I arrived yesterday at 1pm at Dougs. We immediately (more or less) went on a Schlafly's run for Bill (Crabby Bills) to buy, what else, beer. Afterwords we headed out. The public transportation system is great. (side note to dumb shit Walker: trains and busses will encourage people to visit your town/state).We took the train and then a bus to the Civil Life brew pub. It took a while to get there (45 minutes?) but it was well worth it.
Civil Life:
The pub is awesome. Pints are $5 and half pints are $2.50. What a novel concept: a set price per ounce. The bar has slate inset on the server side which is used for keeping track of tabs and calculating bills. They use chalk to record what you drink and eat and then you settle up at the end. It's all done on the slate. They are a cash only pub but their beer is served in maybe 30 different establishments around Saint Louis. I had a half pint of their APA which was very good and then had 2 half pints of their porter which was outstanding. Doug and I had subs (vegi for me) which were excellent. My sub had hot peppers on them so I was happy:)
We then caught the bus to go to the Shlafly Tap Room. I like this place better than Doug. It was loud and busy (lots of packer fans) but the beer was good (really awesome). I had a pint of their Tasmania IPA and a pint of their Stout. Both were very good.
We then headed (another bus ride) to the Urban Chestnut Brewing Company. I would like to go back as we spent very little time here. I had an IPA which was very good. I liked the ambiance of the place. They had a fire going outside in their 'beer garden'.
It was outstanding afternoon/evening of sampling local Saint Louis Brews. I loved all the beer, and all 3 locations were outstanding with outstanding servers.
We then headed back (had to wait maybe 20 minutes for our last bus) and went to a middle eastern restaurant. I had a vegetarian platter which was very good. I had a Schlafly Pale Ale with my meal. The restaurant had a belly dancer doing her thing between tables. All very interesting.
We finished our evening at Ciceros and I had a not so good IPA which Doug loves. Chain Breaker from Deschutes. It is a white IPA (whatever that means).
We went home and crashed.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Saturday, October 20, 2012
a 'Normal' town
On a side note: the FIB's reputation as speeders may be unfounded. The only asshole driver I saw was from Wisconsin and as far as speeding goes the Wisconsin drivers were fastest. I drove at 73 -74 mph and almost no drivers from Illinois passed me, but I passed a ton of them. Wisconsin drivers though regularly passed me. This begs the question then; Who are those Illinois assholes that come to Wisconsin? The answer is simple. The only Illinois residents that can afford to own property in Door County and Minoqua are the rich republicans (aka romneyites) who believe that no laws apply to them - and when caught they just buy their way out.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Michigan
On Saturday Doug (son #2) and I headed for Michigan to see my brother and his family. What a perfect opportunity to explore some brew pubs:)
First stop was the Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette ( http://www.blackrocksbrewery.com/ ). I had a Jasmine IPA. It was different but very good. We got there about 1pm and the place had a good Saturday afternoon crowd. They have as much outdoor seating as inside. It was an absolutely beautiful day to sit outside and sip a delightful brew. Pints were $3.50.
Blackrocks has been around for only a short time (2010 or 2011) but definitely know what they are doing. They don't serve food but you can order food to be delivered from other establishments. There is another brew pub in town (Ore Dock Breweryl ) that has a similar philosophy regarding food. Ore Dock even has a special from noon to 4pm on Tuesdays thru Fridays - a $1 off your pint if you bring your lunch.
My only complaint is that they were out of growlers - guess I have to head back to get one (and to visit Ore Dock).
On the way home to Two Rivers we made a detour to Marshfield and the Blue Heron Brew Pub. I love this place. The last time I was here I had their fantastic IPA, sadly this time they had neither a pale ale or an IPA. I had a pint of their nut brown - for a nut brown it was very good. I chose the nut brown since they have a special. Each day of the week they have a different beer of the day ($2.50/pint) - what would you have done? It was a nut brown day, so said the calendar.
They have 10 beers on tap and have a 6 beer sampler and a 10 beer sampler (3 oz each) so after our pint Doug and I split a 6 beer sampler before hitting the road.
