Day 19

When I got up, I was very glad to see that the sun was out.  The rain has been frustrating because it has followed us everywhere.  We planned on going to downtown Richmond for a ride on a bike trail, but, due to time constraints, decided to just bike around the hotel area.  We only did about 4 miles on the bikes, but were able to get cleaned up and packed just in time to check out.  It was nice to be able to cook breakfast, since we had a full kitchen.  They had an okay continental on site, but we both wanted eggs, so I made them myself.  The Extended Stay America was such a nice place, we hated to leave, but it was time to move on.  We headed to Toano to Brass Cannon first, which was a very small operation.  They have only been open for a little over a year, but they had a certain charm.  We got a tour from the worker and it was interesting to chat with him about our travels.  I especially liked the way in which they repurposed much of their equipment…some even coming from pharmaceutical companies.  We were able to taste 6 brews for $4. 

We next went to Williamsburg Alewerks and tasted 6 beers for another $4.  The worker was very knowledgeable about their beers and also very interested in hearing about the different places we have traveled.  We both really enjoyed their beers and bought a mixed 6 pack to take down to the Outer Banks.  Ty bought a shirt and a pack of labels of discontinued brews.  We lucked out that it rained during the tasting, but the sun was shining when we left.

Saint George’s was next in Hampton, VA.  The tasting room was busy, but the people were pretty nice.  The tastings were free and we shared a flight of 7 of their beers.  Some did not have much flavor, but the Imperial Bock was so impressive, we decided to buy tall bottles of each of the Imperials which were only $5 each.  I was really glad that they were warm, so we did not have to worry about keeping them cold in the cooler.  The challenge now is to keep them sheltered from the sun so that they do not get skunky. 

Onward we headed to O’Connor’s in Norfolk.  This was a small place, but one of our favorites thus far.  The workers were really cool and the beers were all good.  There wasn’t a single brew which was hard to drink…meaning, no wheat nor Belgian styles.  We got a growler of their Black IPA and I was really glad that it fit in the cooler. 

The last stop brewery-wise was Smartmouth.  This was one of the most disappointing places, since they really did not live up to their name, nor were their beers all that tasty.  The place was packed and it took a while to get served.  It was also difficult to find a place to settle in.  It seemed as though it could be a cool place to come and chill with a group of friends, but we weren’t feeling it too much at the time.

We found the Sun Suite hotel pretty easily, but it was difficult to unpack the car, since we were put on the second floor and the elevator was not reliable.  The place is a little shady, but not the worst one we’ve occupied on our travels.  The wifi is not great here, so we'll add pictures soon.

I found a place similar to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner, which was very close to the hotel.  We did not have any lunch, so we were both pretty hungry.  We settled in for the night early, which has been refreshing.  I am so glad we did not end up eating dinner past 8 and am enjoying being able to relax at 8:30.  We are really looking forward to being in one place for more than a day starting tomorrow.  Staying at the beach house for a full week sounds great right now.  I cannot wait to be able to spend time with family, catch some sun, some waves, and some miles on my bike.

Day 18

We woke up to a pretty decent breakfast.  Since we had a microwave, we were able to make egg whites.  We also walked around downtown Charlottesville and it did not rain too badly.  We did not ride the bikes because we were afraid if was going to rain too much.  After walking around a bit, we headed to downtown Richmond.  We had a nice lunch at the Capital Ale House.  I had some sauerkraut and Ty had a stuffed pretzel with sauerkraut and horseradish, which was delicious. 

I saw a fountain on our way to the Capital Ale House which looked enticing, so we stopped by for a photo opp.

We thought about maybe walking around the touristy area of Carytown, but instead decided to head straight to the hotel.  I am so glad we did!  I didn’t feel great, so I was really happy that we were able to check in early and I was able to lie down for 20 minutes, before heading back out to the breweries. 

