Portland and Seattle

It's been a while since I've posted, but thought that I would give an update on my most recent trip. I ventured my way out to the Pacific Northwest at the end of April. It was my first trip and added states 41, 42 and 43 to my list. Only Idaho, Alaska, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma and Kansas remain. I spent a couple of nights in Portland and one in Seattle. After getting in late Thursday Night to Seatac (Seattle Tacoma Airport area), we drove down to Portland. We got a hotel on the east side of town out near the Columbia Gorge. We woke up early Friday morning and took a little trip out the scenic 15 mile drive that runs along I-84. In all, we saw 4 or 5 waterfalls, one that was more than 500 feet and it was just simply amazing. If you have the time, it seems like a great place to hike. After spending a couple of hours out in the gorge, we headed to downtown Portland to check into our hotel. We stayed at the Westin, which is an older boutique type hotel that was very pleasant. The bar downstairs was nice, as were the servers and bartenders. There were very insightful on places and things to do in the area. After checking into the hotel, we went over to Widmer Brothers, Caroline's choice for the 1 of 30 something brewpubs within the area. We had an appetizer (a fantastic cheese dip with sausage) while enjoying a couple of samplers that included every beer on their list. I enjoyed just about all of them, except for their flagship beer, the hefeweizen. It's just not my style. After the samplers, we took the tour of the brewery. It was very entertaining and would rank just behind New Belgium overall. They gave out free pint glasses and bottle openers, which is always a plus. After leaving Widmer, we went to a place called McMenamins. It is also a local brew pub just down the street from Widmer. We had another appetizer (Scooby Snacks, little bitesize corndogs without the stick, simply amazing) while sampling a couple of their beers. The Hammerhead was my favorite of the bunch. After enjoying the beers at both McMenamins and Widmer, we went back to the hotel to get ready for our anniversary dinner. Before heading out to Portland Grill, we stopped at the Hotel bar for a couple of drinks. Caroline enjoyed some kind of fruity drink, while I got my first Fat Tire of the trip. It was as good as it always is. For dinner, there simply cannot be a better place in Portland. The Portland City Grill is located on the 30th floor of a large office building within the CBD. I had the best steak I have ever tasted and the view is simply top notch. It offers views of the Willamette River and Mt. Hood, an 11,000+ peak that soars over the city of Portland. After dinner, we went back to the hotel to relax. After waking up on Saturday morning, we went to Voodoo Donuts, a very unique donut shop close to our hotel. Caroline got a normal crueller, as well as a Cock'N'Balls. It's a very large penis shaped donut that was for her roommate would was celebrating her 21st birthday that weekend. I got a chocolate cake donut with cocoa puffs and a chocolate glazed with peanut butter and rice krispies. They were definitely some of the best donuts I have ever had, not to mention the most unique. They offer many different assortments including just about any kind of cereal, donut combination. After our donuts, we made our way up I-5 to Seattle. Along the way, we caught several nice views of both Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier. Mt. Rainier is amazing. It soars over everything that is around it. On a clear day, its visible from Seattle. Upon arriving in Seattle, we made our way to Elysian Fields Brewery. The food and beers were average, but it has a great location near Safeco. Safeco is one of the nicer stadiums that I have been to. We got seats about 30 rows behind homeplate for $25 each, less than half of the face value price. We didn't have any ballpark food, but the philly's looked really good. We also walked the waterfront area, which was nice. It reminded me a little of the Wharf area in San Francisco. After the ballgame, we grabbed dinner at All-Star Pizza. It's a local pizza joint that makes their dough out of sourdough. I would consider it better than average. We stayed out in Bellevue, which is just east of Seattle. Sunday morning we woke up and went to a little place called the Pancake Corral. Its in the Bellevue area. They offered up a fabulous southern style breakfast, which I was very happy about. If you are in the area, I definitely recommend the place. After Breakfast, it was off to the Airport. Overall, Portland and Seattle are two places that I would like to spend some more time in. I could spend a week just traveling to the National Parks in the area. Aside from Mt. St. Helen's and Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park is also in the area. Skiing is available at Mt. Hood, near the top of my list in places to go for snowboarding. Portland has about 30 other breweries that I would like to try out and I would love to head south and make a trip to Crater Lake. It would be very easy to spend several weeks out there and not really get to see everything that you would want to see. Next on the list is the Road Trip which will include D.C., Philly, Baltimore, NYC and Boston. Stay Tuned.

Chapel Hill (March 14th-16th)

