Let's just call it Febby - it's just too hard to spell

1/31 - I ended my not-so-dry January with a 5K afternoon walk at least.  Gonna try and do more of these this year on days when it's not brutally hot, cold or raining.   

It was nice to get even a small win tonight in online poker on a Pokerstars home game tournament given how bad I have been running lately.  This one gave me a profit of over $60, but it all had to back into the bankroll to recoup other losses. 

2/2 - Finally!  A very small, but very important win on Global Poker today after suffering through one of the worst months ever in online poker.  This was only a dollar tournament but vs. 54 other players, and I cleared a mere $14 with the first-place finish, but that's the progress I needed to see.  Slow and steady is the comeback hopefully. 

Well, the Mug Club mugs at The Cedar Tap were supposed to be in by today, but they were not, but at least they had mugs of some sort.  I stopped by for happy hour and enjoyed first off the light and tasty Honky Tonk Sleepy Hollow Coffee Cream Stout from HTBC over in Nashville (photo above).  Next up was the solid Emergency Drinking Beer pilsner from Wild Heaven Brewing down in Atlanta.  I am sure I've had this one before, but never checked it on UNTAPPD and probably not on draft.   I closed out light and delightful as well with the 17th Anniversary Bergamo Pils from Yazoo Brewing up in Madison.  Cheers to one of the granddaddies of Nashville craft beer! 

2/4 - I went to see the new disaster flick, Moonfall, in IMAX at Street of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville this afternoon.   Beforehand, I stopped by Blossom and Cellar Door Craft Cavern for an early dinner and a few libations.    First up was very good NEIPA called Satsuma Snoball Juice from Urban South Brewing (New Orleans).  I finished on a light note with the solid pilsner called Wasioto from Barrique Brewing here in Nashville.  Cool little factoid:  Wasioto was the original name of the Cumberland River by the Shawnee.  And praise be, they had not taken the Thai beef jerky off the menu as I thought before!!  They just moved it on the menu!  It's their best seller evidently.  And I know why...yummm!!! The movie was goofy and over the top, but I actually enjoyed it.  The special effects were dazzling, and the storyline was more interesting than I was expecting. 

2/5 - I toasted Coach K's last game coaching at the evil empire, UNC, today as I watched the game at home.  I cracked open a bomber bottle of the Jack Daniels Barrel-Aged Gobsmacked barley wine from New Heights Brewing.  I picked this one up during their recent 5-year anniversary bottle release.  It was fantastic as was the 20-point beat down of the Tarholes and their rude fans.  #GODUKE! 

We went and had lunch at Red Robin in Mt. Juliet this afternoon and while I didn't have a craft beer there (not a great selection), I did admire their craft beer map of the U.S. hanging on their wall.  Why not have one of each of these brewers on tap?? Wishful thinking, I guess. 

2/6 - After some hiking and some shopping, Ashlee and I stopped by Tailgate Brewing on the west side of Nashville for a libation and wound up eating an early dinner here too.  The food was fantastic, and the beer was top notch.  I started with their NEIPA called Trees: Hop in Smoke (lacey photo above) that I thought was excellent.  I drained it quick!   I had a sip of Ashlee's excellent choice called Krazy Kyle's Holiday Ale. This spiced brown ale was spot-on!   I finished with their bombastic and tasty Imperial Peanut Butter and Banana Milk Stout.  Dang, wish these guys were closer to us.   

2/8 - I am continuing my Afternoon 5K walks this week and today I saw this cool blue heron fishing in a stream on my route that doesn't always have water in it.  Get 'em while they are there, I guess.  

2/9 - Instead of my usual 5K loop today, I instead walked to The Cedar Tap Happy Hour this afternoon (a little over two miles round-trip).  My arrival beer was a pint of the impressive Scottish Ale from Marrowbone Brewing over in Ashland City called the Black Watch Tartan.   My departure choice was the boozy, but smooth, imperial milk stout from Monday Night Brewing (Atlanta) called Tears of My Enemies - Bourbon Barrel Aged.  I was treated to a beautiful sunset on my way back as I cut through the Cumberland University Campus (photo above). 

2/10 - I watched some Winter Olympics highlights tonight while enjoying a can of farmhouse ale from my most recent Beer Drop order.  It was the tasty Tropic King from Funkwerks Brewing (CO). 

