HONOR JACK LONDON IN A HISTORIC HAUNT
Why: You can have a drink and toast the history of the well-loved author, all in one stop. Afterward, you’ll have a great appreciation for the words “catawampus” and “The Call of the Wild.”
What: Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon, which dates to 1883, sits at the edge of the now presentable Jack London Square in Oakland. London used to hang out here, perhaps to escape his dismal life. Studying here, he taught himself high-school subjects in a year and went to UC Berkeley, financed, it’s said, by bar owner Johnny Heinold. London left college after a year to write. Heinold’s gets a nod or two in “John Barleycorn.”
Info: Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon, 48 Webster St., Oakland; (510) 839-6761, www.heinoldsfirstandlastchance.com.