So close to summer you can taste it! Cheers!

A modern goddess!! 

5/1 - I hate to benefit at the expense of others (except in poker), but when my beer/soccer pal Nate's wife broke her foot recently, it opened up a seat for me at the SOLD OUT inaugural game at the new Geodis Stadium for the Nashville Soccer Club today vs. the Philadelphia Union! Thanks, Ginny, and get well soon!  The stadium (appropriately nicknamed "The Castle") is magnificent, and the weather today was perfect.  I brought a few tailgate beers from my recent Beer Drop order.  I started with the very good Scottish ale called Ba-Ree from High Hops Brewing (CO).  I also enjoyed a pint can of the solid Premium Pils from New Image Brewing (CO).  

Nate's seats are right on the field in the south end of the stadium.  A perfect close-up view to see one of our NSC stars, Hany Muktar, send in a corner kick.  Nate and I also shockingly found a beer neither of us had had before at a BBQ stand on the way to our seats.  The Memphis Sands Helles lager from WISEACRE Brewing (Memphis) was pretty darn good.

Again, it's just a beautiful stadium from top to bottom.  After a scoreless first half, we fell behind early in the second half 1-0, but the huge 30K+ crowd was still in it.   

I discovered Cumberland Crafts beer bar in the second half and got me a draft "rally beer" as we tied the game up late with a deserved penalty kick.  The aptly-named Rivalry IPA from Hub City Brewing out in Jackson, TN, was very tasty. 

The game ended in a draw with a valuable point gathered vs. the # 1 team in the eastern division.  NSC striker, Randall Leal, (photo above) got us back to even.  Another plus to Nate's seats are that they are right beside the tunnel where the players enter and exit the stadium, so some close-up encounters are very likely.  Say for instance, someone hands Randall's newborn baby to him from right behind you!  

Captain Dax!  Another great close-up shot from Nate's seats.  Thanks again, bud!  Getting out the parking lot (the infield of the historic racetrack next door) was a bit of a nightmare, but luckily I had one tailgate pint can left to sip on while I waited. The Summer Daze wheat from Mad Anthony Brewing (IN) was pretty good despite not being super cold, but you take what you can get! 

After the game (and traffic), I met back up with Nate at the nearby Fait la Force Brewing where I had their outstanding saison called Orchestral Fanfare, and their equally impressive rye farmhouse ale called French Adventuress.  This might be our new rally point for NSC games since you can easily walk from here to the stadium (and walk back quicker than the traffic jam leaving). 

5/2 -  After picking Ashlee up at the airport this evening, we stopped by Phat Bites in Donelson for dinner and to wait out some rush-hour traffic.  It's a funky little place, but the food was fresh and good.  With my Cajun pasta I had the "house beer" called, what else, Phat Beer, a decent little pilsner, but I am not sure who makes it for them.  

5/4 - Mmmm, beer...cup.  I kinda love my belated birthday gift from my sis-in-law, Paige, that she picked on a recent trip with Ashlee to the Universal Studios Theme Park down in Orlando.  Thanks, PCH!  I also had some real beer today at The Cedar Tap Happy Hour.  I started with the very good Inception Pale Lager from Blackberry Farms Brewing over in Maryville.  Next up was another solid pale lager called Bach from Living Waters Brewing here in Nashville.  

I was happy to see my last beer today at The Cedar Tap earned an ALES for ALS badge, meaning a little of the sales went to a great cause.  That beer was the decent kolsch called Gold Record from Rhinegeist Brewing (Cincinnati). 

5/6-   I headed over to the Opry Mills Theaters late this afternoon to catch opening day of Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness in IMAX 3D.  I thought it was a fun film and the 3D was actually pretty good.  Beforehand, I finished up work at TennFold Brewing in Donelson where I had a couple libations as well including their refreshing and tasty new lager called Songs in the Key of Lime,  and their collaboration stout with a couple other local breweries called Resist! It's a support brew for Ukraine and a couple bucks from each pint sold goes to The Red Cross relief efforts there.  Hey, Putin...go fuck yourself!  Cheers! 

5/8 - I was a guest again of my pal, Nate, at the NSC game today vs. Real Salt Lake.  We decided to avoid the traffic snarl of parking onsite and opted to walk from nearby Fait La Force Brewery.  Before our jaunt, we had a couple pints, of course.  I started with their impressive dark lager called the Emperor's Wisdom.  Next up was their decent Belgian blonde called Heathen Philosopher.  The mile walk was easy and safe.  We hooked up with the NSC support group called The MixTape 615 for some tailgating.  I went ahead paid my dues and joined the group to take advantage of their season-long food and brew available before each home game.   While there I had a can of the always-great Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA (2021) where I haven't checked in on UNTAPPD for a couple years now, and an OK little pony bottle of Modelo's lager called Modelito Especial.  Thanks, group!! 

The game was awesome and a big 2-0 win!!   While at the game I had a nice draft pint of Deez Coconuts cream ale from Rock and Dough Pizza (Memphis) who now has a booth at the new stadium.  My second half choice was a repeat on UNTAPPD, but still a good one:  the Basement IPA (2021) from Scofflaw Brewing (Atlanta).  After our easy walk back to Fait la Force where we hooked up with my best friend, Craig, and his wife and Al and their son, Ryan, I had a pint and a half pint (cuz I'm driving) to close out the victorious night.  Their cold IPA called Polar Explorer was a little underwhelming, but not bad.  My half pint of Admiral of the Narrow Seas, their Baltic porter was much better. 