Before leaving I bought a growler of their stout (which I'm drinking as I type). They had 2 different growlers, the $5 and the $25. The $5 one was your typical growler, while the $25 was really cool but sadly, not in the budget (maybe next time).
First stop was the Blackrocks Brewery in Marquette ( http://www.blackrocksbrewery.com/ ). I had a Jasmine IPA. It was different but very good. We got there about 1pm and the place had a good Saturday afternoon crowd. They have as much outdoor seating as inside. It was an absolutely beautiful day to sit outside and sip a delightful brew. Pints were $3.50.
Blackrocks has been around for only a short time (2010 or 2011) but definitely know what they are doing. They don't serve food but you can order food to be delivered from other establishments. There is another brew pub in town (Ore Dock Breweryl ) that has a similar philosophy regarding food. Ore Dock even has a special from noon to 4pm on Tuesdays thru Fridays - a $1 off your pint if you bring your lunch.
My only complaint is that they were out of growlers - guess I have to head back to get one (and to visit Ore Dock).
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| Patio at the Black Rocks Brewery |
After a pint we left for Grand Marais. It was a crazy trip. You need to understand that Grand Marais is in the middle of nowhere - it might be the most remote brewpub in the Continental US. So we leave Marquette and Doug types in Lake Superior Brewing Company to his IPhone and proceeds to tell me it's in the middle of nowhere. Now I have never been there, but am well aware that its in the middle of nowhere so I really didn't worry about it too much until 15 miles (give or take) down gravel roads that turned into damn near impassible roads. Don't always trust google. A bit of backtracking and some more back roads got us to Grand Marais.
The Lake Superior Brewing Company (Dunes Saloon http://www.grandmaraismichigan.com/LSBC/ ) is the place to be. We got there at 5ish on a Saturday and had to wait 5 to 10 minutes to get a beer. The bartenders were methodical but lacked a real sense of urgency. The waitress on the other hand was busting her ass.
This place was packed. Apparently the food is very good and there are many rustic campgrounds within 30 miles. When you have good food and beer and there is nothing else for miles around....
I had a pint (OK 2 pints, but Doug drove) of pale ale. It was good, not memorable but good. I bought a growler of their stout which also was quite good, but again, not memorable. I was disappointed that my growler, which on the shelf looked awesome, really wasn't. It is the only growler in my collection that has a glued on paper label.
We left and Doug drove down to US 2 where we got a $50 motel room for the night before heading south of the bridge - damn can that kid snore.
.JPG) |
| Grand Marais - Lake Superior Brewing Company |
They have 10 beers on tap and have a 6 beer sampler and a 10 beer sampler (3 oz each) so after our pint Doug and I split a 6 beer sampler before hitting the road.
Before leaving I bought a growler of their stout (which I'm drinking as I type). They had 2 different growlers, the $5 and the $25. The $5 one was your typical growler, while the $25 was really cool but sadly, not in the budget (maybe next time).
.JPG) |
| Me and the requisite pic at the Blue Heron |
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
When it rains...
Well it was raining, not hard mind you, but it was raining. What was I to do? I wanted to lay stone but it's not an activity to be done in the rain - when it rains one should find a brew pub.
We took off at noonish for Superior (or Duluth). I didn't make up my mind till we were in Superior and Deb was at the (damn) quilt shop. The Thirsty Pagan won out (they had an IPA on tap) - but we will be back and try out Duluth (if we can get past the Pagan).
The bar is awesome - it is the most unpretentious place you can imagine. They have decorated it with old beer memorabilia. It was happy hour and I had the India Pagan Ale (IPA) and Deb had an amber. I loved my beer, but as much as I enjoy an amber there was something about it that I didn't care for. It wasn't my beer though and Deb enjoyed it.
