I-P-A RIVER: TEX/NEW MEX- TEX/OKIE

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Despite the damn Covid pandemic lingering on, my travel itch needed to be scratched, so I masked up and took advantage of some Southwest Airlines credit, flight sales and long weekends to eek out three little trips in the next month or so if all goes as planned...

2/2 - I started the month off right with another chop of first place with another player in a 14-person NLHE tournament on Pokerstars. That netted $90+ in profit. I cracked open a can from my Beer Drop order to celebrate. It was the tasty and light Tres Arroyos Mexican-style lager from Three Creeks Brewing (OR).
I took my usual 10% of any poker winnings and gave back to charity. This time it was to National Public Television, specifically the great little state travel show: "Tennessee Crossroads."

2/5 - I got to a rather elusive (these days for sure) final table tonight on Global Poker in a Crazy Pineapple Knockout nightly tournament vs. 60 or so other players. I wound up finishing third for about $50 in profit.

Texas/New Mexico trip

2/6 - I was supposed to go to California, but they are asking for a 10-day self-quarantine for all visitors right now, and I don't have time for that, so I switched to another warm place (and made Ashlee and little mad since she wants to visit here too): White Sands National Park in southern New Mexico! I had lunch at Homegrown Tap Room before flying out and also had a couple of pretty good brews. First was the Batsquatch NEIPA from Rogue Ales (OR), and I finished with a Hi-Wire Lager from the folks over in Asheville, NC.

With no direct flights into El Paso from Nashville, I had to actually fly past it into Phoenix and then double-back going out. But it did give me a chance to watch a couple new Netflix movies and catch some great looks at beautiful snow covered peaks, and Canyon de Chelly National Monument (photo above) in eastern Arizona, Kinda looks like worm-sign from "Dune" I thought. After a bit of Googling about it, I have added a visit to it to my list because it looks amazing and is in the general vicinity of Monument Valley as well. Both of which are way out in the middle of nowhere.

After a short layover in Phoenix and a quick flight back southeast, I got into El Paso after dark, grabbed a nice rental car from Hertz and headed to my hotel which was a nice TownPlace Suites by Marriott that I chose because it was (a.) close to the airport and (b.) close to two breweries! My first stop was the nano-brewery, Mountain Star Brewing Company. I went for a tasting flight here and while none of them blew me away, they were all decent and drinkable. I started with my lightest one, the Hazey Cherry Blonde ale which was OK and while I am not a big cherry fan, it would have been nice to taste at least a little of them in this one. Their Calavera IPA was good, but not great. More hops please! Their Mazapan brown ale was my favorite of the four. Their Mamoo Cream milk stout was watery and thin and my least favorite of the four.

Blazing Tree Brewery was just around the corner from my hotel, but I only had one pint here. I think I like their logo more than their beer or their ambiance. I had their Medussa Hazy NEIPA that was again decent, but not great. That had music blasting and uncomfortable seating, plus I was tired from day of traveling, so I headed back to the hotel after just one.
Maybe I am snobbish, or maybe spoiled, but I sure think we've got a much better craft beer scene going on in and around Nashville than here. Granted there are other craft breweries in El Paso that I have not visited, but as of now, I think I am happy where I am.

2/7 - I got up early because it was a beautiful day and I had a lot to see. Before breakfast, I drove up to Scenic Park Overlook for a beautiful view southward of downtown El Paso; Juarez, Mexico; and the mountains beyond.
I had couple of huge and delicious breakfast burritos from nearby Lucy's Cafe, a long-time El Paso staple for tasty and authentic food.

Welcome to New Mexico! That's 48 states checked off the "Visited" list now! only two more to complete all 50...Nebraska and North Dakota...and, yes, I have a plan for both of them!
My first stop in the Land of Enchantment was the Tunnel Vista Observation Site at the edge of the Lincoln National Forest near the town of Cloudcroft.
I stopped here for the view including my next destination, White Sands National Park, far in the distance, and a supposed trail to a waterfall. Well, I could hear the water and saw a glimpse of a small cascade far below, but the slope was too steep and I didn't see a clear trail to get to it, so I had to settle for hearing the water and just this commanding view.