5/9 - I had to take our Subaru Outback up to Gallatin for an oil change today, and as I drove in I spied a new Garcia's Mexican Restaurant nearby that I could walk to for lunch while getting my service.  Well, their tacos were great.  Their wifi is free and fast for working.  And they even have a pretty good draft beer selection.  I chose the surprisingly good Gatino Gose from Hutton and Smith Brewing down in Chattanooga.  The lightly tart with hints of salt and coriander go perfect with Mexican fare. 

Thanks to Movie Mike for the shout-out on his podcast today of an email I sent him recently about the fun movie guessing game called "Framed." 

5/10 - My first official day working (and poker playing) from the pool was today.  Get used to this view all summer!!  I christened the pool/office with a can of Bang Bang Double IPA from Station 26 Brewing (Denver) from my most recent Beer Drop order.  I followed that up with a pint can of Cambodge, a unique and tasty Cambodian-inspired farmhouse ale from Diebolt Brewing (Denver).

I subbed tonight in the Lebanon Poker League.  My partner, Chip, was playing for us, but it didn't matter since we are far out of the running for WSOP points.    I brought only one beer since I was running low with my pool time libations earlier and didn't have to stop for more.  It was a dandy though.  A delicious pint can of Night's Rose, an imperial stout from Ursula Brewing (CO).  Our poker host, John, and his girlfriend also said I could have anything in the fridge that I wanted so I spied a bottle of Chimay Grande Reserve (Blue) which I thought I had already checked in, but had not, so it officially became my 4000th unique beer to check in on UNTAPPD!! Thanks, Doc! But no badge from UNTAPPD for my achievement??  That's just sad.  

5/11, 5/12, 5/13, 5/14 and 5/15 - Following is a listing of collective pool libations I had over these five days that were from a variety six-pack I got at Lebanon Wine and Spirits and a couple of half-growlers from Providence Wine and Spirits:  first up was the excellent bottle of Beeracuda pale lager from Abita Brewing (LA); next was the half growler of the surprisingly smooth and likable Italian pilsner called Croccante from Pontoon Brewing (GA); a half growler of a fruited gose from Orpheus Brewing (Atlanta) called There Was Such A Thing As Daylight was next.  I couldn't finish the half growler.  Even with the added ginger, it was just too sour for more than one pint.   I cleaned my pallet and my attitude with a can of the delicious and hoppy Icelandic Artic Lager from Einstok Brewing (Iceland).  Next up was a pint can of the excellent Native Land NEIPA from Yazoo Brewing here in Nashville; a bottle of the smooth and tasty Kentucky Peanut Butter Stout from Lexington Brewing; another bottle of another impressive milk stout called Camp Amp from Dogfish Head Brewing (DE); and yet another bottled stout, the Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) 2022 from Founders Brewing (MI).

5/15 - It was also Dollar Pours Day at The Cedar Tap for Mug Club members, so I walked up and had a couple before walking back just before dark.  I started with the solid Sentinel IPA (photo above) from Living Waters Brewing here in Nashville.  They only had sours left to choose from as a new brew for me, so I opted for the decent Blueberry Boyfriend from Prairie Artisanal Ales (OK). 

5/16 - I started American Craft Beer Week off right today with another pool float and a can of Raging Eagle Mango fruit beer from Yuengling Brewing (PA) that my friend, Emily, brought me.  It was pretty good.  Thanks, Em! 

5/17 - It was at another oil change in Mt. Juliet today, so afterwards I grabbed lunch at Catch 22 where I had some amazing fried salmon street tacos and a pint of the refreshing IPA called Bright Day Coming from Three Taverns Brewing (GA).  I stopped by the Mt. Juliet Beer Company as well and picked up a variety four-pack for future pool floating, one of which I cracked on a quick float this afternoon.  It was the solid Wanderlinger Lager from Wanderlinger Brewing down in Chattanooga.   

5/18 - I cheated on my haircut gal, Kim, today because I needed a trim before an upcoming trip and she's not available on Wednesdays, so I checked out the hip, new Blackbeard Barbershop her in Lebanon at The Mill. Cool place.  Nice cut.  A bit pricey, but not awful.  They have a bar too, but I wasn't offered a libation.  What's up with that?  Anyway, it's probably back to Watertown next month instead. 

I was also able to squeeze in a quick pool float this afternoon before heading to the airport for our trip.  I cracked open a can of the very nice Premium (Postmodern Beer), a farmhouse ale from Stillwater Artisanal (Brooklyn, NY); and an also quite tasty Proper Pils Czech pilsner from SpindleTap Brewing (Houston). 

5/19 - Time for a Happy Anniversary beer up here in Massachusetts.   Ashlee and I decided to check out the Cape Cod area and the "Key West of the North" Provincetown out at the tip for our 21st wedding anniversary trip.  One of our first stops was the Cape Cod Beer Company in Barnstable.  These guys had some great beer and some decent food for lunch too.  I started with their just-released-today wheat beer called Cape Cod Summer that was fantastic.   I had a few sips of Ashlee's Big Sea Saison that was pretty solid.   I ended with their interesting and refreshing Shillelagh Irish Pale Ale.  They allowed for a variety four-pack to be bought so I took them up on it to have in our room up in P-Town.  More on those later...

I was, of course, lighthouse chasing too on this trip and walked up solo to check out pretty Nauset Light in Eastham while Ashlee waited in the car.  

We got to Provincetown and checked into our super-nice hotel, The Brass Key Guesthouse.   We walked to dinner and picked the local legend, The Lobster Pot, where I had a draft of Outermost IPA from Hog Island Beer Company in nearby Orleans, Massachusetts, with my meal.  Back at the hotel and in their giant hot tub right outside our room (photo above) I cracked open a pint can of the Narrow Lands NEIPA from Cape Cod Beer Company. It was very good and went down smooth in the warm, bubbling water.  I ended with their Big Dipah double IPA back in the room and it was excellent as well.  