We went to Hardywood Brewery, which was okay.  Their Bourbon Bru was delicious as well as their IPA.  From there, we went to Strangeways Brewery.  We did not like the beer at Strangeways at all because they were all brewed with Belgian yeast, which gave them all a Belgian flavor.  The ladies who worked there were great, but their beers were definitely lacking.

We decided instead, to head to a dive bar called Commercial Taphouse and Grill.  I am so glad we did.  The bar tender was really engaging and knew his beers.  We were able to talk about different breweries we have visited and had good conversation as well as good food.  It was nice to talk to someone else about different breweries that we have visited.

From there, we headed to The Tavern, which was okay, but not great.  Ty got a six pack of Hopsecutioner from Terrapin from the Cork and Keg and then we headed back to the hotel. 

We agree that this is the best place we have stayed thus far.  We decided to turn in relatively early and just enjoy the room along with Big Daddy.  We have a big day tomorrow, and I am not feeling in tip top shape.

Day 17

After two nights at home, it is time to get back on the road. Since the New York and Philly part of the trip did not work out, we now have more time to explore Virginia as we head to the Outer Banks. This is our new agenda for the second part of the trip. I hope it all works out well and that we have some time to get on our bikes as well.

The girls were so happy to see us they could not leave us alone.  From the moment we got home to the moment we left, Drom wanted affection.  Addie had me up at 5 crying, then again at 7:30, then yet again at 8:30.  I decided to give in and just get up.  Of course, as soon as I did get up, she was content and stopped crying.  She doesn’t really want anything more than us not sleeping…it’s quite frustrating.  We were able to get a good 6 mile ride in before it started to rain too much, and we hit the road a little after eleven. 

I was a little surprised with the route in which the navigation took us to get to Devil’s Backbone Brewery, but we got there without a problem.  Of course, it started to downpour right before we pulled into the parking lot.  We decided to wait a few minutes and got lucky that it calmed down a little shortly thereafter.  We had a flight of 10 of their brews and did not like about half of them.  There were some, especially the stout and the 8 point IPA, which were delicious.  Their Vienna Lager and 8 Point IPA are beers that I already know I like quite a bit. 

On our way to Devil’s Backbone, we saw the Wild Wolfe Brewing Company sign.  We remembered Wilde Wolf from the NOVA Brewfest, but they did not appear on beermapping.com, which is how we organized the trip.  We decided to stop in, since it was right there.  I am so glad that we did.  The bar tender was awesome and lots of fun.  She really knew the beers and was very entertaining.  We were able to get 11 samples for $11…not bad.  Their beers had a lot of flavor, which was much appreciated.  The best was a collaboration Imperial IPA, which was brewed with other establishments such as Devil’s Backbone, Starr Hill, South Street, and Blue Mountain.

Our next stop was Blue Mountain Brewery and Hop Farm.  Their Stout was amazing, but the bar tender wasn’t very interactive nor interesting, and their other beers were okay.  I am glad we didn’t stay long, but also glad we popped in.

Starr Hill was next.  It was a little difficult to find the entrance, but we found it on the second try.  We walked through a warehouse in order to find the front office, and then the workers pointed us to the tasting area.  The rest of the brewery was pretty wide open, but we did not see any tour opportunities.  I really like their Northern Lights IPA and was interested to see what else they had to offer.  Their stout was appalling due to the very smoky flavor it possessed.  The look on my face when I tasted it must have been priceless, because the workers there cracked up.  We picked up a 6 pack of their Imperial IPA, which we were unable to taste, but we hope that it is good. 

Then, it was time to check into the Super 8.  It was pretty easy to find and the room was good sized and clean.  It was about 7:30, so we thought it would be good to find some dinner.  We looked on Yelp for some guidance, but it took a while to find something which appealed to us.  We settled on heading to downtown and then either finding the South Street Brewing Company or another place which was very close.  It was difficult to find parking, but we finally found a spot for free. 

