Category Archives: Travel

Summer escape to Chicago and Lollapalooza

Leave a reply

The stage was set for our trip to Chicago. Zander and Coco were with Meme and Poppy for a week at the farm and a break from summer camp. The four-legged kids, Rex and Sox, were already enjoying a week at the beach with Nana as we dropped them off over the past weekend. After two days of work, Merri Beth and I were ready for three days in Chicago. Our plan was simple: White Sox game, Cubs game, and a day at Lollapalooza to see Blink 182 and a bunch of other bands. We would figure everything else out along the way. Here’s what our adventure in the Windy City looked like as the calendar changed from July to August and the summer is in the middle of a great set. Continue reading →

Highlands for the Holidays: The Final Pour

Leave a reply

The last day of our trip in Asheville was another beautiful day, a little windy with lots of sun. We wanted to stop by New Belgium before having lunch at White Duck Taco. Our ride back to Raleigh would be just under four hours and we had a few last minute things to check off our list before the end of our trip. Continue reading →

Highlands for the Holidays: Exploring Biltmore and Beer

Leave a reply

The first full day of our adventure in Asheville started at the Biltmore Estate, where we spent most of the day touring the house and gardens, having lunch, and sampling some wine. Then, later in the evening as the temperature dropped into the 30’s, Merri Beth and I walked to downtown and sampled some craft beer at Catawba Brewing, Twin Leaf Brewing, Burial Beer Company, and Wicked Weed. Continue reading →

Highlands for the Holidays: Arriving in Asheville

1 Reply

The holiday break this year looked a little shorter on the calendar than past years. As many of you know we like to escape the holiday madness to a tropical location and come back on Christmas Eve. Flights are usually very affordable and we avoid peak season prices. Over the past few years, we’ve been to Turks and Caicos, St. Martin, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. And I traveled a lot in 2016, so having another trip at the end of the year wouldn’t have mattered that much.

Instead of taking a flight we hopped in that car and decided to try something different in 2016. For our holiday break this year, we headed to the highlands for a few days in Asheville, NC. Continue reading →

Fort Collins On Tap: Oscar Blues and the Last Drop

Leave a reply

20160729_160620_ft_collinsTime flies when you’re having fun. Our week in Fort Collins was coming to an end. But we’re not going out that easy. We squeezed in some last stops as we wrapped up our time in Colorado. On our way to the airport, we grabbed lunch at Oscar Blues. A great choice before heading back east. And there were a few more fun things sprinkled in before our time ran out. Continue reading →

Fort Collins On Tap: Snowbank, Funkwerks, Horse & Dragon, and Hearth

Leave a reply

20160728_194548_ft_collinsOur last full day in Fort Collins was composed of exploring new places and hanging out with friends and family. After a long day of work, it was time to enjoy some craft beer from Snowbank, Funkwerks, Horse & Dragon, and Jessup Farm. And we had an amazing birthday dinner for Coco at Hearth, my friends restaurant in Windsor. An awesome day, came along with us for the ride. Continue reading →

Fort Collins On Tap: Odell’s, New Belgium, and Kenny Chesney

1 Reply

20160727_063807_ft_collinsThe sampling continues in Fort Collins, but the big event today is seeing Kenny Chesney play at Frontier Days. We’ll get to that soon. Today’s visits include Fort Collins Brewery, Odell Brewing Company, and New Belgium. It was another productive day, with some great summer weather with friends and family. Continue reading →

Fort Collins On Tap: Black Bottle and The Mayor

Leave a reply

20160727_064418_ft_collinsOur day started early, like out the door at 5:45 am early, on our way to RDU to catch a 6:55 am flight to Denver. The last days of July were lurking and we were escaping a heat wave that was on the way. As the garage door opened, even before the sun came up, a swoosh of 80º humidity rushed in. Rocky Mountains, here we come. Continue reading →