5/20 - We walked over to Provincetown Brewing this afternoon on our way to a whale watching trip.  Their selection was a little less than Cape Cod Beer's, but I do love their logo with the top of the hard-to-miss town landmark, The Pilgrim's Monument, on it .  I started with their double IPA called Double Rainbow that I thought was OK, but needed more hops.  The Bearded Mistress IPA (photo above) was light and pretty solid.  I also had a sip of Ashlee's choice, the Spilt Tea hard seltzer which was surprisingly good since those are not my thing usually. 

We drank outside in the mild weather in the shadow of the tower on Provincetown Brewing's logo. 

Well, the whale watching trip was out of this world and the best I've been on ever.  We happened upon a couple of mother humpbacks and their calves feeding in an area and staying there for what seemed like hours.  The photo above is just one of a dozen great shots I got.  Wow!  What a day!!  There was even craft beer on the boat!  The obvious choice was the Whale's Tale Pale Ale from Cisco Brewing over on Nantucket which I've actually had before, but it sure tasted sweeter with these amazing views!!  

Just an amazing afternoon from start to finish.  

We were starved when we got back from the whale watching and headed straight to dinner at The Patio American Grill where we dined outside and my roasted haddock (foreground in the photo above) was incredible.  The beer in the picture was the solid Fiddlehead IPA from Fiddlehead Brewing (VT). 
I decided to bring my other two Cape Cod Beers home with me since I was checking a bag on tomorrow's flight.  What a great place!  Can't wait to come back! 

5/21 - Our flight back home from Boston Logan Airport was delayed, but it had nothing to do with the fog still hanging around the airport and city late in the afternoon today.  The delay did give me a chance for a few more craft beer check-ins as we found a great bar called Not Your Average Joe's that had an excellent selection.  I started with the very good Post Shift Pilsner from Jack's Abby Craft Lagers over in Framingham, Mass. I ended with the excellent Sluice Juice NEIPA from Bent Water Brewing in Lynn, Mass.  It just so happens my UNTAPPD friend, Mando, checked in the same beer at the same bar back in April while waiting on a delayed flight.  When it doubt...drink!! 

Not my best shot from a plane, but one of the coolest sites was the Boston Lighthouse among the pounding waves through the fog and clouds.   I guess ya had to be there...or at least OVER there. 

5/22 - I walked up for Happy Hour at The Cedar Tap late this afternoon.  Their board was pretty full of beers I had already tried, but I eked out a couple new ones (at least to me).   I started with the excellent Salted Caramel Porter from Anderson Valley Brewing (CA).  Before heading back, I also had the very nice Cosmic Sipper golden ale from East Nashville Beer Works. 

I decided to go see the remastered, director's edition of Star Trek The Motion Picture at the Hollywood Theaters in Nashville tonight since I've never seen it on the big screen.  It was pretty corny, but, hey, it's "Star Trek" and it was way back in 1979.  Beforehand, I had a couple of craft brews at, well, Craft Brewed.  I started with the really good Dreadnaught double IPA from 3 Floyds Brewing (IN).  I finished up with the light and refreshing wheat beer called Bucket of Flowers from Edmund's Oast Brewing (SC). 

I sported my new Cape Cod Beer hat tonight and made another stop before the movie at The Black Abbey Brewing Company which is near the theaters.  I had their very good and very new rye beer called Mash, Rinse, RyePeat (get it).  

524 - Holy hops, Batman!  Not one, but two more craft breweries are coming to Lebanon!! Man, what a great time to finally live in the backassward county!!  Tenn Lakes Brewing will be opening soon in The Mill, the complex where I just got my hair cut; and East Nashville Beer Works is opening an "East of Nashville Beerworks" facility over near Hwy. 109!  Let's see if all these places can stay afloat in this still backassward county where most people would pass on paying $7 for a beer despite saying they love small business and want to "buy American."  Hey, buddy, that Miller Lite in your hand ain't American no more...

My double Beer Drop order came today.  I went double because it was a better price per beer, and I wanted to load up for the 3-day holiday weekend (hopefully spent mostly in the pool) coming up.  I got a nice, most light, variety with a Belgian tripel and a golden ale; a Mexican lager and a pale lager both with lime and sea salt; a few other lagers including an amber, a Bavarian helles, and a Vienna; one IPA only this time; a nice-looking kolsch; and a rye barrel-aged oatmeal stout that just sounded too good to pass up.   Cheers!! 

5/25 - Look, the company I work for now, Aptive Environmental, is pretty goofy at times and can even be embarrassing to work at other times, but they do seem to try with their employees.    Check out these awesome free Nike Air kicks they sent me for no real reason at all!   All had to do is tell them my size and pick my "Nike by Rob" design.  Thanks, folks! 

It was Lebanon Poker Night for me - the last one of this season that I am playing.  I took some of my new Beer Drop brews with me.  First up was a can of the tasty Gold Rush Belgian strong golden ale from Pikes Peak Brewing (CO).  Next up to toast a triple up of my poker stack by pulling off an all-in bluff over AA and fading a nut flush draw, I swigged the decent (more hops, please) Wilson IPA from Roadhouse Brewing (WY).  I finished the night with a frustrating 3rd place finish (thanks to a bad beat by the worst player at the table) and a consolatory can of the very nice Bavarian Lager from GoodLife Brewing (OR). 

April's Birthday Fool on The Jersey Shore

It mostly is beer...here.

4/1 -We headed up to Louisville along with our friend, Nate, after work today in this nice rental car I got from Turo app from a lady who lives only about a mile away, so it was so easy to pick up and return.   Our final destination was Columbus, Ohio, this weekend to catch a road game with the Nashville Soccer Club. 