We went to the South Street place because I really wanted sauerkraut.  Ty got a brat, which came with a really good cheese sauce and spicy mustard.  The brat didn’t have a lot of flavor, but the condiments made up for it.  Ty sampled “Honey, I can explain” and their stout.  I ordered a Hurricane, but the best I could get was a very strong rum drink with a splash of pineapple juice.  It was so strong, I could not nor did I want to drink it.  I was very appreciative to the bar tender that he ended up not charging me since I barely drank any of the beverage.

From South Street, we did not want to head back just yet, so we headed toward downtown, even though it was slightly raining.  We sought out refuge at Citizen Burger, which had some interesting mixed drinks on the menu.  I had a spicy Tito’s vodka drink with fresh jalapenos and Ty had a rye whisky and ginger beer concoction.  The rain was getting even worse, so we headed to the car.  I wore slippery flip flops and instantly regretted it.  We also left the umbrella in the car, of course.  We made it to the car safely and unscathed, but soaking wet.  We got back to the Super 8 and I promptly took a nice warm shower. 

We discovered a game show hosted by Jane Lynch called Hollywood Game Night, which was quite entertaining.

Date	Place	Breweries	Stay
Tuesday 9th	CT to Waldorf (5.5 hours)	None	Home
Wednesday 10th	Waldorf	None	Home
Thursday 11th	Waldorf to Charlottesville (2.5 hours)	Devils Backbone 1-7 (Lexington) Blue Mountain 11-10 (Afton) Starr Hill 12-6 (Crozet) Champion 4-11 (Charlottesville)	Super 8 390 Greenbrier Drive, Charlottesville, Va.
Friday 12th	Charlottesville to Richmond (1 hour)	Midnight 4-9 (Rockville) Strangeways 4-9 (Richmond) Hardywood 4-9 (Richmond)	Extended Stay America 6807 Paragon Place, Richmond, Va.
Saturday 13th	Richmond to Norfolk (1.5 hours)	Brass Cannon 12-7 (Toano) Williamsburg 12-5:30 (Williamsburg) St. George 10-4 (Hampton) Smartmouth 12-7 (Norfolk) O’Connor 12-7 (Norfolk)	Somewhere in Norfolk
Sunday 14th	Norfolk to Jarvisburg, NC (1 hour)	Weeping Radish	Beach House

Day 16

Today was a busy day.  I want the second leg of our trip to be a little healthier than the first, so I went grocery shopping for lots of veggies.  Instead of having pretzels and trail mix as road snacks, I chopped up celery, carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and green peppers and put them in little sandwich bags so that we could easily have those as snacks instead.  I also packed up the layered salads that I normally make Ty for lunch at school.  I take a mason jar and put the salad dressing on bottom and then layer the jar with different veggies ending with the lettuce on top.  They last a couple of days, which will be good for our adventure.
I got another hair cut because it was getting a bit long and I want it nice and short for the beach.  I can play around and don't need to worry about being professional now :-)
I also got out on my bike, Bobby, for a little over 9 miles and was so happy to get the ride in before the storms hit!  It was too hot and humid for Ty, so I was on my own.  I made some blackened tilapia, corn on the cob, and steamed asparagus for dinner.  I'm so happy to be cooking again.
Meanwhile, Ty added pictures from the Toronto part of the trip to the blog (so check them out) and booked hotels for us to stay in for tomorrow and Friday.  I look forward to heading out again tomorrow, but it has been nice to check in at home first.  I am especially glad that I was able to go grocery shopping and I could pick up my good knife.  I hate chopping with a dull knife.  The only reason I didn't bring it on the first leg was my worries about crossing into and out of Canada.  I was also able to pack some ingredients for the big cooking competition.  We so look forward to competing against the family for yet another year...and are hoping for another victory :-)

Day 15

We got up pretty early after a frustrating night.  It’s tough to not know what lies ahead of you for the next day.  We considered many different options and after much deliberation, decided to head home and then explore mighty state of Virginia before heading down to the Outer Banks.  The drive took about 6.5 hours and we only hit about an hour of traffic in NYC on Interstate 95.  Other than that, the drive was fairly smooth until DC, which of course, is expected.  The car is still stuttering a bit, but he’s making it through.  We may end up taking Zoe for the rest of the adventure…we’ll see.  We got home around 5:30 and were able to unpack the car and I made a dinner consisting of corn on the cob and blackened tilapia which we purchased from Nick’s on the way home.  The girls were VERY happy to see us and have forced their love upon us since we walked in the door.
It was also nice to see the garden doing well.

