Norway

Norway is a beautiful country full of fjords and unique activities!

Norway Tips:

• Traveling across Norway is not as convenient as the rest of Europe: There are trains between some destinations but they can be quite slow. You can rent a car to drive around the country but everything is quite spread out and there are not many roads. Between most spots I would recommend flying.

• This area of Europe is incredibly expensive. Lodging is pretty affordable but food, drinks, activities, and transportation are all very, very pricey.

Himkok

Oslo, Norway

Oslo gives off big city vibes while still being tiny and very walkable. It is more industrial and not quite as exciting as other parts of Norway.

• You can take the Flytoget express train into the city from airport or the local train for half the price and only 3 minutes longer. Google Maps won’t tell you this but the Ruter app will and you can purchase tickets on the app.

• Himkok: A hidden distillery and cocktail bar that is quite a vibe. The drinks are expensive but it is a fun experience and they are delicious.

• Koie Ramen Torggata: A ramen restaurant that is popular, extremely delicious, and well-priced.

• Mad Goat: A nice beer bar with patio and indoor seating with a great selection and a ton of taps.

• Stay at Comfort Hotel Xpress Central Station: This is a cheap and conveniently located hotel that is still clean and nice.

• Brewgata: Solid little beer bar with a good amount of taps.

• Oslo Opera House: Walk up onto the roof for a nice view of the city and wharf.

• Spor av Nord: This is a cute little café with cozy vibes. 

• Akershus Fortress: This is a national monument of a medieval castle. Norway’s Resistance Museum is inside the fortress. This is a very informative museum with quite a bit of reading but overall quite interesting.

• Aker Brygge: The wharf neighborhood is a nice area by the water with a lot of bars and restaurants.

• Viking Ship Museum: This highly rated museum is closed until 2027, so if you are visiting after that be sure to check it out.

• Henry and Sally’s: Mikkeller’s Norway beer bar.

Tromsø, Norway

Tromsø is a small, touristy town north of the Arctic Circle. It is very small and walkable, and if you rent a car expect to pay for parking everywhere. I found the area to be beautiful and the food and drink to be very underwhelming.

• There are some epic views if you are flying up on a clear day—try to get a window seat on the left side of the plane for the best vantage point.

• Chasing Lights Aurora Tour: This minibus tour to see the northern lights is a great experience. They are visible on clear nights if you are lucky from mid-September to early-April. The guide was knowledgeable and I was very impressed with how determined he was for us to see the aurora. Expect a late night and a unique adventure! We also saw reindeer and fjords on our tour.

• Fjellheisen: Take the cable car up to stunning views of the entire region. The ticket prices for the cable car are pricey so you can also save money (and get some steps in) by taking the Sherpa Stairs up or down, but be forewarned it’s 1,203 stairs though beautiful through Aspen trees in the fall!

• Explore the island of Sommerøy:

  • Hillesøya-Nordkollen Trail: This trail is 1.6 miles long and climbs 600ft of elevation gain in half of a mile. There is a rope to help guide you because it is incredibly steep, so know your limits—AllTrails says this is moderate and that is a boldfaced lie, this is basically rock climbing. The views are insane—the water around the island looks like the Caribbean. It takes about an hour to complete.

  • Sommarøy Arctic Hotel: This is a great spot to stay or to stop for lunch. The views from the patio are beautiful and the food is incredibly delicious.

  • Check out the Kattfjordeidet viewpoint on your way to/from the island.

  • Ersfjord viewpoint: A beautiful fjord view on the way to Sommerøy.

• Stay at Æra Panoramic Glass Lodge: This is a very unique stay about 30 minutes from town on the Barents Sea. It is a nice and very cool stay, but it is expensive for what you get.

• Risø Kaffebar: A nice spot for coffee and snacks. Everything is quite good and surprisingly affordable.

• Arctic Cathedral: A super unique and beautiful church. The price to enter is a bit steep but it is pretty neat to see.

• Tromsø Mikrobryggeri & Balthazar Vinbar: A beer and wine bar with a nice atmosphere.

• Cafe Sånn: Cozy little spot for food and drink.

• Northern Yachting Catamaran Fjordcruise: I wouldn’t fully recommend this, but it is an option! I found the tour to be a bit boring and the guide to be underwhelming. The are some nice views and you get to see Ramfjord, but it’s mostly the same view the entire journey.

• Polar Museum: This is essentially a museum about how man hunted everything in Svalbard. Would not recommend unless you like hunting/gore.

• I would not recommend staying at Clarion Collection Aurora: This hotel is a little dingy and outdated.

Pulpit Rock

Stavanger, Norway

Stavanger is a cute little touristy town on the coast. It is very compact and you can see everything by foot pretty quickly. Be forewarned that cruise ships dock here during the day, increasing the amount of tourists, but by the evening it is a quaint, charming town.

• When traveling to/from the airport, Flybussen is far more affordable than a taxi.

• Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) Trail: This trail is 5.9 miles long with 1,305ft of elevation gain and takes about 3 hours to complete. It is rated moderate, and most of that elevation comes in the first 1.5 miles with a very steep start. Your ascent takes you to Lysefjord with gorgeous views the entire way up to the dramatic cliffs. This is a very popular trail and the trailhead is built up as a little village because there is so much foot traffic.

  • To get here without a rental car you can book a tour or just a bus transfer, which is what I did with Pulpit Rock Tours. There are limited times, so be sure to plan out your day in advance. It is an expensive ride and about 45 minutes each way from Stavanger.

• Fargegaten: A very cute neighborhood with lots of bars to hop around. It is nicknamed “the colorful street” because the bricks are painted beautifully. A great area to hang out at night with lots of patio seating.

  • Bøker og Børst is a nice beer bar here

  • Bella Rose is a cute pink spot for cocktails and wine here

• Gamle Stavanger: Historic area with old wooden houses to meander around.

• Byparken: A small, pretty park in the heart of the city. 

• Thon Hotel Stavanger: This hotel is in a great, central location. There is a bus stop right outside of the front door and everything is very walkable. You even have meals, water and ice included in your stay.

• Sverd i Fjell: A famous spot with 3 swords at the beach. It is very touristy so I did not go out of the way to see this, but you can actually catch a peak on the bus from the airport on the left side.

• Headed to Bergen? Fjord Line is a great way to travel between Stavanger and Bergen. It is quite cheap and has nice touches with beautiful views along the journey. It’s essentially a coastline tour + transport for the cost of your ticket. The only inconvenient thing is the port in Stavanger is not close to downtown.

Bergen, Norway

Bergen is a beautiful, touristy town surrounded by 7 mountains. It is very small and walkable.

• Download the Skyss Billet app for public transit tickets.

• Take the ferry into town—the Fjord Line port in Bergen is located in town and a quick walk to get anywhere you need.

• Vidden Trail from Ulriken to Fløyen: This epic hike is a point to point trail taking you from the summit of Mt. Ulriken to the summit of Mt. Fløyen using the cable car and funicular. It is 10.2 miles long with 1,318ft of elevation gain and takes about 4 hours to complete. There are stunning views throughout the journey that change drastically—highly recommend!

  • Alternatively you could just take the cable car up Ulriken via Ulriken643 or the Fløibanen funicular up Fløyen, or you can also just hike the Floyen Trail or just hike the Ulriken Trail.

• Bryggen: UNESCO World Heritage Site. Old buildings that are colorful and now house bars and restaurants. Madam Felle is a good one to check out.

• Apollon: A great beer bar with 46 taps and a record shop.

• Take a Fjord Cruise: There are numerous options, but I booked with Rodne through Osterfjord and the Mostraumen straits. It is a pretty ride with unique views and a good length of time.

• Pinocchio Mat og Vinbar: The restaurant has immaculate cave-like vibes. Their tapas-style menu is full of delicious eats and they have a large selection of wine.

• Pingvinen: Tasty little gastropub with 15 beers on tap and a full food menu.

• Lucky: The Bergen taproom of Lervig Brewery. A solid spot with guest taps too.

• Last Monkey: A fun little cocktail bar.

• Løvetann Café & Bistro: A cute little spot for lunch or coffee away from the crowds.

• Bergenhus Fortress: This historic attraction was previously part of the Norwegian Castle. It is home to the Rosenkrantz Tower.

• Byparken: The city’s main park that occasionally hosts festivals and events.

• Lysverket Kode: An art museum with 3 buildings that is nice and informative.

• Nøstet/Nordnes neighborhood: Explore this old neighborhood with wooden houses—similar vibes to Gamle Stavanger just with less tourists.

• USF Verftet: Unique venue on the water with a couple of bars. Good spot for sunset.

• Gyro House: A solid spot for a casual, affordable lunch.

Finland and Sweden

Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden are two Pretty Scandanavian cities on the water

Finland and Sweden Tips:

• Both Helsinki and Stockholm are quite small and easily explored on foot and in a short period of time.

• This area of Europe is incredibly expensive. Lodging is pretty affordable but food, drinks, activities, and transportation are all very, very pricey.

• Saunas are extremely popular in the Nordic region of Europe so if that is your thing you can pack your trip with them!

Ateljee Rooftop Bar

Helsinki, Finland

Helsinki is a nice clean and compact city on the water.

• Download the HSL app for public transit. You can use this for the train from the airport to the city as well.

• If you are traveling between Helsinki and Stockholm I would recommend the overnight ferry to get a beautiful cruise through the islands + overnight accommodations all for a cheap price. I took the Viking Line, and Tallink Silja is another option.

• Beer Room Haka/Oluthuone Haka: A fun beer bar in the heart of the Kallio neighborhood with a great beer selection.

• SalamaNation: A great beer bar—pro tip get pizza delivered to you from next door at Restaurant Argegno.

• Uppenski Cathedral: A beautiful cathedral worth checking out.

• Stay at Hotel Indigo: This is a nice hotel in the heart of the city center. It is walkable to nearly everything you’ll want to explore.

• Esplanadi: A pretty green space in the city center with art installations.

• Helsinki Cathedral: Another beautiful cathedral to check out.

• Ateljee Rooftop Bar: A really nice rooftop bar with crazy views. Go up the spiral staircase after you get off the elevator for the best spots. They have a few different seating options both inside and out.

• Lazy Fox: A tasty spot for breakfast with nice vibes.

• Pien Shop & Bar: A solid beer bar and bottle shop in the heart of the city.

• Suomenlinna: This island is a UNESCO World Hertiage Site and can be reached via ferry, which runs every 15 minutes.

• Harju 8: A great little café overlooking a park serving up small plates to mainly locals.

• Old Market Hall: A historic food hall near the port.

• Beer Restaurant Pikkulintu Ruttopuisto: A solid beer bar with chill vibes.

• Restaurant Juova Hanahuone: A beer bar with a solid selection in the Kaisaniemi neighborhood.

