiti and street artists in the world have turned them into an enormous outdoor gallery of first-rate contemporary art. Like this piece, Push Here, by Leza One. The arrival of the art soon attracted trendy restaurants, craft breweries, and bars to the area. The best way to see it is by joining the Wynwood Art Walk (given every other Saturday), when a caravan of food trucks rolls into the neighborhood to kick off the festivities. Check out Leza One on instagram.com/lezaone and the awesome time laps video clip of Push Here: Youtube: https://youtu.be/SPR-EhpxQxg 21

AMERICAN TRAILS 1 | 2017

22

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

I hear the banjo, paddle faster Way up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, at the literal end of the road, a laid-back banjo builder and his wife have found their own slice of paradise. We switched into four-wheel drive, locked the doors, and paid a visit to Greg Galbreath, a.k.a. Buckeye Banjos.

WORDS BY: JONAS LARSSON • PHOTOS BY: JONAS LARSSON AND JONAS HENNINGSSON

23

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

I

t’s like driving through a green tunnel. The road slowly winds its way through the mountains, and the trees close in around us. At a twist in the road, a beautiful little white wooden church appears. We stop to take a look. Suddenly, there is a low rumbling noise behind us. A bright yellow Willys Jeep comes round the bend, and stops right behind us. Our anxiety intensifies as a giant of a man, with a long grey beard and a bandana on his head, exits the car. And there’s a second jeep behind him. The whole scene is disturbingly reminiscent of “Deliverance”: we’re two city slickers in desert boots and ridiculously tight jeans, all alone out here in the middle of nowhere. This can’t end well. The man glares at us and reaches for something in his car. Then, he produces a camera, says “beautiful church, ain’t it?”, and takes a photo. Once our heartbeats have slowed back down, we find out that Joe, the bearded bandana wearer, is a friendly guy from West Virginia, who loves to fish and spend time in nature. We check out some pictures from his fishing trip yesterday, and see a lot of rainbow and brown trout. Then, we exchange some tips on good places to go hiking, and it turns out to be a pleasant encounter in every way. Suddenly, I spot a bumper sticker on Joe’s jeep: “I hear the banjo, paddle faster.” I tell him we’re headed for one of the top banjo builders in the US, who happens to live in these parts. Joe laughs, and invites us to join him on his next fishing adventure. We wave goodbye to our new friends and drive on.

– First, you drive past a house, and then, you take a right at the fork in the road. Next, you’ll see another house—take another right there. Then, there won’t be any more houses, and when you get to the end of the road, you

24

follow the tractor tracks until they end, and then you’ll be at our place! Greg’s directions are just like the wilderness here in the beautiful mountains of Virginia: full of poetry, and easy to lose your way in. We get there eventually, after a couple of wrong turns. Tucker and Jojo run up and greet us with a series of ferocious barks, but after our encounter with Joe, we’re not about to be shaken by a couple of mongrels of manageable sizes. Greg and his wife Cindy Jane, wave to us from the porch of the large wooden house they’ve built for themselves (as we’ll soon find out, they’ve built everything here), and walk over to greet us.

THE AKONTING AND THE BIRTH OF THE BANJO

The banjo, a musical instrument that we’re mostly familiar to us from folk music, country music, and that eerie soundtrack from the 70s classic Deliverance, originated in West Africa.

The Akonting is most notably played by the Jola people of Senegal, Gambia, and ­Guinea-Bissau.

It followed the slave ships across the ocean to the Caribbean islands in the 17th and 18th centuries, and then migrated on to the American South, where it would eventually be adapted into the instrument we know today.

It started out with four strings, but another string was added after some time. However, the shorter string (called the “fifth string”) hails all the way back to Africa. The older style of banjo has an open back, without a resonator, and this is the kind that Greg builds. In the early 20th century, the banjo was developed and given a resonator—this kind of banjo went on to become what we refer to as a “bluegrass” banjo today, and has a completely different sound compared to a traditional banjo.

After the Civil War, banjo picking spread across the US, and New York and Boston b­ ecame

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Greg doing mother of pearl stuff.

Loud and clear!

I'm a banjo watch dog, and I’m keeping an eye on you!

25

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Nice guy Joe.

Best Restaurants

Nightly live music and Open Mic Mondays continue to draw crowds, who also flock to this more-then-century-old saloon for its loyal bartenders and solid drinks.

The multi-story venue remains a familiar stalwart amid a neighborhood in constant flux. Drinks under $10

RICH TABLE Husband and wife team Evan and Sarah Rich opened this lively corner spot in 2012 and its been garnering praise since, dishing out a varied menu of locally sourced California fare ($33) to a food savvy—yet casual—clientele.

199 Gough Street

500 4TH ST.

HOTELUTAH.COM

RICHTABLESF.COM

Best Cocktail Bars

LEO'S OYSTER BAR A polished and classy throwback to the days when champagne flowed and oysters—whether baked, fried, or served raw on the half-shell—were king. Along with a formal dining room, there's a bright, fern-filled conservatory perfect for cocktails and caviar ($14-32).

LASZLO Along with the adjoining Foreign Cinema restaurant, this classic cocktail bar celebrates cinema history with a European movie motif. Drag bingo, DJs spinning vinyl, and film-inspired cocktails are par for the course. Cocktails $12

568 SACRAMENTO STREET

2526 MISSION ST.

LASZLOBAR.COM

Best Dive Bars

THE TREASURY A welcome jewel amid the hub of the city's Financial District started by some of the city's biggest names in the SF food and drink industry. Housed in an early 20th-century Beaux Arts building, complete with marble columns, iron-gate entry, and bar fare that's as noteworthy as its beverages. Cocktails $13-$15

BENDER'S BAR & GRILL Park your bicycle inside, then belly up to the bar for weekly drink specials like Whiskey Wednesdays—$5 for a can of PBR and whiskey shot. Along with a dedicated food counter, expect events like punk rock karaoke and kitchen poutine pop-ups. Two pool tables, pinball, a photobooth and more. Daily happy hour, $4 well drinks

200 BUSH ST STE 101.

806 S VAN NESS AVE

THETREASURYSF.COM

BENDERSBAR.COM

ZEITGEIST A landmark biker bar known for its picnic table-filled beer garden, surly staff, and a killer Bloody Mary that will have you sailing through Sunday. The burgers are good, but the craft brew selection is even better. Drinks under $10

Best Hotels HOTEL ZELOS A stylish boutique property with a prime location on the cusp of downtown's SOMA and Union Square neighborhoods, and easy access to museums, shopping, and transport. Perks include complimentary bicycles and a buzzy restaurant with outdoor space that even locals love.

199 VALENCIA STREET

.YELP.COM/BIZ/ZEITGEIST-SAN-FRANCISCO

HOTEL UTAH

Greg in his banjo workshop.

26

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

FERRY BUILDING MARKETPLACE San Francisco's historic ferry terminal is home to one of the city's finest food selections, making it nearly impossible to stick to a single place. Whether looking for prosciutto-filled empanadas, European-style cheeses, or Vietnamese coffee ice-cream, you'll find it here.

Rooms starting at $179 USD a night.

124TH STREET

VICEROYHOTELSANDRESORTS.COM

PHOENIX HOTEL San Francisco's proverbial rock star property is actually a revamped 1950s motor lodge with modern rooms, an outdoor pool, and free parking to boot. The neighborhood is a bit sketch, but the overall experience one-of-a-kind.

From $188 USD a night.

1 SAUSALITO - SAN FRANCISCO FERRY BLDG. FERRYBUILDINGMARKETPLACE.COM/

Dive Bar HQ Bar and Restaurant A longstanding Irish bar and restaurant in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighborhood. Locals still refer to it as Martin Macks, though despite the name change a menu of good food and affordable drinks remains.

601 EDDY ST.

PHOENIXSF.COM

Things to Do on a Weekend

Drinks $8 1568 Haight St. h t t p s : / / w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / M a r t i n - M a c k s 111991385492610/?rf=288620804818794

MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT Wander beneath centuries-old coastal redwoods in one of the SF Bay Area's most magical places. Along with groves of towering trees, there's the Dipsea Trail, a moderate 9.5mile out-and-back hike to Stinson Beach that includes stunning ocean views. Entry $10

COCKTAIL BAR CITYSCAPE SF Hidden atop the 46th floor of downtown's Hilton Union Square, this upscale bar and lounge offers the best 360-degree views in the city, not to mention colorful cocktails and plenty of Instragram-worthy photo ops. Drinks $14

1 MUIR WOODS RD., MILL VALLEY NPS.GOV/MUWO/INDEX.HTM

COSTANOA Bed down at this luxe 'glamping' getaway along the Pacific Coast south of San Francisco, with onsite activities ranging from morning yoga to guided birdwatching. Local sights include Año Nuevo State Reserve's elephant seas and the tide pools of Pescadero State Beach.

Tents $100-$125/night

333 O'FARRELL ST.

CITYSCAPESF.COM

Thing to Do on a Weekend Japantown It doesn't look like much, but this six-block neighborhood has much to offer: a dine-in movie theatre, a day spa with Japanese-style communal baths, and Nijiya Market, stocking the best bento boxes in the city. Also, restaurants specializing in everything from okonomiyaki to floating sushi boats.

2001 ROSSI RD, PESCADERO

HTTP://WWW.COSTANOA.COM/

My Personal Favorites RESTAURANT

http://sfjapantown.org/

27

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

This porch at the end of the road is where Greg and Cindy put their feet up after a long day’s work in the banjo shop and smithy.

28

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

29

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Templates for banjo neck inlays.

30

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

31

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Buckeye Mountain, Greg, and Cindy in beautiful Virginia.

Greg works on a rim. We don’t know what’s in the bottle…

contributions to old-time banjo styles, Pete Seeger, a great picker and singer who worked tirelessly to promote social pathos and popularize folk music, and Earl Scruggs, the man the bluegrass banjo style is named after, who helped bring the banjo back into style in the early days of television. He also wrote a banjo playing manual that is still considered one of the best books to get if you want to learn to play.

The banjo’s popularity waned again in the middle of the century, but this trend was reversed by the folk revival of the 60s and 70s, musicians like Steve Martin, Pete Wernick, Tony Trischka, Bob Dylan and the Highway Stringband made their own contributions. After falling out of the public’s favor once more, the banjo made yet another comeback 10 or 15 years ago, when the time came for performers like Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Cahalen Morrison and Eli West, The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Iron and Wine to pick up the torch.

­ articular hotspots for banjo players. Competip tions were held, and soon, banjos were being played in pretty much every bar and nightclub.

