OAKLAND, CALIF.-If no one tells you about the little saloon made out of old logs, complete with grass growing on the roof at the Oakland waterfront, you'd probably think the place has been abandon. But you'd be wrong.

Among the the "gotta see them" bars that are more about character than cocktails, Heinhold's First and Last Chance Saloon has a small room where the floor leans quite a bit. The place is dark and filled with memorabilia, including photos and items from prominent visitors, including famed author Jack London, who studied at the very tables where guests sit for a cocktail and reminisce. There's a tiny hole-in-the-wall bathroom, and a speaker system where the bartender can surprise you and say something to you while you are using the john. Of course the handful of guests outside the door can hear it, too. Great fun!

Heinhold's First and Last Chance Saloon stands as a monument to Oakland's literary history. Listed on three historic registers, the place is well worth a visit to Jack London Square, in Oakland, where a statue of the handsome writer overlooks the harbor.

Jack London's Credo

I would rather be ashes than dust !
I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dryrot.
I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.
I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them.
I shall use my time.