• Kaisla: A beer bar with a full food menu and nice patio in the Kaisaniemi neighborhood.

• Hietaranta Beach: A nice beach with volleyball courts and different amenities.

  • Sibelius Monument: A unique, neat monument near the beach.

• Kallio neighborhood: I found this “hipster neighborhood” to be overhyped with not much to do, but Citybox Helsinki is a good basecamp if you decide to stay over here which is very affordable.

• Puu-Vallila: Helsinki’s wooden house district is historic but not worth venturing too far out of your way for.

  • If you do venture to Puu-Vallilia, Bar Petiit is a little bar on the corner with a wine-heavy menu and plant-filled interior.

• Temppeliaukio Church: A unique church in the rocks—not sure it is worth the admission fee but it is pretty cool to see.

• Museum of Contemporary Art: I would only recommend this if you love contemporary art, otherwise it is not worth the cost of admission.

• Skip Helsinki City Museum: This is a free museum but very lame, I would not recommend it.

• National Museum of Finland: I have heard good things but this is closed until 2027, so if you’re reading this in the future check it out and let me know how it is.

• Sightseeing cruises are popular here as well but since I took the ferry to Suomenlinna and took the cruise from Helsinki to Stockholm I got a pretty good sightseeing experience—if you’re just flying in and out or training, it may be worth checking the tours out.

Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm is a beautiful little city on an archipelago. You can see it all in just a day or two.

• Download the SL app for public transit. You can take the express train to airport but it is a little pricey. Also consider taking the train to your next destination.

• Eat some cinnamon buns—this is very Swedish, they are everywhere, and they are delicious.

• Gamla Stan: This is the old town of Stockholm which can be quite touristy but also charming.

• Stigbergets Fot: A great brewery and beer bar with 50+ taps and a food menu as well. It is a popular spot with solid beers.

• Omnipollos Hatt: Omnipollo is one of the best breweries in Europe, and their Stockholm taproom is a cool little spot with solid beers and a pizza menu.

• Stay at Hotel Frantz: It is a beautiful, trendy hotel in a fantastic location while still being very affordable.

• Fotografiska Museum: A small but neat museum with 4 exhibits that is a little pricey but enjoyable.

• The Royal Palace: A massive structure with numerous buildings to explore: The Treasury is home to the crowns and jewels. The Hall of State is where business gets kicked off. The Apartments are very fancy and arguable the main attraction. Museum Tre Konor is essentially the construction of the palace. Riddarholmen is the church with a beautiful exterior and underwhelming interior.

• Barrels Burgers and Beer: A beer bar and burger restaurant in Gamla Stan with Mariatorgets Mikrobryggeri beers. Solid spot.

• National Museum: Nice art museum.

• Monteliusvägen: A walking path with elevated views of the city that is popular for sunset.

October and November 2024

October and November were a wild ride. Things started off with a 12 day stomach bug for me before visiting Knoxville, The Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains, Dayton, Grand Rapids, Southwest Michigan, and Hawaii (check out my Hawaii recommendations here). I watched the end of the regular season of college football, kicked off college basketball season, and arguably watched more NFL in the past month than I have in my entire life combined. I attended the inaugural Hops and Horsepower festival at the Charlotte Auto Show, shared beers with friends, celebrated Thanksgiving for the first time since college, and soaked up the remaining warms days in CLT. Over the course of the last two months I tried 186 different beers.

In no particular order, here were the best beers I had in October and November 2024:

Scorching Pledges of An Irreversible Nature; And In This, My Final Flame; For Memories We Made Together in Asheville; from Burial Beer Co. in Asheville, NC

Scorching Pledges of an Irreversible Nature is a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barleywine with Congolese Vanilla Beans brewed in collaboration with Anchorage Brewing Company from Anchorage, Alaska. This is a blend of 12 to 24 month Barleywine aged in Buffalo Trace Rye and Wild Turkey Bourbon barrels with a small addition of Vanilla from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Barleywine is not always my favorite, but if Anchorage has their hands in it you know it’s going to slap. This is a phenomenal beer that blew me away.

And In This, My Final Flame is a Cuvée of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout and Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine Ale. This beer was originally meant to be a Burnpile 2024-VIP Exclusive offering, but with the cancellation of the festival due to the hurricane, it was released to the general public. This is a blend of Barleywine aged for 12 months in Willett Bourbon Barrels and 16 month Imperial Stout aged in Heaven Hill Bourbon Barrels. Superb!

For Memories We Made in Asheville is a blend of Barrel-Aged Imperial Stouts from Burial, Other Half, Creature Comforts, Edmunds Oast, Halfway Crooks and Pinthouse. Each collaboration brewery sent a barrel to Burial while they could not brew after the hurricane to help. On top of this being an incredibly unique beer with world-class collaborators created after a tragedy, this is also the first in a series from Burial to help the Asheville brewing community recover from Hurricane Helene. From Burial, “We started Manifest Eternity, a fundraising program aimed to raise money for the hurting AVL brewing world, with the help of visiting brewers who have fell in love with our little town.”

Another Sip of Fear collaboration from North Park Beer Company in San Diego CA, Troon Brewing in Hopewell NJ, Brujos Brewing in Portland OR, and Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

Another Sip of Fear is a Triple IPA Triple Dry Hopped with Citra, Eclipse and Manilita. With these heavy-hitter breweries involved is it any surprise that this is an absolute banger?

The Lovely Pumpkin from Percent Tap House in Harrisburg, NC

The Lovely Pumpkin is #13 in Percent’s Thrift Shop Series. It is an Imperial Berliner base heavily fruited with double pumpkin, triple marshmallow, vanilla soft serve, graham cracker, and pumpkin spices. It tastes exactly like pumpkin pie in a glass and is a true delight for this season. We also learned recently that they are opening a second location in Concord—can’t wait!

Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death Cashew Cluster and Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death Compost Cookie from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

The release of Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death is always an exciting time in Charlotte, and this year brought one new exciting variant and the return of a favorite:

The Cashew Cluster edition of Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death is a new version this year and delicious. It is a blend of Imperial Stouts aged in Willett Sour Mash Bourbon, Willett Sour Mash Rye, and Yellowstone Kentucky Bourbon barrels for a period of 18-27 months then conditioned on toasted hazelnuts and cacao nibs, then further conditioned on salted cashews and toffee.

The Compost Cookie edition is always a favorite. This is a blend of Imperial Stouts aged in Willett Sour Mash Bourbon, Willett Sour Mash Rye, and Yellowstone Kentucky Bourbon barrels for a period of 18-27 months then conditioned on toasted hazelnuts and cacao nibs, then further conditioned on butterscotch chips, dark chocolate chips, potato chips, pretzels, and graham crackers.

Even More Hydra: ETNYC Edition collaboration from Evil Twin Brewing Company in New York, NY and Mortalis Brewing in Avon, NY

Evil Twin NYC and Mortalis teamed up to create this Fruited Sour with blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, and cacao nibs. Chocolate in Sours is not usually my favorite but this was a surprise winner. The flavors balanced well and created a delicious result! I got this can via Tavour, straight to my doorstep.

Mitten Life; Old And Wise; Dunkelweizen from Seedz Brewery in Union Pier, MI

When visiting Seedz it’s impossible to have just one favorite beer. Their slow pours are magical and during my most recent trip to Southwest Michigan I had three particularly superb beers: Mitten Life is an American Lager, Old and Wise is an Einkorn Saison, and of course the Dunkelweizen is a classic Dunkelweizen. If you have not added this gem of a spot to your must-visit list, what are you waiting for?

Sweet Appalachia from Phase Three Brewing in Lake Zurich, IL

Sweet Appalachia is a Double Dry Hopped Hazy Double IPA brewed to support Western North Carolina after the devastation of Hurricane Helene, with a portion of proceeds going to BeLoved Asheville. This is a stellar brew, and the fact that it is for such a good cause just makes it even better. Also a shout out to Arabesque (2024) and Minutiae (2020) from Phase Three that I had tasters of at Salud’s Phase Three tap takeover—these were both fantastic!

Check back next month for my top beers of december! Cheers—Alexis

Hawaii

Hawaii—the land of beautiful beaches, dramatic landscapes, and blossoming rainbows

Hawaii tips:

• Be prepared for wild weather changes—sun, rain, wind, and temperature swings are all possible at any moment when you’re on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean

• Keep your eyes peeled for rainbows! Even if it hasn’t rained where you are there are constantly rainbows around that are a real treat to spot.

• The islands are very small and you can see a lot in a small amount of time. It’s also really quick and easy to fly between islands, so don’t limit yourself to just visiting one.

  • Try to get an open jaw flight so you can fly into one island and out of a different one

• Two things you may potentially want to do that I did not:

  • Whale Watching Tour: I did not visit during whale season in Hawaii, but if you are there particularly January-March that is peak whale watching time. I’ve seen a lot of whales in my life and they are magical—highly recommend prioritizing this if you’re there in season.

  • Coffee Tour: Everyone has probably heard of Kona coffee, and Maui coffee is becoming more popular as well. There are plenty of coffee farms and estates you can tour and taste to see how the coffee bean process works on several of the islands. I have experienced this quite thoroughly in Central America and decided I was all set for more coffee deep dives, but I wanted to put it on your radar as another potentially great thing to do in Hawaii.

I visited the Big Island, O’ahu and Maui, and below are all of recommendations for those three islands. The only other island I contemplated visiting was Kauai to see Waimea Canyon State Park and Nā Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, but since it is such a small island and there is not much out there I decided to spend another day on Maui instead.

Waipi’o Valley

The Big Island (AKA The Island of Hawai’i)

I would recommend 3 full days to explore the entirety of the island, starting and ending your loop in Kailua-Kona.

• ‘Akaka Falls Trail: This impressive waterfall is reached by a half mile long trail with a few sets of stairs. Kahuna Falls is also along the trail but the view can be overgrown. It is a nice, paved trail that takes about 20 minutes to complete. The entrance fee to the state park is $5 per person, and it is $10 to park, but you can skip that by simply parking alongside the road outside of the gate.

  • The Hive: An adorable café located in Honomu on the road to ‘Akaka Falls. They’re open for breakfast, lunch and coffee and everything is delicious. Highly recommend!

• Mauna Kea: The highest point in Hawaii! You can go up the volcano from either Hilo or Kona, but the Hilo side is a bit closer. The visitor center is at 9,000ft elevation and there are a couple of short trails with nice views here.

  • Mauna Kea Visitor Center Pu'u Kalepeamoa Trail: A short 1.2 mile long trail up a steep hill to a beautiful viewpoint of Mauna Loa. You are up above the clouds and it is stunning. This is also a popular spot for sunset. It takes about 25 minutes to complete.