Some of the most notable manufacturers of this period were the Buckbee Company of Webster Ave in New York City, S.S. Stewart of Philadelphia, and A.C. Fairbanks of Boston. As the First World War raged, the USA became increasingly isolated, and its musicians began to search for their roots. The time had come for the banjo to break into the mainstream, and among other things, it became one of the most popular instruments when a tango craze swept across the nation. But when the stock market crash of 1929 sparked off the Great Depression, the cheerful tones of the banjo suddenly seemed out of place.

These were dark times, for humans and banjos alike.

FIRST PICKERS

Some of the most important banjo pickers of the first half of the 20th century are Wade Ward and Kyle Creed, who made significant

32

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

33

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Buckeye ranch is sheltered by the shade of the surrounding greenery.

34

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

35

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

They don’t make machines like they used to, which is why Greg prefers to work with older equipment.

He also has a sense of humor—and a screen printing press.

Mother of pearl inlays are made by hand, with sharp tools.

36

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Greg and Cindy came here when they were 17. After a while, Greg moved to upstate New York to earn his Master’s degree in Freshwater Ecology at Cornell University. While he was doing this, he was also apprenticed with master banjo builder Mac Traynham. He spent 10 years as a hobbyist banjo builder before taking the plunge in 2006, when he left the field of biology to become a full-time banjo builder.

As it turned out, the timing of this decision couldn’t have been better. Bluegrass, folk music, and other traditional music in which the banjo plays a key role suddenly grew much more popular. Now, he builds about 15 instruments a year, depending on their degrees of customization and ornamentation. One of the customers he has built a banjo for is Scott Avett of the Avett Brothers. All that time spent by watercourses and his keen interest in plants and insects now serve as the foundation for Greg’s organic style of banjo design.

THE SIMPLE LIFE

We sit on the porch, looking out over the valley and Buckeye Mountain. Everything is still, the only things that are moving are Jojo and one of the two cats of the household, who are zipping around, keeping a lookout for mice. Cindy tells us about living in the country.

– Eight months a year, we’re self-sufficient in terms of vegetables and eggs. I give blacksmithing classes, and we organize weddings and parties out here in our garden. We don’t spend much money, either, so we get by on just a little. It’s a good life.

We nod in agreement. This is the kind of lifestyle that could turn any big-city hipster green

with envy. But Greg and Cindy aren’t hipsters, or even hippies, for that matter; they’re just two cool people who have found their place in life, and who know how to enjoy it.

Greg takes us on a tour of the farm. Outdoor kitchen and lounge? Check. Smithy? Check.

Amazing banjo workshop? Check.

– We built it all ourselves, Greg tells me.

Looking at this fantastic place, I’m filled with a strange mixture of envy and admiration: well-tended vegetable patches, a chicken yard, a gorgeous view, lush greenery, and not another human being in sight.

IT TAKES TWO TO BANJO

– It takes about two to three weeks to build a banjo, Greg explains, and demonstrates the various stages of the process. First, I talk to the buyer, and we work out a shop order, with a list of everything I’ll need: the materials, the design, the measurements, and so on, he continues.

– Customers often have fairly specific requests for the neck inlays. I send them sketches, and then we go back and forth until we arrive at the end result. For example, as you know, I’m building a banjo for your translator Jan, and he’s asked for an Ancient Greek theme. Greg shows us the banjo he built for Cindy. Its neck inlay design incorporates various vegetables, because she loves to grow things. It’s incredibly fine work. Greg shows us how he makes sketches of the designs by hand then cuts a paper pattern copy out, glues it to a sheet of mother of pearl, and then saws it out manually with a jeweler’s saw. Once the shape is done, he begins the laborious engraving process, which is also involves the use of small, sharp

37

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

instruments. Once engraved, the designs are mounted in a perfectly routed cavity in the fingerboard of the banjo.

Watching him at work is awe-inspiring.

– You can build the rim itself out of different materials to get different sounds. The most commonly used woods are Walnut, Cherry, and Maple. Walnut gives a mellower tone than Cherry, and Maple gives you the brightest tone, Greg tells us.

The rim is constructed from three plies of wood, each about an eighth of an inch thick. They are soaked in pan full of water, which is gradually heated to 200 Fahrenheit, and then, the wood is boiled for 30 minutes before being bent into shape using a bending form. ­– When the wood is boiled in the water, the lignin in the wood dissolves, so you can bend it without snapping it, Greg explains. He often makes the necks out of Maple.

He lets us hold some of the different banjos; I’m surprised at how heavy they are.

Greg sits down on the porch and plays us a few tunes.

He and Cindy have a pick-up band, Farm Use Only, with some of their friends. They meet and play together with predictable irregularity.

– We generally play local gigs, mostly square dances, but we occasionally play weddings, farmers’ markets, art shows and the Palisades, which is our local restaurant in Eggleston, says Greg.

Greg and Cindy are easy-going, and fun to hang out with. They invite us to stick around and spend the night, and it does sound very tempting to stay there on their porch and down a few cold ones while listening to their banjo picking and stories and watching the sun set behind Buckeye Mountain. But unfortunately, reality calls, and we reluctantly turn their invitation down. While we’re incredibly impressed by Greg’s work, and his beautiful banjos that make such beautiful sounds, more than anything, we’re impressed with the lifestyle that this charming couple have made for themselves. The world would be a better place with more people like Greg and Cindy in it. It would sound way better, too.

38

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

The Buckeye Banjos playlist OLD TIMERS

Glen Smith Wade Ward Dock Boggs Fred Cockerham Kyle Creed Matokie Slaughter (I got to play with her once!)

Oscar Wright (from our county!)

Sidna Myers (w/ his brother Fulton on fiddle) Frank Patterson (w/ Nathan Frazier on fiddle) REVIVALISTS

Mac Traynham Dan Gellert Bruce Molsky Paul Brown Joe Newberry YOUNGER GENERATION:

Brett Ratliff Riley Baugus Adam Hurt Richie Stearns Rhiannon Giddens Chris Coole EXPERIMENTAL

Nathan Bowles “The best intro to old-time banjo is the three volume series of albums put out by County Records, which is simply Clawhammer Banjo. It has recordings from all the old timers I listed except Dock Boggs and Frank Patterson.

I think all the other living people have their own albums.”

GREG GALBREATH

WATCH GREG PLAY AT AMERICANTRAILSMAG.COM

39

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

THE BANJO AND VIRGINIA MADE US VERY, VERY THIRSTY, SO WE HEADED SOUTH. FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE JUNGLE. 40

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

TURN THE PAGE AND TAKE IN THE wisdom of Dave

41

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

”IT’S LIKE LIVING IN THE JUNGLE – WITH WIFI.”

T

WORDS AND PHOTO BY JONAS HENNINGSSON

he Bubble Room is a restaurant and bar with an I just really like the weather. I sit outside and play guitar improbable interior. A toy train chugs around the quite a bit, and enjoy just being here. In the off season upper bar counter along the ceiling. The feel of we do all the things the tourists do in season. Movies, Christmas is ever-present in the air, despite the dinners, beaches. We own the island in the off season. It’s Caribbean heat outside. Behind the bar stands Dave Allen, spectacular! who left Ohio to settle on a small Island in sunny Florida.

– My wife had friends who moved to I can see that you love the Melvins. Tell me Sanibel about ten years ago. That gave us THE AMERICAN a little bit about your relationship to the a free place to stay combined with the Melvins and the Melvins Army.

Dave Allen airline miles my wife accumulates at – My relationship with the Melvins work meant that we also had free flights started in 1993. At the time my favorite THE BUBBLE ROOM whenever we wanted. We came down as bands were Mr.Bungle, Faith No More, SANIBEL ISLAND much as we could, and we fell in love with Sonic Youth, and Primus. I was fifteen FLORIDA it. The school here is wonderful and we and had just started discovering really MARCH 28TH were excited to have our daughters go cool music. I saw the Melvins open for 10:07 PM there. And quite frankly, 34 Ohio winters Primus, and oddly enough, I didn’t like was enough for me. I miss Ohio dearly, them. As they were signed to a major though. All my family is still there, and there are plenty of label they were included in the national tv ad for Camelot record stores and used book stores and all the other stuff Records. It featured a five second clip of one of their songs. I felt like somebody had slapped me in the face, I used to do there. I fly back every fall to go to Ohio State and I needed more. I’d never heard anything like them and Cleveland Browns football games, and especially for the pizza. People in Florida don’t know how to make good and haven’t since. I bought every record I could find, I pizza. It’s weird. We love it down here, but it’s a very tourist saw them live as often as I could. I’ve met both Buzz and driven culture, and that took some getting used to. But Dale on numerous occasions, and they truly are some living in this exotic setting, with all these strange plants of the nicest people I’ve ever met. And on two separate and wildlife, it’s like nothing I’ve ever known. It’s truly occasions, I smoked joints with one time Melvins bass spectacular. I learn new things everyday. It’s like living in player Jared Warren. Again, a great guy. They’ve been my the jungle… with wifi. favorite band ever since. I tried my best to apply their standards to my own performances as a musician over Whats the best thing about living down here? the years. Creatively, nothing has influenced me more – I’d say the best thing about living down here would be than the mighty Melvins. Oh, and if you can’t tell I love what it offers my daughters. The schools are great, and talking about them. growing up in an environment like this is amazing. My wife started a Girl Scout troop for them, and instead of going to a museum because it’s 10° outside they get to go on dolphin cruises and visit nature preserves. But myself,

42

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

MELVINS TOP FIVE SONGS ACCORDING TO DAVE 1. THE FOOL, THE MEDDLING IDIOT 2. OVEN 3. ANACONDA 4. HAG ME 5. HEATER MOVES AND EYES

43

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

A

Bronx Tale

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY: JONAS HENNINGSSON

44

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Mike A, pop artist from The Bronx.

A sleepy small-town vibe reigns in Belmont, where strong family ties and tradition prevail over innovation and change. Join us on a visit to the most exciting and delicious neighborhood in the Bronx.

T

he subway train leaves Manhattan and crosses the Harlem river. After stopping at Yankee Stadium, it winds its way towards Tremont Avenue, shrieking relentlessly as it goes. Low brownstones bathe in the afternoon sun, colorful murals brighten up dull warehouse exteriors, and reflections dance across the rooftops.

It’s an endless patchwork urban landscape, painted in ochres. I get off at Fordham Rd, and wander along this busy main artery in the warm afternoon sun. I turn onto Arthur Avenue, and notice that the bustle of the crowd hasn’t followed me here. It’s as quiet as a back alley in a small town.

musical that tells the story of a young Italian-American boy growing up in the Bronx of the 60s, where he is torn between different worlds and two conflicting role models.