I continued climbing in elevation and stopped for a gander at this historic old train trestle (circa 1899) that was recently restored by the Forest Service. Trains brought visitors to the mountain town of Cloudcroft back in early 1900's to escape the heat of the desert below. As shown, there was still a little snow showing in shaded area despite the warming temps.

At 8,700' in elevation, the town of Cloudcroft, New Mexico, is an alpine beauty. I was lucky to stumble upon Cloudcroft Brewing while looking for something else here in town. They were open and pouring on a Sunday morning and I was obliging! I went for another taster flight and chose the following: their Viking farmhouse ale was very nice; their Smoked Black Lager was my favorite of this grouping, and in hindsight, probably my favorite of the entire trip; the Ghost Train Black IPA could have used a few more hops, but it wasn't bad; and, finally, their Steam Engine Stout was a strong closer. Sometimes the best things are those you don't plan!

Back down to the desert floor outside the town of Alamogordo, I stopped at McGinn's Pistachio World to grab this goofy picture with the world's largest pistachio nut (who's measuring these things?) and send it to my pal, Chris, who has an affinity for oversized roadside objects like I do. I also grabbed some pistachio bark and some spicy pepper pistachios for Ashlee and I to enjoy later back at home.

And now for the main attraction: it was just a short drive to White Sands National Park and a perfect afternoon for a visit. As one of the nation's newest national parks (2019), it's been a national monument since it's designation in 1933. Unknowingly to me, this is considered the best time of year to visit here when the temps aren't scorching and it's dry season.

Breathtaking, other-worldly and awe-inspiring easily come to mind. Let's let a few more pics do the talking from here...

My white Ford Fusion rental car blended right in at White Sands National Park. Surprisingly, about halfway into the park the road disappears and you are driving on compacted sand.
My rental was a good one from Hertz that I got to pick from a group of cars. I chose this one for the sun-roof, of course. Another great thing about New Mexico is there 75 MPH speed limit on the interstate and four-lane highways. I even got this baby up to 102 MPH on one long, lonely stretch of desert highway...but don't tell anyone....

I got to Las Cruces, New Mexico, where I was staying tonight right at sunset and was treated to this beautiful view from the front of my AirBnb rental house. Those sunlit beauties are part of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks which were designated a National Monument in 2014.

Speaking of beautiful...my AirBnb rental was an awesome little authentic adobe casa (circa 1925) in the Historic District of Las Cruces. It was spacious, quiet and very charming. Check out that amazing vigas and latillas ceiling.

The first brewery I went to visit in Las Cruces was shut down (a victim of the pandemic perhaps), so I moved on to High Desert Brewing where I also had dinner. In honor of the Super Bowl that was going on I ordered wings with their habanero and sweet chili rub. My waiter said it was sweet and a little hot, but hot's the only thing I tasted! Wow! Good thing I had a couple of brews to put out the fire! I started with their nice Scottish Ale and finished with their solid Anniversary IPA. I was pretty beat from a long day and didn't want to end up in the "Las Cruces Jail" (cue The Two Gallants' song) with a DUI, so I stopped after those two.

I also wanted to drive out of town a bit a do some star-gazing tonight. Now, granted, this picture isn't anything great, but it's pretty good for an I-Phone. The stars were booming and although I wasn't out late enough to catch The Milky Way, it was way more stars than I 've seen in a while. The other cool thing about this photo above is that it was taken out of the sun-roof of my rental car!

2/8 - Again, not a great shot, but pretty good for an I-Phone. This crescent moon pre-dawn shot again outside of Las Cruces turned out pretty good, but, of course, doesn't do the experience itself of actually being there any justice.

Sunrise over the Organ Mountain Range was spectacular. Shouldn't every Monday morning start this way? I had thought of doubling back to White Sands NP again today, but given the fact I was staying farther north tonight, it was just too much driving, plus I needed to save my next visit there to be with Ashlee (we are hoping in October of this year). So, I had a leisurely morning here in Las Cruces. I walked to breakfast at Rosie's Cafe and then strolled back to my little casa and packed up to head north. Safe and clean. I like this little town!

I had kept my eyes peeled to see an elusive roadrunner while here in New Mexico, but had to settle for this giant representation of on off I-10 just outside Las Cruces. The coolest thing about this piece of art is that is constructed completely out of recycled materials. If you look close you can make out old tennis shoes, computer keyboards, crutches, etc. making up cool piece that you can walk right up to from a rest stop off the interstate.

