Rest Stop: Making life fun in Merced
Inside: two big public transit updates and a couple of events to hit this weekend.
It’s like week two of the Lindy West discourse and my group chats can’t get enough. I won’t pile on publicly except to say, Lindy, a better life is possible!
That said, the discussion of poly relationships got me thinking about how I don’t know many poly couples in LA. Everyone I know (gay) is in an “open” relationship. I know of one guy who’s in a long-term relationship with twin sisters but I’m not sure they identify as “poly”. Maybe my sample size is too specific but it just doesn’t seem like a thing out here. Is “poly” a popular orientation in Los Angeles? Do Angelenos just talk about it less? Please discuss.
Next week: I’m excited to publish two very fun reported stories, one by Maddie Connors.
As always, send your tips, story ideas, and feedback to nobaddaysinla@proton.me
Rest Stop is a series about the California towns we blow through on the way to somewhere else.
I can have fun anywhere, and I really mean that. I don’t even really mind going to the DMV. So when [Redacted]—who is mechanical designer engineer at an electrical boat start-up—told me they had to go to Merced to talk to some fiberglass boat manufacturers, I offered to tag along. As an adventure.
I’d never been to Merced, but it seemed like one of those towns Huell Howser would have taught me to love. This series is very much inspired by Huell, by his earnest love for California and by his enthusiasm for its smaller, lesser-known places.
But look, there’s no need to go out of your way to Merced. That’s not what this series is about. This is about how to turn a rest stop into its own vacation. So if you, like me, find yourself passing through Merced, this is a non-comprehensive guide for making it a good time.
Redditors were helpful for planning my trip, even if some of them were a little withering in their descriptions of their modest city. Every time I found a thread about “fun things to do in Merced”, a lot of the answers were some variation of “leave.” But my favorite comment came from calikid1121: “im going to give it to u straight, U make life fun if u live in this merced.” No, exactly. That’s exactly the attitude. U make life fun. Great advice to take with you wherever you go in this world.
When to go: Tuesdays
If you somehow end up in Merced, you likely don’t have a lot of control over the timing of your visit. But you should try to plan your stop around a Tuesday if you can. That’s because the town loves to “go up on a Tuesday” (there was a concerning number of references to this Drake lyric in my research). A lot of the local businesses also offer special deals on Tuesdays, like $5 margaritas and $3 burgers.
Where to stay: The El Capitan Hotel.
Unless you prefer a Travel Lodge, this is really the only good option for lodging—but it’s not a bad one for a town of this size. The El Capitan is one of Merced’s oldest establishments, originally built in 1872 and then rebuilt in 1912. In the 1920s it became a favorite of silent film star Mary Pickford.
Outside of its historic status, the hotel is like a lot of boutique hotels, furnished with cloyingly nostalgic ephemera like rotary phones and record players. There is, however, an extensive art collection by artists from the Central Valley on their walls, including traditional Hmong textiles (there was a disproportionately large Hmong population in Merced until very recently). There’s a well-equipped gym and a decent restaurant and bar downstairs. But, most importantly, the hotel is situated right in the middle of Downtown Merced, making it walkable to literally anywhere you may need to go.
Where to get coffee: The Sensory Lab by ASIP
This “coffee shop concept” is spacious and has wifi, which makes it a good place to post up for awhile if you need to finish off some work before the next leg of your trip.
Where to get a breakfast burrito: La Casita
They make their tortillas fresh every day and stuff them with beans, eggs, and cheese.
Where to get a tamal: Panadería Guadalajara Merced
I was craving a tamal, and the Facebook commenters led me to this Guadalajaran bakery, which has a second location in Atwater, CA. They’re also famous for their roscas.
Where to get pizza: Little Oven
I had low expectations for this slice, but it kinda blew me away. They post daily specials on their Instagram stories. I loved this charming local news coverage of the pizzeria:
Where to get a sandwich: Lover’s Deli
We got the Cheech & Chong, which includes turkey, pepperjack, cholula herb mayo, cilantro pesto, lettuce, tomato, and onion, and one of their very popular grandma-style pizza slices. On a Tuesday afternoon, the line was out the door.