The world of his strict, law-abiding father contrasts starkly with that of his other father figure: local mob boss Sonny, who comes to represent a completely different set of morals.

At the wall, I meet up with the artist Mike A. We’ve agreed to meet here so he can show me his enormous mural, which is positioned in such a way that it directs the viewer’s gaze towards Little Italy and Arthur Avenue.

– I wrote a comic book years ago. It’s in A Bronx Tale kind of style, so there are Mafia pigeons in it. Then you’ve got the tomatoes and peppers, the Arthur Avenue food, the pasta and all that. The white negative space in the back with the red and green over it brings the Italian colors in to it.

Mike A is a pop artist and creative director. He’s is Italian—and born and raised in the Bronx. When the Bronx Business District asked him to paint the mural, and he understood that the actor Chazz Palminteri had given the project his blessing, it was a no brainer. Chazz Palminteri

MURAL STORIES

The first thing any visitor to Arthur Avenue will see is a long, colorful mural. Across it, the quote The saddest thing in life is wasted talent is written in bright yellow letters. A Bronx Tale is a stage play, movie, and more recently ­Broadway

45

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

THE SADDEST THING IN LIFE IS wasted talent

based A Bronx Tale on his own experiences growing up in this neighborhood, and produced his one man show in the late 80s, which eventually led Robert De Niro to contact him to ask for permission to turn the story into a film. De Niro wanted Palminteri to play the part of Sonny in the movie, which premiered in 1993. The mural was commissioned to be an uplifting piece, which would express the essence of Arthur Avenue, while also reflecting the story, of course. I’m still in a good mood from seeing the painting when I say my goodbyes and walk on down Arthur Avenue.

what has to be the smallest kitchen in New York. Small plates and craft beer. Somehow, she magics up tostones, bruschetta, and whisky wings within the confines of this minimal space. It’s an absolute mystery how her father manages to fit in there as well. He has to tuck his elbows in and tilt his baseball-capped head in order to squeeze past his daughter. Gabrielle brings out even more food!

Coconut shrimp, octopus, and shrimp ceviche, all made from recipes passed on to her by her great, great grandmother. Local, home-grown, and as faithful to family ­traditions as possible.

– Everything is local, from the market across the street.

We grow the herbs ourselves, and buy meat from the local butcher. My uncle brews the beer. The old recipes are the most popular ones, so I guess people notice the authenticity, Gabrielle tells us.

After jotting down the family’s recipe for sangria, I move on. Back outside on Arthur Avenue, I can’t resist trying some incredibly fresh Black Berry Point Oysters from Prince Edward Island. Both sides of this tree-lined artery are packed tight with delis, cafés, pork shops, restaurants, and bakeries. Italian, Albanian, and Spanish voices blend in with English ones. Some cats lazily follow the lilt of everyday life from behind a recessed window.

You could find anything you need without ever having to

A BRONX TALE – BELMONT

Belmont is a neighborhood of about eight blocks North to South, stretching from Fordham Road to 182nd Street, and nine blocks across from East to West. There’s a lot more to Belmont than just Arthur Avenue and Little Italy. Puerto Ricans, Albanians and Croatians all call this area home, as do countless other nationalities. Belmont and the Bronx is multicultural in a way that other parts of the city can only try to be. Germans and Irish flocked here in great numbers during the second half of the 19th century, and in the 20s, waves of Italians made their way here in search of a new life. This diversity is perhaps best reflected by the local food culture.

Chef Gabrielle del Gado is half Ecuadorian and half Puerto Rican, and cooks Italian/Spanish fusion cuisine in

46

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Catch up!

Paul Ramirez, Bronx ambassadeur.

47

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Gabrielle del Gado, chef with green fingers.

48

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Arthur Ave, the heart of Little Italy.

49

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

YOU KNOW, he didn’t speak English and whatever… BUT SOMEBODY

WAS SELLING THEIR PUSHCART, RIGHT HERE ON ARTHUR AVENUE. HE BOUGHT IT, AND HE LIKED IT, HE LIKED DOING IT.

leave Arthur Avenue, and a strong sense of family permeates the whole area. I browse the delicacies on offer at Teitel Brothers, a family business that has been in this location for more than a century. Regular customers enter, greet the staff absent-mindedly, and pick up their usual orders. Provolone and gorgonzola cheese, soppressata salami and caprocollo ham. Fresh pasta, tomatoes, garlic, and herbs for your tomato sauce. I walk into the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, which is the true heart of Little Italy. Generations of locals have come here to buy sausages, cheese, vegetables, and spices for their dinner tables.

Now, a younger generation is also finding its way here thanks to the Bronx Beer Hall, which takes up a significant amount of space at the center of the market. I order a plate of cold cuts, and let the bartender guide me through their selection of craft beers. Grimms Rainbow Dome, a dry hopped sour ale brewed with apricot and conditioned on oak, turns out to be the perfect companion. While I enjoy my meal, I discuss the history of Belmont with Paul Ramirez, who owns and runs the Bronx Beer Hall with his brother Anthony. The Bronx Beer Hall may be fully focused on the present and the future, but it remains firmly rooted in historic soil. It’s an example of continuity and change in perfect harmony, and of powerful family ties. When closing time approaches, and the activity in

the marketstarts to wind dow, the music in the beer hall is cranked up, and the seats start to be filled. The market gradually transforms into a rowdy meeting place for students from the nearby Fordham University.

However, some of the traders stay open later, and I make a last pass through the space.

A BRONX TALE – THE LAST OF THE PUSHCART GUYS

Belmont’s ties to the past are what hold it together and make it unique. Here, restaurants and stores stay in the same families for generations. David Greco at Mike’s Deli offers a selection of some of the largest cold cut platters I’ve ever seen, and fifty or so different sandwiches.

Richard Liberatore’s market stand is located at stall four, the first one to the left of the entrance to the market, and one of the most desirable locations in the market. At ­Liberatore’s garden, Richard sells plants and seeds, like his family has done ever since the market first opened in 1940.

– My father came to the United States in 1936. He was actually born here, but when he was just a year old, the family returned to Italy after the First World War. When he came back at seventeen, his father didn’t know what to do with him. You know, he didn’t speak English and whatever… But somebody was selling their pushcart, right here on Arthur Avenue. He bought it, and he liked it, he liked doing it.

50

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Proud son Richard Liberatore.

51

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

52

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Welcome to Belmont.

53

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Hot Sauce.

Cool Guy.

When his mother came a couple of years later, she didn’t want to be outside, but he told her: “they’re gonna build an inside place”.

And in 1940, mayor Fiorello La Guardia built this market. He also built the one underneath the Metro-North train on 116st street, he built one on Houston, on Essex Street, and one in Brooklyn, too. The whole idea was to make the city more cosmopolitan.

At La Guardia’s market, 115 traders were allowed in, and granted seven feet of space each. To fit inside the small spaces, they did what they knew: they built replicas of pushcarts, and stood in the middle with their wares piled up around them. His dad stood there in his little stall, until he passed away in 2011, at the age of 92.

– The reason why he was given stall number 4 was that he was an American citizen. People couldn’t believe it— he’d only just arrived from Europe, and didn’t speak any

English; he didn’t even know where Connecticut is!

But he stood here for 75 years. He had a hand in every­ thing that happened in this neighborhood, and within the enormous congregation of Italian-Americans, which numbered 40,000 back then. There wasn’t an association around that didn’t have him on the board. When anybody needed help, he was there for them, Richard tells us, his eyes sparkling at the memory. His little market stand helped him raise five kids, and put them all through ­college.

– He was a really good guy, and you could learn a lot from him. He was the real deal. He was the last of the pushcart guys.

For more stories about The Bronx and New York, as well as a guide to Little Italy, please visit our website at americantrails.com.

54

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

A GUIDE TO

Little Italy,

The Bronx, NYC Restaurants

Meeting Places

EMILIA’S

BRONX BEER HALL

Emilia’s home cooking (ravioli and cheesecake!) is the reason why this place is always packed with locals.

2331 Arthur Ave. emiliasrestaurant.com

Craft beer heaven in the middle of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market. This is a perfect meeting place, where students who live in the area hang out until closing time (yes, the Bronx Beer Hall stays open after the rest of the market has closed). An excellent selection of hard-to-find beers that go beautifully with the huge plates of cold cuts served by the Italian delis next door.

2344 Arthur Ave thebronxbeerhall.com

12NOON, MARIO’S RESTAURANT

A family owned business with a great atmosphere. It is run

by Joe the owner and his children Regina and Michael.

2342 Arthur Ave. mariosarthurave.com

Stay

Delicacies

OPERA HOUSE HOTEL

If you want to stay in the Bronx, you mustn’t miss the Opera House Hotel. It’s a gorgeous Beaux-Arts building, with beautiful rooms and that wonderful atmosphere that you can only find in historic hotels. Doubles start at $130, including breakfast.

436 E 149th St operahousehotel.com

BORGATTI’S RAVIOLI & EGG NOODLES

The best spot in NYC for fresh pasta. You can watch your meal being made while you wait in line. Has served this neighborhood for more than eighty years.

632 E. 187th St. borgattis.com CALABRIA PORK STORE

The best sausages in New York. If you can’t find it at the Calabria Pork Store, don’t bother looking for it! Soppressata, Culatello, and other delicacies hang from the ceilings.

2338 Arthur Ave.

GO TO AMERICANTRAILSMAG.COM FOR AN EXTENDED GUIDE TO LITTLE ITALY, THE BRONX

55

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

56

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Prairie

South Dakota

wonders

If you’ve ever stared a bison in the eyes and seen its wisdom and eternal wildness, you’ll never forget that moment, and you’ll always wish you could return to it. In Custer State Park in the Black Hills you can do just that. Join us on an amazing journey!

WORDS BY JONAS LARSSON • PHOTOS BY ANDERS BERGERSEN.

I

t’s pitch dark as I stumble out onto the parking lot in Rapid City, South Dakota. Dragging myself back to my hotel room and going back to bed sounds like a terrific idea, but I gather my resolve, click my rental car open, and toss my luggage inside. Getting up at five am after just a few hours of sleep is far from my idea of fun, but this time, it’s going to turn out to be more than worth it. We drive out onto an empty highway, and half an hour later, we’ve arrived at the Badlands National Park. As we follow the boarded walkway out to the park, everybody seems to have recovered from their early mornings. The stars of the Milky Way glisten in the sky above a majestic ridge ahead of us, providing us with us just enough light to find our way out into the inhospitable but beautiful terrain of the Badlands. We stand, awestruck, and wait for the sun to make its way over the horizon to the East, to light up this surreal landscape we’ve entered. Everything is dead silent, a warm, pleasant silence broken only by the howls of a pack of coyotes. Slowly, a magical landscape appears around us, mountain ridges and barren ravines no more than a few yards deep make up a labyrinth resembling something from The Lord of the Rings. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised to see Gandalf the Grey appear behind one of the nearby rock formations.

it all starts to sink in, and we begin to manage to put what we’ve experienced into words.