We will be spending tomorrow grocery shopping and preparing for the next leg of our trip which will begin on Thursday, when we head to Devil’s Backbone and Star Hill among other breweries with a possible stay in Charlottesville, Virginia.  We may head to Richmond on Friday, then toward Norfolk for Saturday.

Day 14

Well, we ended up spending most of the day in the car, instead of out and about on the bikes.  I have a feeling this is going to change tomorrow.  We woke up and wanted to head to Boston so that we could get to New Haven at a decent hour to get to explore the city.

We got to Sam Adam’s at quarter to noon, which was great since the next tour started at noon.  Parking was a bit of a hassle, especially considering it was before noon on a Monday, but not too terrible. They had some interactive displays for the guests to explore while they wait.  I could have spent hours in front of the computer which allowed you to watch videos from the brewers themselves and learn about all the different varieties they make.

The tour was awesome!  The tour guide was very engaging and funny.  The tour itself was pretty typical in the information given, but Jake made it very entertaining.

We were able to then experience the Boston Lager, the Summer Ale, and the Brick Red Irish Red Ale from his perspective.  He analyzed the beers as we all drank them together in the tasting room.  He especially described how the Boston Lager hits your mouth in different ways.  He also described in detail the way the glass is contoured to emphasize the beer in certain ways.  Surprisingly, Ty singled himself out during the tasting session by asking if it would be bad form to ask other tables if they needed assistance in finishing their pitchers (each table was given a pitcher of each style of beer to analyze and consume).  Jake laughed and said it would only be appropriate.  The rest of our table appreciated Ty’s assertiveness.  Overall, it was one of the best tours on which we have been.

We were tempted to head to the pub nearby where you could get a free glass from touring the brewery, but we did have a 2.5 hour drive ahead of us, so I really just wanted to hit the road.  It’s a good thing we did, because Boston traffic was horrendous.

We made it to New England Brewing around 4 and we were not exactly welcomed in the same fashion as other breweries.  This place was very small and the workers were doing their thing.  There was also a guard dog tied to the front which was a little strange.  The dog ended up being friendly along with the people, once we got to know them.  The main guy reminded me of John Goodman playing an antisocial character.  He was not open and inviting, but once we told him about our journey, he gave us a personal tour and described the process in great detail.  He was not a brewer himself, but was particularly descriptive in regards to the canning process.  They just purchased a new canning device which is not even hooked up yet.  After the tour, we sampled two of their beers.  One was a very good Double IPA and the other was a Belgian.  We decided to buy a growler of the IPA since it was tasty and he went out of his way to give us a personal tour.  We got to talking about different Vermont beers, and he cracked open a can of the Alchemist Heady Toddy, which we were told is the best beer in America right now.  We attempted to visit that brewery yesterday, but were unable to, since they were closed…although the information we were given about the brewery said they were open daily.  It all worked out in the end.  The Heady Toddy was disappointing, but the guys at New England were great.  I got a new Untappd friend who stopped by to fill some growlers and talk beer with us as well.  He suggested we go to Delaney’s for their selection and Mikro for dinner.  Mikro supposedly has amazing food and a great beer selection.

