DOWNHOME The modern existence of arts and music festivals are curated experience of predictable fun. From Bonnaroo to Coachella, you spend hundreds of dollars for a wristband, bestowing full trust that the organizers (backed by big money) are going to provide you with a portfolio of vendors that offer really irresistible food, cocktails, swag – all in addition to big soul-shaking sound and imaginative eye candy for every act in the star-studded lineups. You’re already there, you’ve already spent this much, so why not treat-yo-self to Tempura Macaroni and Cheese Balls (or your vegan equivalent of luxury yum). And I frickin’ love that stuff, too. But those are festivals. Have you ever been to a “hoedown?” We go to one...
Now-a-days if you walk into a clothing store, you’ll likely notice that you’re surrounded by patches. Commonly used as labels on what would otherwise be blank garments or paired with the subtle nods to the enlightened, patches act as souvenirs, repair kits, and expressions of their owners. Most people don’t think twice about them, but over the past century, patches have weaseled their way into sub-culture, turning heads as stark portrayals of individuality. Originally symbols of intense poverty, indicating a life of hard labor and the lack of means to buy new clothes, patches were not sought after (1). It wasn’t until the OG counterculture movement dusted them off for round two that they started to make their comeback. Members...
A far cry from the stereotypical California coast town, Bodega Bay isn’t where you’ll catch tanned skin on boards or bare feet running down palm tree lined streets. This sleepy fishing town lives on a rocky stretch of the 101 that cuts through the teeth of rugged Sonoma County. With power of the sea due west and the natural landscapes of California to the east it’s intersection caught our eye and proved ideal for a weekend jaunt. The following is your field guide to one of Northern California’s hidden treasures. Claim to Fame Bodega Bay might not have inspired any of the Beach Boys greatest hits, but it certainly caught the eye of one of Hollywood’s most renowned directors, Alfred...
Whether you're a lifetime weekender or you were born with fresh mountain air in your lungs, there's a certain unexplainable complexity to the relationship people have with mountain towns. I grew up in Sacramento and lived for the weekends that brought me to the nearest mountain town of Lake Tahoe. Caught somewhere between tourists and locals, it was a funny personal sense of home that drove us back here time and time again. My connection comes in the form of a tiny cabin on the north shore built by my grandfather and his friends. What was once four powder blue walls in the woods, now houses generations of memories passed on by decade old polaroids that steal glances from us...
It's the perfect stop for any adventurer looking to trade that urban slickness for a more vintage vibe. Where the call of nature stifles the drone of traffic and the chorus of coyotes announce sunset.