Chapel Hill, the heart of Tarheel Country, reminds me of my college hometown. The campus is beautiful and they have a nice little downtown area with some bars, restaurants and shops. Franklin Street is the main corridor for the downtown area and would be similar to Broad or Clayton in Athens, however, they don't have 10 to 15 bars per square block. While the trip was originally supposed to be a laid back weekend traveling around the area to look at the campuses (Duke, UNC, NC State), things suddenly changed when the Bulldogs decided that they were actually going to play some basketball for a couple of days. The drive from Atlanta was about 8 hours with traffic, but it was alright, cause we had satellite radio and were able to listen to the basketball game (MSU ALA) and what turned out to be a Tornado that was hitting the Georgia Dome. I had tickets for the UGA UK game, but had to give them up due to the Chapel Hill travel plans. In hindsight, it was probably a good idea considering UGA didn't even play on Friday Night. It was the Tornado that changed the plans of what was supposed to be the relaxing weekend. My brother and I woke up early Saturday Morning to find out that the UGA UK game was to be played at Noon, which left us scrambling to find a bar in the heart of ACC Country that would have SEC Basketball. We called around and thought that we found a place in downtown, Carolina Brewery. We got down there, had a couple of beers (will discuss this more later) and found out they were not going to have the game. We then walked across downtown to Four Corners and found out that they too would not have the game. We were down to our last opportunity when Bailey's came to the rescue. After grabbing a Taxi to Bailey's, we arrived just in time for the last 30 seconds of the half. After what I considered to be a small miracle (UGA beating UK, we went back to downtown to grab some lunch), with a promise that we would return for the 2nd part of a doubleheader (UGA vs. MSU) at 8:30. Let's rewind a little now and talk about the initial trip to Carolina Brewery. We got there and they were celebrating St. Patricks Day, so I decided to celebrate with them in having a Shamrock Ale. It was basically their lightest beer dyed green. It was quite tasty. Although I had already eaten breakfast (terrible though) at the hotel, I saw their brunch menu and noticed that they had Biscuits n' Gravy. For those that don't know me, I am a complete sucker for that Southern low calorie delight. I must say that it was simply fantastic. Lari also tried it and was in agreement with me on it's superb taste. After the Shamrock, I went with the Copperline Amber, also full of flavor and a great beer. It was then that we decided to move elsewhere to try and find the game. Fast Forward now to lunch time as we arrive back at Carolina Brewery for Round #2. It was at this time that UNC and VT had tipped-off (I don't like UNC, but their fans are crazy, therefore Lari and I cheered). My mother, Lindsey (sister-in-law) and my brother all had lunch. My mom had a burger, my brother had Chicken fingers and Lindsey had a salad, all of which were considered good by the group. At this point, I had moved strictly to a liquid diet and was on beer #6 or #7 or maybe #10, but who's counting. I had another Shamrock Ale and Copperline Amber while they were eating. UNC had won on a Tyler Hansbrough buzzer beater, so the mood around the brewery was somewhat electric. The other 3 in my group decided that they wanted to go shopping and since I don't shop, I sat at the bar and watched the Duke Clemson game. It was fun, because they hate Duke, and Duke lost. I tried the Flagship IPA, very tasty and Santa's Special creation, a seasonal that was on special. It tasted like Pumpkin Pie and is probably one of the most unique and tasty beers that I have ever had. After about an hour and a half, they came back and told me it was time to go. Overall, Carolina Brewery ranks in my top 5, maybe even top 3 for local brewpubs. The food and beer were both excellent. After a quick nap at the hotel, it was back to Bailey's for part #2 of the miracle doubleheader. We pulled off another upset and we were simply amazed by what we had saw. I woke up the next morning with somewhat of a hangover, so we hit up a little waffle shop in downtown. I had an omelette and of course biscuits and gravy. It was nowhere close to what was offered at Carolina Brewery, but it was still good. After breakfast, we departed Chapel Hill for our return trip to Atlanta, stopping along the way to watch the last part of a very memorable SEC Tournament, and what turned out to be a non-relaxing but very entertaining weekend. For those that travel to Chapel Hill, there is also another brewery, Top of the Hill or something like that. The bartender (Adam) at Carolina said that I could put him on record as saying that they have some of the worst beer that he has tasted, hence, the reason that I didn't venture down there.

Atlanta

The ATL, THE DIRRRRTTTYY, HOTLANTA, aka the best city in the southeast is now my hometown. The traffic is pretty much the most awful thing on this planet, but just about everything else is amazing including the fact that it is just 60 miles from Athens, home of my beloved Bulldogs. Atlanta is much like L.A. in the sense that it is very spread out. For those that live on the north side, they very rarely travel to the southside and vice versa. Same goes for those that live on the east side or the west side. Each of the Atlanta suburbs is its own little city and has just about everything you need within a short drive. There are several highlights for anyone visiting the area including Turner Field, the Georgia Dome, Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta Zoo, Six Flags, White Water and for those that like to shop Buckhead (Lenox and Phipps Plaza). Turner Field is a nice stadium, one of the first along with Camden and Jacobs field. It opened in 1997 in a game against the Yankees ( I was there). They offer something like 21 different kinds of hot dog and now offer all you can eat and drink seats (a new favorite of mine). A trip to Turner Field is not complete unless you hit up the artery clogger restaurants known as the Varsity or the "V". The food is as greasy as possible, but its damn good. The Chili Cheese Dogs is heaven with a peach pie and Varsity Orange. Chili burgers are also mighty tasty along with the Onion Rings. I don't eat the Onion Rings, but am recommending them by word of mouth. For those looking for a little more upscale restaurant, Two Urban Licks off of Somerset is top notch. Its set in an old warehouse district with a fantastic skyline view of downtown. In the summer, there is a nice patio to sit on and enjoy the view. The prices are very reasonable and the atmosphere can't be beat. My dish of choice is the Pork Shoulder with New York Macaroni. Its in a word, awesome. I have yet to find something that I have tried that I have not absolutely loved. The Big Ass Cheeseburger is good and is in fact big. The calamari is one of the more unique dishes that I have as it has a sweet and sour taste. Steaks and seafood are also good. The menu is printed daily and reservations are pretty much required. There are a couple of breweries on the northside of town, one in Buckhead and the other in Sandy Springs. Rock Bottom, in Buckhead, is your typical franchised brewery with good food and good beer. It's the same owner as Big River in Chattanooga and Nashville. I really like the 375 IPA. 5 Seasons, in Sandy Springs, is a more upscale brewery with meals that range from $25-$40. The beers are excellent, but the food is a little too pricey for me when I just want to have some beers. There is also a Gordon Biersch in the Midtown area. The Buckhead area was forever known as the bar scene in Atlanta, however, due to recent real estate transactions, that has changed. Approximately 10-15 bars were shutdown in June of last year to make way for new mixed use developments with high end retail and apartments. In my opinion, a terrible idea, but unfortunately, I am not the one with billions of dollars to spend on a project like that. The East Andrews corridor was not touched and still has several hot spots including East Andrews, McDuff, 5 Paces, Churchills and several others. There is also Moondogs, a place where most of the college kids hangout. It's the upstairs of Peachtree Tavern and Hole in the Wall, a place where girls completely lose there inhibitions. Midtown has increased in popularity over the past several years with Cosmo/Lava, Twisted Taco and several other trendy bar/club types. For a late night food stop and one of, if not the best burger in town, hit up The Vortex with a location in Little 5 Points and another one in Midtown. They also have tots. All in all, Atlanta is a delightful place. If you are in the area, give me a shout, I have a couple of spare bedrooms.