From New England, we found our motel, which ended up being in a much shadier part of town than expected.  We unloaded the car, refilled the coolers with ice, and headed to Delaney’s.  There was a retired teacher sitting at the bar which I immediately struck up conversation with and we found another New England beer on tap which was not available at the brewery any longer.  We had a good experience, but had to keep on moving.  We went to Mikro, and I was very disappointed in both their beer selection and the fact that the item I wanted to order from the menu was not available, due to a lack of tofu.  It sounded delicious, but I was out of luck.  I ended up getting a typical salad, but Ty had a very good pork belly fancy sandwich with homemade fries.  We met some interesting people while there, including one of the workers from New England.  He made a point to come over to us since he recognized us.  I thought that was really nice. 

Next, we followed another lead to a place uniquely named “Bar” in downtown.  The downtown area looked awesome and I hope to explore that tomorrow morning.  I had a ginger mojito, which was delicious and Ty tried two of their own IPAs.  I was under the impression that Mikro made their own beers, which is one reason I was disappointed in them.  Bar had their own and they were pretty good.  I was afraid of being too old, since we were basically in the Yale University hang out area, but there were either parents or professors there hanging out as well. 

We decided to head back to the hotel around 9:30 to upload pictures, write this, and figure out what in the world we are going to do from here.  I have not heard a word from my buddy in NYC, so I think we’ll skip that part, and explore more in Pennsylvania and perhaps Delaware instead.  I have a feeling the real adventurous part of our excursion is ahead of us in the next couple of days.

Day 13

which negated our plans to bike around downtown Burlington, which is a shame.  I looked so forward to biking on the trail I found last night.  Instead, we waited around until coffee and breakfast was available and bought an umbrella at a drug store which was on the way to downtown.  Of course once we got to downtown, it stopped raining, but we were able to get in a good walk around the water and around downtown.  We both loved Burlington!  If we ever disappear for a while, you might want to look for us in Burlington, Vermont.  The city was amazing and the people are so friendly!

Magic Hat was our first real destination for the day. 

I hate the #9 brew which is their most popular and wasn’t really looking too forward to what else they would have, but was pleasantly surprised by the people and their Imperial Pilsner.  I do not normally like a Pilsner, but this was the best one I’ve ever had.  It actually had flavor.  They allow you to have 4 tasters for free, but we lucked out and got 5.  Then, we went on a self-guided tour since the guided tour didn’t start until 2.  It was pretty cool and the technology made it interactive.  


One of the workers made a point to tell us that we had to go to the Alchemist because they had the #1 beer in the country right now.  We did not have that brewery on our itinerary, but I was willing to make an exception if it was that good.  We decided to head to the Alchemist, but unfortunately, they were not open on Sunday, even though our informational map said they were open 7 days a week.  We did not let that get us down.  We stopped for gas and lunch consisting of leftovers from the night before and powered on to Long Trail. 

We found out why they have the name Long Trail.  Some of the roads we had to take to get to Long Trail were quite harsh, but it was worth the trek.  

The scenery was beautiful, but it was quite a long trip to Long Trail. There were many nice mountains along the way that helped make the trip not seem so long but...

 Ty still got a little bored as he took pictures of the scenery.

 We finally made it to Long Trail.

Had we not had the leftovers, I am sure we would have had lunch at Long Trail because their menu looked great and the place smelled wonderful.  Their beers were impressive, and we shared a sampler.  We also got a few extra samples for free and we tipped the bartender extra for the bonus samples. 

I love the Harpoon IPA, but I wasn’t really expecting much more from the brewery than what I am accustomed to.  Boy, was I wrong. 

It took a while to get service, but it was worth the wait.  Our bartender, Josh, was a hoot.  He got us more tasters than we really wanted, and also poured us a mixture of their Rye IPA along with their Imperial IPA which was delicious.  He asked us ahead of time, once he got to know our tastes, if we trusted him to just pour a full pint and we agreed.  I am so glad we did!  They used to brew an Imperial Rye, but they discontinued it for some reason.  This mixture was his way of recreating that beer.  While the side of sauerkraut I ordered never came through because the kitchen was closing, we had a really good time and Ty’s side order of fries was enough to tide us over.

