On my recent trip to San Francisco there were a few places I knew I absolutely needed to visit: the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and 826 Valencia. Not many people have heard of that last one - heck, the people at our hotel just raised an eyebrow when I asked if they knew how I could get to what's billed as San Francisco's only independent pirate supply shop.

Yep, you read right. And if piracy paraphernalia wasn't enough, the story of 826 Valencia made it a must-see for me. Founded by Dave Eggers (author and McSweeney's editor), 826 Valencia is a nonprofit tutoring centre with a twist. The team found the perfect location for their writing workshops but were told that, due to zoning, they were required to also have a storefront. The team decided that a pirate supply store would be best, and all proceeds from the sales would go directly to funding the free student programs!

To clarify, this is not a store that sells pirate toys. This is a store that sells supplies to pirates, like glass eyes, "scurvy begone", eye patches and leeches that cure gangrene. What's more, a local SF-based design agency was given the enviable task of designing the packaging for each product! Pirate supplies, literacy AND great packaging design? Now you can see why 826 Valencia HAD to be on my itinerary.

The shop has been so successful in raising money for the kids, they've since opened other centres in cities across America including Seattle (space travel supply) and New York (super hero supply).

You can learn more and even buy your own pirate supplies at their website: www.826valencia.org