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While paying for the beer ($3.25/pint during a 3 hour daily happy hour) I asked about growlers (I had ice in the cooler - and to think, I was never a boy scout). She said the growler was $5 and $12 to fill it. I inwardly flinched as this was a tad too much for me although reasonable. She continued however with the information that Tuesday's special was a pizza (in house) and the growler was only $6 to fill. That was any pizza - it could have been a small plain cheese. Well I was kind of hungry.....
We ordered the medium (13") TPB special
The pizza came and I took one look and thought to myself that this pizza can't possibly taste as good as it looks - it actually was better. I can only think of one other pizza that I had that was better. This pizza was unbelievable. We only ate half of it. Can't wait till lunch (or my midnight snack).
This place has live music basically 6 nights a week and open mic on Sunday's - aah, to be rich enough to spend the night drinking the beer and listening to live music and then walk to the motel.
On our way home between Ashland and Hurley a bear lumbered across US 2 - and no, it wasn't a figment of my beer.
In the infamous words of Arnold, "I'll be back".
http://www.thirstypaganbrewing.com/
I would be negligent if I didn't mention the staff. The bartender, waitress and some employee when we entered were great. I love the Thirsty Pagan:)
We took off at noonish for Superior (or Duluth). I didn't make up my mind till we were in Superior and Deb was at the (damn) quilt shop. The Thirsty Pagan won out (they had an IPA on tap) - but we will be back and try out Duluth (if we can get past the Pagan).
The bar is awesome - it is the most unpretentious place you can imagine. They have decorated it with old beer memorabilia. It was happy hour and I had the India Pagan Ale (IPA) and Deb had an amber. I loved my beer, but as much as I enjoy an amber there was something about it that I didn't care for. It wasn't my beer though and Deb enjoyed it.
While paying for the beer ($3.25/pint during a 3 hour daily happy hour) I asked about growlers (I had ice in the cooler - and to think, I was never a boy scout). She said the growler was $5 and $12 to fill it. I inwardly flinched as this was a tad too much for me although reasonable. She continued however with the information that Tuesday's special was a pizza (in house) and the growler was only $6 to fill. That was any pizza - it could have been a small plain cheese. Well I was kind of hungry.....
We ordered the medium (13") TPB special
| 10" | 13" | 16" | |
| TPB Special Spicy Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions and green peppers. | $11.95 | $17.95 | $24.95 |
This place has live music basically 6 nights a week and open mic on Sunday's - aah, to be rich enough to spend the night drinking the beer and listening to live music and then walk to the motel.
On our way home between Ashland and Hurley a bear lumbered across US 2 - and no, it wasn't a figment of my beer.
In the infamous words of Arnold, "I'll be back".
http://www.thirstypaganbrewing.com/
I would be negligent if I didn't mention the staff. The bartender, waitress and some employee when we entered were great. I love the Thirsty Pagan:)
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Bull Falls Brewery
Yesterday Deb and I drove home and today I headed back (crazy huh?). Did laundry, shaved and ... yeah.
Today after my run (90 degrees in TR - unbelievable) headed to Sheboygan to visit Dave in the hospital and then headed north. Arrived in Wausau around 5:30 and found the tap room for Bull Falls Brewery ( http://www.bullfallsbrewery.com ). I had a .3 liter of their Five Star Ale which is an amber. It was very (very) good. The bar was crowded so they must be popular. Their beer list is heavy on the German type of beers and lagers. I really was only interested in the one that I had and their red ale. They do brew an oatmeal stout and an IPA but not available. I will definitely make a return visit.
Today after my run (90 degrees in TR - unbelievable) headed to Sheboygan to visit Dave in the hospital and then headed north. Arrived in Wausau around 5:30 and found the tap room for Bull Falls Brewery ( http://www.bullfallsbrewery.com ). I had a .3 liter of their Five Star Ale which is an amber. It was very (very) good. The bar was crowded so they must be popular. Their beer list is heavy on the German type of beers and lagers. I really was only interested in the one that I had and their red ale. They do brew an oatmeal stout and an IPA but not available. I will definitely make a return visit.
Home for a day.