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Near our hotel in New Albany, Indiana, just across the river from Louisville was Floyd County Brewing where we had a tasty dinner, found some fun live music and enjoyed a few libations.  I started with their very nice red ale called Arthur of the Britons.  I had a sip of Ashlee's equally good blonde ale called Leprechaun's Gold.  I finished dinner with their excellent Shakezilla - Pineapple Coconut milkshake IPA.   After dinner, over in the Grain Haus, I had their nice session IPA aptly named Rockin' the Bus while listening to cool and fun hippy tunes coming from Hooter and Doobers up on the stage there.  

4/2 - After a great breakfast in Louisville at Wild Eggs and a breakfast beer provided by my pal, Nate, the heavy but tasty imperial stout called Maple Pecan-Praline Wake n Bake Reserve 2021 from Terrapin Brewing (GA), we got to Columbus around 1 PM and headed straight for Hoof Hearted Brewing, the hilariously named local joint which we also visited on our last trip up here a few years back to see the Predators also play a road game.  I started with their delectable Steel Toe Aqua Socks NEIPA (photo above).  I also did a half-pint pour of their nice and light pilsner called Reptilian Beauty Secrets with Bru-1 Hops (2022).  

We moved on via our feet to the nearby and new-to-me North High Brewing who gets their name from their location on the busy and fun North High Street which is packed with bars and restaurants.  I had their fantastic double IPA called The Final Countdown and finished with their very good Wired Coffee Stout.  Fun place.  Gotta come back here sometime, but for now it's on to the game!  

The new Columbus Crew Stadium Lower.com Field is a beauty and we had great seats for the big 1-0 win on the road and the much-needed three points in the standings table. Our one goal happened right in front of us, as did another that was waved off and should not have been.  They also had some pretty good local craft beer from Land-Grant Brewing.  I started with their brown ale called S'Mudder that was solid.  I finished up with a nice pale ale of their called Lonely Hops Club - Denali.  

After the victory, it was back to Hoof Hearted Brewing again since they had a kitchen open late.  I started with the very good Peppercorn Dorks Club triple IPA and finished with another solid triple IPA called Most People Can't Handle the High Bass which I had to cry into when Duke lost to UNC again, but this time in The Final Four.  Ugghhh!!  

4/3 - We did the entire drive home from Columbus today, but did break it up with a nice stop just outside of Cincinnati for a brewery tour and lunch at Cartridge Brewing in Maineville, Ohio.   These guys have set up shop in an old ammunition plant built back in 1860's called Peters Cartridge Company (hence the brewery name).  It's a beautiful old structure (thanks AtlasObscure.com) that's also been turned into apartments. Pictured above are the original smokestack and shot-tower used during production.  The tour was fun and informal with a nice 5-count flight of their beers at the end.  Before and during the tour, I sipped on a pint of their nice stout called Holster.  I liked everything in the flight with the Katana double IPA being my favorite.  In no other certain order I had their light Helles lager called Up the Hill; their interesting hibiscus ale called Hollow Point; and their solid bock called Brigade.  Another taster of the Holster stout rounded out the five.  Their food was good as well, and we enjoyed the company of Ashlee's cousins, Leslie, and her daughter, LeeAnn, who live nearby for the tour and for lunch. 

4/4 - I took my first step toward being an extra in an upcoming Paramount+ TV show called "George and Tammy" today with a Covid-19 quick test at the production's expense in downtown Nashville (and they paid me $50!). Since I was in the area, I had lunch and a libation at the nearby Tennessee Brew Works.  With my tasty fish tacos, I had their very nice River Drifter IPA.  

4/6 -   It was my first day as a TV show extra!   And I was 20 feet from recent Oscar-winner, Jessica Chastain, playing an aging and declining in health Tammy Wynette and beautifully singing "Help Me Make It Through the Night" over and over in different takes at the historic Ryman Auditorium from a concert there in 1995 just three years before her death.   There were supposed to be no phone use on the set, but I was able to sneak the decent shot above.   She was so personal to us in her "audience" between takes explaining the process and even asking if we had a good lunch.  She broke down during one take and we figured she had flubbed a line (although every take sounded perfect), but she admitted to us later that she became overwhelmed thinking that today was actually the anniversary of Wynette's death.    I have always been a big fan of Jessica Chastain, and now she's probably one of my favorites out there.  Wow! I get paid to do this?? What a fun time!   Michael Shannon was there as well in small sequences playing an aged George Jones. He's a pretty quiet guy looks like and very professional.  His bigger filming day is tomorrow.  We "broke for lunch" and I wondered over to 5th and Broadway and jumped in the first place I found since it had open seating at the bar.  It's a Spanish tapas place called Boqueria where I had some tasty lamb meatballs and a can of the decent TENN Golden Lager from Tailgate Brewing here in Nashville. 

(Editor's note:  Jessica went on to win a SAG award for her portrayal of Tammy Wynette in this production!)

4/7 - It was Day 2 as a TV show extra, and I never could get a good sneak-shot of Michael Shannon playing a young George Jones in a concert here at The Ryman for the Grand Ole Opry back in 1968, so the photo above is from yesterday.   Michael sounded and looked great through the first couple takes and I was in the second row very close to him.   Unfortunately, work got kind of busy, and the guy seated next to me was kind of annoying, so I bowed out at the lunch break and didn't come back.  That had plenty of extras.  It seemed like more than yesterday, so I wasn't missed.   It was a fun experience and I would do it again if the opportunity seems worth it.   I stopped for lunch (comped $14 each day on set) in Mt. Juliet at Catch 22 and caught up on some work from the morning, enjoyed some great jerk chicken street tacos and a nice draft pint of the milk stout from Southern Grist Brewing here in Nashville called Money Moves. 