BISON LAND, BLACK HILLS

South Dakota may not be the most famous of US destinations, but this only makes it all the more exciting. We decided to focus on the Western region of the state, to explore the Black Hills, but our main reason for coming here was to experience the Buffalo Roundup. This event takes place in late September every year. Its purpose is to gather up the dispersed herd of Bison, about 1,500 head, and run them down to a corral for a health check-ups and vaccinations, before they are released again a few days later.

It’s a well-organized, well-visited event. In 2015, 20,000 people came to stand on the hills around the corral and get a look at the mighty animals from up close.

Chad Kramer has an impressive moustache. Apart from his spectacular facial hair, he’s also the number one goto guy when it comes to the bison of South Dakota. He gives us our “Bison for Dummies” introduction, and then we climb onto the flatbed of his pickup and head off into Buffalo country.

“If a bull snorts, you’re in trouble. That means: I’m mad, and I don’t appreciate you checking out my ladies.” Chad’s briefing isn’t just intended to scare us; a grown bison bull weighs a hefty 2,000 pounds, and they can move a lot faster than you’d think. The fact that they have such enormous heads (and sharp horns) doesn’t exactly calm our nerves.

We take Chad’s warning seriously, even though bisonare generally peaceful animals. Most of them peer at us with curiosity, and several of them approach us, to take a proper look at the strangers that have come to see them. Suddenly, we hear an unnerving rumble behind us, a few yards away.

An enormous bull is putting a younger male in his place.

The cow has placed itself between the young bull and her calf. These are surprisingly expressive animals, and they have a powerful instinct to protect their young and their mates.

As a rule, bison live to be about 17 years old, although one member of this herd has reached the age of 22. They move around on the prairie in smaller groups, until their

AT THE BREAK OF DAWN IN THE BADLANDS

As the sun rises over the horizon, our monochrome surroundings transform into a powder-colored paradise. The photographer Anders and myself are silent, awestruck.

It was here, in the Badlands, that Sitting Bull and his tribe went into hiding when the government troops were chasing them in 1864, and the famous chief wouldn’t have seemed too out of place in this sacred and fascinating landscape, either.

After immediately losing each other down in the ravines, we find each other again on a plateau. We just look at each other, nod in agreement, and begin walking towards the car. When we’ve been driving for a few minutes,

58

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Waiting for the buffalo.

59

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Chad Kramer is the guy in charge of the round up.

they saunter around us. A magnificent 14-year old bull walks by right to where we’re standing. Chad explains that the hump is a huge muscle that holds up the weight of the massive head. We wave goodbye to the buffalo for now, but we’ll be returning in a few days, to watch fifty or so riders round all the animals up and herd them down to the corral.

CHAD KRAMER HAS AN IMPRESSIVE MOUSTACHE. APART FROM HIS SPECTACULAR FACIAL HAIR, HE’S ALSO THE NUMBER ONE GO-TO GUY WHEN IT COMES TO THE BISON OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

THE LAKOTA

breeding time arrives at the end of July, and they start to gather in larger herds. When their mating is done, many of the bulls head off to live alone, or with other bulls in smaller groups. A buffalo is a calf for three years, and for the first three or four months of this time they are a bright shade of cinnamon, and incredibly cute. At the age of 5 or 6, they become sexually mature, and the younger bulls leave the herd at this point.

When our curiosity–and the buffalo’s–has died down a little, we jump off the pickup to gain a b ­ etter perspective.

These buffalo are beautiful, and express a deep wisdom as

Black Hills is a sacred site to the Lakota who live in South Dakota. During the gold rush of 1874, relations soured between the gold diggers and the natives. In 1890, this tension climaxed and erupted in the massacre of Wounded Knee. The damage still hasn’t healed fully, but the government and the people out here work hard to normalize their relationship. The Lakota attitude to life is fascinating, and among other things, it allows the women of their tribe a good deal of influence. No decision is ever made without a group of older women having their say on the issue. Makes sense. It’s our guide Billy, from Tatanka, the

60

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Story of the Bison museum, who tells us about his tribe’s fascinating lifestyle. The whole museum was funded by Kevin Costner, who became involved with the Bison and the Lakota people after shooting Dances with Wolves in this area.

Billy continues to tell us about the Lakota’s views on nature. “We are a part of nature, neither above nor below it, and that is why it is important for us to respect Mother Earth and Father Sky. If we take something from nature, we’re also obligated to give something back,” he continues. The Lakota believe themselves to be descended from the bison, and the animals are sacred to them for this reason. They use every part of the buffalo; if the hunters have downed an animal, they take the liver out and eat it. This way, they can consume some of the buffalo’s spirit. For those who don’t quite have the stomach for raw liver, it’s enough to use its blood from it to paint two lines in your face. The Lakota language has no words for “I” or “me”, it only has “we” and “us.” Courage, humility, respect, and spirituality are all core virtues in the Lakota culture.

BUFFALO ROUNDUP

The road we take to the roundup is full of cars. It seems everybody is heading out to see the buffalo today. We take a shortcut along small forest roads, bouncing around in our all-terrain vehicles as we drive between the trees. But suddenly, we come to a halt: somebody has forgotten to unlock a road barrier for us, and our only option is to turn around and head back. I start to worry that we might miss the whole roundup, but our guides grew up in the area, and soon find us a different back road that takes us right past the traffic.

There is a sense of the calm before a storm in the corral; the riders set off over the hills, and we clamber onto the pickups. We park behind the riders, who are lined up ahead of us. Suddenly, the buffalo come thundering over the nearest ridge, racing at us like a brown, woolly tidal wave. Whips crack in the air, the riders shout and run the herd down, and suddenly, some of the buffalo turn back and try to escape. Five or six riders gallop after them, and we get to witness some genuine drama go down in buffalo

61

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

In the Lakota language there is no word for I"or me", only we" and us".

Every september there is over 20,000 people attending the round up and a lot of volunteer riders.

62

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Billy, from Tatanka, the Story of the Bison museum.

63

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Bob Landis has been doing this for more than 50 years now, and deserves a rest after a hard day's work.

Right: A bison bull is very impressive up close.

64

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

65

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Miss South Dakota, Julia Olson, is one of the cowgirls rounding up the bison each year.

66

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

67

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

The Ranger station office in Custer State Park. Marianne and the rangers do an amazing job on maintaining a healthy population of bison in the park.

The dress code is cowboy, from head to toe.

land. They manage to turn the huge animals around, and the herd starts to move again, across Lame Johnny Creek and on to the corral, between the hills. The large crowds on the hills cheer and whistle and suddenly, it’s all over.

We look at each other, grinning like fools. We realize that we’ve just had a very unique experience.

“Horses are my life,” he says, and tenderly pets his horse Chip. This horse was going to be sent the slaughterhouse, because it was difficult to ride. Bob, who has been breaking horses since he was a boy, bought the horse, and three weeks later Chip was a new horse–agreeable, happy, and easy to ride. Bob and I sit down to talk about the cowboy lifestyle, and the buffalo, and gaze out over the billowing landscape.

We head off to find something to eat. On the way, many stop us to exchange a quick word with Bob. Bob is 30 years older than I am, but he possesses that spark of life that you can only get from doing what you truly love.

It’s pitch dark when I wake up. I shuffle out onto the parking lot, unlock the car, sigh, and wish that I was still in the Badlands, or one of the other fantastic places in west South Dakota. But repetition is the mother of all learning, and I’d be more than happy to go back.

OLD-TIMER, FOREVER YOUNG

This experience is decidedly less unique to Bob Landis.

Bob is a youthful 81-year-old, and this is the fifty-first Buffalo Roundup he’s seen. “It happened pretty quick this year. The buffalo had already gathered close by.” He says this with an uncontrived cool that only a bona fide cowboy could get away with. Bob grew up on a farm, and has ridden horses for as long as he can remember.

His handshake is like a sledgehammer, and he’s the archetypal cowboy, complete with a revolver on his hip. “I rarely need to use it, but if a bison turns to come after you, this thing will stop it dead in its tracks”. “So, it’s loaded?” I ask. Bob gives me a weary look, and directs his question to the mountains: “What use is an unloaded revolver, anyway?”. I consider this for a while, and then nod in mild embarrassment.

68

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

69

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Next time, we’ll be on horse back.

f

I’m in Love with Montana Pieter Ten Hoopen

70

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Hungry Horse was just a few houses until the dam and power plant was built in 1953.

Pieter Ten Hoopen is an experienced and internationally acclaimed photographer and filmmaker based in Stockholm, Sweden. For over ten years, he documented the small town of Hungry Horse, located close to Glacier National Park in Montana. In this small selection from the project, you’ll get to meet the people of Hungry Horse, the landscape, the hope, and the beauty of a small town. To see more, visit: pietertenhoopen.com 71

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

James Blake with his nephew.

72

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

I

’m in love with Montana. For other states I have admiration, respect, recognition and even some affection, but with Montana it is love.

These are the only words John Steinbeck used to describe Montana in his novel Travels with Charley: In Search of America, which was published in 1960.

In 2003, just a little before the US presidential elections, I decided that I wanted to document the USA through one town. One small environment. George W. Bush was elected for the second time, and fighting terrorism.

This is the story of a small town, Hungry Horse, situated in the Montana Rocky Mountains, just a few miles from Glacier National Park. Hungry Horse and its neighbouring area mostly depend on the summer tourist season.

Winters are quit, and there is little work in the canyon. Glacier National Park provides many with work, and keeps large parts of the canyon going. Over the years many local industries have disappeared or been relocated to other places. The recession of 2007 hit this area hard, like so many other small towns throughout the US. I have been documenting this area for over 10 years.

I have seen people come and go from the canyon. My photographic documentation is not so much factual as emotional. The work itself is based on a state of mind through the people and the landscapes.

The film we produced over the years is based on interviews done with people who were involved in the project from almost the first beginning. I think it took me more then ten years to understand this place and see beyond the clichés of the USA. I have travelled and worked in the US for more than 15years, on numerous projects, but I keep coming back to John Steinbeck’s quote: I’m in Love with Montana.