I was staying the funny-named Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, tonight to take advantage of some of their hot springs, so I headed north at a leisurely pace since my first soak wasn't scheduled until 5 PM and I couldn't check into my hotel until after 2 PM. I detoured before getting to town to check out the beautiful Elephant Butte and Dam on the Rio Grande. Man, it does look like a elephant!

After changing the name from Hot Springs to Truth or Consequences after the 1950's radio game show, this quirky little town does seem to bring the weird, but in a pleasant sort of way. I grabbed some decent lunch tacos at Carmen's Kitchen and some craft beer six-packs at a local gas station before heading to my hotel.

I chose the also-quirky Fire Water Lodge for it's stellar reviews and the fact that their "Waterfall Room" was available and affordable. This is the awesome thermal bath tub in the room which I soaked in a total of three times during my stay including as soon as I arrived with a can of Happy Camper IPA from the Santa Fe Brewing Company. The soak and the beer were heavenly!

My room was also a 3-minute walk to Truth or Consequences Brewing where I sat out on their front patio in mild sunny weather and enjoyed first their Fireside Tripel (2020) that was very good. I finished with their Namakazaka Pale Ale (photo above) that was also tasty.

I got a nice retweet of my pretty funny check-in at TORC Brewing.

The private riverside thermal tubs at Riverbend Hot Springs are amazing. This is the Apache Room which I got for 50 glorious minutes as the sun was setting and bathing the Caballo Mountains in a golden glow. Maybe the best $40 I've ever spent!

The infinity edge of the Apache Room thermal tub was my favorite thing about it. I enjoyed another Happy Camper IPA while soaking along with one from my other six-pack I bought earlier, a tasty Vanilla Cream Ale from Red Door Brewing up in Albuquerque.

The sunset tonight was incredible even out of the thermal tub. I will trade this advertising shot for a couple more free soaks, Riverbend Hot Springs. Is it a deal?

This shot almost makes me miss work...almost.

I continued enjoying the sunset at the A&B Drive-In just down the street from my hotel. I ordered a Philly cheesesteak sandwich for dinner that was very tasty. I got back to my room for another soak in my room waterfall tub and slept very soundly.

2/9 - Before heading south to the airport to fly home today, I took another soak in my room tub and then another morning soak on the Rio Grande, this time in the pretty Zuni Room. So peaceful, so quiet, so relaxing. I had a couple more of my canned beers and did this soak "au naturale" - I mean who wants to fly home with wet swim-shorts, right??

The drive back down to El Paso went smooth and easy, as did the flight home with a connection in Dallas. All four of my flights were not packed, so I had no one sitting next to me which was nice (and safer). Mask-wearing in El Paso and in New Mexico was taken very seriously which I appreciated as well. Overall, a great trip given the fact it was a kind of a last-minute change from my original plans. I will see you ASAP, California, don't worry.

2/12 - It was a Friday night at home, so I cracked open a pint can of Gnomeboy Belgian golden ale from Bruz Beers (CO) from out of my last Beer Drop order.

2/13 - It was a cold nasty Saturday, so it seemed like a good day to do a double-feature at the Smyrna Malco Theaters in prep for the upcoming awards-season. First up was Judas and the Black Messiah - a powerful and well-done film about the horrific assassination of the young Black Panther leader, Fred Hampton, by the Chicago PD, and the undercover informant the Feds coerced into helping them gain information on Hampton and the Black Panthers. Strong performances by the two leads who I could see both getting Oscar nominations and wins.
Between shows I skipped over to The Casual Pint of Smyrna and had a couple of "casual pints." First up was the smooth and easy Solid Gold (2020) lager by one of my national faves, Founders Brewing (MI). I finished with an amazing imperial milk stout called the French Quarter Temptress from Lakewood Brewing out near Dallas, Texas. They are actually on my list of breweries to possibly visit on the next trip I have planned out that way at the end of the month.

Next up movie-wise, was Land, the directorial debut and starring one of my long-time faves, Robin Wright. It was a beautifully shot and moving story that I really enjoyed. Not sure about any awards, but I wouldn't be surprised if some came for this great little film.