4/8 - Good ol' pocket trays helped tonight to $5 satellite into a $33 Super Deep Monster Stack Series Tournament which I then cashed in for a total profit of $80.  

4/9 - I flew solo (and cheap) to New York's Laguardia Airport on Southwest Airlines this afternoon and then took my rental car southwest into New Jersey for a long weekend trip of waterfall chasing, brewery hopping, and other fun road-trip destinations in The Garden State.   Despite its rough reputation sometimes, it's actually quite an interesting area with ocean beach, woods and iconic/historical locales across the state.  

Near my gate at BNA they have opened a new place called Three Casks that has a great Tennessee craft beer selection ...at the airport!   Finally!  I had the very good Hand Crank pale ale from Printshop Brewing up in Knoxville.  I guess the BNA now stands for "Beer Now Available"!! 

I mean I had to have a beer today...since it's a national holiday...or it at least should be...

Just a "plane ol' view" of the south end of Manhattan Island and Jersey beyond on the way in. 

Getting out of the airport and Queens, across the George Washington Bridge and into Jersey was a bit harrowing, but I made it, and cruised down the Jersey Turnpike to the pretty little beach town of Belmar where I would be staying tonight.  They have a beautiful new boardwalk which was just across the street from my hotel where I enjoyed the late afternoon sun.  

I walked from my hotel as the sun was setting about a mile to a craft brewery and on the way crossed E Street.  Yes, it's THAT E Street!   Evidently, the band's original piano player lived on this street and Bruce and the boys would sometimes practice in his mother's garage there and that is from whence Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band originated.  

My dinner tonight was some outstanding poutine, Jersey-Shore style at the Beach Haus Brewery.  Along with my meal I had their very good dark lager called Whatchamalager, their decent milkshake IPA called the Belmartian (in the photo above), and finally their Free World IPA which was solid.   

I figured this was as close as I was gonna get to seeing/hearing Springsteen back at the place he started from.  I bought a ticket to see the E Street Shuffle, a Springsteen tribute band at the famous and historical Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ.  I Ubered there from the brewery so I could drink and not worry about parking and such.  

Pilgrimage complete! Man, it was great!  Such a cool, historical venue with signed guitars from everyone who has played there in the past mounted all over the walls.  I bought four T-shirts for myself and as gifts since they were so reasonably priced.   The E Street Shuffle were excellent and give great homage to The Boss and his boys.  They did a great 2-set tribute playing cuts chronologically from 14 different Springsteen albums.  Singing, sax, drums organ and guitar were spot-on.  While enjoying the show I also enjoyed a can of the nice Hopfish India Pale Ale (IPA) from Flying Fish Brewing over in Summerdale, NJ.  This trip has inspired me to see try and see shows at other historical rock venues when I have a chance including the Whiskey a Go-Go and The Viper Room in LA. 

After the show, I Ubered back to my modest, historical (circa 1929) and actually pretty adorable Mayfair Hotel.  I chose to stay here to be close to "The Boss" in spirit and in history, plus it was a great off-season price!  

4/10 - I took a great 2-mile walk down the Belmar boardwalk again this morning. The temps were a little chilly, but not bad once you got moving and focused on the great views. 

Next, I headed south for a little while before turning back north.  My first stop was the beautiful and historical (circa 1896) Sea Girt Lighthouse.  I think I've been here before. I took another trip to New Jersey many (pre-blog) years ago to specifically photograph lighthouses and I believe this was one of them. Sad my memory isn't better.  She's just so pretty. 

I decided to go somewhere I know I had not been before to perhaps catch a glimpse of another lighthouse I do remember going to.  I pretty much had Island Beach State Park to myself this sunny, but windy, day.  There were a few folks around and a few driving on the beach where allowed, but overall I had a great sense of peace and aloneness (not lonely, just alone).  It was quite awesome. As the Eli Young Band puts it in "Saltwater Gospel" I was about "as close to God as I could get." 

Somebody's getting a new paint job!  Look like I made the right call not going straight over to Barnegat Light which I could see across an inlet from the state park and which I know I've been to before.  See ya, next time, big guy, after your spruce up and no scaffolding.   

My rental car was a slick little Ford EcoSport that was perfect since it got a billion miles to the gallon with gas prices over $5 in some places here.  It had a sunroof that I was able to slide open a lot during my trip since overall I had pretty nice weather throughout.  Here she is parked in front of the some of the giant sea oats in Island Beach State Park.  

Aunt Mary Pat would be so proud!  New Jersey is chock full of pop culture references and locales.  This is a shout-out to the cross-dressing comedian from the Philly area who loves her WAH (wet-ass hoagie) from the Wawa.  I opted for a Philly Cheesesteak hoagie and it was delicious. 

Speaking of pop-culture icons, I stopped by Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash comic-book store in Red Bank, NJ, next, and it was a lot of fun.  I even bought my first comic book since I was a kid:  a very cool Black and White Batman (circa 1996).   Beforehand, I also stopped at an actual Quick Stop for an (overpriced) Mountain Dew (shout-out to Clerks).  They were having a pretty nice street fair here in downtown Red Bank, and I walked through it to grab a brew at the nearby Red Tank Brewing Company (see what they did there with the name?).  I only had time for one, so I chose their very nice session Tempus Fugit IPA.  

Next, I continued back north and checked into my home for the next couple nights which was this nice AirBnb in the city of Passaic.   Now, the city and neighborhood were a bit rough, but the place was quiet and safe with three combo-lock doors between me and the outside world, and it had off street parking as well.  I never saw the host and only a couple glimpses of other folks staying in the large home as well.   