  • You’ll need a 4x4 if you want to drive to the summit, and to take some time to adjust to the altitude at the visitor center. You can also hike up, though this is a very strenuous trail. There are summit tours for sunset and stargazing as well.

• Green Sand Beach (Papakolea): There are two options for visiting the famed Green Sand Beach—hike or ride in a local’s pick-up. I hiked the 5 mile long, mostly flat trail out to the beach which took about an hour each way. You essentially walk along the 4x4 path on the coast to the pretty beach. It is quite exposed to sun and wind, so prepare accordingly.

  • I would highly recommend going in the morning before anyone else is out—including the trucks which I would imagine get noisy and chaotic. Even though this is a beach hike I would recommend hiking boots or tennis shoes for the rocks. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins!

  • If you want to have someone drive you out, arrive from ~9am onwards and there will be locals with trucks waiting to take folks out for $20.

  • The Southernmost point in the US is also right around the corner from the parking lot—it’s about a 10 minute walk down the rocky coast to the marker.

• Punalu’u Black Sand Beach: A famed black sand beach right off the highway worth stopping at.

  • Honua’s Coffee House: A convenient stop for coffee, breakfast, or lunch between the green sand beach and black sand beach.

• Waipi’o Valley: A sacred, fertile valley with a beautiful overlook. Visitors cannot enter the valley aside from a shuttle which runs Monday-Saturday. You cannot hike into the valley either—it is overlook or shuttle only.

• Kaya’s Kawauni: A nice little café off the highway. They open early and the team is super friendly.

Thurston Lava Tube

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park:

The ideal time to visit this park is when there is visible lava flowing, which is obviously impossible to time. Check the park’s website to stay up to date on if there is any chance to see flow while you’re on the island.

The entrance fee is $30 if you do not have a National Park Pass. The park is undergoing construction until ~2026 so expect some closures and modifications.

• Kilauea Overlook: A cool viewpoint with three overlooks of the crater

• Thurston Lava Tube Trail (Nāhuku): A quick, very unique trail through a lava tube. Highly recommend! It is just about 10 minutes and .4 miles long and mostly flat.

• Kīlauea Iki and Crater Rim Trail: This trail is 3.4 miles long with 741ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour and a half to complete. It takes you down into and across the crater then back up along the rim. I did this trail backwards, and would highly recommend that way to have less uphill at the end—start going left from the Lava Tube parking lot.

  • If you’d like to skip the hike, the view at Kīlauea Iki Overlook captures everything quite well and is neat!

• Chain of Craters Road: As you might imagine, this is a chain of a variety of craters along the road. It is 20 miles each way out to the coast and back.

• For a unique experience, stay at this Airbnb on a lava field at the base of the volcano. This tiny home is off-grid and was a very fun place to stay about an hour from the National Park. For a more traditional stay after visiting the park I’d recommend nearby Hilo.

Kailua-Kona

• Ola Brew Co: A nice spot with tasty beers, seltzers, hard juices, hard teas, and a food menu. They also have a location in Hilo.

• Stay at Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa: This is a very expansive property with two pools, two restaurants, tennis courts, yoga, and more. They also have a Giant Manta Ray viewing deck to be able to seasonally view these huge, smart fish. It is one of the few spots to see these unique creatures!

• Kona Brewing: A full restaurant-style brewery with a pretty patio space. The beer is mass produced and average at best.

• On The Rocks: A bar and restaurant on the water with great happy hour specials and validated parking.

Hilo

• Rainbow Falls: A nice large waterfall right near town in Wailuku River State Park

• Makuʻu Point: A great spot to watch sunrise with waves crashing along the rocks.

• Popover: A solid little bakery with sandwiches and donuts

• Wailuku Brew Works: This brewery is located in Keeau, just outside of Hilo. It is a small spot that is quite popular. They have a large tap list, cocktails, and a small food menu from Uncle Bob’s BBQ. The beer is pretty average.

• Skip Wailoa River State Recreation Area

• Skip Hilo Bayfront Beach Park

Manoa Falls

O’ahu

It’s a quick 30 minute flight from the Big Island to O’ahu. O’ahu is most folks least favorite Hawaiian island and I would echo that—I wanted to go to despite this reputation to see a few key things, and I would still recommend visiting overall, just spend the least amount of time here. A day or two is perfect.

Traffic can be awful and Honolulu is just an average big touristy city essentially, but there are still some gems!

• Manoa Falls Trail: This is a moderate 1.9 mile long trail that is relatively steep at points with 577ft of elevation gain up to a pretty waterfall. It can be muddy so proper footwear is key, and it is a very popular trail so expect many other folks. The trail takes just about an hour to complete and parking is $7.

• Howzit Brewing: Great beers at this little industrial taproom in Honolulu. They occasionally have food trucks as well. Parking is awful.

• Stay at Wayfinder Waikiki: A nice hotel a few blocks inland from the beach. They have a beautiful saltwater pool, a delicious onsite restaurant Redfish Poke, and nice amenities. Parking is valet only, but it looks like if you put some effort in you could find street parking.

• Visit Pearl Harbor National Memorial. This is a heavy experience, knowing the tragedy that took place here, but a must. Reserve your USS Arizona experience in advance to take a quick boat ride out to see the memorial. There is a standby line if you don’t get a reservation in advance as well. Note that bags are not allowed into the memorial and parking is $7

• Ka’iwa Ridge Trail (Lanikai Pillbox Trail): You can go as far up and out for this trail as you’d like—to different viewpoints, the first pillbox, the second pillbox, or beyond. It is a very steep trail with loose rocks and dirt, so be prepared and know your limits. It’s rated moderate but I would say that is not accurate, it is a difficult trail. The view of the coastline from above is beautiful. To hike to the first pillbox and back is 1.5 miles and takes about 45 minutes. Note that you cannot park at the trailhead itself, it is a private road, but there is street parking down the hill.

• Inu Island Ales: A tiny spot with a wide variety of beers in Kaneohe.

• The Sunrise Shack: This is a cute spot for açaí bowls and smoothies. They have multiple locations—the one in Kailua is on the way to Lanikai.

• Nu’uanu Pali Lookout: This is supposed to be a beautiful viewpoint, but I tried 3 times to visit it and each time the clouds blocked the view. Good luck!

• Diamond Head Crater Summit Trail: This is a popular 1.9 mile long relatively steep trail with 515ft of elevation gain. Reservations are required, and the latest you can enter is 4:30pm with gates closing at 6pm. I had a reservation but ended up skipping it because the weather was not cooperating—I am still including it on my suggestions because I had planned to hike it and have heard good things.

Haleakalā National Park

Maui

It’s a quick 20 minute flight from Honolulu to Maui. I would recommend 3-4 full days to explore the entirety of the island. If you like boujie-beach filled vacations you can definitely do that on Maui, but my recommendations will focus more on the adventure aspects of the island.

• Kanaha Beach Park: A nice beach behind the airport with some shade from the trees. A good beach to spot sea turtles at!

• Tiffany’s: Delicious restaurant for Asian fusion eats. Great vibes and really fantastic eats. It is a popular spot, so you can join the waitlist online ahead of time if needed. Located in Wailuku, not too far from the airport.

• Esters Fair Prospect: A really cute cocktail bar serving up killer drinks with a few snacks as well. Located on the main strip of Wailuku.

• Take a helicopter tour! I went with Air Maui, but there are several companies offering very similar tours. I did the West Maui and Molokai Tour which was neat—Molokai is the neighboring island that has virtually no tourism so it was awesome to get to drop into the valleys full of waterfalls and see such remote areas.

  • Air Maui has a single seat special where you can call the day before to see what single seats they have left open and get added to the tour for just $100 (saving hundreds of dollars!). Huge win for solo travelers.

Pa’īa

A nice little town 10 minutes from the airport—wander the shops and restaurants along the main strip. The Road to Hana also starts/ends here (depending on your route).

• Wabisabi Soba & Sushi: A solid spot for Japanese eats with outdoor dining

• Baldwin Beach Park: Beautiful beach with ample parking

Haleakalā National Park

This National Park has two sections: Summit & Kipahulu. There is not a road through the park to connect the two. Kipahulu is along The Road to Hana, so more on that later. For the Summit section there are just a handful of trails and overlooks here, so I would say a half day is plenty of time to tackle this section.

The entrance fee is $30 if you do not have a National Park Pass.

• Watching the sunrise at the summit is the most popular thing to do in the park. Reservations are required to enter between 3-7am and the summit visitor center parking lot has limited spaces so go early to snag a spot. Don’t give up hope—most of the folks that were there the day I was left because it was cloudy but about 10 minutes after the sun actually rose it burned off all the clouds and it was stunning.

  • The summit is at 10,000ft so it can be cold and windy, especially before the sun comes up, so be sure to dress appropriately. The weather changes rapidly at that elevation so you never know what to expect!

• Leleiwi Overlook Trail: This is a quick .3 mile trail out to a nice viewpoint where you can see the crater, the coastline, and the summits on the Big Island. There is a cozy little shelter at the trail end to block the wind.

• Sliding Sands Trail (Kéonehe’ehe’e): This trailhead is at the summit visitor center goes out downhill across the crater—you can do a few different things here: hike out as far as you’d like a turn back, hike to Kapalaoa Cabin, or hike point to point and hitchhike back. Just keep in mind you are starting this trail at 10,000ft of elevation gain so it can be tough on your body.

The Upcountry

• Mahalo Aleworks: A solid brewery in Makawao. The upstairs patio has nice views. They partner with Upcountry Sausage and neighboring Marlow for food.

  • There is also a food truck park across the street with Maui Pizza Truck which is delicious!

• MauiWine: A lovely winery in Kula offering tastings, glasses, and bottles in a little cottage. The winery is all quite tasty. Make reservations in advance to avoid a wait.

• Ocean Distillery: A great spot for food and drinks with beautiful views. Vodka is their primary liquor distilled here, but they have a robust menu offering. They also offer tours.

• Sun Yet-Sen Park: A little roadside park with a nice view, especially for sunset.

• I stayed at this Airbnb which was a nice little studio. It’s a half hour from the National Park entrance and has pretty sunset views.

• Skip Kula Botanical Garden

The Road To Hana

The Road to Hana

The famed Road To Hana is a must while on Maui. It is a scenic drive full of 620 curves with roadside waterfalls, state and national parks, beautiful views, and more!

I would recommend downloading the Shaka Guide ahead of time for nice narration through your drive and recommendations on where to stop. I don’t normally pay for things like this but it was a good tool for this unique path + gave lots of history and context to what you are seeing.