Thanks to a sale via UNTAPPD, I also rented the new documentary, Beer! A Love Story and streamed it on my work IPAD when I got home. It was very well done and extremely interesting. It didn't seem right not to crack a brew while watching this, so I fished out my last new beer from last month's Beer Drop order. It was the dandy Omen imperial stout from Progression Brewing (MA).

2/15 - I didn't have a lot of interest in the new film, Promising Young Woman, until it started getting some award nominations, so I decided to give it a chance and rented it off Amazon today. So glad I did. Well-made and thought-provoking with a wowser of an ending. And Carey Mulligan was great in the lead role and deserves the accolades she is getting.

2/17 - I rented the fairly new documentary, The Last Blockbuster, today since I feel a lot of nostalgia for Blockbuster since I worked there as a second job for a few years and really enjoyed it. Although it does seem ironic that I streamed this film off of Amazon since streaming was basically their death-blow. The last one is still hanging on in Bend, Oregon, and it's definitely on my list to visit when we go out to Crater Lake in the near future.

2/18 - I went limited-series with my next streaming purchase. "The Good Lord Bird" is the wild and sometimes wacky sorta true story of Missouri abolitionist, John Brown, told from the account of a young slave boy mistaken for a girl. The amazing Ethan Hawke plays John Brown and created the series. He's been a favorite of mine since from way back in the day of Dead Poets Society.

2/19 - Well, it's Friday afternoon. Work's over and it been a helluva crazy, snow-bound week. Seemed like the perfect time to crack open my bomber bottle of Winter Spiced Barrel Aged Navel Gazer stout that I picked up at New Heights Brewing in Nashville a little while back during their Cellar Sale. After letting Mother Nature, keep it chilled for a bit outside, I shared it with Ashlee which was fine with me since it's a potent monster of over 12.5% ABV after aging 49 months in a George Dickel bourbon barrel. It was tasty and smooth and not overly boozy. Wooo-hooo!!!
I also got a nice shout-out from NHBC for my Instagram post of their beautiful snow-bound bottle.

As the sun set, Ashlee and I fired up our new Solo Stove for the first time and I fished out a couple of bottles of fairly old (they were set to be thrown out due to their age and possibly skunkiness) Samuel Adams Limited Release Winter Lager that someone brought to one of our parties a while back. They were still good and tasty, and I am glad I thought of them because I evidently checked in the wrong beer on UNTAPPD when they first arrived here. Cheers!!

2/20 - I got to the final table in a nightly Crazy Pineapple Knockout tournament on Global Poker. I wound up finishing 2nd out of 62 players for about $80 in profit. Although my bankroll needed the padding of this dough, I did siphon of $5 of it to give to Charities Aid Foundation America.. but mostly for a chance at a luxury train trip through Scotland...yes, please!

2/21 - Had a great time tonight as Ashlee and I and about a dozen of our friends rented out a private theater at the AMC Thoroughbred Theaters in Cool Springs to see a showing of the cult classic, The Big Lebowski. The bar wasn't doing mixed drinks (no white Russians) so we had to settle for good craft beer instead. I had a couple of Stone Delicious IPAs (the second one thanks to my buddy, Nate) during the hilarious flick. I also had my second Gnomeboy Belgian strong golden ale from my Beer Drop order on the drive over to the theater with Ashlee as my DD coming and going.

Nate and I figure this is what The Dude and Walter would look like now having replaced their "oat soda" love of Miller High Life with great craft beer. And, yes, Nate gifted me some Various Artists crowlers after the show because he's that great a guy.

2/24 - I watched the conclusion of the 2021 She Believes Cup tonight with the US Women's National Team taking on Argentina Our girls are undefeated in this tournament so far which is not surprising since they are the #1 ranked team in the world. That didn't changed tonight as they walloped Argentina 6-0 to take The Cup. I cracked open one of the three crowlers from Various Artists Brewing here in Nashville that my pal, Nate, gave me the other night while watching the game. It was the terrifically dank Kwitcher Bitchin double IPA.