2/11 - Man, what a great day off!  Despite having to scrap a trip planned to California.  I still had great weather today for some hiking and waterfall chasing, followed by a little craft beer.  Fueled with a nearby-purchased Mountain Burger and a Sun-Drop in a glass bottle (as God intended), I tackled my biggest hike in recent memory with a moderate 3-mile-plus roundtrip to the fairly newly acquired Denny Cove Falls of the South Cumberland State Park.  This beauty is just 20 minutes from where I grew up, but I had never heard of it until recently and certainly never been here until today.  I had the falls all to myself when I arrived, and the rainbow was just an added bonus to the beauty. 

On the way out, I took a short spur trail to the base of Mini Denny Cove Falls.  I just love the holly tree growing among the rocky bottom of the falls.   

With daylight still with me, I decided to visit an old friend while in the area.  I haven't been to Upper Greeter Falls in easily 20-plus years.  This one's also part of the SCSP.  The half-mile-plus steep hike in and out was worth it, but I was tanked when I got back to the car.  It was cool to still see evidence of the mill that was once here.

I also got to see the top of booming Lower Greeter Falls just downstream as well.  No way were my knees and stamina gonna make it to the bottom of this one today.  This view was good enough.  

I stopped by the busy Common John Brewing in Manchester on the way home and had a couple of their own solid libations including their Damage Control pale ale and their Belgian dubbel called Lost Frequencies.

I also made another quick stop at Cedar Glade Brews in Murfreesboro and enjoyed their new black IPA called Midnight Sun.  This place was jumping too.  So great to see small regional craft breweries doing so well! 

2/12 - Man, talk about a bad beat.  The beloved Poker Barn in Mt. Juliet burned down the other night.  No human injuries, but some animals unfortunately didn't make it.  So sad.  My poker buddy, Zack, says he's rebuilding, and it will be better than ever.  Good luck to him.  Can't wait to get outdrawn by some jackass in there soon!    I poured one down in tribute to the loss:  a can of Fireside (pun intended) Scottish ale from Berthoud Brewing (CO) from my most recent Beer Drop order. 

2/13 - Figured I'd have a Super Bowl brew or two today even though I had little interest in the game itself.  From my most recent Beer Drop order, I chose a can of the very good Darklands Dark Lager from Ratio Beerworks (CO).  I followed that up with the extremely tasty Vanilla Caramel Amber red ale from Lone Tree Brewing (CO).   Byron was disappointed that the Bengals (you know, cuz they're cats) didn't win, but it was a pretty good game overall. 

2/14 - My Valentine's Day brew from my most recent Beer Drop order was a can of the enjoyably sweet and also tart Blackberry Betty Belgian Wit from Locavore Brewing (CO) which I enjoyed while watching the Jim Cuddy Valentines Blues streaming show online.   Best ballad voice out there!! 

2/15 - I went to see the classic Raiders of the Lost Ark in 4DX at the Opry Mills Theaters this afternoon.  It was a fun "ride" to see this classic again on the big screen.  Beforehand, I finished up work at the Homegrown Taproom where I was able to rack up the check-ins with their half-pint pours.  I started with the so-so session IPA from Southern Grist Brewing here in Nashville called Sliver of Credit.  Next up was the better Woodland St. (Remastered 2021) session IPA from the East Nashville Beer Works.  I turned to the dark side next with a very good stout from Wanderlinger Brewing down in Chattanooga called Stout of Tune.  I finished with an excellent Belgian quad from Living Waters Brewing here in Nashville called Meuse.   I also took a stroll over the Cumberland River Pedestrian Bridge at Two Rivers Park, so it wasn't just an afternoon of gluttony and sitting around.

2/16 - I started including some Cumberland University baseball in my afternoon walks.  The ball pictured above was unfortunately a 3-run dinger against the CU Phoenix that landed over the fence near where I was watching from recently.  

Ashlee and I slipped by The Cedar Tap tonight to check out their weekly bingo game.  It gave me a chance to see if our Mug Club mugs were in yet.  They weren't, but I enjoyed a couple plain mugs of some new to me libations.  I started with the tasty Don't Be Mean to People.  A Golden Rule Saison.  It was a collaboration between Ponysaurus Brewing (Durham, NC) and Mystery Brewing (Hillsborough, NC).  I finished with the wild ale called Foeder Classic from Blackberry Farm Brewing over in Maryville, TN.  I wasn't sure about it to start with, but the light tartness grew on me as the sips continued and I wound up really liking it.   And we won a game of bingo for a $5 gift certificate! 