I did the reverse loop starting with the backside of the road which is desolate and beautiful—most folks miss this part and just drive from Paia to Hana and back which is fine, but there are some great stops after Hana and why drive the same route twice if you don’t have to? It took me about 7 hours to do the drive from Kula to Paia with lots of stops and hikes along the way. Some recommendations:

• Kipahulu section of Haleakalā National Park: There are just a couple of trails here on this rainforest-y side of the park and very few folks. The Seven Sacred Pools Trail (‘Ohe’o Gulch) is a .6 mile long mostly flat trail out to the famed pools along the coast and takes about 20 minutes to complete.

• Wailua Falls: A really big waterfall right off the road not far after the park

• Skip Venus Pools: This is a muddy overgrown path out to swimming hole and rocky beach about 5-10 minutes from road

• Hana is a nice little isolated town with a few amenities

• Waiʻānapanapa State Park: This is an awesome area with a black sand beach, sea arch, blowhole, and lava tube along a rugged coastline. Reservations are required to visit.

• Don’t miss the lava tube cave off the side of the road not too far after the state park

• Pua'a Ka'a State Wayside Park: Home to a nice little waterfall and stretch break

• Keep your eyes peeled for Rainbow Eucalyptus and Banyan trees along the route after the park

• Twin Falls: This is one of the most popular attractions on the road and the last one before Paia. I found it to be the most overrated and wouldn’t return. It’s $10 to park and enter with 3 waterfalls here and folks swimming in each. After spending most of the day on my own discovering these unique views and hidden waterfalls it felt very toursity and meh to me.

West Maui

• Waihe’e Ridge Trail: This trail is 4.5 miles long with 1,591ft of elevation gain and is rated hard. This trail is on the tropical side of the island so expect hot, humid, and potentially rainy conditions making this trail incredibly muddy and pretty steep at times. There is a picnic table at the summit to sit and enjoy the views—but be prepared that a lot of the times the summit is covered in clouds and the best views are from a bit lower. It takes about 2.5 hours to complete.

• The backside of West Maui from Waihe’e Ridge to Kapalua is a wild ride—literally. It is a one lane road for long stretches with blind curves along the cliffside. The drive is not for the faint of heart, but it is quite beautiful and definitely a unique experience!

  • Olivine Pools: This is an interesting little viewpoint of the pools below—be extremely careful here, the trail is very slick and folks have died on the trail getting down to the pools. I’d recommend just stopping at the rock cliff where you can see the pools below to be safe, especially if it has rained and the trail is slippery. 

  • Nakalele Blowhole: This is another unique stop on the route to a large blowhole. Keep in mind this is a naturally phenomenon and not a waterpark—be careful.

  • Slaughterhouse Beach: This is a really nice beach with good waves and soft sand.

  • Dragon’s Teeth Trail: A short .8 mile long trail that is mostly flat out to Makaluapuna Point and a labyrinth with sharp jagged rocks that are “teeth” sticking up on the shoreline. It takes about 20 minutes to complete and I would recommend proper footwear for the rocky terrain.

• Kapalua Bay Beach: A small but really nice beach popular for snorkeling because the water is so clear.

• Island Vibes Café: A delicious little spot for breakfast and lunch. Good vibes indeed!

• Miso Phat Sushi: This popular sushi restaurant has two locations in West Maui. The eats are delicious and they are BYOB.

• Maui Brewing: This brewery has 5 locations—3 on Maui and 2 on O’ahu. They have full restaurants with each and very different settings. The Kahana location is not the vibe. It’s hot, dark, there’s no outdoor seating, and the food is mediocre—so try one of the other taprooms while you’re visiting.

• Kayak: Hawaii in general but also West Maui is a popular spot to kayak—most tours are a combination of kayaking and snorkeling, some on clear kayaks. My booking got cancelled due to high winds, but would definitely recommend checking it out.

• Kahekili Beach Park: Another great beach with plenty of parking, super clear water and beautiful views of Lanai and Molokai 

• Maui Fruit Ninja: This pop-up moves locations and has crazy acai bowls and yummy juices. Definitely recommend!

• Leoda’s Kitchen and Pie Shop: Super cute shop for delicious pies and lunch items, plus a farmers market is next door.

• Papawai Scenic Lookout: Pretty spot popular for whale watching in the winter months.

• Lahaina: Previously a popular town in West Maui that was destroyed by wildfires. They’re working quickly to rebuild so perhaps in the future it will be somewhere to visit again.

• ‘Īoa Valley State Monument: I would not recommend going out of your way for this—there is one trail the lao Needle Lookout Trail and Ethnobotanical Loop which is a quick and easy .6 of a mile that takes about 15 minutes to complete with a couple of lookout points. Reservations are required, but you can actually skip paying for parking in advance and park in the road outside the gate.

August and September 2024

First and foremost, my heart is broken for the communities of Western North Carolina and beyond that have been devastated by Hurricane Helene. Here is a good list of spots to donate funds and a list of spots to donate goods to help recovery efforts. Here is my PorchDrinking article on how you can help breweries + their teams and what their level of impact from the storm is. Thank you for supporting these communities that I love and adore in this catastrophic time.

This edition of my top beers is two months combined because I was traveling at the start of last month. August and September brought an international trip to Finland, Sweden and Norway, a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia in Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake, and three bottle shares with friends—but also covid and a flu/stomach bug so a couple of weeks with no beers tried.

Over the past two months I tried 125 different beers, and here were the best of the best—all of which I rated a 4.5 or 5 on Untappd, meaning I believe them to be extraordinary:

Triple Vegan and The Vegan from Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

The Vegan is an Imperial IPA with Citra in the whirlpool and dry hopped with Galaxy and Nelson. Triple Vegan is, as you might expect, the triple version of this beer—a Triple IPA with Citra, Galaxy and Nelson hops. I’m sure both of these have been in my top beer lists before, but having them side-by-side in August was a treat!

Anytime You Are Anywhere Always and Never Asked To Be This Way from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

Anytime You Are Anywhere Always is a Quadruple Dream Resin IPA. Quadruple dry hopped with Citra, Citra Cryo, Nectaron, and Galaxy. This beer blew me away. I had it first in a can from my friend who snagged it while I was out of town, and was shook at how good it was. So then I went to have it on tap… three more times haha. A QIPA is not something I would normally go for—it screams overly boozy and malty. Burial’s first ever QIPA was the exact opposite of that norm. Creamy, juicy, and delicious!

Never Asked To Be This Way is a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with 70% 13 month aged Willet Bourbon Barrel, 16% 18 month old Double Buffalo Trace and Willets Barrel, and 14% young Stout. No adjuncts, all fantastic barrel flavor.

Flora Pear from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

Flora Pear is a top beer for me, and my friends. It’s a Farmhouse Wheat barrel aged on organic dessert and Siberian pears and bottle conditioned to perfection. Seek this one out (and share it with me!).

The Same Eternity from Blindhouse Beer in Roanoke, VA

The Same Eternity is a blend of aged Mixed Culture beer and fresh, hoppy Saison. Blindhouse Beer is a gem and I loved every beer I had there—so much so that I visited twice while in town and bought a bottle of everything that had to go.

Talos from Conclave Brewing in Flemington, NJ

Talos is a Triple IPA packing a very tasty punch. Conclave Brewing is a top notch spot flying under the radar—if you haven’t checked them out yet I would definitely recommend!

Pronghorn from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT

Pronghorn is an unfiltered Bavarian-style Helles best enjoyed on a hike with a killer view. This was the perfect crusher as I reached Pulpit Rock.

Maiden collaboration brew from Track Brewing Company in Manchester, England and Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

Maiden is an Imperial IPA with Citra (YCH 702 Trial, T90, and Cryo), Nelson, Nectaron, Peacharine, and Riwaka Sub Zero Hop Kief. When I saw a Fidens collaboration in Finland that was an obvious choice for me and it did not disappoint! This was my last beer of the trip and an absolute banger. Definitely recommend Beer Room Haka in the Kallio neighborhood.

Sunrises collaboration from Side Project Brewing in St. Louis, MO and Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola, CA

This 2023 edition of Sunrises is a blend of oak-aged Lager and Saison. As a product of two of the best breweries in the country, it’s no surprise this is a delight. Light yet full of flavor with a powerful nose.

Imperial German Chocolate Cupcake Stout from Angry Chair Brewing in Tampa, FL

This is an Imperial Sweet Stout with coconut, Haitian cacao nibs, vanilla beans and lactose. It might sound like a sugar bomb, and yes sure it’s decadent, but it’s a delicious combination of flavors. Fantastic, as always, from Angry Chair!

See you next month for more delicious beers! Cheers —Alexis

Vermont

Vermont is a beautiful state full of great beers and great views

Vermont Tips:

• Don’t miss Hill Farmstead Brewery: This spot is about an hour from the Waterbury & Stowe areas but absolutely worth the detour. They make some of the top beers in the country in a relaxed, simple atmosphere. Located in Greensboro Bend, VT.

• Waterbury > Stowe. Stowe gets the hype but Waterbury is much cuter, walkable, and quaint.

• On a New England road trip? Check out my New Hampshire recommendations here!

Waterbury Recommendations

• Freak Folk Bier: A top-tier brewery located in Waterbury. It is a cute little space with a front patio and superb beers.

• Blackback Pub: A restaurant with a great tap list in Waterbury. The nachos sound crazy with maple syrup on them but they absolutely slap.

• Vermont Beer Collective: A beer bar and bottle shop in Waterbury with a great tap list. They have 8 beers on draft and 3 on Lukr. The folks here are nice and their selection is legit.

• Prohibition Pig: ProPig is a restaurant in the front and a brewery in the back. They have a barbecue focused food menu and solid beers. They are also known for their margaritas.

• Ben and Jerry’s: The factory location is home to the Flavor Graveyard, factory tours, and more. Expect a line for the ice cream itself.

• Cold Hollow Cider Mill: A popular attraction with cider, donuts, and a slew of other things in their market. The also have breakfast, lunch, hard cider, and a few local beers in their restaurant space across from the market.

• Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea: A coffee roastery that has a café along with tours and classes.

Stowe Pinnacle

Stowe recommendations

• The Alchemist: This brewery created Heady Topper, a famed IPA which they have on hand pull at the taproom. They have a neat space and a large outdoor area in Stowe. There is a rotating seasonal food truck onsite.

• Woodland Baking and Coffee: A nice little spot for breakfast and coffee with baked goods as well.

• Mount Mansfield Auto Toll Road: This road is 4.5 miles long and takes you to the near top of Mount Mansfield at 4,395ft of elevation. It is open from 9:30-4:30 daily. It’s pretty pricey at $35 per car and driver, $13 per additional passenger. Once at the top hike to The Chin—

  • The Nose to The Chin via Long Trail: This trail is 3.5 miles long with 1,053ft of elevation gain. It takes just over 1.5 hours to complete and brings you to the highest point in Vermont. The views are great throughout the entire trail from the Nose to the Upper Lip to the Chin. Though this trail is rated moderate it is not difficult and very nice. The bugs can be pretty awful in the summer months. To climb The Chin from the base instead of from the toll road you can follow this steeper trail.