2/25 - We bought a livestream feed of the Drew and Ellie Holcomb show from The Ryman tonight. The limited in-person tickets were pricey and went fast, so it was OK with me to kick back on the couch and watch it on our big screen TV. I cracked open another Various Artists Brewing crowler from my buddy, Nate, for the show. Tonight it was the

Texas/Oklahoma trip

2/25 - Turner Falls in Oklahoma has been on my "Waterfall Wishlist" for many years and this seemed the perfect time to fly into Dallas on a cheap Southwest flight and drive north a couple hours to check it out as well as hit some breweries and other sites of interest along the way:

My planned itinerary (never leave home without one!) changed a little due to some forecasted bad weather over the weekend, so I headed straight toward Turner Falls today instead of tomorrow as first planned. After my non-full Southwest flight landed on time in Dallas, I grabbed my rental car from Alamo as was on my way. I passed through Denton, Texas, on my way, and decided to make a quick stop at Denton County Brewing Company for a couple of libations. I started with their solid Winter Hazy IPA WOF (without figs). Next up was the interesting and rich Blueberry Fortune (photo above) milkshake IPA. A 10 oz. pour was plenty on this one.
I was also able to great an excellent lunch at the The Saucy Hibachi food truck next door. Their filet mignon rice bowl was hearty and delicious. This town and area looks pretty cool. I wouldn't mind coming back for another visit.

I crossed into Oklahoma soon afterwards an inside an hour I was at the amazing Turner Falls Park in Davis, Oklahoma. It was not a letdown in real life. Man, what a beauty! Its interesting shape as it slides 77' over flowstone always struck me as beautiful in the pictures I've seen over the years, but seeing it in person was amazing. I also kind of had the place to myself as there were only a few other people at the falls when I was. It's a been a popular summertime swimming hole since 1868 (and probably before that by Native Americans), but I much prefer and enjoyed the winter solitude.

Too bad my rental Chevy Malibu isn't wind-powered...

...because there's plenty of it here on the Oklahoma plains. Man, I just love seeing so much wind power being utilized here!

I found an awesome little place on AirBnB to stay near Turner Falls in Ardmore, Oklahoma - only $60, really? What a bargain! The place was convenient, clean, roomy and quiet. My only complaint with Ardmore is that a town this size should have a brewery...but then my hometown doesn't have one either. I had a couple bar options, but didn't like the look of them in terms of Covid...it's a pleasant evening...have your damn patios open! I decided to just grab a couple craft beer six-packs at the Hard to Find Liquor Store and enjoy my little rental home.
I kicked back and relaxed with a few decent Belgian blonde ales from Anthem Brewing (OKC) called Golden One. My favorite of the night, however, were the crisp and lights pilsners from COOP Ale Works (OKC) called Saturday Siren. I even left a few in the fridge for the folks there as a token of my appreciation for the great place to stay.

2/26 - I slept in a little this morning and then headed north toward Oklahoma City for the day and then a drive back south tonight to Dallas. My first stop was a little north of OKC on the famous Route 66 at Pops, a gas station and soda pop stand on steroids. The beacon soda sculpture outside is well, you guessed it, 66' tall. Would love to see it lit up at night!

Inside Pops are over 700 different kind of soda on display and for sale.

I settled on a Round Barn Root Beer from the vast selection at Pops, and finished it off at another nearby Route 66 landmark, the very unique Arcadia Round Barn itself, built in 1898. I was actually able to check this root beer in on UNTAPPD. My first one I think. Good to know root beers are on the app to check in. Something else to look for when craft beer isn't around. This one's made by Huebert Brewing over in OKC.

I got into Oklahoma City proper just before11 AM and planned to tour the OKC bombing memorial before seeking out a few local breweries that would start opening around noon, but the rain was drizzling down and I could not find anywhere to park close by for free and my one attempt at paying to park didn't seem to work with the machine there. AND I HAD TO PEE REALLY BAD!! The gas station I went in had no working bathroom. Great! I was looking for an alley to use when I thought I might as well see if any breweries nearby serve food and might open at 11. My Google map said Vanessa House Beer Company opened at 11 and was just around the corner. Bingo!! And then Bango!! Covid hours had them now opening at noon. I got back in my car and was just about to leave when a guy at VHBC opened the front door and asked if he could help me. I told him I thought they opened at 11, but I would come back at noon. He smiled and said come on in! I was really grateful for the early access to beer AND THE BATHROOM!!
I went for 4 oz. samplers and tore through three of them in no time. The beer here is downright excellent! First up was their NEIPA Slurp Juice that was fantastic. Their imperial NEIPA, Battle Boats, was even better! And then their imperial pastry stout, Peanut Man, was damn near perfect! What an incredibly smooth peanut finish!
After noon when a few more customers drifted in and the rain let up, I asked if I could leave my tab open, leave my car parked in front and walk a few blocks up to check out the memorial. Of course! These guys are my true favorite new brewery for so many reasons! LOL