From there, we headed to Manchester.  We ran into quite a bit of rain and several police officers pulling over people for speeding.  I was careful not to speed (too much), so we were all set.  There was no brewery in the area, but it seemed like a good place to stay.  We wanted to have dinner at Milly’s Pub, but we did not get there until after 7:30, and they closed at 7.  Instead, we thought we should probably find a place to stay, so we booked a room at the Econo-Lodge and settled in.  We found a place called the Strange Brew for dinner and had a great late meal.  We didn’t end up getting there until 8:30.  I hate eating that late, but it was really good and the bartender was entertaining.  After dinner, we headed to The Farm for a mixed drink which was nice because we got a good walk in between.  We both ordered delicious drinks, so it all worked out. 

We got back to the Econo-Lodge and decided where were going to stay for tomorrow after quite a bit of research of different reviews.  I hope that tomorrow we will spend less time in the car and more time walking and biking around.  We shall see. 

Day 12

I tried to find different bike trails in the area, but had a hard time making a decision on which to choose.  It came down to just biking right around the Econo-Lodge where we found a park.  There was also a trail which was close by, but it was more like a small path than a bike trail.  We made a couple rounds of the park and then headed back to the motel to get cleaned up and have some breakfast.  I am so glad I bought instant espresso to add to the weak coffee provided and I learned that you can microwave egg whites.  We are saving a lot of money by eating breakfast out of the cooler.  The travel kit of spices my sister got me is coming in handy as well…thanks, Ams.

The breweries today may have tours if the brewers are on site, but there are no guarantees.  We’ll see.  We do not have set accommodations for this evening, so we may have quite the adventure today.

What a day!  We headed to Olde Saratoga Brewing Company first.  The website said that they opened at 11, but they did not open until noon.  I am glad we did not get there any earlier.  We showed up at quarter till noon, so only had a short wait.  We also were not the first ones there; one couple was waiting when we arrived.  When they did open the doors, we were impressed with the look of the place, but the server was grumpy.  Apparently, they got a new head brew master recently, who does not allow tours, so many people show up and are disappointed and he has to deal with them.  They do give free tastings, so Ty and I were perfectly happy.  We’ve seen so many breweries; we are okay without touring every single one.  Ty wore his Dogfish Head t-shirt, which spurred conversation with a group of people.  We told them about our adventure and they told us about the breweries they have seen.  That’s what I am looking for on this adventure; people to talk to about different beers and what breweries have good things to offer.  We ended up buying a growler of their IPA for only $7.  I was happy that they were more than willing to fill growlers from other breweries for no extra charge.

From Saratoga Springs, we headed to Middlebury, Vermont.  I was very excited to get to the border, since I’ve never been to Vermont.  We had good luck with traffic because most of the bad traffic was going in the opposite direction for some reason.  We passed an outlet mall, and we were very happy to get passed that as soon as possible.  The drive was gorgeous the entire way…although a little long to Middlebury.  The check engine light is still on even though we have used a fuel additive and the bad Canadian gas should be out…still, the car tends to shudder when the air conditioning is on.  Due to this, we are trying not use the AC unless we start to collect pools of sweat. 

We found the Drop In Brewery easily and were very happy to use a restroom.  The girl working there was great!  She really knew her brews and told us about a Vermont Passport, which is a little document that you get stamped as you travel to the different Vermont Breweries.  If you reach 4, you get a beer opener magnet, at 10, you get a “Drink Vermont” t-shirt, and if you get to all 27, you get a collector’s set of Vermont “Beer Gear”, whatever that is.  We decided to accept the challenge, but they only had one passport left.  We originally thought we would visit 6, but with the incentive of a t-shirt, decided to squeeze in a few more.  What added to the challenge was the fact that we were not going to be in Vermont for long, and mostly on a Sunday.  This made our adventure for today much longer than expected.  She told us about some places that we should really check out in Burlington, which is where Magic Hat is located and we planned on going to tomorrow, but instead found ourselves there tonight.