• Doc Pond’s: A solid restaurant with a fun vibe and g0od beer list.

• von Trapp Brewing: A Lager focused brewery with a full food menu and restaurant style vibes. They have decent views and are connected to the von Trapp Lodge.

• Lawson’s Finest Liquids: An OG New England brewery located in Waitsfield. They have a small food menu and their taproom connects to the Heart of the Valley Trail.

• Stowe Pinnacle Trail: This trail is 5 miles long with 1,561ft of elevation gain that takes about 2.5 hours to complete. It is located in CC Putnam State Forest right outside of Stowe. I would recommend going early to avoid crowds, but in general it was very quiet. The trail is rated hard and is steep at points but is quite nice overall with beautiful sweeping views at the summit.

Foam Brewers

Burlington Recommendations

It’s just about a half an hour from the Stowe/Waterbury area to Burlington! This is a cool, artsy city on the water.

• Foam Brewers: A great spot with great beers. They have a nice patio space where you can juuuust see Lake Champlain across from Waterfront Park. The tap list is IPA heavy, but their mixed culture spot House of Fermentology occasionally has beers available as well. They also have a small food menu.

• Burlington Beer Company: A good brewery with a food menu, massive tap list, and nice space. The tap list is IPA-heavy and their flights are preset.

• Waterfront Park: A gorgeous park on Lake Champlain with the mountains in the background. It is a great spot to watch the sunset.

• Zero Gravity Brewery: A lovely space with delicious food, but the beer is pretty average.

• Four Quarters Brewing: A solid brewery located in the Winooski neighborhood. They have a food menu, cocktails and wine along with their beers. Heads up you’ll need to pay to park here.

• Don’t stay at the Hampton Inn Colchester: I had a pretty terrible experience here and would never recommend it.

Morgantown, WV

Morgantown is an Appalachian college town

• Morgantown has a lot of unhoused folks and some clear drug issues. Be aware of your surroundings.

• The city has an open alcohol mile—PODA.

• Morgantown is located just 1.5 hours south of Pittsburgh—check out my Pittsburgh recommendations here.

Morgantown Recommendations:

• Apothecary Ale House: A solid beer bar with mostly local beers on tap. They also have a food menu and a lovely patio space.

• Mon River Rail Trail: A nice trail along the water but there were also several signs about sewage so perhaps it is smelly at times.

• Table 9: A nice restaurant with an upper deck over the river.

• Check out Coopers Rock State Forest: Either hike the Raven Rock Trail at 2.6 miles long/442ft of elevation gain or head to the overlook at the end of the park.

• Black Bear: Located in Evansdale, a tasty spot for Mexican eats and a solid craft beer bar.

Other Morgantown Ideas:

• Mountain State Brewing: Located on the river, but their upper deck with more views is not generally open. When I visited they only had 4 of their own beers on tap and they weren’t styles I wanted, so I opted for a margarita flight which turned out to be delicious. They also have a full food menu.

• Stay at Scholar Morgantown: A decent spot from Hilton. A little run down, but in a great location and very affordable.

• Forks of Cheat Winery: Solid wine with a free tasting, but it’s pretty inconvenient to get to. They have a nice patio outside as well.

• Skip Blue Moose Coffeehouse.

• Skip Cheat Lake.

New River Gorge National Park:

This National Park is located 2.5 hours south of Morgantown. It’s known for whitewater rafting and rock climbing, so there are not too many hiking trails and those that exist can be a bit boring.

• Long Point Trail: This trail is 3 miles long with 344ft of elevation gain and takes just over 1 hour to complete. It is a popular trail since it’s not too difficult and you can reach a nice viewpoint of the bridge, river and gorge.

Pittsburgh, PA

pittsburgh is a fun city on three rivers full of breweries!

On a Pennsylvania trip? Check out my Philadelphia recommendations here.

Adventures & Ales Top Pittsburgh Recommendations: 

• Dancing Gnome Beer: A great brewery located in Sharpsville (near Hitchhiker). They have tasty beers that are mainly IPAs. No dogs allowed onsite. ​

• Hitchhiker Brewing: Hitchhiker is a good brewery with locations in Sharpsville and Mt. Lebanon. In Sharpsville they have an open air taproom and a back patio. Be sure to try their Sours.

• Cinderlands Beer Company: Cinderlands has three locations—the Warehouse in the Strip District has a nice upper patio, cocktails, and food along with their tasty beers.

• Trace Brewing: A chill spot in the Little Italy neighborhood with coffee as well. They have a very small tap list and offer full pours only, but the beers are solid.

• Four Points Brewing: A nice spot on the North Side with solid beers and an IPA-focused menu.

  • Alberta’s Pizza: A great pizza spot next door with delicious dough

• Espresso y Mano: A good spot for coffee in the Lawrenceville neighborhood.

• Eleventh Hour Brewing: A nice brewery in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. They have solid beers and a nice patio. It has “neighborhood brewery” vibes.

Pittsburgh Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• ​Duquesne Incline: A cool old cable car that goes up an incline to a nice viewpoint. It’s a unique experience and you can see the entire city and rivers. It is $5 round trip to ride and parking at the bottom is $8. Sit towards the front (closest to the city) for the best views.

• There are numerous riverside trails and greenways in the city since there are so many rivers so be sure to go for a nice riverside stroll!

Other Pittsburgh Things To Do:​​

• Coven Brewing: A solid brewery but they have a tiny tap list (3 beers on tap when I visited).

• Brooklyn Bagel at Arsenal: Solid bagel spot in Lawrenceville—if you order online be sure to check your order is correct before departing. 

• Late Addition Brewing & Blending: A smaller brewery on the North Side with 10 taps.

  • Live Fresh is a solid spot next door for juices, smoothies and açaí bowls.

• Aslin Beer Company: The Pittsburgh location of Aslin is located in the Strip District Terminal, a mixed use facility with a lot of shops and different businesses. Their beers are always good but nothing too special. They also offer food and coffee at this location.

• Strange Roots Experimental Ales: A brewery on the North Side with a unique tap list. They have an abundance of outdoor space and Pittsburgh Sandwich Society inside.

• Warhol Museum: I would skip this unless you’re a big art person. Parking in the designated lot is $8, admission is $25, and the museum itself is quite small and a little boring.

• Mike’s Beer Bar: This spot has 500 beers, 80 taps, a full food menu, and a front patio space. It is located across from Pirates Field so it’s popular on game days. Unfortunately I found the service here to be atrocious.

• Randyland: An interesting art installation at a house. It’s colorful but I personally did not find it worth my time.

• William Penn Tavern: A sports bar in Lawrenceville with chill vibes.

Providence, RI

Providence as a whole was really disappointing to me. The city is pretty trashy, folks are horrible drivers, and I had some mediocre experiences. BUT I did go to a few really great spots, so I wanted to be sure to share my recommendations, as well as spots to avoid.

Providence Recommendations:

• Long Live Beerworks: A great brewery with an IPA focus. They have a front patio, a cute interior, and an incredibly nice team.

• Ogie’s Trailer Park: A delightful spot with a fun atmosphere inside and out. It exudes dive bar vibes with a food truck inside serving tasty eats. This is also a popular spot for brunch.

• Buttonwoods Brewery: A casual brewery with electic vibes in the Federal Hill neighborhood with a variety of beers available. Screaming Unicorn is located inside for eats.

• Oak Bakery: A Jewish bakery with delicious eats.

• DePasquale Square: A touristy area full of restaurants (particularly a lot of Italian spots!). There is a cute fountain in a pedestrian area with seasonal patio seating.

Ogie's Trailer Park

Other ideas:

• Moniker Brewery: A Lager-focused brewery in the Federal Hill neighborhood.

• Proclamation Ale Company: An average brewery in the suburbs of Providence. They have some games in the taproom and Saugy Hotdogs inside for eats.

• Titled Barn Brewery: An overrated brewery in the suburbs of Providence that is overrun with children, overpriced, and serving average beer.

• Buns and Beans: This looks like a good spot for breakfast and coffee but it was absolutely exploding with people and a line down the block so I ended up skipping it.

• Rocky Point State Park: A run down park on the water in south Providence. Very sad excuse for a state park.

• Tori Tomo: A downtown ramen spot that I would give a 0/10. Half of my ingredients that I paid for were missing and the service was awful.

New Hampshire

Keene

Keene is a cute little town just over the Massachusetts and Vermont borders in southwest New Hampshire.

• Modestman Brewing: A great brewery on Main Street with chill vibes, the nicest people, and a pizza menu. Highly recommend.

• Margaritas: A Mexican restaurant in the heart of downtown. The have a nice front patio, friendly staff, and margarita flights!

• Stay at Courtyard Marriott Keene: This hotel is right downtown off of main spot and incredibly convenient. It is a nice spot and the staff is very friendly.

• Branch and Blade Brewing Company: A small spot with a restaurant inside and dog-friendly outside area. The beers here were a bit hit and miss for me, but I’ve enjoyed their cans in the past.

Mount Willard

White Mountains

The White Mountains region is located in northeast New Hampshire, about two hours north of Keene. It is a beautiful area full of hiking trails.

• Crawford Notch State Park:

  • Arethusa Falls and Frankenstein Cliff Loop: This trail is 6.6 miles long with 1,637ft of elevation gain and takes just over 3 hours to complete. It is rated hard, and you’ll climb over 1,200ft in the first 1.6 miles which is quite steep at times. After this ascent you’ll reach the cliff which provides stunning views. From there you’ll journey to the largest waterfall in New Hampshire. You can also do just the cliff trail or just the waterfall trail—the waterfall trail is more popular and more maintained. It is $5 to park.

  • Mount Willard Trail: This trail is 4 miles long with 895ft of elevation gain and takes just over 1.5 hours to complete. The trailhead is at Saco Lake and then has a steady incline to the summit. This trail is wildly rocky, so be sure to wear sturdy shoes. There is a great view of the Crawford Notch at the top, though the summit can be overrun with bugs in the summer months.

• Schilling Beer Co: Located in the adorable small town of Littleton, Schilling is a Lager powerhouse. Their beers are superb, and the atmosphere on the river is tough to beat. Their food menu is pizza-focused and full of absolutely delicious eats. They have three locations on their campus: the store and tasting room, the brewery pub and kitchen, and Mill Street Kitchen.

• Maia Papaya: A delicious spot for breakfast, lunch and coffee in Bethlehem. An absolute delight!

