Leaving Us Already?

First things first - Good Coffee:

J.J. Bean - home of the splendiferous Eastside coffee and magic muffins mentioned in Portraits: Endings and Beginnings.  If you’re ever in Vancouver, it’s definitely worth stopping in at this micro-roaster caffeine haven to get some for yourself. 

Kicking Horse Coffee - I first ran into this in a small coffee shop in Canmore, Alberta.  Yummy beyond belief, and the ‘Grizzly Claw’ blend kinda reminds me of Logan ;)

Tim Horton’s - mentioned in Alter-Eighteen:  Ten Things I Know About You.  These little coffee shops are found all over Canada (and in a few lucky, lucky U.S. communities) and have not only great coffee, but also the best darn maple donut I’ve ever run into.



Girlie-Marie kinda stuff:

Lush - those of you who live in Canada, the U.K., or Australia already probably know about the splendiferousness of Lush.  It looks like a grocery store, smells like a flower shop, and has some of the best all-natural bath and body products ever made.  I’m ashamed to admit how much of my annual budget is spent at Lush ;)

O Canada Soaps - natural soaps and all kinds of bath and body goodies.  This was another Canmore discovery, and I’ve been addicted to their products ever since. 



Manly-Logan kinda stuff:

Logan’s Roadhouse - yes, Logan has his own restaurant ;)  This small chain has a franchise about 75 mins. away from where I live, and I have been known to make the drive just to eat at Logan’s.  It’s slogan - ‘Hit the Road.  Head to Logan’s.’ - is always good advice.  For a look at the cover of their menu, click HERE!

Molson Brewery - North America’s oldest (and some would say best) brewery, and the Mecca for Logan’s tastebuds ;) 



Where was that?  The Seasons in Yellowstone stories:

Indiana Dunes - mentioned in A Year In the Dunes.  The national park closest to where I live, and for my money, a darn fine one ;)  The Dunes has a variety of ecosystems and the ever-shifting Mt. Baldy.  What’s not to love about that?

Banff - setting for Winter in Banff.  Also mentioned in Rule Number Twelve:  Don’t Make Mountains Out of Molehills.  One of the most beautiful places on earth, period.  Lake Louise is absolutely breathtaking.  There are more gorgeous mountains than you can shake a stick at.  Elk.  Moose.  Sparkling clean lakes.  Pine trees as far as the eye can see.  Well worth the trip.

Yellowstone - setting for Winter in Yellowstone and its sequels.  The first national park, and one of the most amazing.  You could spend years exploring this place, and it’d be time well-spent ;)

Sawtooth - setting for Winter in Sawtooth.  Jagged mountains gave the area its name.  One of the most beautiful places in the Idaho mountains, and that’s saying a lot.  Wonderful camping and hiking here, and a great job has been done by the forest service to maintain the park’s beauty.

Dillon - setting for Winter in Dillon.  Peaceful, small little mountain town in Colorado which has the added benefit of a beautiful man-made lake nearby (Lake Dillon, natch).  If you get there before an apocalypse happens, there’s also some good outlet shopping ;)



Done sightseeing?  Time for a chocolate break!

Sarris - a Pittsburgh-area tradition and home of the downright yummiest chocolate covered pretzels ever. 

South Bend Chocolate Co. - delicious chocolates, but this one’s notable because they produce chocolate Wolverines ;)  Sure, they’re allegedly in honor of the University of Michigan mascot, but I like to think of them as more Logan-related ;)



Where Was That?  Eighteen Cities in Twenty-One Days:

Westchester, New York - home base of all things X, and where Logan and Marie begin their journey.

Quakertown, Pennsylvania - within commuting distance from Philly, but a very nice small town for those wanting something a little more rural than suburbia.  Logan and Marie stop to get some gloves (and a few knives) here.

Erie, Pennsylvania - lots of very nice lakefront here, plus very close to Canada ;)

South Bend, Indiana - Logan and Marie stopped to tour the University of Notre Dame (www.nd.edu) here.