73

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Flathead river, Glacier National Park

74

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

75

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Brad Lee on the porch in Hungry Horse.

76

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Denise, bartender at the Damtown Tavern.

77

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

The Nelson brothers on horseback

78

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

79

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Emelie takes a swim in the Hungry Horse Reservoir, the lake that was made after the dam was built in Flathead National Forest.

80

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Stonefly lounge, the local bar just outside Hungry Horse

81

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

82

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Hungry Horse is half trailers and half permanent houses.

Like in the rest of the USA, mobile homes are popular, and people move to wherever the work is.

83

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Love, food, music. The three ingredients in the mix that make The Big Easy the obvious destination for international lovers.

A

Nola

-IT’S, OH SO EASY TO FALL IN LOVE WITH NEW ORLEANS

WORDS BY JONAS HENNINGSSON • PHOTOS BY ANDERS BERGERSEN AND AMERICAN TRAILS

n inquisitive piano hook makes its way through the room, and the lady next to us suddenly breaks off from telling us about the city she loves. Soon, the drums brush into action, a mellow bassline kicks in, and the trumpet takes the lead. The murmurs at the tables die down, and the clanging sound of cutlery in use cease. And then, a powerful, captivating voice takes over the Little Gem Saloon. Kermit Ruffins has the audience spellbound. Indeed, they are all in the palm of his hand, listening intently to his story. The woman at our table smiles blissfully, holding her breath. The band, the BBQ Swingers, starts to pick up steam. Soon, the pianist takes over, firing the crowd up with his equilibristic explorations of the keyboard. Next, the drummer, not one to be outshone, takes his turn as the cheers from the crowd grow louder. When he’s finished, an avalanche of applause follows before Kermit draws another breath and continues.

This scene is acted out every day, or perhaps more accurately, every evening and night in New Orleans. There is music everywhere in the city, music overflowing into the

streets. Music that makes the nights live forever. This city wouldn’t survive any better without music than a human body would survive without a heart. Or, rather: Music is the beating heart of New Orleans.

We leave Little Gem as the final notes of Kermit’s second set ring out. Inhale the humid, lukewarm evening air, and follow the echoes of notes through the French Quarter. Our mood picks up even more when we see the throngs of people milling around on the street. In this city, life is lived out on the streets. They are where meetings, fights, and love all happen, in a way unlike anything we’ve experienced anywhere else in this vast country. We slip through the bustle of Bourbon Street, cutting a path through the crowd, and stop to catch our breath on the less busy Chartres Street.

THE DEEP SOUTH

There really is no other city like New Orleans, or NOLA, in the USA. It leads a life all of its own down in the Deep South, right by one of the last bends the mighty Mississippi makes on its way across the country to the point where it flows into the Mexican Gulf. The colorful past of New Orleans is also a story about the USA, A story of colonialization, French influence, the defeat of the British, and

84

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

There is no city like NOLA, it leads a life all of its own down in the Deep South.

85

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

New Orleans is a city for everyone, and love is in the air.

the impact that Haiti and other Latin American countries have had on the country. All these things converge in a city that defies imitation; a simmering, frothing melting pot of cultures, displaying its heritage in its music, in its culinary offerings, in its art scene, and in its attitude, which seems entirely different from that of the rest of the country. In NOLA, people from all parts of America, and the whole world, come together to do their thing. As mentioned, NOLA is unique among the cities of the USA, or the world, for that matter. And we simply adore it.

French Canadians who brought their own culture with them when they migrated along the Mississippi, across the continent, all the way down to the South. Creole is the urbane, cosmopolitan food culture of Nola. It blends French, African, and Spanish flavors with local produce.

The word Creole denotes a person descended from the French and Spanish settlers of colonial Louisiana and New Orleans, who constituted the city’s ruling classes in the 18th century. Creole Jambalaya originated in the French Quarter, the result of the Spanish attempting to recreate their paella in the New World. As saffron was an expensive import, and hard to come by, they used ­t­omatoes as a substitute. In time, the French grew more influential in New Orleans, and the use of spices from the Caribbean transformed the paella of the Old World into a unique dish. In present-day Louisiana, the dish has

CAJUN, CREOLE, AND COLONIZATION

The music has made us hungry, and we sneak into the Napoleon House to order Jambalaya, the dish that sums up many of the strands that run through Nola’s culinary history. Cajun is a robust and unsubtle cuisine, created by

86

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

A soul moment with Kermit Ruffins and band at the Bullet Sports bar.

87

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

The city is a stage, and the performers are amazing. If you don't dance in New Orleans, then you probably don't dance at all.

88

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

89

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

The cemeteries in the city are above ground due to the risk of flooding.

90

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

91

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

92

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

93

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

A warm and lazy afternoon by the pool table at our favorite joint, The Balcony.

The music has made us hungry, and we sneak into the Napoleon House to order Jambalaya, the dish that sums up many of the strands that run through Nola’s culinary history. Cajun is a robust and unsubtle cuisine, created by French Canadians who brought their own culture with them when they migrated along the Mississippi, across the continent, all the way down to the South. Creole is the urbane, cosmopolitan food culture of Nola. It blends French, African, and Spanish flavors with local produce. 94

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

95

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

A refill of oysters at French Market.

Jeff “Beachbum” Berry, tiki ambassador.

96

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

JEFF HAS DONE MORE FOR TIKI CULTURE THAN ANYBODY ELSE. HE’S SPENT THE LAST TWENTY YEARS RESEARCHING, STUDYING, AND TRACKING DOWN THE OLD RECIPES, AND WORKING TIRELESSLY TO PERFECT THE ART OF MIXING A

Tiki cocktail.

evolved in a variety of directions. Creole Jambalaya, or “Red Jambalaya,” is mainly found in and around New Orleans, where it is simply referred to as Jambalaya. Creole Jambalaya contains tomatoes, but Cajun Jambalaya does not. Cajun Jambalaya comes from the rural marshlands of Louisiana, where there was an abundance of crawfish, shrimp, oysters, alligator, duck, turtle, wild boar, and other wildlife. Any combination of meat can be used to make Jambalaya, including chicken and turkey. Cajun Jambalaya is known as “Brown Jambalaya” in the New Orleans area, but the Cajuns simply call it Jambalaya. Cajun Jambalaya has a smokier, spicier flavor than its Creole cousin. The French Creoles were the ones who introduced the Cajuns to Jambalaya.

BEACHBUM BERRY

If music is the heart of the city, its stomach and brain are food and drink, respectively.

Somebody who knows all about this is Jeff ‘Beachbum’ Berry.

– This town takes food and drink very seriously, as seriously as any company town would take its business. It’s just like in Washington DC, where the most widely read journalists would be the political commentators, and in New York, where it would be the stock analysts, or in Los Angeles, the movie reviews. Here, restaurant reviews are as widely and hotly discussed as movie critics are in Hollywood.

We’re sitting at Latitude 29, Jeff ’s very own tiki bar, which he has established in the Bienville House Hotel, sipping a Pearl Diver and talking about the New Orleans-born pioneer “Donn Beach critics,” who opened the first tiki bar, Don the Beachcomber, in 1934.

The culture flourished in the decades that followed. Now, tiki culture is back in fashion, unlike the long years during the 20th century when it was nowhere to be seen. Berry refers to this time as the “Dark Ages of the Cocktail,” which spanned from the 1970s up through the late 1990s.

But at the turn of the millennium, things changed.

– You had books and magazine articles, and bartenders who were going back to the way things used to be done, and the sense of craft was instilled again.

97

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

What's your favorite tiki cocktail? Don’t care—as long as it comes in a shell!

98

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

AS JEFF SPEAKS, WE HEAR THE RHYTHMIC CLATTER OF THE BARTENDER SHAKING A

new cocktail BEHIND HIM.

IF JAZZ IS THE FIRST SOUNDTRACK WE’VE COME TO ASSOCIATE WITH NOLA, THIS IS THE SECOND. WE TRY A MAI TAI AND A

Zombie.

–Tiki cocktails were the first craft cocktails, before the term even existed. These drinks were very complicated and expensive to make, and when the golden age ended, all the bartenders who knew how to make them were scattered to the four winds. There was no demand for them anymore, and the recipes had never been published, because the drinks were valuable business secrets, and you didn’t want your competition to find out what was in them.

As Jeff speaks, we hear the rhythmic clatter of the bartender shaking a new cocktail behind him. If Jazz is the first soundtrack we’ve come to associate with NOLA, this is the second. We try a Mai Tai and a Zombie.

The fact that Jeff and his wife Annene Kaye ended up in New Orleans came down to a sense of belonging, emotions, and love.

– Everybody we met was very warm, all lovely people. So we thought, this is it. We’re moving here!

Jeff has done more for tiki culture than anybody else. He’s spent the last twenty years researching, studying, and tracking down the old recipes, and working tirelessly to perfect the art of mixing a tiki cocktail.

- The recipes were never written down. So, it was basically a matter of finding a ­ninety-year-old bartender who was willing to tell me what was in the drink… Often, the bartenders had already died, and it was their wife or daughter or son who had a shoebox full of memorabilia. In that box, there might be a recipe book the size of a shirt pocket notebook. The bartenders kept their recipes closely under wraps. Don the Beachcomber wrote his recipes in code, because so many people took his recipes and went and opened their own bars.

- It took me a long time to break the code. It was my hobby, I was doing this unprofessionally, working in isolation. I published the recipes in a little booklet for other tiki nerds, and then one thing lead to another, and soon there were five books. Then the tiki revival happened, and all of a sudden, these recipes were spreading all over the world.

Now, there were tiki bars everywhere. Jeff ’s evangelizing had born fruit. The moment for him to take the next step had arrived.

99

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

– “It was time to stop just writing about drinks and start serving them!” he laughs.

FRENCHMEN STREET AND THE NOLA NIGHT

We leave Beachbum Berry and continue our wandering through the city. While we were lost in tiki land, the sky shifted from a bright cobalt blue to pitch black. Music spills out onto the streets from the restaurants and bars of the city. On Frenchmen Street, we catch a handful of rollicking concerts in an equal number of establishments.

The Spotted Cat, d.b.a, Three Muses. Jazz, blues, folk, skiffle. More jazz! In every place we visit, we make friends for life. In every joint, we become more convinced that this is where we really ought to live. We remember what Jeff said about the people here.

At the Three Muses, we meet Sarah Candler. She wants to show us a bird’s-eye view of the city, and we’re soon stretched out on her roof terrace in Marigny, taking in the full moon that has parked itself over the Mississippi river.