2/18 - I went to see the new action/adventure film Uncharted in IMAX this afternoon at The Street of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville.  I thought it was a decent popcorn flick, but nothing all that great.  Beforehand, I finished up work at the nearby Blossom Thai and Cellar Door Craft Cavern for an early dinner and some libations.   I started with the super-cloudy and tasty IPA called Sendy from Outer Range Brewing (CO).   I finished with a crisp, corn-heavy pilsner called Southern Crisp from Southern Grist Brewing here in Nashville. 

2/20 - It was $1 Pours Day at The Cedar Tap for Mug Club members today, and I took full advantage!  Ashlee walked with me up to The Square (a nice 2-plus-miles roundtrip jaunt) in the nice weather for late Febby, and she enjoyed one to my three libations.  I started with a 10 oz. pour of the great 10% ABV Hopslam (2022) double IPA from Bells Brewing (MI).  For some reason I've never checked one of these in, but I know I've had earlier versions.  Next up was the very good Blood Orange Belgian Pale Ale from New Heights Brewing here in Nashville.  I finished up with the excellent and smooth Black Forest Nitro stout (photo above) from Left Hand Brewing (CO). 

2/22 - This month's Beer Drop order arrived today and it looks like a very good one! There's an English brown ale, a Belgian-style farmhouse pale ale, a honey ale with habanero, a Mexican-style lager and a German pilsner.   Variety is the spice of life and the key to Beer Drop! 

2/23 - I decided to work the afternoon away at a couple new craft beer locales recently opened in Nashville.    I started for lunch at a new location of Rock-n-Dough Pizza and Brewery; a regional brewpub chain started out in West Tennessee. There are now two locations here in Nashville.  I went to the closer one for me north of downtown.    For starters, the food was fantastic! And the beer was solid.  I started with their very nice Pizza Whisperer (photo above) amber ale.   I finished with their also very good Barbarian Pale Ale.  I will definitely be back by here again when I can! 

Next, I headed downtown to checked out Fait La Force Brewery - a brand new nano-brewery in a cool new complex at the end of 3rd Avenue.  Fait La Force is French for "Makes Strength."  They focus on old-school European-influenced beers which is a cool little niche.   I started with a half-pint of their Frosty Pop NEIPA which I thought was very unique and flavorful (photo above).  I finished with another half-pint (gotta drive home) of their interesting international pale ale called Top of the Walk-in.  It was very light and bit underwhelming in hops which I know is a European pale ale standard, but still enjoyable and again, unique. I had the place to myself and had a nice chat with one of the very nice owners/brewers as well.    I will definitely be back here again as well.  What a good afternoon of new craft beer finds! 

2/24 - I decided to try some ring game poker on Global since the tournament variance has been so bad lately that I suspect some kind of algorithm change in their software.  My goal was to simply run my $10 buy-in up to $21 to justify and pay my way into a good-structured $11 tournament later.  I was giving myself an hour to do it or when I lost half or all of the $10.  Well, this flopped set of quad treys (my signature hand) was a good sign early on, and a set of treys a few hands later got my $11 in profit needed to quit in just under 10 minutes of play.  Wish every day was like this!  Maybe ring games are my future online?  We shall see...

2/27 - I headed over to the south side of Nashville this afternoon to the only place showing The Godfather 50th anniversary on the big screen at The AMC Thoroughbred Theaters over in Cool Springs.  While in that area beforehand, I dropped by Curio Brewing and had their delightful Belgian blonde called Spindle.  It's been so popular that I had to have a can of it since the keg was already tapped.  I have to admit I've never seen The Godfather in its entirety until today.   Such a travesty!  I thought it was really good and I am already ready to see Part II.  I was impressed that the huge Dolby theater (recliners!) was almost half full this afternoon as well. 

The NSC is back! The Boys in Gold got an impressive 1-0 win on the road in the heavy rain of Seattle tonight to start the new 2022 season off right!!  I enjoyed a tasty can of Squirrel Nut Brown Ale from Locavore Brewing (CO) from my recent Beer Drop order while watching the game at home.  

2 - 0 - 2 - 2 = Brew-Oh-Brew-Brew

1/1/22 - Happy New Year! (hopefully).  I woke up in South Carolina this morning, traveled through Georgia and wound up back at home in time to pop open a Stick's Pale Ale from Bootstrap Brewing (CO) to toast the new year.  It was a tasty hold-out from my last Beer Drop order.   