Ohio

Miserable destination in the winter time, simply miserable. In the summertime, however, its a pretty cool place. Cincinnati is typically my first stop when traveling to Ohio. There is a Westin downtown, about 3 blocks from the "Great American Ballpark" and just across the street from Rock Bottom Brewery. I have made two trips to Great American and both times I watched the Braves get beat. I sat in the club level section the first trip up and made friends with some OSU fans in the stands and the bartender in the Inner Club section. He would let me sample all of my beers before buying and would let me have a couple of sips before he topped it off as I headed back to my seat. Overall, aside from the Braves losing, the game was awesome. The next trip was on Road trip #2 of 2007 with Dave, Russ and Newby. We got some cheap seats along the first baseline. Jeff Keppinger, the shortstop for the Reds and former Georgia Bulldog, tossed me a ball before the game, therefore I was pretty much cool with whatever happened after that. The Braves went on to lose, but we had a good time. The game went into extra innings, therefore Rock Bottom closed before we got there. On the first road trip of 2007, Me, Dave and Russ were able to stop in for some drinks and some good food at Rock Bottom. I had some kind macaroni and chicken dish that was delightful. I was a little intoxicated, so I don't remember exactly what Russ and Dave had, but I do remember that it was tasty, cause I tried it. None of the beers were spectacular, but most were pretty good. After leaving Cincinnati, the next stop in Ohio for me is Cedar Point and that has already been covered. It is simply a must stop for anyone in the state of Ohio with some extra time on their hands. After a day at Cedar Point, I typically head east to Cleveland. Road trip #1 during 07' took us to Jacobs Field for the Braves and Indians. Jacobs Field, I refuse to call it whatever the new sponsors name, is a beautiful ballpark. We sat in the upper deck in right field and were pretty obnoxious to the Indians fans around us chanting 1995 (for those that don't know, we beat them in the World Series). They didn't care for us too much. The Braves had a come from behind win, which made things even better, and us more obnoxious. After leaving the game, we took off to the bars, an area that is very similar to Buckhead. One bar had bartenders that dance on the bar like they do at Coyote Ugly's around the country, with the only difference being that one of the bartenders was super hot. Dave took a liking to her and ended up taking several shots out of her cleavage. I think he really, really enjoyed it. Most of the night was a blur, but it was fun. Dave and I got locked out of the hotel room and Russ finally showed up to let us in. Dave and I passed out and woke up the next morning to a large pizza and some hot wings. Apparently Russ had gotten hungry during the night/early morning and ordered some food. It was either one of the best pizza's that he had ever had or the worst, can't really remember. I know that he only ate 2 slices and that is unusual for Russ. We stayed at the Hyatt in downtown, not too far from the bars or the stadium, which was very convenient. After leaving Cleveland, we made the trip up I-90 to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. I will cover that at a later date. Other stops in Ohio have included Toledo and Columbus. There is nothing to do in Toledo and my trips to Columbus have been in the winter time where it is too cold to spend more than 30 seconds outside. I hear that they have a pretty good bar scene and I have always wanted to go to the Horseshoe for a game (hopefully to see them get plastered like they do in the National Championship each year).