Where to shop antiques: Merced Antique Mall
The Central Valley is an amazing place to go thrifting or antiquing. I found so many cool coats and glassware at this PACKED antique mall that’s on Merced’s main strip.
Where to get watch a show or grab a drink: The Mainzer or The Partisan
Beer is none of my business—but if you love that kind of thing, the Mainzer, which is also a movie theatre and music venue, has one of those self-serve beer walls. I personally enjoyed the piña colada. They didn’t have any shows the night we visited, but you could ostensibly join the locals for a Led Zeppelin tribute night or a drag brunch. It’s located in the same historic strip as the El Capitan Hotel.
The Partisan is a much divier place, with karaoke and trivia nights, as well as the occasional music show. We didn’t get to go, but it comes highly recommended by the Merced Redditors.
Where to see some nature: Merced National Wildlife Refuge
Merced is the gateway to Yosemite, but there’s lots of nature to see in Merced, too. The Merced National Wildlife Refuge encompasses 10,258 acres of wetlands, native grasslands, vernal pools, and riparian areas. It’s a great place to watch some birds.
Where to learn more: The Merced Sun-Star
Support the local paper!
You could one day take a bullet train to Merced. Or not. The plan was approved in 2008, and was originally supposed to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco in 2 hours and 40 minutes. But a newer plan presented by the California High-Speed Rail Authority would only connect Palmdale to Gilroy, and would double the travel time from LA to SF.
The K-line extension was approved, with immense pressure by local constituents. Mayor Karen Bass, however, still managed to sneak in a provision that requires the city conduct an additional study about the effects of tunneling under the homes in Mid-City in an effort to appease the local homeowners. This compromise will likely cost tax payers millions of dollars but the Mayor promises that this won’t further delay the project.
Inglewood mayor James T. Butts is running for a fifth term. I’m mostly bringing this up to call your attention to Mayor Butts’ Wikipedia page, which will take you on an insane journey. There is a laundry list of lawsuits to read through. He was most recently sued by his ex-girlfriend/ex-assistant for sexual harassment, among other things. A couple of months ago, I fell down a rabbit hole reading about his daughter, Ashley Butts, who was found guilty for orchestrating a vicious attack on her landlord.
Six LA restaurants were added to the Michelin Guide, including Little Fish and Corridor 109. I’ve never been to the latter, but you’ve heard me talk about their hot dogs. I recently had the chance to eat their elusive Tuesday night burger, which stratospherically raised the bar for burgers for me. (They say it’s only available at 9 PM onward, but I walked in at 8:30 and was able to put in an order.)
The Holloway is officially back. I don’t remember it ever being a “local favorite”, but I don’t mind the revisionist history here all that much.
And yet another comeback story: Birdie G’s is reborn as an all-day restaurant. It’s reopening at Fairmont Century Plaza.
Philippe’s is getting rid of their sawdust on their floors. Can’t say I’m sorry to see it gone.
Would you go to a party at Seafood City? The Filipino grocery store is taking a page of the HEB handbook and inviting DJs and musicians to perform at their Late Night Madness party series. Paging the Grocery Goblin!
Speaking of, the Grocery Goblin herself, aka Vanessa Anderson is doing a really fun series for the new LA Material. It’s called The Receipts and she’s inviting local businesses to give her a peek into their budgets and finances. She kicked it off with a feature on Cafe Tropical.
TONIGHT: Cafe Tropical is presenting the second in their local filmmaker series with a screening of three short films at 7 PM.
TOMORROW: Sasheer Zamata is headlining a free show at Stories at 7 PM.
TOMORROW: 2220 Arts + Archives is hosting a Holes Marathon: “performances, readings, and meditations that address holes—aporias, portals, and clearings—from the body to the earth, from plotholes to potholes.” Alex Tatarsky, who just finished a series at RedCat performing her avant garde clown show Sad Boys in Harpy Land, is among the performers.
SUNDAY: Join Lore Bookshop in Leimert Park for a Jazz & Wine night starring the Black Sage Quartet.
LA-based roadtrip stories >>>>
U make life fun