I started the year off right tonight with a 6-handed tournament win on Global Poker vs. 113 other players.  I had nine knockout bounties and cleared $270 in profit! 

1/2 - I dropped by The Cedar Tap on the Lebanon Square for my first few beers as a new Mug Club member.  I got my punch card, but the mugs are a little delayed in shipping.  No worries.  The friendly barkeep, Kevin, gave me my five extra ounces per beer in a separate small glass instead.  I started with the decent Spruce Willis Yippee Ki-Yay Mother#^#@&! from DuClaw Brewing (MD).  This DIPA came off a little soapy IMO and the spruce taste was fairly mild.  I was expecting better, and I got it on the next choice, the excellent Crumb Cake imperial red ale from Rhinegeist Brewing (Cincy).  It's in the photo above along with The Cedar Tap's new wall mural. 

I was also celebrating the Titans' back-to-back AFC South banner won today by dismantling the Miami Dolphins at home.  The also got pushed back up to the # 1 AFC Seed for the upcoming playoffs if they can win next week against the woeful Houston Texans.  I toasted their success with my last beer at The Cedar Tap tonight, the nice and light Reynard French-style pilsner from Living Waters Brewing over in Nashville.  Cheers and #TITANUP@!

1/7 - My Beer Drop order for December arrived today - a week late per my request since we were out of town the last week of the month, and then another day late due to the wintery weather.  It's another good mix this time including a couple of American IPAs; a light and a dark lager; and a whopper of an imperial stout.   This is my first picture on this blog with my new IPhone 13 and its three lenses.  Looks like a magazine ad, doesn't it! 

1/8 - Well, I was supposed to be back at the good old Poker Barn tonight playing live poker, but the tournament got cancelled, so I decided to have a replacement poker night online instead.  Since I was planning on taking some of my fresh Beer Drop brews with me, I decided to go ahead and have a couple at home instead.  I started out with the aptly named and tasty Money Tree$ IPA from Storm Peak Brewing (CO) since it's all about the Benjamins here!  
Next up was the very good Standing Room Only IPA from Resolute Brewing (CO).  It has a cool can wrap of Red Rocks Amphitheater out in Colorado, but the cool rotating can trick with the panoramic setting on my new IPhone has been "improved" now and won't do it.  Boo!!! 

Kinda got it working...and then I closed out the night with a decent 303 Lager from Station 26 Brewing (CO).  Not much poker success to speak of.  Live to grind another day...

1/9 - Not bad for a "new" state to pro sports!  I toasted our success today - while watching the Titans almost blow it, but then take care of Houston to lock down the # 1 seed in the AFC and a bye next week - with a bomber bottle of Old Ale Paso from New Heights Brewing in Nashville.  This was one of the 3-bottle release from NHBC for their 5-year anniversary recently.  It's an old ale aged 42 months in Knob Creek Bourbon Barrels along with red wine.  It was boozy and delicious. #TITANUP #GOPREDS #GRINDHOUSE

1/11 - I finished out the workday remotely this afternoon at the new home for Southern Grist Brewing in East Nashville.  Man, what a great new place! The kitchen was not open but should be soon seven days a week I was told.  I started with their very good Slab Series: Double Nut Banana Brown ale.  I finished with their even better Coffee Macaroon Copra Kai milk stout.  I will definitely return! 

Afterwards I stopped by the Opry Mills Theaters to catch a matinee of the new Kurt Warner story, American Underdog.  His true story is a good one, but I hate that the crescendo was beating my Titans in the Super Bowl.   Overall, a great movie with good acting and if we had to lose by a yard to anyone, I am glad it was him.  

I finally found a worthy cause to donate my most recent 10% of a nice recent online poker win to thanks to a story on the Atlas Obscura podcast I heard today. 

1/12 - My Lebanon poker partner, Chip, goofed up his schedule and was out of town today, so I had to play again this month in our WSOP league.  I took a few Beer Drop brews with me as I eked out a respectable 4th place finish.  (" You shoulda played those kings, Mike!"  - Worm).  I started with the decent Lilly Hammer No Coast IPA from Locavore Beer Works (CO).  Next up was the very good Winter Breeze Coconut Dark Lager from Lumpy Ridge Brewing (CO).  I finished out the night with the impressive Black Cauldron imperial stout from Grand Teton Brewing (ID).  