Detroit

I'll be honest, Detroit isn't the nicest city in the world, but it works well with what its got. It's completely miserable in the winter time. My last winter visit had me in temps that were in the single digits and wind chills in the negative teens, much too cold for this southern boy. I couldn't even pump gas because my hands got too cold. I know you are thinking that I am a pansy, but you go out in that weather and tell me how you like it. On to the breweries. I've only visited one and that was on the 2nd baseball road trip of 2007. We visited Motor City Brewing Works in downtown near the new baseball stadium (Comerica). We sampled a few beers in our short time at the pub. Amongst the beers that we tried were the Nut Brown Ale and the Pale Ale, both of which I thought were pretty good beers. The food was your typical brewpub food. I had a burger and I think Russ had the nachos, both of which were pretty good. After leaving the Motor City, we made our way towards the stadium. Tickets were tough to come by with the Yankees in town, but after an inning or so, we were able to get some standing room only tickets for $20 each. The stadium itself is awesome. We didn't get to experience a wild crowd, because the Yankees crushed the Tigers that night. Once, inside, we realized that the Yankees weren't the only reason the tickets were hard to get, as the stadium only seats just over 40,000. The only stadiums smaller than Comerica are Oakland and Boston. We didn't get to see much of the game, because there really isn't a whole lot of standing room available for those with Standing room only tickets. My suggestion, make sure you have tickets in some seats before you go to one of the bigger games. Outside of Comerica and Ford Field (Home of the Lions), there isn't a whole lot else to see or do in Detroit. If you are in the area, I recommend a daytrip to Sanusky, OH. It's home to the greatest amusement park ever, Cedar Point. When we visited in June and August of last year, we were like 7 year olds at Disney World for the first time. This park is mainly a roller coaster park and is not for the Seth Thompson's of the world (Seth is a mangina when it comes to Roller Coasters), but now that I think about it, Seth Wilcher doesn't like them either. Maybe its just a Seth thing. Anways, they have two that are more than 300 feet tall, one of which is over 400. Top Thrill, the 400 footer, takes you up to speeds of more than 120 mph in less than 3 seconds. Millenium Force, Russ's favorite is the 300+ footer that is also awesome. They have a total of 17 coasters, the best of which is Maverick, small, quick coaster that shoots you out like a cannon. They also offer the water rides and several other thrill adventures including Power Tower, a ride similar to the one at Six Flags in Kentucky that cut someones feet off. You should probably not think about that while on the ride or else, you might react like Seth does, and not get on it. Basically, Cedar Point is Six Flags on Steroids or HGH.

Chicago

The Windy City is quite miserable in the winter time. The wind coming off of Lake Michigan is brutal. I once got a minor case of frost bite on my legs from the snow sticking to my pants while the wind was blowing extremely hard. It was alright though, I was tough and fought through it. The city itself is very clean, much more so than NYC. The subway/El makes it easy to get around the city. St. Patricks is a great time to spend in the city. There are numerous Irish Pubs around the city and they dye the Chicago River green. The pizza up there is some of the best around. Pizzeria Uno, Lou Malnati's and Gino's East are some of the better Chicago originals. I have a difficult time eating the sauce because of the chunky tomatoes that all offer, but the toppings and crust are awesome. Each of the pizza joints have several locations around town. Chicago pizza is good, but I am more of a fan of New York Pizza. Other local favorites include the Weiner Circle, where they will yell obscenities at you, Portillo's, which has AMAZING hot dogs (Many Illinois locations) and a cool local restaurant, Harry Carrey's. It's an Italian restaurant located off of Kinzie Street just north of the Chicago River. The only brewpub that I have visited in Chicago is Goose Island in the Lincoln Park area. They have another location in Wrigleyville. The beers were good and the food was tasty as well. I think the entire group ordered burgers and there were definitely no complaints. The beers of choice were the India Pale Ale and the Nut Brown Ale. They have almost 15 beers on draft including several specials throughout the year. Wrigley Field is simply amazing. The Cubs can be terrible and they will still sell out every game. I have only attended one game and it wasn't until the 4th inning that Russ and I found tickets cheap enough to get in. The stadium is very cool and has one of the best baseball atmospheres that I have experienced. The two St. Patrick's days that I have spent up there have been spent at Rush and Division, a small little nightlife area north of downtown. They have several different bars in the area, all of which try to offer up something different. Mother's and Mother's Too were where we spent most of our nights. Across the street at a bar that I can't think of the name, there is a dance club upstairs, which I don't necessarily like, BUT they have a camera up there and you can watch everyone make fools of themselves on the TV's downstairs. They also offer up 22 oz Fat Tires. I know its very sad, but when I found out that Chicago had Fat Tire during St. Patty's day last year, it was one of the highlights of the trip. For sightseeing, check out Sear's Tower and Navy Pier. Chicago ranks up there as one of my favorite cities in the states, however, the winter cold is what knocks it down a few pegs.

Chattanooga

Chattanooga is pretty much the town that I grew up in. Actually I grew up in Spring City, a small town about 45 minutes north of Chattanooga, but Chattanooga is what I had to tell people so that they would at least have some idea of what part of the country I was from. I guess as soon as I opened my mouth, people would probably be able to get an idea due to my southern accent. Anyway, I have spent a whole lot of time up there and really enjoy the downtown area. The downtown area has seen considerable renovations over the last several years. The area is great during the summertime, as it sits along the bank of the Tennessee River. They do a music festival in June called Riverbend (quite possibly the most redneck music festival on the planet) as well as fireworks and other things throughout the warmer months. My restaurant and brewery of choice is Big River. Its located on Broad Street in downtown. They offer up some fantastic food (pizza and chicken fried chicken are my faves) and some good beer. My beer of choice is the 375 IPA. On my most recent visit, I had the special, which was a Scottish Ale, definitely not one of my favorites. It had a distinct butterscotch smell and taste to it, a taste that I am not very fond of. Big River has several pool tables and flat screens to watch major sports events. Its attached to one of the more popular music venues in the area, Rhythm and Brews. Just down the street from Big River is Taco Mac, a chain restaurant that you can find in most major cities. The major appeal of Taco Mac is the Passport Club. They offer up 326 beers from around the world, including more than 50 on draft. I have just recently joined the club, but plan on trying to make my way through the entire list. The only downside to offering that many beers, is that they are typically out of some, a lot on my most recent trip. Beers are moderately priced in the $4-$5 range, but can get as high as $9 for some of the 22 oz bottles. They offer up several Rogue beers on draft, one of my favorite brewers. Hair of the Dog is a bar that sits close to both Big River and Taco Mac. Its a cool place that stays open late and offers your typical beers. They even have $2.75 PBR 16 ounce cans, very classy. Its a good place to hit up late night before calling it a night. I typically only stay at one hotel in the area, one of the oldest and nicest in all of Chattanooga, The Read House. It was bought out by Starwood Hotels Group a couple of years back, but still has the boutique style hotel feel to it. Room rates are usually pretty reasonable. The only drawback is its location at the opposite end of downtown from the bars and waterfront area. A tourist hangout in the area is the Tennessee Aquarium, located along the waterfront in downtown. It has been many years since I have visited, but I am sure that it's just as good if not better than it was when I was kid. Its smaller in size than the Georgia Aquarium, but has a different layout. They have recently added a saltwater exhibit, one that I have not yet had the opportunity to visit. The minor league ballpark downtown (Bellsouth Park), is very nice and conveniently located in the downtown area. Tickets are cheap and the games are fun before a night out on the town. Overall, Chattanooga is a very fun place to spend a weekend. The days can be spent on the river and nights can be spent downtown.

