How Free We Fly!

Mile: Chicago->San Fran in six days


      Back on the road..but in a much awaited style that only a rugged ginger like myself can call home.  I am thankful right now for my amazing truck.  She has been my home, my transportation, my safety net, and a delightfully expensive date.  I have taken good care and in return have driven an astonishing 160,000 miles since January 2002. 24,000 of those miles were in last 2 years, and 7,000 of those 24k in the last 2 months. It's great how life works, even for the robots that help us get done what we need to do, in the name of exploration and a good libation.
       I left Chicago and followed the northern rim of several tornadoes south west towards Missouri.  I had a blast with Tyler and Rachelle in Chi town, I got to see some old old friends that rekindled the spirit of what I am doing, but more importantly, why.  Tyler home brews on the reg, and we sampled his coffee stout that I thought was perfect.  But I've never home brewed, so you apparently hold a lot to the standards in which you brew.  The beer is your meal you've prepared, your baby, your good friend.  The passion Tyler had for brewing sparked something in me that I had been waiting for since I catapulted myself into this lifestyle of beer drinking across the USA; the desire to brew myself.
       I entertained the thought, but with the coming months being spent finding work and a place in NC so Erin and I can continue our life together, what better opportunity to have some space and start brewing some small batches myself!  Thanks Tyler, you did your job boy!
       On down the road I met up with Karl in kankakee, IL for some fat boy breakfast.  We worked together all of SE Alaska, and his comedic nature and good heart hinted to me that what I had been up to was nothing short of a great chance to see old friends, and especially when your two dogs tramp on in the house looking for His dogs' chew toys.  Haha, within minutes Ketza was in the corner, gums bleeding from chomping on a raw hide.  Thanks Karl!
       That night I stayed in a cabin north west of Missouri, a $30 night in a cabin with a toilet, not bad at all!  Erin helped choreograph a lot during this out west trip, and even though she's miles away, it was situations like this that it feels good to have someone so special in your life.  Not only has she found me breweries along the way, but all kinds of cool stuff to do.  I usually don't take her up on the really cool things though, and that's because one day our family will be back here, and we can all share it together(mostly true statement)haha.
       Oklahoma was next, and I had a super time talking with the brewer of Marshall Brewing Company in Tulsa.  I asked lots of important questions and took as professional photos as possible, but Eric knew I was just one lucky dude doing what is is I'm doing.  After talking for a while, the sound of the jackhammer extending the length of the drain became distracting, so we both shook hands, and I hopped back in the car, heading for Choc Brewery on my way to Dallas, TX.
       Eric had told me that if there was one brewery to hit up on my way, it was Oklahoma's oldest brewery, Choc Beers, located in Krebs.  You have to check out there story, I visited and and enjoyed it, but the history is exceptional.  SO on down to Dallas I went, and stayed with Rachelle's cousin Keith, a friend of mine I've know since high school.  We caught up, but he had work early the next day hanging out over Dallas in a high rise crane picking building materials while communicating with two other cranes below him.  I left early, still full from legit mexican food and a real coca cola the night before, and headed to two more breweries in Texas.  I was heading to Albuquerque, NM, and had long drive ahead, so I picked up several six packs of different Texas beers to try in the hotel that night.  I awoke from my room after arriving into Albe to a crazy news story about a hijacked school bus on the highway.  I slammed coffee, got an oil change, and hopped on the highway to see several, like 50, cop vehicles surrounding a school bus with no tires, and a hood smashed into the median.  No kids were in the bus, the driver was detained, I think they shot him though.
       Westward we were bound towards Arizona to stay with friends from the glacier dog camp in Alaska, who live in Tempe.  I loved this drive, it was super beautiful, and very spiritual.  I loved all the cheesy indian stores selling me route 66 tshirts and tweed blankets, and also the cactus growing all around me.  That night we ate at Mellow Mushroom, and graced Four peaks brewing with our presence, though none was needed, it was packed to the gills with people.  The night was early, and I was super tired from the road, and ready to get to California!
       California is huge, I mean in lots of different ways.  The people, culture, geography, it's all across the board.  I drove to El Segundo to meet up with Marc and Ashley, a couple who I took on a tour last summer in Juneau.  We hit it off in the summer, and stayed in touch for a very long time in the hopes that we'd meet up.  Well, we did, and it was nothing short of rock star status.  After a moo cluck oink burger and a pint of blue moon, we headed to El Segundo Brewery's "Blue Ale House."  We got a solid tour from Rob, who I think was way cool.  I tried making jokes, some of which were funny, but I think he too had a good time with us.   His weekly beer was sage hopped, giving it a local front of the house garden aroma.  We talked beer for a long time and I got some leads on other breweries to check out in NoCal. We went back to the house and jammed out on the guitar, piano, and even harmonica until we lost our voices.  Truly a hole in one on this trip.  My first time to southern California was matched with a great time, and on top of it all, I was headed to San Francisco the next morning.
       That's where I am now, downtown hanging out with Adam, who is truly one of the best. He greeted me with jumbo shrimp, cocktail style, which anyone who has heard my Wrestlemania story knows this was unbeatable.  I just got back from Lafayette park with the dogs, and met a cool couple who promised to get me in touch with a friend in North Carolina, and one in LA who might be good future connections.  Our dogs played for a while, and then I headed back to the apartment to write to you!  Tonight hopefully we'll Skype again with Erin and Katie, it is entertaining.  SO until next week, drink fresh, drink local, and please, drink with a friend.