• Franconia Notch State Park:

  • Lonesome Lake via Cascade Brook and Pemi Trail: This trail is 8.1 miles long with 1,210ft of elevation gain and takes about 4 hours to complete. It is located at The Basin, which in itself is worth checking out. The lake is a popular trail but it is still quiet, and it is a part of the Appalachian Trail. As a heads up, the lake itself can be swarming with bugs in the summer months. I would not actually recommend this route, as the Pemi Trail is absolutely awful. There is a shorter, more direct trail that avoids the Pemi Trail, but you will also miss Cascade Brook which has Kinsman Falls, two stream crossings, and is pretty walking along the water.

  • Bald Mountain Trail: This trail is a quick .6 miles long with 242ft of elevation gain and takes about 30 minutes to complete. At the end it is a very steep scramble, but otherwise it’s very moderate. The views at the top are pretty but hindered a bit by the neighboring ski area. This trail also connects to Artist Bluff and Echo Lake.

  • The Flume Gorge Trail: This trail is 2.4 miles long with 482ft of elevation gain and takes about an hour to complete. Reservations are required and the entrance fee is $19. There are limited hours with the earliest you can enter is 9am, and I would recommend arriving around this time to have the trail to yourself. I found this to be a bit overwhelming, but it is quite popular. If you’ve been to Watkins Glen State Park in New York this has a similar vibe but is less impressive.

• Look up! The stars at night in this area can be incredibly bright due to the isolation.

• While you are in this area, Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, Vermont, is just about 1.5 hours away. They make incredible beers in a pretty, simple space.

Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake

Roanoke is a great base city for exploring Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains! To make it even better, Smith Mountain Lake is just an hour east of the city. SML is a popular lake getaway with 500+ miles of shoreline. Most folks just visit one or the other, but I found it was a great way to combine a mountain weekend and a chill lake weekend all into one trip together.

McAfee Knob

Roanoke Recommendations:

• Blindhouse Beer: A stellar brewery focused on Belgian and French styles where everything is a slow pour. The beers are fantastic and the vibes are great. You can also get Food Hut RKE delivered to your table.

• Go for a hike! The Appalachian Trail runs on the west side of the city and the Blue Ridge Parkway is on the east side, providing ample trailheads all close to downtown.

  • McAfee Knob via Appalachian Trail: This 8.1 mile long trail with 1,811ft of elevation gain leads to one of the most photographed areas of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It takes just under four hours to complete. The trail is shaded the entire way which is a bonus in the hot summer months. The views are fantastic and the trail is quiet—highly recommend. You can also choose to go up or down the fire road which is flatter and smoother than the AT.

  • Carvin’s Cove Hay Rock via Appalachian Trail: A 7.9 mile/1,423ft of elevation gain hike to an overlook of Carvin’s Cove. You can also shorten the distance to 5 miles (same elevation gain) to the first lookout to save time. A nice view of the water below.

• Take a scenic drive: The Blue Ridge Parkway has some great viewpoints—a lot of them can be overgrown in the summer months but Great Valley is a stellar spot, especially for sunset.

• Big Lick Brewing Company: This brewery has a wide variety of beers on tap, a nice patio, and you can get food delivered to your table from nearby restaurants.

• A Few Old Goats Brewing: A solid brewery with chill vibes and a nice patio space.

• Mill Mountain Park & Star: The famed star overlooking Roanoke lights up at night and there is a great viewpoint over the city and surrounding mountains. Heads up the Google maps location is a little off if you search for the star, search for the park instead.

• Barrel Chest Wine and Beer: A bottle shop with self-pour beer and wine taps. They also have a charcuterie selection.

• Three Notch’d Brewing: An average brewery with a full food menu.

• Olde Salem Brewing: The Roanoke location of this brewery is located in the downtown market and their main taproom is in neighboring Salem. You can get food delivered to your table from nearby restaurants. The beer is mediocre.

• Twin Creeks Brewpub: A brewery off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Fables & Feathers Winery

Smith Mountain Lake Recommendations:

• Jake’s Place: A restaurant and beer bar on the water with a killer tap list. The food menu is pizza-focused and tasty. Great atmosphere and experience.

• Hickory Hill Vineyards: Very tasty wine in a relaxed atmosphere.

• Smith Mountain Trail: The lake’s namesake mountain provides a unique vantage point! There is a moderate trail that is 5 miles long with 1,000ft of elevation gain out to a cool viewpoint or you can go all the way up for another view. To reach this viewpoint you’ll turn left at the 2.5 mile point and go downhill to a small ledge with beautiful views. This trail takes just over two hours in totality and is very quiet. You will need an access permit which can be bought online ahead of time. 

• Fables & Feathers Winery: A nice winery a bit off the beaten path. Tasty wines, friendly service, nice patio overlooking the vines.

• Smith Mountain Lake State Park: This is a nice state park that has 7 short, mostly flat trails along with some water access and picnic areas. There is a $7 entrance fee.

  • Chestnut Ridge Trail: This trail is 1.5 miles long, is mostly flat, and takes about 40 minutes to complete.

  • Turtle Island Trail: This trail is 1.4 miles long, mostly flat, and takes about 30 minutes to complete.

• West Lake Coffee and Café: A decent spot for coffee and breakfast.

• Ramulose Ridge Vineyards: Another winery 2 minutes from Hickory Hill. They also offer sangria. Unfortunately it seemed like the bottle I ordered from had been open for far too long, wouldn’t really recommend.

• The Bagel & I: Solid bagel sandwich but the bagel itself was stale.

July 2024

July! Whew this year is flying by. In July I took trips to Idaho and the Asheville area. I tried 84 different beers this past month, and in no particular order, here were the top beers I had in July:

Flip Fly Flows from Monkish Brewing in TorRance, CA

Flip Fly Flows is a Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Galaxy and Nelson Sauvin hops. Monkish is always a delight, but having this juicy goodness with a view in the Sawtooth Mountains is tough to beat!

Wilfred from Angry Chair Brewing in Tampa, FL

Wilfred is an Imperial German Chocolate Cupcake Stout with maple. Angry Chair’s Stout game is always at the top of the game, and this was a great reminder to get my hands on their beers more often. I enjoyed this at Replay Brewing’s annual Jurassic Bark while Mosaic enjoyed her dog beer!

Eugene’s Axe from Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

Eugene’s Axe is a Double IPA with Citra and Galaxy hops. I’ve had this beer a few times from Fidens and I always love it! So easy to drink, so full of flavor. Need a Fidens restock stat.

Kentuckley 2 Year (2023) from Transient Artisan Ales in Bridgman, MI

Kentuckley is Transient’s Buckley Imperial Breakfast Stout aged in Buffalo Trace & Four Roses Bourbon Barrels. Their Stouts always impress me, but this one was superb. Highly recommend seeking out these guys!

I Used To Be An Athlete collaboration brew from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC and Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY

I Used To Be An Athlete is a Double IPA Double Dry-Hopped with Sabro, Citra, Vic's Secret and Simcoe hops. They’ve made this beer before and it was an instant classic, so I was very excited to see another batch released. It’s no surprise that an Other Half x Burial collaboration is killer!

Bella Vita from Schilling Beer Co. in Littleton, NH

Bella Vita is an Italian Pilsner from one of the top Lager breweries in the country. Crisp, flavorful, and a delight. Perfect on a hot summer day in Charlotte!

The next edition will be August & September together due to some travel, so keep your eyes peeled! Cheers —Alexis

Idaho

The Sawtooth Mountains are a gorgeous area of Idaho. They are part of the Rocky Mountains in Central Idaho and a beautiful, peaceful escape. The Sawtooths are popular for hiking, camping, fly fishing, and whitewater rafting. There are nearly 400 alpine lakes in this region and a plethora of jagged peaks. It’s the perfect spot for a long weekend because they are isolated from pretty much anywhere else you’d want to combine it with for a longer road trip. This isolation means it is not super well known or popular, which is a big win in my book.

Imogene Lake

Hiking in The Sawtooth Mountains:

None of the trails in this area are too steep, but they can be quite long. Remember to keep in mind the elevation if you’re coming from sea level—this area sits at around 6,000ft of elevation and then you’ll climb further up from there.

• Sawtooth Lake via Iron Creek Stanley Lake Trail: This trail is 12.8 miles long with 1,817ft of elevation gain and takes about 5 hours to complete. Note that AllTrails lists this at 9.6 miles. Sawtooth Lake is absolutely stunning and an iconic sight in the Sawtooths. The mountains and lake are gorgeous. The trail is pretty exposed and leads through the wilderness to Alpine Lake and from there it heads uphill to Sawtooth Lake for one more mile. This trail is close to the town of Stanley somewhat popular, but there is overflow parking and it’s not by any means crowded.

• Imogene Lake Trail: This trail is 15.2 miles long with 1,459ft of elevation gain and takes about 5.5 hours to complete from the upper trailhead. Note that AllTrails lists it at 13.4 miles. This is a great two-for-one trail with both Hell Roaring and Imogene Lakes. Hell Roaring is only about an hour from the upper trailhead which is a nice way to divide up the hike. If you visit Hell Roaring in the morning you may be treated to a gorgeous reflection in the morning light. Imogene Lake is much larger and also beautiful. You can hike all the way around the lake if you’d like. The trail is very quiet, I only saw a couple of folks the entire way (even on a holiday weekend).

  • There are two trailheads to access Hell Roaring and Imogene Lakes. The upper trailhead requires a 4 wheel drive/high clearance vehicle to access. The lower trailhead adds a couple of miles to your hike.

• Pettit Lake to Alice Lake: This trail is 13.9 miles long with 1,900ft of elevation gain and takes about 6 hours to complete. The trail begins at Pettit Lake which is very pretty in the morning light. It then winds deeper into the wilderness with a few dramatic viewpoints and several river crossings. It is a quiet, exposed, and rocky trail that can get buggy in the afternoon. Alice Lake is a beautiful alpine lake that you can also hike around if you want to add in more mileage. The AllTrails route takes you to Twin Lakes, which adds about 2.4 miles and 200ft of elevation gain, though AllTrails says this route in total is 13.6 miles.

Hell Roaring Lake

Things to do in Stanley, Idaho:

Stanley is the tiny town that calls the Sawtooth Mountains home. It’s a great base for exploring this region with a few hotels, restaurants, and outfitting businesses. You could also stay in the Sun Valley area, but that is not quite as “mountain-weekend”-y, much more touristy, and you’ll have longer drives to trailheads.

• Stanley Lake Overlook: Stanley Lake is a gorgeous alpine lake that is accessible without hiking through the mountains (though you can do that too!). The overlook is a great spot to lounge on the water, but there is also a boat launch area with a beach and a campground.

• Sawtooth Hotel: A great spot for dinner with a view! The food is tasty, though a little pricey, and the team here is very nice.