Deb has to work at Silver Lake College today and tomorrow so we headed home from the cabin (I'm going back today). We (I) decided to go through Marinette to visit the Rail House Brewery. They have been around for awhile. We took US-2 across the UP and dropped south at Iron Mountain on US-141 then headed east on Highway 180 (scenic). It took us almost 5 hours to go 204 miles - yikes.
The trip did have the added advantage of going past the Riverside Liquors in Spread Eagle. Riverside is one of the few establishments that sells beer from the Black Husky Brewery in Pembine. Sadly they only had the wheat beer and I wanted their pale ale.
At the Rail House I had the Big Mac IPA and Deb had her usual nut brown. The beers were good and I would go back if I was in the neighborhood but wouldn't make that trip again (we still had 95 miles ahead of us). Surprisingly their pints were only $3.50 and it was happy hour (2 for 1). If I lived in the area it would be a place to stop after work:). Unfortunately due to the distance left (and time of day) I only had a 12 oz. for my second beer and Deb had none. It's still a damn good deal.
Gotta run.
The trip did have the added advantage of going past the Riverside Liquors in Spread Eagle. Riverside is one of the few establishments that sells beer from the Black Husky Brewery in Pembine. Sadly they only had the wheat beer and I wanted their pale ale.
At the Rail House I had the Big Mac IPA and Deb had her usual nut brown. The beers were good and I would go back if I was in the neighborhood but wouldn't make that trip again (we still had 95 miles ahead of us). Surprisingly their pints were only $3.50 and it was happy hour (2 for 1). If I lived in the area it would be a place to stop after work:). Unfortunately due to the distance left (and time of day) I only had a 12 oz. for my second beer and Deb had none. It's still a damn good deal.
Gotta run.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
A Valiant Attempt
On Wednesday it was supposed to rain. The plan was to use rain days for beer and visiting art stores. We decided it was the perfect day to go to Duluth. There is a brew pub there and in Superior along with several micro brewery's.
We left and the weather was beautiful. We stopped at a quilt shop in Ashland (ugh) and Deb came out saying that she heard on the radio that there was flooding in Duluth and travel there was strongly discouraged. I laughed thinking that Americans have become weak - the least little thing and we panic. We left and headed north taking the scenic route - we then stopped in Bayfield at another quilt shop (why me?) and while Deb was in the shop I went to the weather channel and checked out Duluth - and I felt foolish. This was really more than a little flooding - this was a 100 year type flood. So much for micro brews.
We head back to Ashland and stopped at the South Shore Brewery and had lunch and a pint. I had an American Pale Ale and Deb had her usual Nut Brown. I told the bartender to let management know that they should bottle the Pale Ale and she said she would pass the word. I was also told that they bottled some of the Pale Ale in 22 oz bombers and that I should be able to find them across the street at the liquor store. They had 2 left and I bought 1 (It's still in the fridge).
I guess we still have to head to Duluth:)
We left and the weather was beautiful. We stopped at a quilt shop in Ashland (ugh) and Deb came out saying that she heard on the radio that there was flooding in Duluth and travel there was strongly discouraged. I laughed thinking that Americans have become weak - the least little thing and we panic. We left and headed north taking the scenic route - we then stopped in Bayfield at another quilt shop (why me?) and while Deb was in the shop I went to the weather channel and checked out Duluth - and I felt foolish. This was really more than a little flooding - this was a 100 year type flood. So much for micro brews.
We head back to Ashland and stopped at the South Shore Brewery and had lunch and a pint. I had an American Pale Ale and Deb had her usual Nut Brown. I told the bartender to let management know that they should bottle the Pale Ale and she said she would pass the word. I was also told that they bottled some of the Pale Ale in 22 oz bombers and that I should be able to find them across the street at the liquor store. They had 2 left and I bought 1 (It's still in the fridge).
I guess we still have to head to Duluth:)
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Brew Fest
Well I guess it's time to report on the Brew Fest.
