We were very impressed by the great mobilization of Seaside, Oregon's Internet Defense Forces after our very first post about that town. Since then, we've had the pleasure to re-visit the place on several occasions, to eat at Herb's, and to exchange e-mails with residents. As a result, we have fallen deeper in love with both its charming small-town Americana as well as its gaudy tourism-pandering excesses. Seaside is the gold-standard and deliciously eponymous......

Here's something you don't see much anymore, outside of reservation smoke shops: display cases of cigars. Cohibas, Coronas, Partagas. Romeo y Julietas, Macanudos, Rocky Patels. Sure didn't expect to come upon this lineup at the Spar, a traditional lunch counter & pool room much loved in Olympia. The Spar's been around for three score years and twelve, a citadel of rugged male drinking and a bastion of union strength back in the days of......

"and it was" by pdgibson from the Seattlest Flickr Pool. Reminds us of Tom's fantastic post about this Ballard landmark's demise. Lucky for some, it appears that things may be looking up for this mid-20th century modern building.......