NEWS FROM THE SOUTH >>>

Part podunk, part shabby chic and part punk rock, Centralia and Chehalis are more than just outlet malls, shotguns and restaurants with names such as Country Cousin. Our sister cities to the south provide a plethora of antiquing opportunities, authentic Mexican fare such as La Tarasca (real deal, baby!) and a thriving counter-culture of burlesque, artists, musicians and so much more.

Those in the know stop in Centralia for McMenamins Olympic Club & Hotel's handcrafted beers, booze and burgers or an overnight stay and cut-rate movie on one of the historical theater's comfy couches.

In Centralia, I always make time for dives. The Hub Bar & Grill serves greasy grub with a dive bar feel, like New Frontier or McCoy's, and have housed local rock band favs Fitz of Depression, Stone Axe and The Hard Way. Why do these dives continue to shake when the bands take breaks? The railroad line is a stone's throw away.

Just across the block from the dives, Phantom Tattoo is celebrating its one-year-post-fire anniversary. Owner/artist and Luche Libre fan Sean Lindseth will tag you with his signature style and likely have a beer with you afterward.

I would be amiss to not mention the relatively recent incarnation of Twin City Tease, a burlesque troupe celebrating the finer things that Lewis County has to offer.

In the '40s, Yard Birds hatched in Chehalis, offering a quirky, homey, everything-you-need-under-one-roof store/mall/shopping experience. More than anything, Yard Birds may be remembered for the massive 60-foot Yard Bird sculpture that guarded at the entrance to the Chehalis store. Though that Yard Bird statue burned to the ground in 1976, the Yard Bird that replaced it - which doubled as a helicopter hangar - still stands in Chehalis to this day, thanks to fundraising effort by Jason Mattson.

This weekend, why not meander south and check out another favorite local, The Shire, where a crowning of this year's Miss Yard Bird goes down Saturday night. As part of the Yard Bird pageant festivities, burlesque dancers Kitty Calamity (aka Miss Yard Bird), Momo La Vein, and Luna Landing will shake their tail feathers.

THE SHIRE, MISS YARD BIRD PAGEANT AND FUNDRAISER, SATURDAY, FEB. 23, 9 P.M., $5, 465 NW CHEHALIS AVE., CHEHALIS, 360.748.3720