We arrived in Eagle River around noon and checked into the motel. At 1:30 we went downstairs to wait for the bus. There was probably 15 people from our motel that were going. Half of them had bag chairs, 'were they going to drink or sit?' We arrived early and checked in and waited. Before they dropped the rope separating the thirsty crowd from the beer the band played the old standby, In Heaven There Is No Beer, and we were off.
I made two mistakes. The first was my lack of foresight to bring pretzels. Many people had pretzel necklaces. Without something to cleanse the pallet between samples it all started to blend together. Of course to be honest I'm not sure how much cleansing the pallet would have helped after the first 15 samples.
The second mistake was the same one novice runners make when running races. They tend to be so pumped up that they start the race too fast. Well the brew fest was not a race but I sure started out too fast. Deb told me that, "although we have a bus to take us back you still have to be able to walk". In hindsight I should have started out slower, drank slower and ate pretzels. Four hours after beginning I could still walk:)
Black Husky tapped their IPA at 4pm on the dot. They were serving so fast they didn't even ask what you wanted - if you were there at 4 you were getting their IPA, which of course is why I was there. Needless to say, when I went back a half hour later they were out.
Sand Creek Brewery had some cool shirts - this of course being the coolest.
We arrived in Eagle River around noon and checked into the motel. At 1:30 we went downstairs to wait for the bus. There was probably 15 people from our motel that were going. Half of them had bag chairs, 'were they going to drink or sit?' We arrived early and checked in and waited. Before they dropped the rope separating the thirsty crowd from the beer the band played the old standby, In Heaven There Is No Beer, and we were off.
I made two mistakes. The first was my lack of foresight to bring pretzels. Many people had pretzel necklaces. Without something to cleanse the pallet between samples it all started to blend together. Of course to be honest I'm not sure how much cleansing the pallet would have helped after the first 15 samples.
The second mistake was the same one novice runners make when running races. They tend to be so pumped up that they start the race too fast. Well the brew fest was not a race but I sure started out too fast. Deb told me that, "although we have a bus to take us back you still have to be able to walk". In hindsight I should have started out slower, drank slower and ate pretzels. Four hours after beginning I could still walk:)
Ya gotta love the name of the home brewers club:)
Black Husky tapped their IPA at 4pm on the dot. They were serving so fast they didn't even ask what you wanted - if you were there at 4 you were getting their IPA, which of course is why I was there. Needless to say, when I went back a half hour later they were out.
Sand Creek Brewery had some cool shirts - this of course being the coolest.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Beer Fest
Next Saturday Deb and I are going to the Great Northern Beer Festival in Eagle River. It will be my first beer fest. We will be taking the brew fest shuttle from the motel to the festival. Can't wait:)
http://www.greatnorthernbeerfestival.com/
http://www.greatnorthernbeerfestival.com/
Black Husky
Yesterday (Saturday) I left early for the cabin sans Deb. I went through Pembine since the Black Husky Brewing Co. (http://www.blackhuskybrewing.com/) sells their beer at the Pembine Food Depot. All they had in stock was the Big Buck Brown and Honey Wheat Ale. Since I don't like wheat beers I bought a six pack of Big Buck Brown. I drove out to the brewery in hopes of being able to buy others but they were closed. The brewery is truly small - they don't even have a sign out front with the name of the brewery. They just has a sign by the driveway that said, closed. It was about 5 miles outside of Pembine - we're talking about out in the boonies.
The beer is interesting - I've had 2 and am still withholding judgment.
Monday update:
OK, I've had my third and I really enjoyed it. Can't wait to try more of their beer at the brew fest.
The beer is interesting - I've had 2 and am still withholding judgment.
Monday update:
OK, I've had my third and I really enjoyed it. Can't wait to try more of their beer at the brew fest.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Need to find a brew pub?
This is the perfect site to find a brew pub or brewery wherever you are
http://beermapping.com/brewery-maps/us-brewery-map/
http://beermapping.com/brewery-maps/us-brewery-map/
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
The Right Side
Somewhere north of Milwaukee
Averaged 38 mpg for the entire trip - mostly due to insane speeds - often traveling at 80 mph. 1100 miles down and 1300 for the return trip.