Sarah brings out her guitar; she wants to play us some new songs. We hear a freight train go by in the distance, and a boat floats through the light of dawn, heading right out across the water. It rounds the sharp turn in the river by Algiers Point, and continues off out of sight, and we soon lose ourselves in Sarah’s beautiful tune. Before she has finished playing, the first weary rays of daylight reach us.

They reflect off the fiery red of the bricks and glisten on the surface of the golden-brown waters of the Mississippi.

Literal early birds greet the sun in a lively dance across the sky. The music down on Marigny Street has stopped. Nola takes a deep breath and waits for the next day, the next evening. The next night. And we fall head over heels for the city all over again.

100

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Cool cats, long nights and lazy days–that’s NOLA!

101

AMERICAN TRAILS 1 | 2017

102

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Miami heat

BALL AND CHAIN, LITTLE HAVANNA, MIAMI WORDS AND PHOTO BY JONAS LARSSON

Late one night, just before deadline, we hit one of the classic clubs in Miami: Ball and Chain in little Havanna! Deadline turned into salsa night and Annie, salsa queen and fashion stylist, showed us some cool moves. Turns out we are way better at making magazines than doing the salsa. Annie, on the other hand, ruled the dance floor. Stay tuned for more Miami stories soon.

103

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Seattle A SMALL BUT SWEET CITY GUIDE

We wanted to give some love to one of our favorite US cities. So we let Olivia Hall, part Swedish, part cupcake, and a true Seattleite, guide us.

If you want to read Olivias whole guide visit: americantrailsmag.com PHOTO: OLIVIA HALL AND JONAS LARSSON

104

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

best personal tip Talk to your bartender. Many bartenders are native Seattleites, and boy do they have stories to tell. If you leave the city without at least one Kurt Cobain anecdote, you didn’t talk to enough people.

105

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Olympic National Park THE BEST DAYTRIP

Some of the best trails and views of the Cascade Mountains in Washington. Home to one of the few rainforests in the US. 2.5 hours from the city.

Dick’s Drive-In ICONIC FAST FOOD JOINT

Seattle’s much-loved fast food restaurant serving up cheeseburgers and milkshakes.

VARIOUS LOCATIONS • DDIR.COM

Hazelwood A GREAT COCKTAIL BAR

A bar that serves some of the most wellprepared cocktails around and has an intimate 106 upstairs lounge. Make sure to check their small AMERICAN TRAILS barside chalkboard for specials.

WINTER | 2017 2311 NW MARKET ST, BALLARD

SEATTLE UNDERGROUND TOUR ODD ATTRACTION

107

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

A very entertaining underground tour through the former city upon which Seattle is built. You can include a dinner in the tunnels prior to your tour.

UNDERGROUNDTOUR.COM • 614 1ST AVE

BALLARD A SMALL DRINKING TOWN WITH A CONDO PROBLEM

An old Nordic fishing town in north Seattle, with lots of good bars, restaurants, and shopping. Great to visit if you don’t have 108 a car, especially during the Saturday farmers market! This pretty AMERICAN TRAILS place is Hattie,s Hat, don't miss the mural of a Norwegian fjord.WINTER | 2017

DISCOVERY PARK LARGEST PARK IN SEATTLE

A large park in Magnolia, located on the former army post Fort Lawton. This park is the largest in the city, with eleven miles of trails. From the park, if you’re lucky, you can see Mount Rainer in all its majesty.

3801 DISCOVERY PARK BLVD

109

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

BIG MARIO LATE NIGHT LAST STOP

This New York Style pizza spot is a definite go-to for a late night nosh. Don’t miss the hidden bar in the back of the Queen Anne Location.

815 5TH AVE. N SEATTLE, WA 98109 BIGMARIOSNYPIZZA.COM

110

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

GO TO AMERICANTRAILSMAG.COM

FOR MORE SUGGESTIONS OF THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN SEATTLE 111

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

EXILE

New England in fall: does it get any better? We don’t think so. Here are some memories from the road trip we took along the Maine coast one fab week in fall.

WORDS BY JONAS HENNINGSSON • PHOTOS BY LINDA GREN

112

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

ON MAINE STREET

NEW ENGLAND ON A FAB FALL WEEK!

113

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

F

rom the rural inland regions of New Hampshire we make our way toward the coast and the state of Maine, northbound along Route 1. You’re never far from a lobster shack when you’re traveling along the salty coast of New England. Bob’s Clam Hut in Kittery looks a lot like a run-down fast food joint from the outside. However, Bob’s sells appetizing seafood at amazing prices. We buy fresh lobster for a few dollars a pound before heading north again.

The next morning, a pale, ethereal blue sky meets us as we walk out onto Cape Neddick on our way to Nubble. The coast is lined with enormous white wooden houses that glisten in the morning light. We run into Jack Johnson, who lives in one of this small town’s classic Victorian houses with wood paneling and shuttered windows.

- The house was built in 1770, by brigadier-general Jonathan Moulton, Jack tells us.

When the English came here in the 18th century, the richest of them were given the opportunity to build garish houses along the coastline.

- Back then, all the houses were blue—that’s the original New England color, because nobody could afford white—but now, pretty much all you see is tthat characteristic shade of white.

Pretty, pretty York

114

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Grab some Crab!

York Harbor inn.

Nice Lobster.

115 Brunswick AMERICAN TRAILS Diner, favorite WINTER | 2017 breakfast hangout.

116

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

117

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Buy a used car and head up the coast!

YOU’RE NEVER FAR FROM A LOBSTER SHACK WHEN YOU’RE TRAVELING ALONG THE SALTY COAST SOF NEW ENGLAND. BOB’S CLAM HUT IN KITTERY LOOKS A LOT LIKE A RUN-DOWN FAST FOOD JOINT FROM THE OUTSIDE. HOWEVER, BOB’S SELLS APPETIZING SEAFOOD AT AMAZING PRICES.

LIGHTHOUSES AND KNICKKNACKS

The wind carries the scent of seaweed and salty ocean air to us as we close in on Nubble, which is perhaps the finest of the more than seventy lighthouses that dot the New England coastline. A steel swing connects the island to the mainland; it was used as a means of transport by the lighthouse keeper and his family.

On our way north, we stop at York Corner Gardens, where you can buy milk, cheese, eggs, cranberries, cider, and potatoes, but also reindeer carved from wood and other knickknacks. In front of the shed, an Irish flag and a US flag hang next to each other.

- My grandfather came from Sweden, and my Mom was Irish, owner David Coombs informs us. His dog Miss Pearls lies on the ground, watching us warily.

Once you get north of York, you simply can’t hurry. We slow to a crawl and pass by one beautiful little coastal village after another. The Kennebunks consist of a few small and fashionable communities. From here, you can catch a glimpse of Goat Island and the lighthouse at Cape Porpoise out on the ocean. Down in the harbor of Cape Porpoise, we wait for Kevin Perkins. He sails smoothly into the harbor on his skiff, the small dinghy the fishermen use to get to and from their fishing boats. Kevin is a lobster man. One of the places where his catches end up is Roxanne O’Connell’s fish store down by the docks. Roxanne shows us some of the fresh lobsters that she has placed on a bed of ice.

THE PRETTIEST TOWN IN MAINE

Next morning, we start our day at the Brunswick Diner. We eat thick pancakes with blueberries, drenched in maple syrup, and rinse them down with intensely hot, but bland, coffee. The breakfast options have names like Billie Holiday, Johnny Cash, and the Beach Boys, and consist of fatty foods in various combinations. The jukebox sparkles with colored lights.

For each mile we travel north, the landscape grows more rugged, the morning fog grows thicker, and the swell of the ocean grows higher. In the small town of Wiscasset, the fog lies low over the ground, and tufts of it dance around over the river Sheepscot.

118

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Portland Head Light

119

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Enjoying the sunrise

120

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Misty morning, Maine

121

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

The Nubble, Cape Neddick

122

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

3 lighthouses CAPE NEDDICK NUBBLE The most famous and well-photographed of New England’s 70 lighthouses.

MARSHALL POINT LIGHTHOUSE Located by the inlet to the fishing town of Port Clyde.  MARSHALLPOINT.ORG

PORTLAND HEAD LIGHT In Cape Elisabeth. A beautiful lighthouse near Kennebunkport. One of artist Edward Hopper’s favorite subjects to paint.

PORTLANDHEADLIGHT.COM

123

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

This town was founded in 1663, and the old architecture still attracts visitors. Beyond the river, the trees glow yellow, orange, and gold. Down in the harbor, the fishmongers are filling up bags with fresh fish and seafood. A sign announces “The prettiest town in Maine.” Rockport, which is a little further to the north, has been declared the most beautiful town in America.

In Penobscot Bay, we stop at a mobile fish store, which carries a sign reading Dad’s Seafood Lobster on its roof. The fishmonger tells me that lobster is 4 dollars a pound, and that this is the lowest prices have been in twenty-five years. He shows us scallops, shrimp, smoked mussels, salmon, fishcakes, haddock, and crabs. Then, he explains to us that we simply can’t go home without clam chowder, and before we know it, we’ve loaded even more stuff into our car.

Bar Harbor serves as our base of operations for a few days of exploration in Northern Maine. We recognize the props by now: Pickup trucks, a trailer piled high with lobster traps, and fishermen with thick white beards and worn caps on their heads.

We head up the street and visit Roy, who offers 76 different flavors of ice cream.

– The lobster ice cream is selling well, of course. In the summertime, it’s total chaos here, Roy explains. The queues reach all the way down the road to the harbor; the children scream in excitement; the parents scream at their children; and everybody who works here screams with excitement over how excited the general mood is; but it’s still great times, he tells us with a smirk.

– It’s a lot quieter in the fall.

124

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

3 Seafood Restaurants

NONANTUM RESORT Nonantum in Kennebunk is perfectly located for explorations of the surrounding area.

95 Ocean Avenue, Kennebunkport

MIKE’S CLAM SHACK Great selection. Mike’s Chowder is a classic that you simply must take home with you.

1150 Post Rd Wells

NONANTUMRESORT.COM

3 Gorgeous Small Towns

MIKESCLAMSHACK.COM

CAPE PORPOISE This is where the locals go to do their lobstering.

BOB’S CLAM HUT Seafood and fries.

315 US Route 1, Kittery, Maine

ROCKPORT A beautiful little seaside town.

BOBSCLAMHUT.COM

CAPE NEDDICK LOBSTER POUND Lobster, lobster, lobster!

60 Shore Road, Cape Neddick

BAR HARBOR Bar Harbor deserves to be on the itinerary of anybody traveling along this coast.

