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.