Averaged 38 mpg for the entire trip - mostly due to insane speeds - often traveling at 80 mph. 1100 miles down and 1300 for the return trip.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Home
Lots of room in the Fiat - just think how much beer I could have brought back if we had taken the Suburu:)
Poor Planning Results in an Awesome Surprise
We hit the trifecta - first the plan to go to Asheville, then the fateful excursion into the bowels of hell (Gatlinburg) and then yesterday. We were headed north in Indiana with the intention of stopping in Columbus Indiana to have a brew at the Power House Brewing Co. (www.powerhousebrewingco.com/) and then head north to spend the night in Indianapolis and sample the brews at the Oaken Barrel.Brewing Co. (www.oakenbarrel.com/). It sounded like a fine idea until Deb looked at her news updates from CNN on her iPhone and we realized the Indy 500 was yesterday. Not a good plan to go to Indianapolis. Once again a good plan gone awry. Not to fear though, we headed west to Bloomington after our stop at the Power House.
The power house was a quality brew pub. They had a Sunday Special - 20 oz beer and the glass was free. I mistakenly assumed it was a glass with their logo - it wasn't. I did buy one of their glasses though. My IPA was excellent although a pint would have been sufficient. Deb didn't enjoy her nut brown as much as I enjoyed my hopped up brew.
Me and my 20 oz glass at the Power House Brew Pub.
We then left and headed for Bloomington - a 45 mile ride through scenic country. The beauty of rural Indiana is not to be missed.
We arrived in town, found the Upland Brewing Co. (www.uplandbeer.com/) and then registered at the Motel 6 (a .8 mile walk). The pub was amazing. We had dinner, Deb had pizza and I had a Caesar salad. Since we were walking we had our fill of amazing brews. I had the IPA, porter and amber while Deb had 2 nut browns. The pub was a happening place - no employee ever stood still and yet our bartender said it was a "subdued Sunday". I have never seen so many growlers and six packs leave a brew pub. I would rate this pub a 10 out of 10 for food, beer and service.
Me and the requisite beer at the Upland Brew Pub:)
This morning after my run I was able to buy 5 six packs of Upland beer - 2 IPA's, 1 each of amber, porter and pale ale.
On to Illinois - can fibs brew beer? Only time will tell.
The power house was a quality brew pub. They had a Sunday Special - 20 oz beer and the glass was free. I mistakenly assumed it was a glass with their logo - it wasn't. I did buy one of their glasses though. My IPA was excellent although a pint would have been sufficient. Deb didn't enjoy her nut brown as much as I enjoyed my hopped up brew.
Me and my 20 oz glass at the Power House Brew Pub.
We then left and headed for Bloomington - a 45 mile ride through scenic country. The beauty of rural Indiana is not to be missed.
We arrived in town, found the Upland Brewing Co. (www.uplandbeer.com/) and then registered at the Motel 6 (a .8 mile walk). The pub was amazing. We had dinner, Deb had pizza and I had a Caesar salad. Since we were walking we had our fill of amazing brews. I had the IPA, porter and amber while Deb had 2 nut browns. The pub was a happening place - no employee ever stood still and yet our bartender said it was a "subdued Sunday". I have never seen so many growlers and six packs leave a brew pub. I would rate this pub a 10 out of 10 for food, beer and service.
Me and the requisite beer at the Upland Brew Pub:)
This morning after my run I was able to buy 5 six packs of Upland beer - 2 IPA's, 1 each of amber, porter and pale ale.
On to Illinois - can fibs brew beer? Only time will tell.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Following in my Grandmother's Footsteps (or not)
We googled Berea and found the Boone Tavern. I was aware that it wasn't a brew pub but one should be able to deviate from their primary goal occasionally, I would think. To Boone Tavern we went. What kind of tavern doesn't serve alcoholic beverages? Ya gotta wonder. The food was very good though.