Jefferson City, Missouri - capital of the state, and a darn nice town ;)  Logan and Marie stopped to eat at a Perkins here.

Tulsa, Oklahoma - Lots of parks, a zoo, and a garden center :) Motel 6 left the light on for Logan and Marie here ;)

Amarillo, Texas - mid-sized city in the panhandle.  Watch out for the Sabretooth-parts scattered on the fringes ;)

Santa Fe, New Mexico - if you’ve never been to the high desert, this is a great place to start your exploration ;)  I didn’t send Logan and Marie there, but the best breakfast in the world can be had at Tia Sophia’s in Old Town.

Los Alamos, New Mexico - home of the famous (and infamous) National Lab, where the general Logan and Marie meet up with may or may not have been working ;)

Sedona, Arizona - beautiful red rocks and some serious spiritual energy can be found here.  Also home of the LaFuente Gallery, which is real, and Moonbeam Charisma, who is fictional ;)

Flagstaff, Arizona - another beautiful high desert town, and one that gets more annual snowfall than Chicago ;)  Yes, I’m just chock-full of trivia……

Williams, Arizona - the very picture of a perfect western small town.  You can take a real, honest-to-goodness steam engine to the Grand Canyon from here if you like.

Kingman, Arizona - - located right on Route 66.  Marie stops here to get some painting in, and a few of the Mohave County Parks Department employees notice ;)

Las Vegas, Nevada - - you’ve probably heard of this one ;)  Marie drags Logan to the Bellagio Hotel and Remy surprises them there.

Tonopah, Nevada - tons of Silver State mining heritage here, and lots of scenic beauty.

Reno, Nevada - beautiful views of the mountains, and just a little gambling ;)  Logan and Marie had it out in the parking lot of Cheryl’s Motel and Apartments here.

Salmon, Idaho - small enough and cute enough to be your own private Idaho ;)  Town pizzeria Last Chance Pizza appears both in this fic and in Eighteen Stories About Us.

Cranbrook, British Columbia - last stop on the Logan and Marie tour, just over the border.  Lovely place to wind up, if you ask me ;)



Whew!  In need of some more sustenance?

Twinkies - always good for a sugar rush, and with the added benefit of being a Hank-magnet ;)

Pizzeria Uno - real, honest to God Chicago-style pizza.  Accept no substitutes ;)

Café du Monde - I was tempted to put this in the coffee section (and make no mistake, their coffee - cut with chicory - is superb) but what I really love about the place is its beignets.  Best eaten in the wee hours of the morning, after a long night of fun ;)



Where was that?  The Rules:

Dawson Creek, British Columbia - mentioned in Rule Number Three:  Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother - no Pacey, no Joey, no Dawson, just beautiful scenery.

St. Maries, Idaho - mentioned in Rule Number Four:  Never Assume - no, it doesn’t have an apostrophe (see?  Never assume………), and, yes, there is an actual restaurant called the Grub Box here ;)

Mall of America - mentioned in Rule Number Five:  Don’t Talk to Strangers - Logan and Marie stay near here.  It’s a mega-complex filled to the brim with shopping, dining, entertainment, and even an amusement park.  Worth seeing, even if you aren’t a shop-a-holic ;)

Calais, Maine - www.visitcalais.com - mentioned in Rule Number Seven:  Nothing Good Can Come of This.  Logan and Marie stop there on their way to……

Mount Carleton Provincial Park, New Brunswick - mentioned in Rule Number Eight:  Two’s Company, Three’s A Crowd.  Marie and Logan find Jules hanging out here ;)

Prince George, British Columbia - mentioned in Rule Number Eleven:  A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words.  Marie corresponds with Xavier from near here.



How about a music break?

CFNY - Toronto station that always catches my ear when I’m driving around up there ;)

WTMX - my favorite hometown radio station :)

KKND - one of the things I miss most from New Orleans………