I ❤️ Weed

We headed inland and to the mountains for our seventh stop on our Grand Adventure to the tiny town of Weed in Siskiyou County, California. ​

Now that cannabis (also known on the street as marijuana, dope, pot, grass, mary jane, doobie, bud, ganja, hashish, hash, and of course weed) has been legalized in most states, including California, this little mountain town has become something of a reluctant Instagram legend.

Tucked under Mount Shasta and its sister mountain Mount Shastina, the charming little town has embraced its name with souvenir shops selling T-shirts, baseball caps, fridge magnets and other cheap tat plastered with "I ❤️ Weed" to passing visitors.  We usually pass on souvenirs but could not help giggling at the name and so we bought a couple of items. Henry and Kim also popped into the local dispensary (also known on the street as the dispo) to make a purchase. Since the legalization of cannabis for both medicinal and recreational use in most states, the industry has boomed!

​Our fridge magnet ❤️

With a population of only 2,700 people, the town was cute as a tiny button. A small visitor center, a welcoming arch advertising the mountain town's name, a few competing cafes and motels and an agricultural museum telling the history of the lumber industry in the region that stretches from the 1800's to modern day. The town itself was not named after any association with cannabis but with a lumber baron named Abner Weed who took advantage of the winds howling through the area to set up his business. The wind helped with the felling of trees, moving cut timber and assisting in the drying process. Located within spitting distance of the I5 Interstate and on the Southern Pacific Railroad line, Weed was perfectly located on transportation routes.

Over the years, as logging practices have evolved and environmental concerns have grown, the lumber industry in Weed and in the surrounding area has changed. I noticed that the economy appears to have shifted away from chopping down the trees and more towards protecting them with a noticeable trend towards tourism, outdoor recreation and conservation. The natural beauty of the area was clearly its main attraction.

The highlight of the town for us had to be the phenomenal Asian Barbecue on Weed Boulevard.  We visited a couple of times and the food was out of this world. The best barbecue I have had in my 22 years living in America. It was that good. With a huge black iron smoker out front, the sweet and smoky smells drew us in. The restaurant was pretty basic with a few plastic tables and chairs set amongst a hodge podge of cardboard boxes of supplies, but the food, cooked to order, and to perfection, was worth waiting for. It reminded us of our time living in Southeast Asia. This was street food at its finger lickin' finest. Kim had pork belly and rice smothered in the proprietary spicy hot sauce, Henry had a mixed platter of barbecue pork, brisket and chicken slathered in the same sauce and I had a sweet, spicy and oh-so-smoky chicken sandwich. The homemade barbecue sauce had a kick and was memorably delicious. We chatted with the owner, a Thai gentleman named Sam, who was quite the character. His passion for barbecue came through on the plate. If ever you are in Weed, make sure you visit this little treasure of a restaurant. Highly recommended!