1/13 - I drove down to Murfreesboro after work today to check out the brand-new Cedar Glade Brews.  This nano-brewery is the third one now within the city limits, so the beer scene is growing nicely here.   The place was busy which was good to see, and I started with a 10 oz. pour of their flagship Cedar Glade Maniac IPA which I thought had a pretty weak hops signature with it being a West Coast style IPA.  The second choice was an improvement.  Their pecan porter called Nuttin' But Fun was pretty good.  I and they finished strong with their oatmeal-based Stones River Stout.  Not bad for their early days.  I shall return whenever the opportunity arises.  

Afterwards. I went to over to the AMC Theaters in Murfreesboro to catch a showing of The King's Man.  Despite some tepid reviews, I thought it was a pretty decent origin story for a franchise that hasn't really been my favorite so far.  

1/14 - Well, The Cedar Tap Mug (less) Club continues as there is another delay in our mugs getting here until the end of the month evidently.   I still enjoyed the benefits with extra big pours of the following tonight:  the Romker gose (photo above) was light and tart from Living Waters over in Nashville; the Tanganero IPA from Flytes Brewhouse up in Pleasant View, TN, was OK, but needs a bit more fire I thought; I finished with the (just on tap) new Sterling double IPA also from Living Waters that was great.  I had a great conversation at the bar with a local firefighter (who might be the smartest Republican I've ever met) and a nice Yankee from Michigan who's moved here recently. 

1/15 - Bachelor Week for me begins!  After dropping Ashlee off with some girlfriends at the airport this morning for a week-long cruise, I headed over to Catch 22 in Mt. Juliet for brunch and a few libations.  The beers I chose were good, but the "chef's choice" omelet (photo above) that I chose to eat was the best pick of the day!  Man, it was so good and the Fritos on top were a surprise and were very tasty! Thanks to my friend, Diana, down in Austin via Facebook telling me this breakfast meal is known in the Tex-Mex world as migas.   As for the beer, I started with a draft pint of the nice and malty Maltings Irish Ale (Red Ale) from Sullivan's Brewing (Ireland).  I finished on a nice regional note with a draft pint of Moon Biscuits, an amber lager from WISEACRE Brewing over in Memphis. 

1/16 - It was a stay-home Sunday unfortunately due to a wintery weather forecast.  I did enjoy checking out the stunning new black and white film from Joel Coen, The Tragedy of Macbeth on Apple TV+.  Denzel was awesome.  "King Kong don't hath shite on me!!!"  

The snowy day did finally show up this afternoon, and it and the film mentioned above inspired this cool black and white shot out our den window. 

1/17 -   I finished my workday this afternoon over at Craft Brewed in Nashville.  I went here specifically to try their Craft Brewed 9th Anniversary IPA from Smith and Lentz Brewing here in Nashville.  It was great!  Cheers and happy anniversary to one of my favorite beer bars in Nashville.  May you have many more years ahead of you (and for me to visit)!   Next up I had the kellerbeir called Panga Drops from the Nicaragua Beer Company.  It wasn't that great and a bit soapy, but it is the first beer I've had from that country.  I finished on a higher note with the tasty brown ale called Chocolate Caramels from Edmund's Oast Brewing (SC).   Afterward since I was in the area, I went by the Regal Hollywood 24 Theaters and caught a late afternoon showing of Nightmare Alley, the new Guillermo del Toro remake.  It was a pretty good noir flick with a great cast.  I also stopped by The Black Abbey Brewing Company to kill a little more time before the movie and had their solidly good Czech Condition pilsner.  

1/18 - I wanted to give Bar League Poker a try tonight at The Casual Pint in Smyrna, but they only had one table fill up and never opened a second one like I was hoping.  So much for that.  I still had a couple of pretty good brews at least and a nice conversation with a regular at the bar while I was there.  I started with the excellent Electron Brown imperial brown ale (on nitro) from Old Nation Brewing (MI).  I finished with a very good Avalanche Amber Ale from Breckenridge (CO) Brewing.   