Wow! The Oklahoma City National Memorial is breathtaking. This is one of the Gates of Time that frame the moment of destruction (9:02 AM) with the 9:01 Gate (photo above) and the 9:03 Gate. The reflecting pool is in between as a quiet reminder of the fateful time on April 19,1995.

Solemn and beautiful are the field of 168 chairs representing every one of the victims that died on that horrible day.

The Survivor Tree is an American elm that was heavily damaged by the blast, but did survive.

I got back to Vanessa House and finished my unintentional flight (yes, they gave me the discount for a flight even though I didn't actually order one...this guys are the best!!). I chose the tasty Vibe Audit session IPA and lifted it to all those we lost that fateful day. I love the badge I earned on UNTAPPD and their superhero motif. I tipped very well thanks to the great service and favors. What a great visit!

I planned to visit at least one other OKC brewery today, but ran out of time, but didn't care since I had such a great time at Vanessa House and was also glad I didn't miss walking around the memorial. But with nearly 30 craft breweries in the area, it looks like I need to come back some time!!

I had to hit the road out of OKC because I had a timed ticket (Covid precaution) to the Sam Noble Natural History Museum just south of Oklahoma City in Norman on the campus of OU. Oklahoma is known for their fossil finds and this museum has an awesome collection, but the big boy above is the main reason I wanted to visit. I've never seen anything cooler than this pentaceratops (sorry T-Rex) and he was a plant-eater. This monster is also an official world record holder too as the largest fossil skull ever found. His story after excavation is amazing too. He sat in the museum's archives for 50 years before anyone realized what they really had!!

It was time to head back south and I drove some through pretty heavy fog and misty rain as I passed back by Turner Falls and Ardmore, but things cleared before the natural state line, the famous Red River. Guess you can see where it gets its name.

I stopped back in Denton, Texas, again to check out the always-awesome Buc-ee's convenience store on steroids. It was as overwhelming as the first time we visited one early last year, but I gathered myself enough to grab a couple of fresh sausage sandwiches for dinner that they were making, and a pint can of the pretty good Hopadillo IPA from Karbach Brewing (Houston)

Tonight I was staying at Nylo Hotel at Las Colinas, one of the Hilton Tapestry Collection, just outside Dallas in Irving, Texas. I got a great deal on this fairly swanky hotel via Hotwire. As I was pulling in I got my first glimpse of the sun today in just a little bit of sunset.

After settling in and dropping my bags, I headed down the road a couple miles to check out the awesome Mustangs of Los Colinas sculpture in Williams Square. The night lighting was a little less than I was expecting and the water wasn't running (these two things may have been direct affects of the power and water issues Texas was struggling with recently during a severe winter storm), but the nine horses captured in full gallop was still amazing to see up close.

I tried to go by a nearby Yard House (which I love) for some beer, but couldn't find parking (the place was crazy busy). Most breweries were a good distance away and I had drove enough today, so I decided to go by the Whole Foods grocery story I saw near my hotel and see what their craft beer selections were and then bring a couple back and enjoy them in my very nice hotel room. While their selection of single beers was a little picked over (Chattanooga's is better), I did find a couple of winners. I started with the awesome DDH IPA Series 25 Pumpkin Spice Latte IPA from TUPPS Brewery over in McKinney, Texas (cool can photo above). I finished with a very enjoyable can of Juicy Bingo Series 4 NEIPA from Wild Acre Brewing over in nearby Fort Worth.

2/27 - Before my fairly early flight back from Dallas, I stopped by the popular local chain, Fuzzy's Taco Shop. for a very good breakfast burrito. This place has beer on tap and a cool layout. Need to keep these in mind for my next visit to Big D.
I flew back on the first sold-out plane I've experienced since the pandemic started. Everything went fine, but I am glad I paid extra for a early boarding pass to avoid any awkwardness.