• Relax in a hot spring: Thanks to its geography and geology, Idaho is home to more soakable hot springs than any other state in the U.S.! There are over 20 in the Stanley area, and I checked out two:

  • Sunbeam Hot Springs: This a spacious hot spring with several different pools of water with different temperatures. It is located about 15 minutes north of Stanley.

  • Valley Creek Hot Spring: This is right in downtown Stanley. It is a bit smaller and has some road noise, but the water is warm and relaxing.

• Stanley Baking Company: A cute spot for baked goods, coffee, breakfast, and lunch. It is wildly busy so expect a wait in the summer months, but it’s worth it.

• Papa Brunee’s: A solid spot for pizza and subs. It can be a little hectic but the food comes out pretty quickly.

• Stay at Basecamp Lodge: This is a cute lodge and RV park in Stanley. There are thoughtful touches and it’s on the cheaper side. I enjoyed my stay but if I were to return to the area I would probably book something with a view.

• Redfish Lake: This area can be the most crowded of the Sawtooths. It is home to a lodge, multiple campgrounds, two restaurants, a boat launch, kayak/SUP rentals, trailheads, and more. It’s worth checking out, but not quite the vibe I wanted personally.

• Skip: Stanley Supper Club: 0/10 experience here.

• Heads up: Groceries from the only store in town, Mountain Village Mercantile, are extraordinarily overpriced and they have a limited selection—do your best to avoid it.

Shoshone Falls

Twin Falls Recommendations:

Twin Falls has a nice little downtown. It’s a very outdoorsy city with a bunch of bike trails, a gorgeous golf course on the Snake River, trails, waterfalls, parks, and more. It’s about 2.5 hours from Twin Falls to the Sawtooth Mountains, and you’ll pass through the popular ski area of Sun Valley on the way.

• Koto Brewing Company and Milner’s Gate are the two breweries in town and O’Dunkens is a beer bar that looks solid—they were all closed when I was in Twin Falls due to a holiday.

• Shoshone Falls: This is a massive waterfall known as the Niagara of the West. It is taller than Niagara Falls, just not as wide, and very cool to see. There is a $5 entrance fee to see the falls.

• Perrine Coulee Falls: A nice waterfall that you can reach via this trail that is half of a mile long with 200ft of elevation gain and takes about 20 minutes to complete, or you can also just see the fall from the road.

• Redhawk Gastropub: A restaurant with views of the Snake River Bridge and Canyon on their nice patio. They have a solid tap list, the food is tasty, the service is a little lacking.

• Snake River Canyon Rim Trail: This is a great trail to bike along the edge of the Snake Canyon. You could go as long or as short as you’d like with nice views throughout.

• Centennial Waterfront Park: A great park on the Snake River. There is a boat launch and picnic tables with nice views of the canyon and bridge.

• Java Blue Lakes: A nice little spot for coffee, breakfast, and lunch.

TF Brewing

Stops on the way to/from the Sawtooths:

Craters of the Moon National Monument

This is a very unique attraction made of dried lava from Great Rift fissures. The park has several trails with craters, cones, and caves. It is neat to explore but not worth going too far out of your way for. It is $20 per car to enter without a National Park Pass. Located 2.5 hours southeast from Stanley, 1.5 hours northeast of Twin Falls. There is a 7 mile loop drive that each trail and viewpoint is located off of.

• Spatter Cones and Big Craters via North Crater Trail: This trail includes Spatter Cones, Snow Cones, and Big Crater. It is 1.3 miles long, but also connects to the North Crater trail so you can make it as short or long as you’d like. Most folks just see the spatter and snow cones, but the Big Crater is pretty neat.

• Inferno Cone Trail: This is a quick .4 mile roundtrip trail up to a panoramic viewpoint. It is short but steep and takes about 15 minutes to complete.

• Caves Trail: A mostly flat 1.8 mile long trail to Indian Tunnel and Dewdrop Cave. These are made of lava tubes and neat to see. It is a bit treachorous with boulders in the cave and the trail can be a bit hard to follow. Bring a headlamp for better sight. Note the AllTrails route includes Boy Scout and Beauty caves which were closed during my visit. You will need a free permit from the visitor’s center to access this area. Do not wear or bring anything that has been in a cave ever before to protect the bats from white nose syndrome.

Salt Lake City

I flew in and out of Salt Lake because it made sense from Charlotte with cheap, nonstop flights at good times. It would be easier to access the Sawtooths by flying into Boise, Twin Falls, or Sun Valley, but this made more sense for me. If you also are in SLC, check out all of my Utah recommendations here. Highlights from this trip:

• Bonneville Salt Flats: The salt flats are pretty neat—they are the remnants of Lake Bonneville and it’s, well, salty and flat. They do car racing here occasionally, but otherwise you can just walk around and take in the sights and uniqueness. The best spot to access the salt flats is by just making a quick stop at the west bound rest area on I-80 West, about 1.5 hours from the SLC airport.

• Templin Family Brewing: A stellar brewery with a wide variety of beers but superb Lagers. This is a popular spot with frequent food trucks, a small snack menu and cocktails. They have a nice back patio space as well.

• Epic Brewing Company: Epic is most known for their big Stouts and have been in the beer game for ages. Their SLC taproom does not have any taps because of Utah’s wild beer laws, but they have a huge menu of bottles and cans you can get pours from.

• Grid City Beer Works: A great brewery with a Lager and Cask focus. They have a tasty food menu and lots of vegan options as well. The vibes here are a fun mix between classic brewery and restaurant, plus they have a rooftop deck.

• Great Salt Lake State Park: This is a nice spot for sunset and to see the Great Salt Lake. There is not quite a beach but you can access the water if you’d like, just keep in mind it is indeed very salty. There are also a ton of spiders in the area because of the salt, meaning the observation deck and surrounding rocks are covered in webs and eight legged critters. There is an entrance fee of $10 per car.

Have you been to idaho? What are your favorite spots to explore? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—Alexis

Myrtle Beach, SC

The Myrtle Beach Area is a long stretch of towns along the Atlantic Ocean in Northern South Carolina. This area consists of North Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, Surfside, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield and Pawleys Island. Everything here is quite touristy but there are still some nice spots to check out and the beaches are great!

Murrells Inlet and Litchfield both have a lot of free beach parking, while at Surfside Beach you’ll need to pay hourly rates. The beaches are dog-friendly but each county has different restrictions during the summer months in terms of timing and leash requirements.

I visit this area each summer for work so I have done some pretty extensive research through my multiple stays. Here are all of my recommendations for breweries, beer bars, restaurants, coffee, where to stay, and more!

Crooked Hammock Brewery

Myrtle Beach Area Beer bars & Breweries:

• Crooked Hammock Brewery: An awesome brewery in North Myrtle Beach! They are located in the Barefoot Landing shopping and dining destination on the intracoastal waterway. Crooked Hammock has an incredible outdoor space with yard games, hammocks, and a variety of seating. They also have two indoor areas—a taproom on one side with tours and the restaurant on the other. Their food is extremely delicious and the beers are solid and easy-drinking, perfect for the beachy location. Don’t miss their bar on the water, Tortuga Island, complete with a full menu, swings, and a fun atmosphere.

• New South Brewing: A good brewery in Myrtle Beach with a wide variety of beers available. They have a unique taproom space and chill vibes.

• Inlet Beer Garden: A beer bar on the Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk with a ton of taps. It has chill vibes and you can order food from the sister restaurant next door as well.

• Quigley’s Pint and Plate: A restaurant-style brewery in Pawleys Island. They have nice outdoor seating and solid beers and food.

• Southern Hops Brewing Company: A solid brewery in Murrells Inlet with patio seating and a full food menu.

• Liberty Tap Room and Grill: A restaurant-style brewery in Myrtle Beach with a full food menu and average beers.

• Voodoo Brewing Company: This is a chain brewery with 20+ locations around the country. They have a pizza-focused food menu, more guest taps that Voodoo taps, poor service, and are overpriced. The beers they make are solid. Located in Murrels Inlet.

• Tidal Creek Brewhouse: A brewery in Myrtle Beach with a large outdoor space, a dog area, a wide variety of beers, a full food menu, and cocktails and wine too. As a forewarning the outdoor space can quickly become overrun by unsupervised children.

• Independent Republic Brewing: A brewery on the intracoastal in Myrtle Beach. This is really more of a dive bar than a brewery, but at least there are nice views! They share a space with Boathouse so you can order food from their kitchen. If you are flying in/out of Myrtle Beach they are right by the airport so this would be a great first or last stop.

• Grand Strand Brewing Company: Solid beers, below average service. They’ve got a nice patio space a few blocks from the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk.

Millstone Biscuit Co. + Brown Fox Coffee at the beach!

Myrtle Beach Area Restaurants and coffee shops:

• Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk: A touristy area full of restaurants and bars with a boardwalk along the inlet. My favorites here are:

  • Neptune Bistro & Raw Bar: Delicious food and cocktails overlooking the water.

  • Wicked Tuna: A sushi and seafood focused restaurant with water views.

  • Dead Dog Saloon: A great spot to grab a drink, especially something frozen!

• Benjamin’s Bakery: A stellar spot in Surfside Beach for breakfast and lunch. Really delicious.

• Banditos Cantina: A delicious restaurant off the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk with upper patio seating and ocean views. Highly recommend!

• National House of Pancakes: This is a wild spot for brunch. The atmosphere is super fun, the food and drinks are over-the-top. It is a bit pricey and there can be a line, but it’s delicious and a unique experience.

• Brown Fox Coffee Box: A cute little coffee stand at the end of the Marsh Walk with great drinks and a small seating area.

• Millstone Biscuit Co.: A great spot for breakfast or lunch in Murrells Inlet and Pawley’s Island with delicious biscuit sandwiches. Order via counter service for dine-in or take-out. This is a popular spot so try to go early!

• Inlet Prohibition Company: A solid restaurant at the south end of Murrells Inlet. They have nice views, a good tap list, and chill vibes.

• Bagel Café: A delicious spot for bagels and breakfast in Pawleys Island!
  

Where to stay:

• Surfside Beach Oceanfront Hotel: An oceanfront hotel with great views and beach access! This was a nice stay while not being too expensive.

• This tiny house Airbnb in Murrells Inlet is great! Perfect for one or two people and close to the Marsh Walk.

• Hampton Inn Pawleys Island: A reasonably-priced and conveniently located hotel. This is your average hotel stay.

Have you been to the Myrtle Beach area? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers—Alexis

May and June 2024

The last two months were absolutely stacked with incredible beer for me. I started May in Charlotte with brewery hopping and bottle sharing before heading out for a 29 day road trip across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Ohio, Michigan, and West Virginia.

Mosaic and I visited some of the top breweries in the country (& world) so it is quite difficult to narrow down a list of top beers. This list will look a little different from my normal—in some cases I am listing more than one beer from a brewery because they were that good.