Memphis

The home of the famous Beale Street, is much more than I had originally anticipated. From what I had heard from folks that had been there or lived there was not to expect much, so I came in with low expectations and was pleasantly surprised. My first trip to Memphis was for 311 Day in 2006. We grabbed a cheap hotel just north of Beale Street and across the street from "The Pyramid", which is now the country's largest Bass Pro Shop. After arriving in Memphis, we went down to Beale Street and had a few Hurricane's at Pat O' Briens. After about 4 of those and a couple of beers, I was well on my way to being trashed. Alcohol was served at the concert as well and 311 played for more than 5 hours. I actually ended up passing out with about 30 minutes left in the show. On our return to trip to Memphis for my brothers bachelor party, we were able to sample out more bars and restaurants. We spent some more time at Pat O Brien's, as well as Coyote Ugly (Terrible Idea), Silky O' Sullivans and B.B. Kings. Silky's offers up something that I have never seen before, Drinking Goats. I am not kidding around here. There are two goats that sit in a fenced in area on their patio and they will turn up a bottle of beer until its gone. It's really amazing. Between the group, we spent a decent amount of money on trying to get the goats drunk. They then have to walk up a spiral walkway to get to his little castle. Silky's also offers up a drink called a Diver bucket. Its a mixture of beer and many other liquors and is actually quite tasty. Just ask my friend Frank, he drank nearly a bucket by himself. At $20, they are pricey, but its enough for a group of 10 to drink. They also have dueling pianos on Friday and Saturday night. Coyote Ugly is just like it is in the movie without the hot bartenders. They still dance, which is completely unnecessary and wear skimply clothing, which is even more unnecessary. Make sure your beer goggles are on when you hit up this spot. B.B. Kings is a pretty cool place with your usual beer offerings and live music. If you are in town during the baseball season (April to September), hit up Autozone Park, the nicest minor league stadium I have ever been to. It is located a couple blocks north of Beale Street. They offer up Barbeque Nachos, a must have for those that haven't tried them. After the baseball game, a stop by Rendevous is required. It sits in an alley just to the west of the stadium. The ribs were good, but the Barbeque Nachos are simply amazing. For one of the best burgers in town, I recommend Huey's with several locations around town. I was too hungover to drink on the day that we stopped in, but they appeared to have a good selection available. I have heard that once you get outside the downtown area, that its not the safest place to be, especially at night. My recommendation is find a hotel downtown, go out on Beale Street, catch a ballgame and grab some food at Rendevous or Huey's. It's a great place to spend a weekend.

