AUTHOR: linda TITLE: What the wild west is really like DATE: 7:18:00 PM ----- BODY:

A tiny town called Bridgeport serves as a stopover point on the way between the Bay Area and destinations south or east via Hwy 395. The people there are earnest, simple, polite, raw.

The Rhino is my favorite spot there -- it serves as the local restaurant, poolhall and bar. Visitors, kids and locals mixed with ease. Food was suprisingly excellent, service cheerful, and an artist's touch -- notice the intricate landscaping of beer taps, license plates, and beer bottles. There's also a fine collection of police and sherrif patches on display, to the right and outside the picture. And a sailor-hatted rubber ducky on top of the ancient cash register. Cool.

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