CAPENEDDICK.COM

3 Hotels

3 Excursions

MIRA MONTE INN The place to go if what you’re after is a healthy slice of Victorian extravaganza.

69 Mount Desert St Bar Harbor, United States

NEW HAMPSHIRE Leave the coast and explore beautiful New ­Hampshire. Cozy villages, amazing nature.

RANGELEY LAKES NATIONAL SCENIC Great three-hour drive, but expect it to take all day considering all the great stops.

MIRAMONTE.COM

THE KENNEBUNK INN A charming Inn in Kennebunk.

We also like the restaurant.

45 Main Street, Kennebunk

SCHOODIC SCENIC BYWAY Spectacular nature, lighthouses, villages and seafood make this a great drive.

THEKENNEBUNKINN.COM

125

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

THE TEXAS

PORTFOLIO

BY PHOTOGRAPHER ANDERS BERGERSEN

126

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

127

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Two cool cats, John and his Ford F-150 in Marfa, Texas.

These pictures are a selection from a roadtrip we made in southwest Texas in April 2012 for a handful of Swedish magazines. Looking back at them now, I’m reminded of the unusual openness, kindness, playfulness and colorful coolness we encountered.

Looking at the pictures again becomes an escape; a quick fix for my wanderlust. It also brings me back to the people we met and the places we visited, if only for a moment.

Anders Bergersen, Photographer

128

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

T

vällen är varm i Austin Texas där vi står längs South Congress Avenue, eller SoCo som man säger här. Bergersen, fotografen utsätter sig för dödsfara hela tiden, kryssandes mitt i gatan mellan hot rods, kustoms och underbara originalbilar. Men det går rätt långsamt, det är cruisingkväll och SoCo är kantat av människor på riktigt bra humör.

vem jag träffade? Han kom fram och frågade om jag var den norske fotografen! Ingen aning svarar jag och börjar undra om värmen gått hårt åt honom. –John D’agostino!

Han vill att vi ses på cruisingen i kväll och tar lite bilder på honom och Mercury Charlies bil Sweet Nadine! Jag lyckas lugna ner honom och han förklarar att John D’agostino och Mercury Charlie är legendariska bilbyggare. Jag inser att jag fortfarande har en del att plugga på när det kommer till amerikanska bilbyggare.

LEGENDS ON STAGE

SoCo igen. Rätt som det är hojtar John D’agostino till från Sweet Nadine, han och Mercury Charlie glider långsamt nerför gatan, ”Spring i förväg och ta en bild på oss när vi kommer glidandes”, hojtar han till Bergersen som sätter av i fyrsprång nedför gatan. Det blir många fina bilder och till slut är vi så fullmatade med intryck att vi bestämmer oss för att en mycket lång arbetsdag är över och vi sätter oss i baren på The Continental Club och beställer in varsin drink, sällan har det smakat så bra.

CRUISING SOCO

I två dagar har vi glott oss skelögda på helt fantastiska åk på Lone Star Round Up, hot rod och customfestivalen som funnits sedan 2002. Det är en gigantisk bilbonanza och vi har sett byggen som vi fått fullt haksläpp av. Vi har sett rockabillylegenden Wanda Jackson, hon måste vara över åttio men det svängde helt otroligt. Det är något väldigt folkligt över de här träffarna, barnen är med och ofta spelar ett band eller så är det någon annan underhållning. Det är lite svenskt föreningsliv över det hela. Trevligt.

Vi har hört oss för om bra bilbyggare och fått tipset om Murpho’s Rod and Customs. De ska vara ett ungt gäng med Murph själv som stamledare. Vi hittar hela gänget inklusive ett litet gäng pin-uptjejer bland bilarna. Murph och company ser stenhårda och coola ut, men visar sig vara ödmjuka på gränsen till blyga. Bilarna de bygger är dock inte de minsta blyga, det är både originalbilar som kaxiga hot rods på plats.

Vi kommer överens om att hälsa på uppe hos Murpho’s dagen efter och ger oss ut bland bilarna igen. Bergersen får gå för sig själv och ta bilder medan jag går runt och snackar med folk. Jag träffar bland annat Göran som bor i Kalifornien och tillverkar hårpomadan Cock Grease, cock som i tupp alltså. Jag köper en burk och bestämmer mig för att skaffa en oljigare look. Göran kör en vinröd Mercury som står utställd på showen, stil rakt igenom.

AT DAY AT THE MURPHO'S

Efter en natt på legendariska Austin Motel på SoCo drar vi upp till Murpho’s verkstad. Vi möts av en jättelik skäggig dam målad på väggen till garaget. Murpho’s öppnade 2011 lagom till Lone Star Round Ups 10 års jubileum.

Ambitionen är att skapa en mötesplats för människor med ett stort bilintresse. I anslutning till verkstaden finns en butik med kläder och accessoarer. Men även en lounge med biljardbord och bra häng.

Vi vill att Murphos ska vara en hub för bilälskare i Austin. Vi kör filmkvällar, band, barberque och annat skoj här i stort sett varje vecka säger Murph.

Han flyttade sin verksamhet till Austin efter 25 år i Kaliforniens customvärld. Och det märks att han och hans gäng trivs och att businessen går bra. Garaget är fullt av bilar i olika stadier av renovering. När vi är där hänger en Pontiac Trans Am cab från tidigt 70-tal i en av pelarlyftarna.

Den blir faktiskt bättre än när den var ny” säger Murph, vi sätter in moderna bromsar och annat som gör bilen

LEGENDS IN MOTION

Plötsligt kommer Bergersen småspringandes. – Vet du

129

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

John and Åse have a long and very romantic love story. It includes candle-lit evenings, unvisited Rolling Stones concerts, and a very lucky John running into Åse on Karl Johan street in Oslo.

130

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

bättre utan att det påverkar ursprungsdesignen, fortsätter han. Jag får ett galopperande ha-begär redan där. Ute på gården står ett 20 tal bilar och väntar på sin tur att lyftas upp ur glömskan.

Det här är en Dodge Custom Royal som vi precis renoverat för en tjej som fick ärva den efter sin pappa när hon tog studenten men nu hade den stått i över tio år och häckat så det var en del jobb men nu är den i strålande skick.

Liana, Murphs bättre hälft ansvarar för butiken och är stajlad i en skön 50-tals stil. I butiken står Murphs egen Mercury, en taksänkt skönhet. Vi kan inte hålla oss och kommer ut med varsin cool hatt det gäller passa på när man hittar något i storlek 60!

COMI'N BACK FOR THE BBQ

Vi lämnar Murphos motvilligt, de är ett skönt gäng som bygger fantastiska bilar. Vi bestämmer att vi ska tillbaka – snart , vi missade ju den legendarisak Murpho barberquen.

131

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

The museum of electronic wonders and late night grilled cheese is probably one of the most absurd places I’ve ever visited.

Marfa Texas.

This is not a Prada shop. Prada Marfa.

132

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

A short, but handsome cowboy. Cobra Rock, Marfa Texas.

133

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

134

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Rockabilly Queen Wanda Jackson and fans at the Lonestar Round Up, Austin Texas.

135

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Lovely Camp and Buck in their store Wrong.

Marfa Texas.

136

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

The Continental Club, Austin, Texas.

137

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

SoCo at night.

Austin, Texas.

138

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Dusk beauty, Texas.

139

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

ALE TRAIL COLORADO

suds for the soul In a country with more than five thousand craft breweries and brewery pubs, it can be difficult to choose which state to explore on your beer adventure. East Coast or West? North or South? None of the above, actually: the answer is Colorado!

WORDS AND PHOTOS: JONAS HENNINGSSON

140

Uncanny!

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

141

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Kate Kingsbery at Great Divide Tap Room.

M

Yes we can!

y beer odyssey begins in the run-down industrial River North Art District, north of downtown, which has received a thorough facelift these last few years. Along with trendy restaurants, hot bistros, delis, urban workplaces, and art galleries, several breweries and beer bars have opened in the neighborhood. Inside the Source, Denver’s urbane and coolly aware marketplace for artists and creators of all kinds, is the Crooked Stave. Next, we stop at Mockery Brewing and Our Mutual Friend, and, of course, the city’s most loved beer spot: Great Divide, which has finally acquired more space in order to increase production. Naturally, they chose River North as the location for their expansion.

Great Divide is a classic fixture on Colorado’s beer map. They opened 23 years ago, and their small tap room in Denver is another must-visit.

The next morning, I’m waiting outside the door when they open. I glance at the message “Great Minds Drink Alike,” which has been painted on the brick wall, before I slip through the door. This small bar in downtown Denver has been here since the beginning, and has become something of local institution. Kate Kingsbery manages the shiny taps of Yeti Imperial Stout, Titan IPA, and twelve other beers adorning the wall of the Great Divide Tap Room, which also offers a good view of the shiny tanks inside the brewery.

OSKAR BLUES

Colorado is one of the best US states to visit for a beer trip. Although this state is far from the most populated in the nation, only California can rival its number of craft breweries. Colorado has 348 breweries, 148 of them in Denver alone.

Many of these are are recent additions, but some have been here since the dawn of the beer rev-

142

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Mr. Beer Traffic Control Freak Jeremy Rudolf.

Oskar Blues.

143

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Game on!

olution, some 25 years ago. The next day, I drive my rental car north along Interstate 5, and the signs for Longmont appear before I’ve traveled far. I pay a visit to the Oskar Blues Anti-Corporate Quarters. There, I meet Jeremy Rudolf, who proudly bears his official title as Beer Traffic Control Freak. While Jeremy guides us around the brewery, we talk beer, cycling, and food— three great passions that are woven into the very fabric of Colorado, perhaps nowhere more so than here at Oskar Blues. We pass by endless pallets of the brewery’s flagship product Dale’s Pale Ale, in ­lined-up shiny cans. The cans have actually become something of a trademark for Oskar Blues. They began packaging their premium craft beer in cans early on, and many other breweries have followed suit. When they’re not brewing, they’re cycling.

– Cycling and good beer go hand in hand, and naturally, we have our own brand, Jeremy explains, pointing to some REEB bicycles in the leisure room at their head office. The brewery dog follows us curiously with his eyes, with his eyes, but refuses to vacate the couch that he’s settled himself in. We head over to the Oskar Blues restaurant, Home Made Liquids and Solids, which is just a few

hundred yards from the brewery, and order ourselves some burgers and ale. Their own farm, Hops and Heifers, supplies the ingredients used by the chefs.