New Orleans

I have made numerous trips down to the Crescent City, most of which have involved either the Sugar Bowl or Mardi Gras. I made my first trip down to New Orleans for the 2003 Sugar Bowl. I was in college and didn't have a whole lot of money so I spent most of my time drinking free drinks at Harrah's casino while playing nickel slots. I didn't get out of the French Quarter much on that trip and was drunk about 98% of the time. All in all, it was good trip. I made my second trip down for Mardi Gras that same year. It was then that I got my first experience of what New Orleans really has to offer. My buddies Russ and Scooter took the trip down to New Orleans with me and we met up with a college friend of mine. Her parents had a place in the Garden District of New Orleans. Our first meal of the trip took place at Frankie and Johnny's, a local place that serves up some mean crawfish and po'boys. After devouring a couple of lbs. of crawfish, a shrimp po'boy and several drinks, it was off to the parades, a must see for anyone making their first Mardi Gras trip. We watched the parade uptown near Tulane and had a blast. Most of the men and women in New Orleans leave their inhabitions at home for Mardi Gras, which can make for a really good time if you are single. The three of us, all single, did indeed have a very good time. It's no lie that you will see breasts and just about every other part of the female body if your beads are good enough. After seeing many female bodies and drinking plenty of beers from our backpack aka our cooler, we headed to a couple of the bars uptown. We first hit up Fat Harry's and then we went to "The Boot". Both are good places for college aged kids during Mardi Gras. After sleeping in our car the first night, we had our first experience of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras and it was every bit as crazy as we had heard, so there is no need to go into any detail as to what we encountered. There was very little eating done on the trip, but we became regulars of both Pat O' Briens and Tropical Isle while down there. Pat O' Briens is world famous for their Hurricanes, a little expensive, but they will most certainly do the trick. Tropical Isle is known for the Hand Grenades, my personal favorite. The drink is patented, therefore, it is unknown what is included in the green colored concoction. What I do know is that it is a very powerful drink and you can go from sober to drunk in one drink. The drinks are typically $7-$8, however, if you throw a couple of extra bucks in, you can get them to leave the ice out of the handle increasing the amount of alcohol you get per drink. It's highly recommended for those looking to get stupid drunk. After you have done your drinking in the French Quarter, Fiorella's is a great place to grab a bite to eat. It is located near the French Market. Favorite dishes at this place include the Fried Chicken, Gumbo and the Cajun Burger. The food is inexpenive and very tasteful. The only things that Fiorella's lacks is an extensive beer list and customer service (rude servers, but part of the experience). You will find your typical Millers, Budweisers and such, but not much else. Brew Pubs in or around the French Quarter include Crescent City Brew and Gordon Biersch. Crescent City didn't impress me at all. The food was marginal and with only 5 beer offerings, it left something to be desired. There was only one small tv located at the bar, so for those wanting to watch some sports while enjoying your brew, that is pretty much out of the question. The beers that they did have were average. Overall, Crescent City is considered a stop only for those that are desperate. Gordon Biersch, while not a local brew pub, does offer up good food and good beer. My beer of choice while visiting Gordon Biersch is the Winter Bock, a dark beer with a 7.5% alcohol by volume. Restaurants that need to be on your list while visiting New Orleans Franky and Johnny's, Fiorellas and Mothers, a locally owned New Orleans style Country restaurant. The po'boys are the best in New Orleans, at least in my opinion. The other food is fantastic and they even have a bar next door called Mother's Next Door. Very Clever huh? I made my first New Orleans trip post Katrina for the Sugar Bowl 2008 and I must say, that not much has changed in the tourist areas. I have heard that if you want the real experience though, that you should take a trip down to the 9th Ward to see the true devastation left behind by the Hurricane. That is on my itinerary for my next trip which is currently scheduled for October 2008.

Los Angeles and surrounding areas

I have not spent a whole lot of time in the L.A. area, however, what time I have spent there, has not been very enjoyable. I worked in the Pasadena area for a week or so and the only highlights that I experienced in that short time were a couple of trips to In-N-Out burger, a glimpse of the Rose Bowl and a trip out to Santa Monica for some seafood. Los Angeles reminds me a lot of Atlanta in how it is laid out. It is very spread out and seems to take forever to get from one place to the other due to the miserable traffic. Most of the people seem to be pretentious as hell. I have not had the privelage of visiting any brew pubs in the L.A. area, so I will take this opportunity to tell you a few places that I visited and what was enjoyable or not enjoyable about each. My first trip through L.A. involved only the airport as I spent the night at LAX, making it my least favorite airport in the states. My second trip through L.A. involved a stay at the LAX Hilton on my way to Australia. The hotel was nice and convenient to the airport, so no complaints. Due to the fact that I was trying to conserve funds for Australia, I had a pizza delivered from Pizza Hut. It tasted very similar to every other pizza from Pizza Hut that I have ever had, therefore, nothing to complain or praise about. One of my more memorable trips (not only to L.A. but in my life) involved a trip to Dodger Stadium, what I considered at the time, to be one of can't miss stadiums in our country, at least until I was kicked out. I took the trip over from Vegas with some friends of mine (Seth and Holly) and it was very scenic with no problems along the way. We made a little detour to check out the "Hollywood" sign (much smaller than what I had pictured in my mind) and then made our way to Chavez Ravine. We arrived at the stadium not having tickets so we ended up getting Right Field Bleacher seats for $25 each, a great deal considering those are the "All you can eat seats". Included with the tickets are Dodger Dogs, popcorn, non-alcoholic beverages, peanuts and many other things to fill you up. After several Dodger Dogs and several of the $10 beers (they are 24 oz at least), we were having a great time. Our seats were first row right behind Ken Griffey Jr. and right up next to the Reds' Bullpen. After about 6 innings or so, a guy from across the bullpen yelled at me asking for a Dodger Dog, I had an extra one, therefore, being the nice guy that I am, I tossed it over to him. I mean, I didn't want the poor guy to go hungry or anything and I knew that a Dodger Dog would hit the spot for him. About 15 seconds after the infamous toss, I was being escorted out by Dodger Security. Apparently it's illegal to throw things in the stands, even a hot dog. The security guys were pricks, but what do you expect, they have to live in L.A., and I understand that now. Seth and Holly met me outside, where Holly threw in her 2 cents about what had happened (I think she was more upset than I was), and after a quick pee in the parking lot, we drove back to Vegas with one of the more memorable experiences of my life. I am probably being a little harsh on L.A. having not experienced most of what the city has to offer, but it just doesn't appeal to me all that much. Santa Monica was very nice when I was out there in November. I had some spectacular seafood at Ocean Avenue Seafood along with some friends of mine. We then took a walk down to the Santa Monica Pier and hit up a couple of bars including O'Briens Irish Pub. They have Fat Tire on Draft, which made me very happy, as did Ocean Avenue Seafood. My advice, skip out on L.A. and head south to San Diego, which from what I hear, is simply spectacular. The traffic in L.A., the security at Dodger Stadium, the Committee at the Rose Bowl and my layover at LAX have all added to my displeasure for the city of L.A. On a side note, we did get to see a celebrity (in Santa Monica), Diane Keaton, not high on my list, but a celeb nonetheless.