1/19 - I figured I would go see what all the buzz was about with the new coming-of-age film, Licorice Pizza, from Paul Thomas Anderson tonight over at the Opry Mills Theater which was about the only place showing it in Nashville.  I thought it was kind of dumb to be honest.  It just kind of wondered all over the place in a weird world 70's world where kids could be store owners and I guess statutory rape is OK??  Incredible production design and two awesome cameos by Sean Penn and Bradley Cooper, but that's about it. And the title means pretty much nothing.   
Beforehand, I stopped by the Homegrown Taproom in Donelson for a few brews and dinner.  Thanks to their half-pint option, I was able to notch four more unique beers to my UNTAPPD list.  I started with the very good Winter Warmer from Rahr and Sons Brewing (TX).  Next up was the solid Space Camper Cosmic IPA from Boulevard Brewing (Kansas City).  The milkshake IPA from Scofflaw Brewing (Atlanta) called Goat's Milk was the best of the night.  I concluded with the light and decent Tidewater Gold Japanese-style rice lager from Barrique Brewing here in Nashville. 

A severe cold front pretty much screwed up my plans for the rest of the bachelor week.   I hunkered down at home for the most part.  

1/21 - One place I did have to go today during this cold streak was Gallatin to get our Subaru's oil changed.  So, while up there I went to lunch at Prince Street Pizza and Pub which I haven't been too in a while.  That needs to change. What a great place for Tennessee-only craft beer and tasty pizza pies!  With my 10" pizza I had a pint of their own namesake Prince Street pale ale from Half Batch Brewing in nearby Hendersonville.  It was hoppy and so tasty!  I finished with a Nitro Gerst, one of my favorite brews from Yazoo Brewing over in Madison, but much softer and creamier in the nitro version. 

1/22 - I stayed at home watching the Titans playoff game today against Cincinnati.  I had a nice pint can of Fest Bier marzen lager from 4 Hands Brewing (St. Louis) in the first half.  The second half had me popping another pint can as we played from behind.  This was Fat Bob's Porter from Hop River Brewing (IN), a gift from my pal, Chris, a while back.   It was very tasty.  The game was crazy with a great rally by the Titans only to give it away at the end.  So frustrating...

1/23 - I celebrated the first of hopefully many $1 pint pours day for Mug Club members at The Cedar Tap this afternoon.  I started with the very good Belgian strong dark ale (photo above) called Wintervakantie from Marrowbone Brewing over in Ashland City.   I reluctantly (cuz I had to drive home) finished with the excellent German-style pilsner called Square Cut from Barrique Brewing in Nashville.  Can't wait for the next $1 Day - maybe I can walk if the weather cooperates!

1/27 - My January Beer Drop Order arrived today.  Another great variety-pack.  It has no IPAs in it - oh, the horror!!  But it still looks great with a tropical Saison, a blackberry Belgian wit, a dark lager, an amber ale and a Scottish ale.  Everything a growing boy/stomach needs!! 

Ashlee and I attended our first-ever Beer Dinner at Catch 22 in Mt. Juliet tonight hosted by The Black Abbey Brewing Company from Nashville.  It's so nice to have something like this actually happening in our county!  It was a 3-course delight, food-wise and beer-wise.  We started with a pint can of their flagship Belgian blonde, The Rose.  First course (fried lobster tail) was accompanied by their fairly new Czech Condition pilsner.  The main course (photo above) of a succulent veal chop was accompanied by the only new Black Abbey beer for me to check in, the lightly tart River Running Hibiscus Gose.  Dessert was an awesome Twix cheesecake with Lorna Doon crust and accompanied by their delightful Belgian quad called Ancient Ways. 

1/29 - I headed west today with the goal of staying overnight in Memphis and playing in a poker tournament in Tunica on Sunday.  My long-time best friend, Craig, met me at Stillhouse Hollow Falls near Mt. Pleasant for a morning hike.  Craig and I have been to over 50 waterfalls together, but this is the first one we've visited together where the temps were below freezing.  It was a crisp 24 degrees when we started our 7/10 of a mile hike down to this incredible beauty that I can't believe we've never been to before.  The icicles made it all the more magical and with no wind, the cold temps weren't really a factor.  We were also surprised that the little parking area of the state-owned natural area was almost full this chilly morning. 

We thought it was a good idea to go to Bad Idea Brewing in nearby Columbia for a brew after our fun hike.  I've actually never been inside here since my first visit was during the early Covid days and they were only doing to-go orders.  It's a small place, but with outdoor seating, it looks like a fun place in nicer weather.  I started with a half-pint pour (gotta drive) of their very good New Year New Haze NEIPA.  I closed with their even better 9" Diameter Peanut-butter Cup milk stout.  

