Author: The Fresnan

Fresno nerd. Longtime blogger and podcaster. I love talking local, music, beer, the Sierras, eating in Fresno, etc...

Things I Might Do In Fresno This Weekend

The Fresnan Leave a comment
img_1013-1024x768 Things I Might Do In Fresno This Weekend
You have maybe a week left of almond orchard blossoms, BEE carefull...

I am going to try out a new segment for the site/nesletter, and cross my fingers that I stick with it so you can check back here on The Fresnan or Fresno!Fresno! on Fridays or Saturday mornings for this (someone hold me to it, please).

These are literal things I might do this weekend. Like, if I have enough money, or time, or energy, I would do one or all of these things. Hopefully, it helps you figure out something for yourself.

  • Hike around the San Joaquin River. Wildflowers are coming out. Things won’t be greener. The weather will only get hotter. There is snow to look at on the Sierra. Choice. Checking an almond orchard before the blossoms are gone can be a related activity.
  • Record swap in River Park at Barrelhouse – Saturday from 12 to 5.
  • Play pinball at Summer Fox (Santa Fe) – they have a Star Wars pinball I really want to try.
  • Eat a Me & Ed’s pizza (it’s been, like, three long weeks since I’ve had some).
  • Buy a discounted puffy jacket at Eddie Bauer’s in Fig Garden, since they are all closing.
  • Have a colab beer at Out Of The Barrel, all day on Saturday (they’re having a ‘colab fest’).
  • Rogue Festival. It is an important, annual cultural event for Fresno. Check out the schedule.

Rogue Fest goes through to next weekend, so I might push that back. Hell, I might push all of it back, it’s how I operate. 

Even if I do one of these things, I’ll be happy.

-Mike

Someone Placed a Marker For the Shortest Trail In Fresno County and I Love It!

The Fresnan Leave a comment
fresnocountyshortesttrail-1024x768 Someone Placed a Marker For the Shortest Trail In Fresno County and I Love It!

I tend to walk along Van Ness in Old Fig. I like staying in the dirt as much as possible. It gives me a sense that I am on an actual trail in the Sierra (probably weird like that). I think someone else feels that same way, as there is a trail marker on the spot that feels most like a real trail along all of Van Ness:

This is on the 3500 block of Van Ness (yes, Christmas Tree Lane).

See you out on the trails!

Yep. We’re Going To Have Two Soccer Teams With No Stadium, Aren’t We?!

The Fresnan
flowingwithfamousfeb26 Yep. We're Going To Have Two Soccer Teams With No Stadium, Aren't We?!
  • A new soccer stadium at the Fresno Bee.
  • The closing of Benediction.
  • The trouble of dealing with Fresno infrastructure.
  • Band of the Episode: Daze Baby “Goliath”.
  • Horn BBQ and new Fresno businesses.
  • And more!

EDITORS’ NOTE: We are very sorry for the sometimes choppy connection!! We are working to make this better for next month. Sorry again.

Hosted by Joshua Tehee and Mike Seay.

Josh at the Fresno Bee.

Josh’s local music newsletter: Bandgeeeek.substack.com.

Josh’s bands: New Old Man, It’ll Grow Back, Big Balls, and the Strikingly Originals. 

Mike’s newsletters: Fresno! Fresno! and Drinking & Thinking.

Mike’s blogs The Fresnan, The Tape Player.

Plus the podcasts Get Off My Podcast, The Perfect Pour.

Laucks Bakery Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe, Who Has It?

The Fresnan
laucks-bakery-tower-district-storefront Laucks Bakery Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe, Who Has It?
The old Laucks Bakery in the Tower District, picture from France Is Hexagonal

I don’t mean to age myself too much here, but I am old enough to remember having the peanut butter cookies from Laucks Bakery in the Tower District. It is one of my first food memories. And they were so good.

No peanut butter cookie has measured up to it. My Mom’s are the closest and are delicious. But the Laucks used to really hit.

I am seeking comfort lately, and a peanut butter cookie that tastes like a Laucks cookie would really fill a hole right now.

So who has the recipe? What’s the fucking secret?

Nobody wants to post the recipe (at least I can’t find where), as if this needs to be kept secret anymore.

This has also put me on a quest to find the best peanut butter cookie in Fresno. Maybe the smallest quest ever, but it’s still a quest. If you have some thoughts on this, tell me where to go.

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What has given me Fresno Comfort this past year

The Fresnan
half-dome-along-the-panorama-trail-768x1024 What has given me Fresno Comfort this past year
I did the Panorama Trail in Yosemite this year. Epic views.

Fresno provided comfort food and place-comfort this year in a difficult time.

Fresno comfort food respect list for 2025

  • Me & Ed’s pizza. Pepperoni, diced pepperoni, pepperoni & canned mushrooms, all did the trick. Every. Single. Time.
  • Tacos. Street tacos to be precise. Although one messed me up (internally, we’ll say), and I have not gotten back on the taco horse since.
  • Whole Foods Salad Bar. One of the few salad bar options in town anymore. There is an art to keeping your salad build as light as possible (aka keeping it cheap as possible) while still making it something you enjoy eating.
  • Berrock Shop. Mostly the chili. A lot of chili.
  • Mad Duck – Northwest. Cheers to the Tuesday all-day happy hour.
  • Breakfast burritos from anywhere.
van-ness-house-768x1024 What has given me Fresno Comfort this past year
I see this Van Ness house on my walks and it feels like it could be in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland.

Area places gave me comfort, too:

This was an awful year for me, I’ll just say it, with the breakup of my marriage and other things as well. But what has come with that is a focused appreciation of when things are good. And of the good little moments that happen even when things are bad.

Just like Fresno, I will keep grinding for sunny times. Hope you will this year too.

Thanks for reading!

-Mikey

thefresnan.com