We planned on biking to Otter Creek from Drop In, but with the new time constraints and the road conditions, we decided to drive.  It was only 2.2 miles away, but I’m glad we drove, since the street signs were really hard to follow, due to their absence in several key places.  Otter Creek did not have free samples, but we were able to get six 4 ounce samples for $6.50, which we shared.  Yes, people, I do not drink full pints as we are on this journey…that would be ridiculous!  Ty on the other hand, would enjoy that very much, but I reel him in and make him share little tasting glasses J  Otter Creek has the best Wheat beer I have ever tried!  It did not taste like a typical wheat, but instead had a subtle cinnamon flavor which I enjoyed.  The other beers were okay.  For a beer by beer analysis, you can find us on Untappd.  My username is Swil and Ty’s is teddysalinger. They also had more passports, so I got one as well so I could get my own t-shirt.   

After Otter Creek, we headed back to Drop In so I could get the passport stamped, and so that Ty could get some of the beer he wanted and should have just bought in the first place. Then, we were going to check out Fiddlehead, but upon recommendation of the Drop In chick, decided to go to Bobcat Café and Brewery.

It was only a 5 mile detour from our original plan.  We were able to get $2 samples of a few of their beers, which were pretty tasty.  I enjoyed their Brown Ale, which had more bite than normal.  The people there were also very nice.  So far, people from Vermont have been very friendly.  Ty has been collecting stickers from all the places which carry them and ended up getting one for free at the Bobcat.  Most of the stickers have been free, but they charge a dollar.  Ty asked for a sticker after we paid our bill and was reaching for his credit card, but the bar tender told him not to worry about it, and just gave it to him. 

Next, we got back on the road to go to Fiddlehead, which was the brewery I was looking forward to the most. We got to the brewery, which is attached to a pizza place that is byob, so many people buy beer from the brewery and then head over to the pizza place for food. We were disappointed to find out that they only had two beers on tap at the time. They had one weak Summer Ale and a decent IPA. Overall, not too impressive, but Ty got a couple of stickers, so it was not a total loss; although he had to pay a dollar for each one.

We then headed to Burlington to check out a few of the places before turning in for the night. First, we went to Vermont Pub and Brewery, but their menu and prices were so good, we decided to head to Zero Gravity Brewery which is in a flatbread shop that got all of its ingredients from local farmers.  While the food smelled great, we are not really pizza eaters, so we didn’t want to order food there.  The IPA was okay, but Ty really enjoyed both their cask IPA and a Peated IPA.  I thought it was disgusting, but then again, I do not enjoy peated scotch, so I guess it is to be expected.  We did enjoy the company of some of the locals as well as some fellow travelers. 

The Vermont Pub and Brewery came next, and I was so happy to have chips and salsa as an appetizer and then we shared a flight of eight of their brews.  Overall, the beers were okay, the best was the Plymouth Rock ESB, which was a collaboration between them and Drop In, which we visited earlier.  I had a salad which was very reasonably priced and Ty had a chicken wrap.  The wrap could have been more flavorful, but was adequate to feed that belly full of beer. 

Next came the fun part of finding accommodations for the night.  We thought we might camp, but were hesitant due to all the rain we have encountered as well as the absence of an air mattress.  We don’t want to wake up sore and have to be on the road all day, so we stopped into a few places to inquire about prices for rooms.  The first place looked quite shady.  We could not find the front office, and it appeared as though people lived in the facility.  It also looked as though you could rent it by the hour, so we decided to keep going.  Also, one of the vehicles in the parking lot did not have any windows, but rather, a towel covering the window, so I think we made a good decision.  We saw on our way into town that there were several options open to us, and we settled on the cheapest we could get.  We ended up finding a clean room with a queen sized bed for $60.  We got free ice and free wifi, so I guess it worked out fine.  We did have a lot to write about after all. 

We look forward to what shenanigans we will encounter tomorrow on our quest through Vermont and into New Hampshire.