The Blight of the Smokey Mountains
The route from Greenville to Gatlinburg was beautiful to say the least. It is, in my opinion, more beautiful than the Rockies. We were traveling close to dusk and the shadows etc were unbelievable. I would love to spend time in the mountains. We were on a mission to get to the next brew pub but found time to stop several times to enjoy the scenery.
Deb had the address of the pub in her iPhone and we (OK it was really Deb) made the decision to go past the pub before getting a room. We passed 1 or 2 motels that appeared to have rooms a mile or so out and then -
what the hell do I say here - the shit hit the fan.
We went from entering a quaint town to pure bedlam in less than a minute. Traffic moving at a snails pace, thousands of people, restaurants, bars and tourist crap. It was crazy. We finally made it to the end of town but there was no rooms available - and I wasn't going to backtrack through the hell we had gone through. We stopped at the last inn (they didn't have a no vacancy sign out) and they informed us there wasn't a room to be had. They suggested Pigeon Forge which was 7 miles away. We still had to backtrack but what the hell - we had to get out.
It was already getting dark and it had been a long day so off to Pigeon Forge we went. All I can say about Pigeon Forge is you could drop the Dells into the middle and it wouldn't make a splash. Miles of motels, amusement parks restaurants, amusement parks and lest I forget, Dolly World. The traffic was a nightmare - where did all these idiots come from. Who in there right mind would go there? We had honorable intentions - to drink craft beer - not go to freak shows and amusement parks. Not to worry though the brew pub we missed in Gatlinburg had another in Pigeon Hell. We found one motel with vacancy. They had 2 rooms left and insisted we had to take two nights. That wasn't happening. We got out as fast as we could and went to the interstate and got a room about 11pm.
what the hell is wrong with our society that this would be viewed as a 'fun' place to be? It truly is a blight on an otherwise incredibly beautiful place.
I'm not opinionated or anything, am I?
Deb had the address of the pub in her iPhone and we (OK it was really Deb) made the decision to go past the pub before getting a room. We passed 1 or 2 motels that appeared to have rooms a mile or so out and then -
what the hell do I say here - the shit hit the fan.
We went from entering a quaint town to pure bedlam in less than a minute. Traffic moving at a snails pace, thousands of people, restaurants, bars and tourist crap. It was crazy. We finally made it to the end of town but there was no rooms available - and I wasn't going to backtrack through the hell we had gone through. We stopped at the last inn (they didn't have a no vacancy sign out) and they informed us there wasn't a room to be had. They suggested Pigeon Forge which was 7 miles away. We still had to backtrack but what the hell - we had to get out.
It was already getting dark and it had been a long day so off to Pigeon Forge we went. All I can say about Pigeon Forge is you could drop the Dells into the middle and it wouldn't make a splash. Miles of motels, amusement parks restaurants, amusement parks and lest I forget, Dolly World. The traffic was a nightmare - where did all these idiots come from. Who in there right mind would go there? We had honorable intentions - to drink craft beer - not go to freak shows and amusement parks. Not to worry though the brew pub we missed in Gatlinburg had another in Pigeon Hell. We found one motel with vacancy. They had 2 rooms left and insisted we had to take two nights. That wasn't happening. We got out as fast as we could and went to the interstate and got a room about 11pm.
what the hell is wrong with our society that this would be viewed as a 'fun' place to be? It truly is a blight on an otherwise incredibly beautiful place.
I'm not opinionated or anything, am I?
Greenville SC or Asheville NC?
Yesterday I was up early and was looking at where to go Asheville NC and found out that it was smack dab in the middle of their 10 day brew fest. I decided it was foolhardy to go there and think I was going to get a room. Asheville the town with more than a dozen brew pubs, Memorial Day weekend and the brew fest - not a chance in hell.
We left Charleston around 10 am and decided while driving to head to Greenville SC and then decide what to do from there. Traveling with internet makes decisions very easy.