THE KINGS OF IPA

Next morning, I head due north on Interstate 25, towards Fort Collins, where the breweries are packed very, very tight. I take an educational tour of New Belgium and Funkwerks, and soon end up at Odells, which has the perfect ale bar to spend your afternoon in. I sample 5 Barrel Pale Ale, Rupture, and Drumroll. And, naturally, one of the breweries own top brews, an IPA. Susanne, who’s sitting next to me at the bar, explains why the people in line for the beer tasting are so excited: – They are the kings of IPA! When their visiting room closes, I head downtown. Fort Collins has plenty of really great beer bars, of course. And there, of course, I will encounter more passionate beer drinkers, who’ll give me more new tips for my onward travels. However, I’ve already circled Durango on my map, the town where Ska Brewing, who have been producing first rate beer since the middle of the 90s, ply their trade.

144

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Cheers!

Evolution in a glass

Great Divide Brewing Company

145

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Beer Travel in the US

Which ale trail will you follow? There are more favorites listed on our website.

COLORADO Ale Trail: Denver to Fort Collins (passing by Boulder and Longmont), about 75 miles.

Breweries: Oskar Blues Brewing, oskarblues.com Odell Brewing, odellbrewing.com Crooked Stave, crookedstave.com Great Divide Brewing, Company greatdivide.com Avery Brewing, Company averybrewing.com Mockery Brewing, mockerybrewing.com Our Mutual Friend, omfbeer.com Left Hand Brewing ,Company lefthandbrewing.com/ Always worth a side trip: Ska Brewing, Durango. skabrewing.com OREGON Ale Trail: Portland to Newport (passing by Hood River, Bend) (about 385 miles) Breweries: Hop Works Urban Brewery, hopworksbeer.com Deschutes Brewery, deschutesbrewery.com Hair of The Dog, hairofthedog.com Rogue Ales Brewery, rogue.com Always worth a side trip: Beer Valley, Ontario, beervalleybrewing.com CALIFORNIA Ale Trail: San Diego to Placentia (passing by Escondido, San Marcos), about 110 miles.

Breweries: Ale Smith, alesmith.com Ballast Point ,ballastpoint.com Green Flash, Brewing Company greenflashbrew.com The Bruery, thebruery.com The Lost Abbey, lostabbey.com Always worth a side trip: Russian River, Santa Rosa, russianriverbrewing.com

146

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

147

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

148

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

This Floating Life ‘Leave it to some Swedes to produce a gourgeous book about the American West’. The book Floating in Sausalito by Lars Åberg, journalist, and Lars Strandberg, photographer,is an ambitious, intriguing, and beautiful portrait of a close-knit houseboat community just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We simply had to ask Lars Åberg to tell us more about this fascinating project.

WORDS BY JONAS HENNINGSSON • PHOTOS: LARS STRANDBERG

149

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Ashley Krauss waiting for the big surf down in Santa Cruz.

150

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

H

ow did you come up with the idea for Floating in Sausalito?

– With my good friend and colleague, photographer Lars Strandberg, I have traveled extensively throughout the US, and in 2011, our book on the American West, titled simply ”West”, was released by a US publisher. We were overwhelmed by the positive reviews – “Leave it to some Swedes to produce a gorgeous book about the American West, ” “Photos and essays that ring painfully, powerfully and yet lovingly true”, and so on – and of course, we felt encouraged to find a new topic out west.

As we spent time in San Francisco working on the ”West” project, we visited the small town of Sausalito just north of the Golden Gate Bridge Bridge, and we immediately infatuated with the houseboat community and its spirited history.

The Sausalito houseboaters form the largest community of its kind in the US, and our own keen interest in American culture made us more than happy to dig into this enclave with beat and hippie roots. In the late 1960s, we both saw most of the legendary San Francisco bands on tour in Europe, and several of them then lived or performed in Sausalito. So, the connection was there, and so was the inclination to portray somewhat marginal groups away from the mainstream. The Sausalito houseboat community, with its colorful residents and adventurous marine architecture seemed like a perfect story waiting to be told. When we returned to California, it was with this idea for a book in mind.

How long did you work on the project, and what was the most challenging aspect of getting close to the community?

– The actual documentation in Sausalito was concentrated in time and we surprised ourselves ourselves by how much material we could gather in just a few weeks. However, we came well prepared in terms of countercultural knowledge and personal contacts in the community. People were extremely friendly and willing to open their homes to us. We were told that one person who would never talk to strangers was Larry Moyer, an artist who lived on his late colleague Shel Silverstein’s (author, painter, songwriter) boat The Evil Eye. Moyer seemed like a guy you would want to meet, so we slipped a copy of our book ”West” under his door as an introduction, and gave him 24 hours before we phoned him. He was completely enthusiastic about the book, and invited us over for a long talk and a wonderful photo session!

Which stories and meetings made the strongest impression on you?

– Larry Moyer’s life story is indeed something you won’t want to miss. He was in the Soviet Union and China in the 1950s, and came to San Francisco with Shel Silverstein

151

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Inside Larry Moyer’s home on The Evil Eye houseboat.

152

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

in 1967 to cover hippies and The Summer of Love for a national magazine. And they just stayed. Larry Moyer graces the cover of “Floating in Sausalito”, but sadly, he passed away last year at the age of 92.

Can you compare this close-knit community with anything else that you’ve written about before?

– One obvious comparison would be Christiania in Copenhagen, but Sausalito is much more multifaceted and colorful. As it was originally located on the edges of society, it also harbors elements of the old frontier mentality. The mental distance between a remote ranch in Wyoming and a houseboat in Sausalito may be shorter than you think.

So what about your future plans, any new projects in the pipeline??

– We are currently working on another US book based on material from our n ­ umerous journeys in different parts of the country.

For more “Floating in Sausalito”go to kerberverlag.com or amazon.com.

153

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

My Dad’s Record

gig at dad’s club in my home town. He drove him around the little town, showed him our house, in which I was, in all likelihood, sealed off inside my room. And how he and Dizzy had actually met on previous occasions.

Chet Baker, Toots Thielemans, Monty Alexander, and so many others. They were all my dad’s friends.

As for myself, I was busy with other stuff at the time, and the stories had no more of an impact on me than any other topic that came up at the dinner table. I was usually elsewhere. We were alike in that way, he and I. In the evenings, in the house, dad wearing his headphones, his cigarette, his whiskey. He consumed the music in such a characteristic way: leaning forward slightly, with his elbow on his knee and his face in his hand. One foot frantically tapping out the beat. The floors would vibrate all through the house when dad listened to jazz.

The smoke, the scent of whiskey; the way he looked up at you when you placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

I often think of that image of my dad, and how badly I miss it.

His behavior could often seem incomprehensible, but never to me. The things he was expressing, or couldn’t hold back, were in me, too. And they still are today. Although now, I’m perhaps better equipped not to give in to them.

He sort of tip-toed through life, seemingly preoccupied by something that he couldn’t let go of. Spiritual and brilliant, introverted and self-absorbed.

But family was his greatest passion, his greatest love.

In all honesty, I did doubt this at times. But then, I went to see my dad’s barber on a visit to his home town, ten or so years ago. He was a thin man, scarred by life, with twirled whiskers. His body had been plagued by addiction, but his hands remained perfectly still. I liked him, of course, and I had great confidence in him. My dad did too, obviously. After all, this barber knew more about me than I did! And I realized that my dad had always been there, in his own way. It was kind of beautiful.

Where is he now? How would I know?

All I know is that I’d like to talk to my dad about this record in my hand.

B

WORDS BY: BJÖRN MUDA • ART WORK: PETRA MUDA

ud powell trio. The record cover is in my lap, and the record is revolving on top of the turntable. Jazz fills the room, a groove beyond all comprehension. The cover features a close-up of the performer: his face is sweaty, his eyes shut. It was released in 1954, but the music, of course, is timeless. Not that there’s anything remarkable about that.

But this particular record is particularly valuable to me: the music, the cover, the year. Nobody else could ever measure its value, I am the only one who can. And it is priceless.

This was my dad’s first record. Now it belongs to me.

And I think to myself that it spans back across a man’s life, from young to old—from living to no longer with us.

My dad was obsessed with jazz, and like myself, he was a preacher—a passionate lecturer—who wanted everybody to experience the brilliance of the music he loved.

I always understood what he meant, and I knew that I would capitulate eventually. But I was so defiant; I just couldn’t let him be right that easily.

And I listened to his stories. About how he picked Dizzy Gillespie up at the airport when he came to play a

154

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

155

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

To Dive for

BILLY GOAT TAVERN, CHICAGO WORDS AND PHOTOS BY JONAS LARSSON

Billy Goat didn’t change when the TV show Cheers came around and elevated the status of every dive in the world. It’s always been the real-life Cheers, only in a very hard-to-find location in Chicago. Celebrities, journalists from the Chicago Tribune, and regular working folks have come here in droves over the years, to enjoy a couple of beers and the infamous cheezborger. Today, it’s a warm and welcoming haven underneath the buzzing city center of Chicago, reminding us of that phrase in the theme from Cheers: You wanna go where everybody knows your name. And even if they don’t, you should go anyway.

You won’t regret it.

430 N MICHIGAN AVE, CHICAGO, IL 60611, USA BILLYGOATTAVERN.COM

156

AMERICAN TRAILS 1 | 2017

157

AMERICAN TRAILS 1 | 2017

Instakompisar

WE HAVE FRIENDS

158

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

look up some talented people

THESE ARE SOME OF THE GUYS WE FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM CABINFOLK CAMPER.LIFSTYLE TINCANSTUDIOS DANIEL_ERNST BLACKOLIVE15 LAURAJKIN THECABINVIBES SOFIATALVIK KYLEFINNDEMSPEY HILLFARMSTEAD HIKINGCULTURE COLUMBIA1938 FJALLRAVENOFFICIAL FJALLRAVENUSA DANNERBOOTS POLERSTUFF INDIGOFERAJEANS SECONDSUNRISE_STHLM GRANDPASTORE AND OF COURSE AMERICANTRAILSMAG

159

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

Park Life

DOLORES PARK, SAN FRANCISCO WORDS: LAURA KINIRY PHOTO: LINDA GREN

Hipsters, techies, and all types in-between flock this Mission District hangout, which catches some of the city’s best weather and offers supreme people-watching opportunities. On weekends, the palm tree-speckled park is home to events like outdoor movie nights and robot dance parties.

160

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

161

AMERICAN TRAILS WINTER | 2017

At Columbia, when the cold front hits, we head outside to test our gear. We don’t stop until everything we make is warm enough so you can stay out there in any condition. #TESTEDTOUGH

Powder Keg™Jacket