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).