The AirBnB's best perk was that it was centrally located between at least 5 craft breweries in close proximity with the closest being Ghost Hawk Brewing in nearby Clifton.  I started with what I feel was the best beer of the trip:  their Scotch ale called Beira.  It was outstanding (photo above).  I finished with their very good double IPA called Phototropic.  Gonna go ahead and say this was the best brewery of the trip as well.  Too bad I didn't have time to visit again and try more of their libations. 

The best brewery logo of the trip goes to Seven Tribesmen Brewing in Wayne, NJ.  Their cool old, converted house made for a great microbrewery and tasting room.  I started with their Pines Lake Pils which I really enjoyed.  Next up was the interesting Paprika Ale which was definitely the most unique beer of the trip.  The weather started to lighten up some so it was time to put down the brews and head for the big daddy waterfall that was the main focus of this trip. 

"The Boss" of New Jersey waterfalls is the amazing Great Falls of the Passaic River, now a national historical park.  Only a few minutes from my AirBnb, I was blown away by this giant waterfall in downtown Paterson, NJ.  Sorry, Greenville, SC, you just got lapped in terms of downtown falls.  Wow!  And this baby also rolls into pop culture also because that bridge over the falls is where the Soprano thugs threw Rusty Irish over the railing in Season One, Episode 6! 

This shot's going on the wall: Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park.  Another pilgrimage destination checked off the list! 

As night fell I headed back over to the Clifton area to get an IMAX showing of the new action film, AmbuLAnce at an AMC Theater there.  Before the late showing, I also had time to stop by a Yard House in the same shopping area and have a couple of pints with my tasty Thai beef tacos.  I started with the solid Sneakbox pale ale from Kane Brewing (Ocean, NJ), and finished with the decent Cape May IPA from Cape May (NJ) Brewing.   The movie was a fun ride with a sometimes eye-rolling story, but worth seeing on the big screen.  And that Eiza Gonzalez is smokin'!! 

4/11 - Workin' from Jersey - a little at least.  I worked in my AirBnb room (free wifi) until rush hour passed and then headed out to do some more exploring.  My first stop was another very nice waterfall that I could get a lot closer to than the big daddy yesterday.  This is roaring and tumbling Boonton Falls on the Rockaway River in the cool little hilly town of Boonton, NJ, and I had it all to myself this morning. 

My next stop was historic (circa 1826) and beautiful Cooper Grist Mill in Chester Township, NJ.  This is the first mill I've seen in person where the water was diverted from the actual source (from The Black River in this case) and sluiced to the mill's wheel for turning power.  Love the stone used in building the mill.  What a great place! 

Across the road from the mill is Half-moon Falls and Dam which really gets the current churning toward the mill.  There was a guy trout fishing just downstream from this and it looked to be doing pretty well.   Jealous! 

Just down the road in the scenic town of Long Valley, NJ, is Long Valley Brewing.  I will give this place the prize for prettiest brewery of the trip.  This beautiful two-story building is a converted 200-year-old barn that looks to have been built with the same pretty stone as the nearby Cooper Mill.  So gorgeous.  They were out of their own house porter, so I tried The Great Porter from their guest tap from Man Skirt Brewing in nearby Hackettstown, NJ.  I did try one of their beers as well, the Ellaaa lager was light, clean and satisfying.  I sipped it outside on their patio and did some more work on the ol' laptop.  Again, had the area to myself.  Not too shabby! 

One other quick stop was the quirky AT and T Telephone Pole Forest also in Chester, NJ.  The now abandoned testing ground for wood poles was set up in the 1920's and has now been incorporated as part of a city park.  Kinda cool, but what a pain in the ass to mow and weed-eat though!!  

My next stop was in South Orange at the Town Hall Deli for a New Jersey sloppy joe which they've been serving up since the 1930's.  Much different than sloppy joes in the South.  The massive Dagwood sandwich I chose was the "Jersey Joe" with roast beef, ham and Swiss cheese.  A "half sandwich" is pricey, but plenty for one person.  I ate half of my half at a little park in South Orange and then finished the second half of my half over in Jersey City with a Hop to Conclusions Map double IPA from Departed Soles Brewing (photo above).  I finished up the workday here also and also finished up my beer drinking here with their sweet and vibrant Doughnut Soles white stout.  

I walked off some of my massive sandwich and beers at nearby Liberty State Park which has excellent views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and across the Hudson River to lower Manhattan (photo above).  It was a pleasant evening and not very crowded.   

I saw another movie tonight at a different AMC Theater over in Elizabeth, NJ.  The Contractor was a good fast-moving flick with a great cast including the reunion of Chris Pine and Ben Foster from one of my favorite movies, Hell or High Water. 

4/12 - Workin' from Jersey Day 2 started with work in my AirBnb until rush hour was over, packing up and checking out since I was flying back home this evening, and then heading over to Glaze Doughnuts in New Milford, NJ, for a couple of sweet treats with my morning coffee.  The Jersey cream was my favorite, but the Cinnamon Toast Crunch doughnut (photo above) was awesome too.

I had time for a little more exploring before heading across the bridge back to New York and the airport.  My first brief stop was to see some extreme Jersey yard art in a beautiful neighborhood in the very nice town of Rutherford, NJ.  Another great find thanks to AtlasObscura.com!   This is the private home of local artist, Victor Victori, and instead of being tacky and garish, I found the large statues to be very well done, subtle and quite interesting.

My next stop was the town of Little Falls, New Jersey.  I was obviously drawn here by the name.  What I first thought was the falls in the photo above turns out to be what's left of the historic Morris Canal which after being completed in 1829 served the area for almost century.  A very neat area. 

My best guess is that this dam was built over the actual Little Falls of the Passaic River here.  Those are apartments to the left. Very nice little town and area.  

