C.K. Hickey

February 23, 2007

Hitchhiking Dreams Live on in NorCal

By C.K. Hickey

It's 7 a.m. I'm maneuvering along Route 199 and there's not a soul on the road. The nearest town is 40 miles away in Oregon.

February 15, 2007

S.F. Mayor Scandal Is Exaggerated

By C.K. Hickey

When I ask people about their most vivid memories of 1998, they usually tell me about junior high-school dances, Furby, Leonardo DiCaprio or the Backstreet Boys. That's funny.

February 8, 2007

Are You Sure We’re Not in Aspen?

By C.K. Hickey

Deep in the heart of the Eastern Sierras lies the city of Mammoth Lakes: population 7,093, elevation 7,800 feet; 300 miles from either Los Angeles or San Francisco.

February 1, 2007

Now Playing: Gentrification in CA

By C.K. Hickey

The fallout from the Cedarwood Apartments' transformation into the deluxe Coronado complex sure has been something, hasn't it? And not just that it sparked this Nexus/A.S. feud, but because it brings to our little commun...

January 25, 2007

West L.A. Is the Place to Head for Hawtness

By C.K. Hickey

What do you do when a friend shows off a haircut that cost $300? I nearly fainted. Three hundred dollars for a haircut? Yeah, it's a fantastic haircut, but who on Earth gets away with charging that much cabbage? I'll te...

January 11, 2007

California State Blues: Codescopes Attack Once Again!

By C.K. Hickey

Ah yes, the beginning of a new year and a new quarter. A chance for everybody to start anew with a clean slate - but not for me. Come January, I ask myself, "What better time to settle unfinished business?" I'm referring...

November 30, 2006

California State Blues

By C.K. Hickey

With Thanksgiving break behind us and Winter Break only a couple of weeks away, the thoughts of many Gauchos turn toward the long voyage home. Some of you will be flying, but those of greater testicular fortitude will be...

November 17, 2006

Travel to Lavish Irvine, See Its Majestic Bubble

By C.K. Hickey

Irvine and neighboring Newport Beach remind me of what Santa Barbara would be like in a Republican parallel universe. We're not so different from the 949, after all. We're both beautiful beach locations with beautiful we...

November 9, 2006

California State Blues: RPG Mania Creates Various Questions

By C.K. Hickey

OK, I know I normally devote this space to exploring various parts of California, but there are far more important and pressing matters to discuss this week. I'm talking about a revolution within our midst, a change of p...

November 2, 2006

Golden State Blues: Explore California’s Northern Cities

By C.K. Hickey

Eureka and Crescent City belong in Humboldt and Del Norte Counties, respectively, the northernmost two coastal counties in California. I used to look at them on the road atlas during family vacations up to Oregon, and I ...

October 26, 2006

Golden State Blues: City Gimmicks Become All the Rage in California

By C.K. Hickey

Pismo Beach is living a lie. Did you see those commercials on late-night TV last Friday about their 60th annual Clam Festival? The one with a chowder taste-off? A parade celebrating the clam? A walking, talking clam masc...

October 19, 2006

Golden State Blues: Codeoscope Continues Going Up North

By C.K. Hickey

Last week, I introduced the plastic sunshine palace of Southern California to my Codeoscope, but I heard voices in the distance. They cried, "Where is NorCal? Where is CenCal?" No worries, voices, because it's your turn ...

October 12, 2006

Golden State Blues: Codeoscope Reveals Your Own Area Code Personality

By C.K. Hickey

I'm obsessed with area codes. I can't help it. It's my belief that your area code can tell you a lot about what kind of person you really are.

September 29, 2006

Santa Barbara Rots in the Sun

By C.K. Hickey

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, the population of Santa Maria now surpasses that of Santa Barbara for the first time, well, ever. I thought to myself, "What? Santa Maria? The land of wine and Wal-Mart? W...