Entering Greenville it was as any other town, there was the usual assortment of factories, strip malls and the usual crap that makes cities uninviting. Deb was navigating using her iPhone doing the usual; turn left here, turn right there, etc. Suddenly we were on a broad, tree lined street with shops, bars and restaurants. To my amazement there was even a parking spot a block from the Blue Ridge Brewing Co. which was our destination.
I had a sampler - 3 small (emphasis on small) glasses of beer, pale ale, amber and stout. The beer was good and I decided I wanted a 12 oz glass of the pale ale and to my surprise that wasn't an option. She (bartender) was more than willing to pour me 12 oz but I was being charged for a pint - so much for responsible serving - I declined and they lost a sale.
While we were traveling to Greenville we made the fateful decision to head to Gatlinburg TN.
We left Charleston around 10 am and decided while driving to head to Greenville SC and then decide what to do from there. Traveling with internet makes decisions very easy.
Entering Greenville it was as any other town, there was the usual assortment of factories, strip malls and the usual crap that makes cities uninviting. Deb was navigating using her iPhone doing the usual; turn left here, turn right there, etc. Suddenly we were on a broad, tree lined street with shops, bars and restaurants. To my amazement there was even a parking spot a block from the Blue Ridge Brewing Co. which was our destination.
I had a sampler - 3 small (emphasis on small) glasses of beer, pale ale, amber and stout. The beer was good and I decided I wanted a 12 oz glass of the pale ale and to my surprise that wasn't an option. She (bartender) was more than willing to pour me 12 oz but I was being charged for a pint - so much for responsible serving - I declined and they lost a sale.
While we were traveling to Greenville we made the fateful decision to head to Gatlinburg TN.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Who Woulda Thunk?
Lunch time had us in downtown Charleston and I had a pint of a local brew (Pluff Mud Porter) from Holy City Brewery (www.holycitybrewing.com/).
The porter was delicious. Apparently due to the over abundance of churches in Charleston it is called the holy city. Begs the question then, is Cedar Grove the Holy Village?
Last evening Mike took me to the local Sunoco Station and I bought a growler of the Holy City Porter. Yep, that's right, get your growler filled while you gas up.
Here's a February 2012 link
http://www.abcnews4.com/story/17011500/a-new-way-to-fill-er-up-at-the-goose-creek-sunoco
We also went to a Total Wine and More store and I bought some more local brews. Unfortunately Holy City does not bottle. I bought 2 six packs from the Palmetto Brewing Company (www.palmettobrewingco.com/) in Charleston, 2 six packs from Thomas Creek Brewery (http://www.thomascreekbeer.com/) in South Carolina and 1 six pack from the SweetWater Brewery (http://sweetwaterbrew.com/) in Georgia.
The Fiat is getting full:( - looks like Deb might have to take the Greyhound home to make more room for beer.
Today is off to Ashville NC - can't wait:)
Thursday, May 24, 2012
A Barn Full:)
We got up early this morning and were on our way by 5am (6am Eastern). While doing some research for this trip I found the Liquor Barn which is a chain of gigantic liquor stores. As was expected they had a plethora of beer. I bought 4 different six packs from the Bluegrass Brewing Company (bbcbrew.com) from Lousiville and a six pack from the Great Lakes Brewing Company (greatlakesbrewing.com). I have seen beer from Great Lakes once before in Milwaukee and have never seen beer from Bluegrass. We were in a hurry so I didn't get to explore - but I believe I could try different beer every day for a year or two at the Liquor Barn
Lafayette Brewing Company
Yesterday we left work to head to South Carolina. Traffic as to be expected was not so swift in the Milwaukee Chicago area and we didn't make the expected destination of the Oaken Barrel (www.oakenbarrel.com) in Indianapolis. Instead we ended up in Lafayette at the Lafayette Brewing Company (www.lafayettebrewingco.com/) for a pint before we retired for the night. I had a pint of the Tippecanoe Common Ale which was very good. Deb had a wheat of some sort that she also enjoyed. Unfortunately we had to find a room, and as there was none within walking distance we had to leave after one - alas, so many beers and so little time:)
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