I got back into New York via a pricey toll and has just enough time (and the luck of finding a parking spot) in Queens to stop by Fifth Hammer Brewing for some work and some libations.  Love this street view of Manhattan's Chrysler Building in the distance.  I started with their very good, oak-flavored Caskbrau pilsner.  Since I still had to drive in crazy-busy Queens to get back to the airport and drop my rental car, I opted for just one more low-ABV brew: their Rare Data ESB was extremely good.  

After a slight flight delay, I got home tonight without incident.  See ya New York and New Jersey.  Thanks for all the good times! 

4/13 - We had dinner before the excellent Johnnyswim show at The Grand Ole Opry House tonight at the Bavarian Bierhaus next door in the Opry Mills Mall.  With my tasty dinner I had a half-liter mug of the award-winning Veltins Pilsner (Germany) that went down smooth and easy.  

4/14 - I took my usual afternoon walk today since it was such lovely weather and wound up at The Cedar Tap (no big surprise).  I got a freebie thanks to my Mug Club punch card.  I started with the pleasant Italian-style pilsner from WISEACRE Brewing (Memphis) called Parti-Colour.  Next was a very good unfiltered lager from Marrowbone Brewing over in Ashland City called Easy River.  I finished the dead soldier pictured above to close out my stop.  It was the double IPA from Living Waters Brewing here in Nashville called Sullivan.  No Mug Club mug for this one since it's over 8% ABV.  Let's just say it was a buzzy walk home! 

4/15 - I made a 6-handed final table on Global Poker tonight coming in as the slight chip leader.  I wound up 4th out of 82 other players for a profit of just over $70 which goes right back into the bankroll.  I toasted the moderate success with a tasty can of Lasers in the Dark, a black IPA which my good friend, Chris, gifted me in a variety four-pack of craft beers recently from Hops River Brewing up his way in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Thanks, bud! 

4/16 - All hail, Dale's Pale Ale!! We were at a Mat Kearney show at The Ryman tonight where I enjoyed a pint can of one of the craft beer pioneers from Oskar Blues Brewing (CO, NC).  

4/17 - Ashlee and I took a fun printing class from the historical and very cool Hatch Show Print folks in downtown Nashville today and one of my creations was this homage to Tennessee craft beer.  I made a few more of this one to give to some of my craft beer friends as well since we could make all we wanted. 

4/19 - I won a dollar buy-in bounty tournament today on Global Poker vs. 85 other players (11 knockouts) for a profit of over $23.  Not a huge sum, but it's the principle that counts. 

I stopped by the Homegrown Taproom in Donelson tonight before Ashlee and I headed to the first Preds game of the season for us.  I had a foursome of half pints that included an awesome Hopslam Ale double IPA from Bell's Brewing (MI).  I know I have had this hoppy monster before, but no check-in on UNTAPPD until today.  Next was the very good Los Bravos lager from Terrapin's Atlanta Brew Lab.  Coming out third was another great Oaxacan Lager (my fave of the group) from Barrique Brewing here in Nashville.  Batting clean-up was the solid wheat beer called Love is Love from Terrapin's original brewery in Athens, GA.  Part of the sales of this one go to suppoert LGBTQ+ organizations around the region.  Very cool! 

4/20 - Birthday # 55!   Glad I feel 25...well, maybe 35.  Since my birthday fell in the middle of the week and we are traveling this weekend for a wedding, I went ahead and just worked today, but walked up to The Cedar Tap for Happy Hour this afternoon.  My new friend there, Curtis, even bought me my first beer, the a-bit-too-sweet-for-my-taste Sunspun Shandy from Rhinegeist Brewing in Cincinnati. 

Next up at The Cedar Tap the excellent double IPA from New Heights Brewing here in Nashville called Space Jorts.  This was another one I feel I've had before but didn't check in on UNTAPPD until today.  Glad to make it to another birthday level as well.  Cheers!  Next up was the Sweet Baby Chai porter from DuClaw Brewing (Baltimore) that I thought was light and fantastic. 

Well, still not the official Mug Club mugs, but an improvement at least.  I closed out with another great local double IPA called Wavelength from Bearded Iris Brewing.  Happy birthday to me! 
 

Ashlee picked me up from The Cedar Tap and we headed to Nashville for dinner and a cool string quartet concert featuring the music of Coldplay in the beautiful downtown Presbyterian Church (photo above).  On the way I cracked open a can of the nice Main Street Amber ale from Fifty West Brewing in Cincinnati.  This was a gift from Ashlee's cousin, Leslie, who lives up that way.  Thank ya, ma'am!  All our planned dinner destinations were mysteriously packed for a Wednesday night, so we settled on Waldo's Chicken and Beer in Germantown where I had their decent Waldo's House Beer lager made for them by our local Tailgate Brewing with my tasty meal. 

4/21 - We flew to Philly tonight after work and our friend Eileen picked us up to stay at her house for the weekend to attend her daughter's wedding.  E was gracious enough to provide me a "road soda" for the ride back to her house form the airport.  "Natty B's" are historical, decent-tasting mass-produced lagers from Pabst Brewing which is now in Texas.  When we got to E's house, I also had a National Bohemian Light that wasn't bad either.  Welcome to Philly!! 

4/22 - Before the evening wedding, we had most of the day to do some work and kick around E's hometown of Media, PA.  We tried to go a local brewery there, but couldn't find parking, so we opted for Tap 24, a nice beer bar located downtown where we had lunch, and I was still able to have a brew from the local brewery, Sterling Pig Brewing.  The Prague Hog was a very nice Czech-style lager that went great with my tater tot poutine! 

