The Foggiest Idea

I love this little vintage/​thrift/​antique store in Downtown Benicia. I first found it in 2012 while searching for brooches to use in my wedding bouquet. On that trip I found instead an adorable 1960s style beach cover-​up 2-​piece ($ 40) that I wore on my honeymoon.
Since then I have found many other items in here that have made their way home. Most recently, a black cat backpack ($ 15) that I plan to take to Burning Man. (I have a matching one in white that I’ve taken out there for several years, so I was really excited to find something new!)
The woman running the store is very nice and happy to talk about the items and their history. Prices are non-​negotiable, but fair.

The Foggiest Idea is a little slip of a store, mere steps off of Benicia’s main drag and around the corner from Camellia Tea Room. There’s parking — albeit limited — on the tiny shared lot.
I have found the most random assortment of things at this store, such as past copies of cooking magazines for a quarter (a damn good price for an issue of Cook’s Illustrated, which never goes out of style), a vintage fold-​out yard stick, collectible Pyrex bowls, Beanie Babies, and penguin earrings (don’t ask), to name a few.
The owner also has a nice little collection of old glass insulators in a rainbow of colors (more on that here:
), as well as branded paper weights fashioned after those same insulators.
Be sure to drop in whenever you’re shopping in the area, especially if you’re looking for a unique gift. Tip: Take the time to chat with the owner… she’s a nice lady with interesting stories to tell.