3/2 - I got fired from work today...my whole world has changed...I will have to buckle down on expenses, so these blog entries will have to scale back in turn for now...

Before my world was blown apart, I had ordered the recent Golden Globe Best Foreign Picture winner, Minari, from our own Belcourt Theaters to watch at home tonight. It was OK, but nothing earth-shattering. Granted, I was probably more than distracted while watching it. I did think it was interesting that my name was on the screen at all times, I guess to prevent piracy. Pretty smart.

3/9 - I went with my old former work pal, Casey, and his nephew, Colin, to see the new sci-fi flick, Chaos Walking, at our local Roxy Theaters here in Lebanon tonight. This currently-unemployed fellow appreciated $5 Bargain Tuesday for it. The movie was well done with a good story and special effects. Hopefully it will follow the books and be a trilogy.

AMY, you old SL,UT (resident)

3/11 - Our long-time friend, Amy, is celebrating her 50th birthday this weekend and we were invited out to see her and her husband, Jeremy (who's been on some G.A.M.E. trips with me), at their home just outside Salt Lake City, Utah. Ashlee and I visited SLC many years ago and really loved the area, so a chance to go back out there was worth it to both of us.

Man, I love a window seat on an airplane! This shot of fading daylight over a blanket of clouds as we flew west toward Salt Lake City is mesmerizing to me. Amy and Jeremy picked us up at the airport and we headed toward their home in Draper, a suburb of SLC. Their house is actually up on a mountain at 6,100' elevation. Did you know high elevation can have an affect on you when you drink alcohol? Well, I found out the hard way when I slammed four (obviously great) pint-can double IPAs that Jeremy got for me called Chasing Ghosts from Epic Brewing here in SLC. I remember maybe the first two...

3/12 - It was my idea to go see this 600'+ beauty called Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon south of SLC. When we got back to their house this afternoon, I had another Jeremy-provided beer (just one this time), the very good Hop Rising Tropical double IPA from Squatters Craft Beers here in SLC.

We went over to lovely Park City tonight and were lucky to find a place for dinner. The town was packed with skiers, snowboarders and such. We grabbed a table downstairs at Flanagan's Irish Pub and had a surprisingly good meal. They also had a pretty good local craft beer list. I started with the solid Lowrider milk stout from Salt Flats Brewing over in SLC. I finished with the even better SFBC Scottish ale called Kilted Harley (photo above).

3/13 - Another idea of mine (and thanks to AtlasObscura.com) was to drive by the real life house of the modern animated classic film, UP. Very detailed and very cool We did this after a good German-inspired brunch at Bohemian Brewery in SLC where I had their decent Cherny Bock.

The ladies were doing a girls-only night out for Amy's birthday, so Jeremy and I met up with his friend, Rich, at The Porcupine Pub and Grille. The food (a Phiilly for me) was awesome here and the beer list impressive. I started with the very good Juicy 074 IPA from Wasatch Brewing over in Park City. I finished with the solid Nut Brown Ale from Red Rock Brewing here in SLC.

We continued our impromptu "Boys Night Out" at a nearby sports bar called The Huddle. For a desperation second choice (first choice was packed), this little strip-mall bar was pretty darn good. Not too loud, so you actually talk with one another, and a very nice and reasonably-priced beer list. I started with a bomber bottle of the very good Double Skull Doppelbock from Epic Brewing here in SLC. We had met some nice folks at the other packed bar who shared an Uber with us to The Huddle and thanked us by buying our first round (and a nasty PB and J whiskey shot...yeech!)

I finished with another bomber bottle of the equally impressive Spiral Jetty IPA also from EBC. By the time we got Rich home via Uber and us back to the SLC hotel that we decided to stay in overnight due to winter weather up on the mountain and overall libation consumption by everyone, it was 3 AM (spring forward's a bitch).

3/14 - Before heading back to the airport for our flight home today, we had lunch at Bewilder Brewing Company in downtown SLC. I gotta flight and thought each was good, but nothing mind-blowing. From L to R it was the Irish Lager; the brand new Drop It Like It's Hop Hoppy American Wheat Ale (so new, in fact, I had to add it to UNTAPPD); the Broadside Brown ale; and their ESB.