4/23 - Today, E's took us to the nearby Subaru Stadium for an MLS match between the Philadelpha Union vs. the Montreal Impact.  It was a fun game that ended in a 1-1 stalemate.  Before and after the game, I partook of more gifted beer from E and her husband, Mike,  including a can of Flight, the newish light lager from the macro-Yeungling Brewery (PA).  It was decent.  I really enjoyed my next three which were the Brotherly Love Hazy IPA and the Easy Ringer session IPA and the Cloud Walker Hazy-Juicy IPA, all from Victory Brewing in Dowington, PA.  
After the game, we also had dinner at Cocco's Pizza in nearby Aston, PA, where I had another locally made brew, the Delco lager from 2SP Brewing.  "Delco" is the historical and kind of legendary local  moniker for here in Delaware County. 

4/24 - Just got paid today! My TV background work finally got rewarded today!  About time!  I spent a little bit of this "windfall" up at The Cedar Tap where it was dollar-brew day Mug Club members!  I started with the excellent Citra Pils from Barrique Brewing here in Nashville and ended with the equally great Burra Brown ale from Copperhill (TN) Brewing.   

4/25 - As a warm-up to Lebanon Poker Night tonight, I got second this afternoon in dollar bounty tournament on Global Poker vs. 80 other players.  I had 16 knock-out bounties and had the guy who won it beat twice and he sucked out on the river both times on me.  But, hey, that's almost $16 in profit, so I will take it. 
I took a variety 3-pack of pint can beers with me tonight:  all gifts from my pal, Chris, up in Indiana.  I started with the excellent double IPA called Kiss the Cook from Bad Dad Brewing (IN).  Next up was the decent IPA called Billable Hours from Hop River Brewing (IN).   I never got to crack my third one as I was hosed on two big hands and got knocked out first.  Oy vey!  

4/26 - My bachelor week begins today as I took Ashlee to the airport for her cousins/girls cruise.  I worked the rest of the afternoon away at Craft Brewed where I started with the very nice dark lager from Great Raft Brewing (LA) - new-brewery-to-me alert - called Reasonably Corrupt.  I also had their exceptional double IPA called Grace and Grit (great name).  I ended with the excellent pale ale called Cut of the Leaf: Centennial from Edmund's Oast Brewing (SC).  Afterwards, I caught a late afternoon showing of the new action/comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent  at the Hollywood 24 Theaters in Nashville.   I thought the film was pretty funny and a little goofy, just like Nic Cage himself.

4/27 - This month's Beer Drop delivery came today and it looks like another good one with a lot of variety including a pilsner, a Scottish ale, a double IPA (of course), an imperial stout, and a saison.  Hoping to crack a few of these in the pool soon!  Cheers! 
I also took a walk up to The Cedar Tap to hit their happy hour late this afternoon. I started with the very solid Utility Vienna Lager from Black Abbey Brewing here in Nashville.  There wasn't a lot of new-to-me taps left so I also had a couple repeats as well and finished with the quite lovely Old Rasputin (2021) Russian Imperial stout on nitro from North Coast Brewing (CA).  I even stuck around for trivia and helped my friend, Curtis, and his team win first place!  

4/28 - So, I got a $30 coupon for my birthday from Getaway.com for a newish (under a year open) cabin stay near Dale Hollow Lake area in Celina, TN, that made it a pretty good deal on a weekday.  So I thought I would give it a try for one night.  I stopped in Cookeville at Hix Farm Brewing on the way, did a little work there and enjoyed a pint of their very nice Hix Session IPA.  I also grabbed a couple half-growlers to take with me for my stay.  I thought the cabin and the area were pretty awesome.  Very organized, very low-key without want for much more. 

Here' an interior shot of my cabin called "Sante."  The bed was very comfortable and the huge window looking out into the forest was awesome.  I cracked open one my half-growlers and enjoyed a pint of Double Dale's double IPA from Oskar Blues Brewing (CO/NC) out in my Adirondack chair in the quiet forest.   So peaceful! 

There was a designated nature trail right beside my cabin, so I took a stroll on it about a half-mile in and back.  The payoff was a great overlook with a bench waiting for just me! 

While called the Dale Hollow Getaway, the lake itself is about 10 miles away, so I drove out to check out the pretty sunset atop the Dale Hollow Dam and was back to the cabin before it was completely dark.  Outside my cabin in the quiet forested evening under a million stars, I finished off my first half-growler and the second one which was the very nice pale wheat beer called Dirty Beaches from Scofflaw Brewing down in Atlanta.  It was so mild outside I didn't even need a fire before turning in just after 10 PM.  

4/29 - Now that's a nice wake-up view!  Since I couldn't get internet here, I had to head out pretty early and started my workday at a Starbuck's in Cookeville.  

Well, at least I'm getting paid for my weird almost-five-years at the EPB in Chattanooga.  I didn't even know I had the lump sum option but took it when they offered it per the advice of the IRA folks.  Despite what happened here at MTEMC, the time spent at the EPB was my worst working environment ever with awful leadership, poor direction and in the end being let go merely because of who hired me in the first place.  The fact they even vested me without five years there still boggles my mind,  

I went to a late afternoon showing of The Northman at The Streets of Indian Lake Theaters in Hendersonville today.  Beforehand, I did some work, had an early dinner and a few brews (of course) at Blossom Thai and Cellar Door Craft Cavern near the theaters.  I started with the very good and simply named IPA No. 20 from Collective Arts Brewing (Canada) and then the fairly similar tasting Chronic Myopia IPA from Threes Brewing (Brooklyn, NY) \.  The film was good, and graphic, and a little slow at times.  

4/30 - Having to drive four hours roundtrip to have lunch with my crazy sister deserves some beer afterwards, so I stopped at Red Silo Brewing in Cookeville on the way back and enjoyed a couple pints.  First up was their solid Putnam Pale Ale, and then I finished with their surprisingly good Twila Light Pilsner.  I raised these two pints to my parents whose graves I also visited while back home today.  Miss you and love you guys.