Vegas, Reno and Tahoe

There is much more to Vegas than gambling. With that said, make sure you hit up the casinos while you are there, not necessarily to gamble, but to see the different themes of the many casinos along the strip. One can spend several days walking up and down the strip in and out of the many casinos. My personal favorites are the Venetian and New York, New York. The Venetian sits at the north end of the strip and offers Gondola rides throughout the hotel and shopping area. The casino is upscale and very elegantly designed. New York sits more towards the south end of the strip. There are several good restaurants and the theme inside and outside is very cool. There is a replica Statue of Liberty, as well as a roller coaster and replica Brooklyn Bridge located on the exterior of the hotel and casino. There is a nice little Irish Pub located inside with killer fish n' chips. Just north of New York, New York is the Planet Hollywood Casino, under construction when I was out there in May of 2007. The hotel and casino are very nice and have become a hot spot in recent months for celebs. My favorite part of Planet Hollywood is the small brewery located in its shopping area. Sin City Brewery offers up some great beers and are some of the cheapest drinks you will find in Vegas if you are not gambling. It's legal to walk the streets in Vegas with Alcohol, therefore, its easy to take a beer to go while you are touring the different hotels and casinos. My beer of Choice was Say Hello to Amber. Other places of interest that I like to hit up while I'm in town include Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, located inside Caesar's Palace, the pool at the Tropicana for great drink specials and the little Irish casino across from the Bellagio. They have a small little Leprechaun person that stands on the bar and pours shots down people's throat for $1. Beers are also very cheap and they have $5 blackjack tables. There are also a couple of In-N-Out burgers within walking distance of the strip. If you like comedy, check out Bobby Slayton at the Hooters Casino, the man is simply hilarious.

I haven't spent much time in Reno, however, its where I fly into to get to Tahoe. They do have an In-N-Out Burger, which is definitely considered a plus and many casinos.

Lake Tahoe, CA/NV is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. I have been out there several times on snowboarding trips. My favorite mountains to board are Squaw and Sierra. Heavenly, probably the most popular, has too much flat ground for boarders, but is the favorite of my dad and step-mom (skiers, aka losers). Heavenly does offer up the best views of the lake. Even for those that don't ski or board, the Gondola will take you up for lunch and the view and bring you back down. After a day on the slopes, Cecil's Steak and Brew in South Lake Tahoe is a great place to stop in for a beer and some kickass food. The crab legs and ribeye are outstanding and are reasonably priced. For those that like to gamble, I recommend Harrahs and Harveys, both of which are nice casinos. I like to spend my time at the Sportsbook in Harveys. For a late night party, hit up Cabo Wabo, hands down the most popular place in Tahoe to party. The age range varies from early 20's to mid 40's. Its located near the tunnel from Harvey's to Harrah's.

Colorado Breweries and Restaurants

The land of brews, in my opinion, is Colorado. There are numerous breweries throughout the state, including my personal favorite, New Belgium. I was introduced to New Belgium in the winter of 2005 by a good friend of mine Seth Wilcher. Their Amber Ale, Fat Tire, has been my favorite beer since. New Belgium is located in Fort Collins, CO. It sits about an hour and 15 minutes north of Denver, or 2 Hours if Seth is driving. The brew tour is awesome, as are most of the people that work there (plan on arriving early if you are going to take the tour as they fill up fast). If you do the tour, make a special request and ask for Earl. I can't imagine anyone else giving a better tour than he does. Try the New Belgium Trippel while you are there, its over 8% alcohol by volume. Down the street from New Belgium is the Odell Brewery. It's considerably smaller than New Belgium, but offers some outstanding beers including 90 Schilling. They have a bar inside the brewery where you can buy a pint or sampler, as well as some souvenirs. The beers are cheap at $3.00 and the merchandise is pretty reasonable as well. The tour isn't quite as in depth as the New Belgium, but is fun nonetheless. After a day at the breweries, you can hit up the brew pub in downtown Ft. Collins, Coopersmith's. They have some good beer and good food. Downtown Ft. Collins is also pretty cool. If you head back to Denver, there are several breweries to hit up. First is Wynkoop, located near Wynkoop and 16th. Wynkoop is a very cool place, with great bison burgers and numerous pool tables, shuffleboard tables and dart boards. What Wynkoop lacks, is good beer. Of all the breweries that I have been too, this is one of the worst for beer. Most beers lack flavor and taste flat. My recommendation, stop in for some food, then head over to Breckenridge Brewery, which is located off of Blake Street on the north side of Coors Field. Try and Avalanche Ale and shoot some pool. They also have good food for you to try out. Just down the street from Breckenridge is Blake Street Tavern, which is attached to Flying Dog Brewery. Being an avid Georgia Bulldogs fan, Blake Street plays host to the UGA Alumni Club on Saturday's during the fall. The LSU Alumni Club also spends its Saturday's at Blake Street. If you are in Denver on Oct. 25th 2008, stop by Blake Street as it sure to be some sight with a host of Bulldog and Tiger fans. As for the beers, the Snake Dog is offered as the special of the day on Saturday's, therefore, it's what I drink. It's also a very tasty beer, considerably different on draft, compared to the bottle. For those that don't like the IPA's, you might want to try the Tire Bite, Caroline's favorite of the bunch. If you want to try out another place late night, I recommend, Celtic Tavern at 1801 Blake Street. They offer numerous beers on draft and in the bottle, as well as mini-bowling. For those that have never done mini-bowling, its quite the addictive sport. The cost is about $4 per game, and the ball is about the size of your hand while the lane is cut in half in length and width. The pins are on puppet strings and bowling shoes are not required. Personally, I am pretty terrible at it, but its a lot of fun, especially while drinking. Other restaurants of interest in the Denver area include College Inn for the best Hot Wings in Denver, very meaty and numerous choices of sauces along with My Brother's Bar, located near the huge REI store off of 15th Street. It offers up the best Bison burger in town and for those that like it, I hear the Jalapeno Cream Cheese Burger is a delight on the palate. Another bar of interest in the area is El Chipultepec. It holds a special place in my heart as this is where I had my first taste of the wonderful New Belgium creation, Fat Tire. Live Jazz is also a reason to hit up this hot spot.