We got another hike in as the temps outside warmed up, and we decided to walk about a mile to Asgard Brewing over on the river in downtown Columbia next.  We both did flights here and my rundown went as follows:  their good English pale ale called Goat and Compass; their amazingly good NEIPA called Austri East Coast IPA; their very good doppelbock called Caganator; and finally, their really good oatmeal stout called Ship in a Bottle. 

After our walk back, I parted ways with Craig and his son, Ryan, who had joined us in Columbia, and continued westward.  I stopped in Hurricane Mills where I had this very nice Amish sandwich lady at Overholts Farm Market make me a Dutchman's lunch sandwich.  It was huge and fantastic!  A perfect late lunch/early dinner.  And what a cool place too!  

I got to Memphis and checked into my really nice Homewood Suites hotel room in the Germantown area that I got for a great price on Hotwire.com.  After a short rest, I drove a few miles to Meddlesome Brewing where I had their tasty nitro pale ale called Bitter American.  I wanted to have another here, but it was just too busy and there was nowhere to sit, so I went back to my spacious (and quiet) room instead.  

1/30 - I was supposed to go to Tunica today for the second Seniors Event of the WSOP Circuit Series at the Horseshoe Casino there, but I have been running so bad this month that I just wasn't feeling it, so I decide to just do some touring of West Tennessee and Kentucky instead.  My first stop was  Shelby Forest General Store just outside Memphis.  This iconic place has been around since 1934 and their food is pretty famous.   I had another very nice lady make me their Philly omelet and it was fantastic!  I was even able to eat it outside at a picnic table there since the weather was much, much milder than yesterday morning!  A great first stop! 

My main destination today was the amazing earthquake formed Reelfoot Lake in the NW corner of our great state.  I was getting a bit skeptical as I drove the good distance toward it from Memphis wondering if I had made the right call over poker because, hey, it's just a lake in the winter.  My doubts faded away when I got there, however.  This place is special.  It's simply amazing with all the cypress trees sitting in the lapping water.  And the incredible ice formations on many of the bases of the cypress trees made this winter visit all that more beautiful.  So glad I came to see it!   I had forgotten that this area recently got hammered by tornadic activity back in December also.  The devastation was scary and depressing.  Here's hoping they recover quickly.  

I took a quick one-way detour to Kentucky Bend next.  This weird geographic anomaly just doesn't make sense.  Why would Kentucky want to claim this knob in the river that can't even be accessed without going through Tennessee?  So historic, so weird.  

I started looping back northeast next with my next stop being Mayfield, Kentucky, to this incredible and rare statuary in Maplewood Cemetery there.  Only Colonel Henry Woolridge was buried here in 1899, but he commissioned statues of everyone and everything that was special to him (18 in all) during his life to be cast in stone monuments there with him.  Thanks to the always-interesting Atlas Obscura website for letting me know about this. I even offered the photo above and some more information to them about this site.   I also feel fortunate to have seen this on this trip because Mayfield was also devastated by tornadic damage back in December as well including several fatalities.  Many streets downtown are still closed due to damage, but I was able to slip in and see this amazing tribute to one man's life.  It gave me an eerie feeling to think about these cold stone eyes watching in unmoving gaze as the powerful storms roared down on and near them.  

Continuing back east, my next stop was the relatively new nano-brewery in Benton, KY, known as The Dam Brewhouse.  The place was packed inside the little house (yes, it's actually a house), so I set outside in the backyard beer garden since the weather was fairly mild.  I started with their Haus Hazy (photo above) IPA which I thought was very good.  I finished with their fantastic pilsner called The Old Grey Mare.  What a cool little place! 

As I dropped south back into Tennessee headed for home, I made one last stop at the new location for Gladiator Brewing in Clarkesville.  These guys had to shut down in their original location, so I missed visiting them on a trip up here to Clarksville a while back.   But they are back now, and their beer is worth the stop!  I started with their Irish dry stout called Gladius that I thought was excellent.  I was only going to have one, but I got caught up watching those damn Cincy Bengals underdogs win again at Kansas City for a berth into the Super Bowl.  Wow!   So, I had their solid pale ale called Thraeces while watching the end of the game (and dreaming that this could have been the Titans, sad-face). 
A fun little trip from start to finish.