In-N-Out Burger (West Coast)

For those of you that have not traveled to the west coast, you have missed out on what I consider to be the best fast food on the planet. In-N-Out burger with locations throughout California, as well as Phoenix, Las Vegas and Reno, is phenomenal. The menu is simple with the only options consisting of a single, a single with cheese or a double-double. They have one size of french fries, 3 varieties of milk shakes and several diffrent fountain drinks. The burgers come with some kind of special sauce that I won't touch, but I hear that its pretty amazing for those that are adventurous enough to give it a whirl. The fries are fresh potatoes that are cut diced and dropped straight into the fryer, not stored in some freezer like all other fast food places. Buns are slightly toasted on the burgers which adds to the overall taste considerably. Simply put, In-N-Out is amazing and I wish that they would venture away from the west coast and open up some more locations. If you are out west, stop by and you will understand why there is a 10-20 minute drive-thru line at every location regardless of the time of day.

San Francisco and Arcata, CA(Jan 26th-29th)

Let me start by saying that San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the states. From the culture to the food to the overall beauty, the city is simply amazing. I have visited San Francisco several times and try to find new restaurants and brew pubs whenever I am in town. There are several brew pubs in the area that are simply fantastic. Over the weekend, I was able to hit up 3 pub/breweries in San Francisco and another one in Eureka. Caroline and I started our weekend at Rogue's Public Ale House near Union and Columbus in the North Beach area of San Francisco. Rogue is simply one of the better microbreweries in America. Dead Guy Ale is in my Top 10 Beers. They offer more than 20 beers on draft, many of which are their own, while also having some Guest Beers. I recommend trying the sampler which will allow you to try 4 of the brews on draft. Not only does Rogue do the beer right, but they also offer up some damn good food. Mine and Caroline's menu selection consisted of a couple of Kobe Beef Burgers, simply the best burger I have ever tasted. All in all, Rogue is top notch and is highly recommended to anyone traveling within 50 miles of San Francisco. Next stop on the trip was San Francisco Brewing Company. It is located near Columbus and Kearney Street in the Financial District. Its a short walk from Rogue. I sampled two beers including the ShanghaIPA, which was very tasty. It was full of flavor and not as hoppy as some other IPA's that I have had in my time. Other beers sampled during our stop included the seasonal Anniversay Ale, Albatross Lager and Emperor Norton Lager. All of which were very good beers. The place itself is very cool and the bartenders were very engaging as well. Overall, San Francisco Brewing Company is a good place to stop in for a few beers while you are out on the town. Our last of the 3 Breweries in the Bay area was at Magnolia Brewery in the Haight/Ashbury District. Atmosphere is the key here. With murals lining the walls and numerous beer selections on draft including several cask ales, it was a very good experience. The Proving Ground IPA, on draught, not cask, was my favorite of the bunch. The cask offers a slightly different taste as it is served slightly warmer and with less carbonation. Caroline's beer of choice was the Bonnie Lee's Best Bitter, also on Draught, not cask. This was probably Caroline's favorite of the 3 that we visited on this trip due to the location and the overall atmosphere. The last stop we made on our trip was at Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, CA. I enjoyed an Alleycat Amber Ale, which was typical of most Amber Ales that I have tasted. Not too hoppy, but full of flavor. I also had the Famous Hot Brown, a Roast Beef Sandwich with Chedder and Bacon, a very tasty sandwich with the Lemon Peppered Parmesan Cheese Fries. Caroline's meal included a Downtown Brown and the "Chicken Little Was Right" sandwich. She enjoyed both, but men, let me tell you that the chicken sandwich is for ladies or men who are looking to watch their girlish figure. Other stops along the way that are highly recommended include Calzone's, an Italian restaurant in the North Beach area of San Francisco. The food is fantastic, and they have Fat Tire on Draft (My favorite Beer). The prices are reasonable as well ($4.50 for a 20 oz. draft). Stella's, a little pastry shop, is located directly next door to Calzone's and has the best Chocolate Croissants I have ever tasted. I would weight well over 400 lb's if I lived within close proximity of that place. The Cliff House, located just south of Lincoln Park on Highway 1, is located directly on the Pacific Ocean. They offer high-end dining, as well as a bistro upstairs. The food is above-average, however, the view is top-notch. Stops to be made on the next San Francisco trip include 21st Amendment brewery and Pizza Orgasmica and Brewery.