I rated all of these at least a 4.5 on Untappd, for reference. In no particular order, out of 310 beers tried, here were my top beers from May and June 2024:

Triple Vegan + DDH Eugene’s Axe + The Butcher+ Triple Jasper with Nelson from Fidens Brewing Company in Albany, NY

Fidens has been a favorite for me over the past couple of years, so I was stoked to visit their taproom. Their beer on tap is just simply superb, and of course I stocked up on cans to bring home as well. They were also pouring at Nucleate from HOMES which I attended while in Michigan, so I have been quite spoiled with Fidens over the past couple of months!

Triple Vegan is a Triple IPA with Citra, Galaxy and Nelson hops. DDH Eugene’s Axe is a double dry hopped Double IPA with Citra and Galaxy hops. The Butcher is a Double IPA with Mosaic hops in the whirlpool and dry hopped with Galaxy and Nelson. Triple Jasper with Nelson is a Triple IPA with Citra and Nelson hops.

Samuel (Batches 2 and 5) + Wheat Blanc (2022) from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

Visiting Hill Farmstead is a remarkably peaceful and relaxing experience. Their taproom is essentially in the middle of nowhere and offers draft pours but also bottle pours.

Samuel is a Saison with organic buckwheat, organic spelt, and Vermont wildflower honey aged in wine barrels and bottle conditioned. I enjoyed Batch 2 and Batch 5 in a side-by-side tasting thanks to some great friends before heading out on my trip, and then I was lucky enough that Hill was pouring Batch 5 while I was at the taproom as well.

Wheat Blanc is a Farmhouse Ale aged in oak and hopped with Hallertauer Blanc. This beer is a little more basic but an absolute delight.

Staglore + Penumbra from Freak Folk Bier in Waterbury, VT

Freak Folk is a wildly underrated brewery in the wildly underrated small town of Waterbury. Their beers, no matter the style, are superb. Two of my favorites from my visit were Staglore and Penumbra. Staglore is a Saison brewed with foraged staghorn sumac and conditioned in oak puncheons with mixed culture. Penumbra is a Saison fermented with mixed culture and matured in oak for 28 months then aged nearly 5 years.

A Test of Awareness + Crown of Illusions + Let’s Get Out of Here from Troon Brewing in Hopewell, NJ

Troon! Hyped and worthy. They don’t have a taproom, but you’re able to try their beers on draft at Brick Farm Tavern on their property + they release crowlers occasionally. I tried all of their beers on tap and loved the entire experience.

Each of these top three beers I had from them are deemed “Hoppy Ales” as they don’t giveaway much of anything, but they were all superb. I was lucky enough to have Let’s Get Out of Here on draft and in a crowler and it was top tier.

Ninth Passing from Burial Beer Company in Asheville, NC

Ninth passing is a Rum and Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with toasted coconut, cocoa nibs, and vanilla beans brewed to celebrate Burial’s ninth anniversary. They’ve since celebrated 11 years, so I figured it was time to crack this bad boy open. Absolutely delicious!

Barrel Aged Space Cuvée from Equilibrium Brewery in Middletown, NY

EQ is a tried and true favorite. While in the Hudson Valley area I knew I had to pay another visit to this gem. The beers, food, and vibes are all great! This particular brew is an Imperial Stout aged in a Weller barrel for 34 months with a vanilla cuvée, vanilla granola and caramel toasted coconut added.

Doubleganger + Golden Fern from Tree House Brewing Company in Charlton, MA

Tree House is one of the OGs in the Hazy IPA game and it felt like a right of passage to visit their beautiful taprooms across Massachusetts. Their location on the beach of Cape Cod in Sandwich is tough to beat with gorgeous views and chill vibes. The main space in Charlton is gorgeous and massive. Deerfield is newer and quite peaceful.

I enjoyed numerous great beers from them on my taproom journey, but Doubleganger and Goldern Fern were my top two. Doubleganger is a Double IPA that is the amped up version of Doppelganger. Golden Fern is a Double IPA with Nelson, Peacharine, Motueka, and Waimea hops

‘Nana This from CLAG Brewing Company in Sandusky, OH

‘Nana This is an Imperial Stout aged 15 months in Old Carter barrels, conditioned on coconut, coffee, vanilla beans, cinnamon, cocoa nibs and banana. CLAG can do it all—IPAs, Lagers, and this decadent Stout. Their taproom is out of the way (unless you’re visiting Cedar Point!) but absolutely worth a visit!

Say Yes from Lua Brewing in Des Moines, IA

Say Yes is a Fruited Sour with blackberry, boysenberry, and blue raspberry. Lua always has great beers and I was very happy to see them at Nucleate from HOMES. This Sour was superb—packed with flavor and easily a favorite of the festival.

Second Hand Coffins collaboration brew from Foam Brewers in Burlington, VT and Widowmaker Brewing in Braintree, MA

This Oat Triple IPA from two New England greats. I enjoyed it on tap at Foam, which helped make up for the fact that Widowmaker was closed when I was in the area. Deliciously juicy and great with views of Lake Champlain.

Parlance: 2022 Harvest Shiro from Suarez Family Brewery in Hudson, NY

Suarez is an interesting spot to visit with just two beers on tap and a handful of onsite bottles. Their beer is always top-notch. Coincidentally right before I left Charlotte and was able to visit Suarez I decided to crack this bottle. This is a Country beer with Shiro plums and is absolutely delicious!

Charlotte Brewery Guide

Charlotte, North Carolina has an exploding beer scene. The first brewery opened their doors in 2009 and since then it just continues to grow. Popular breweries from around the country are choosing to put taprooms in CLT because they know the demand is here.

With so many breweries to choose from it can be tough to know where to go for a high quality beer. The focus here is to solve that, and rank every brewery in town, so you know where to go for the best beer in Charlotte.

This list includes every brewery in Charlotte-proper, also known as every brewery inside the Interstate 485 loop. There are also tons of great breweries in the Charlotte suburbs—check out my guide here!

I will add a disclaimer: I am a beer snob and I love (almost) every brewery in Charlotte, so I don’t create this blog to put anyone down, but rather to be a guide to help others enjoy fantastic beers!

In ranking order, here is the Charlotte beer guide:

Burial Beer Co.

Coming in at the number one spot is Burial, arguably the best brewery in the state and one of the best in the Southeast. They are based out of Asheville and opened their Charlotte taproom in June 2022. Burial makes some of the most consistently fantastic beers—you can order in confidence knowing that your brew is going to be delightful each and every time. Their Hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, Stouts, and Lagers are what they do best.

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood

Resident Culture Brewing Company

Resident Culture has been crushing the CLT beer game since 2017 and they expanded their reach with the addition of their South End taproom in 2022. Their flagship IPA Lightning Drops is always a best seller. Hazy IPAs, Stouts, and Lagers are what they do best!

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood and South End

HopFly Brewing

HopFly opened their Charlotte brewery and taproom in February 2022 after years of success in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. On top of their killer space, their beers are superb. It’s a difficult decision on what to order when you’re at their taproom because you know each beer is going to be great. Hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, Sours, and Lagers are what they do best.

Neighborhood: South End

Fonta Flora Brewery

Fonta Flora is known as one of the OG North Carolina breweries slinging Appalachian Wild Ales out of their tiny Morganton taproom. They opened at Optimist Hall in February 2020 and continue to make fantastic beers. Their Wild Ales and Lagers are what they do best, but they’ve also recently perfected the Hazy IPA game.

Neighborhood: Optimist Park

Edge City Brewing

Edge City is not in your typical brewery neighborhood so it is easy to overlook this fantastic spot, but that would be a mistake. They opened in the heart of the pandemic and have been making delicious beers since day one. Their Sours and IPAs are what they do best, but everything they make is great!

Neighborhood: MoRa

DivinE Barrel Brewing

Divine Barrel focuses more on West Coast IPAs and Lagers than most breweries in CLT and they are always superb. They also make great dark beers like Stouts, Porters, and Barleywines. Their taproom is just past the main buzz of the NoDa neighborhood but absolutely worth the extra steps.

Neighborhood: NoDa

Petty Thieves Brewing Company

Petty Thieves is an eclectic spot near Camp North End that also tends to fly under the radar. They make a wide variety of beers that are more unique than your typical tap list. Their Saisons, Sours and Lagers are what they do best!

Neighborhood: North End

Monday Night Brewing

Atlanta-based Monday Night Brewing expanded to Charlotte in 2023. Their Garden Co. space has a sprawling outdoor area, killer pizzas, and tasty cocktails alongside their line up of beers. Their tap list always has a wide variety of beers available.

Neighborhood: South End

Heist Brewery

Heist first opened back in 2012 as the only brewpub in town. Their releases used to be the type beer nerds would line up for, but new breweries in CLT have raised the bar. Their flagship Citraquench’l is what they are best known for, but in general they excel with Hazy IPAs, West Coast IPAs, and Sours.

Neighborhood: NoDa and North End

Suffolk Punch Brewing

Suffolk Punch has really grown their beer quality recently. They have become more than just a fun bar and restaurant, but now a great brewery as well! Lagers, Sours and Hazy IPAs are what they do best.

Neighborhood: South End and SouthPark

Free Range Brewing

Free Range normally has one of the most unique tap lists in town. They love to make beers that are unusual but tasty. You’ll probably encounter a style you’ve never heard of before, and that is definitely the beer you should order. Saisons and Wild Ales are what they do best.

Neighborhood: Villa Heights and Camp North End

Triple C Brewing Company

Triple C has been a consistent mainstay in the CLT beer scene since they opened in 2012. Their beers tend to be more approachable and less focused on the latest beer trends. Porters and Stouts are what they do best!

Neighborhood: South End

Alongside Brewing

Alongside is the Charlotte taproom of Cornelius-based Ass Clown Brewing. They serve up Ass Clown beers and a full cocktail menu in their cozy, dog-friendly space. The beers are solid all around, but their Stouts are what they do best.

Neighborhood: South End

Salud Cerveceria

Salud is best known for their beer shop downstairs, but the brewery upstairs is also a gem. Their Dairlynerweisse Sour series is absolutely phenomenal and they also make great Lagers. Snag a Del Patio ashtray style and live your best life.

Neighborhood: NoDa

Wooden Robot Brewery

Wooden Robot opened their doors into 2015 and took Charlotte by storm with their Blonde Coffee Ale Good Morning Vietnam. They make a wide variety of styles and tend to stick to things that are easy drinking for the masses that visit their taprooms.

Neighborhood: South End and NoDa

Pilot Brewing

Pilot focuses more on the classic and Belgian beer styles than most CLT breweries. Expect to see a Dubbel on the tap list alongside a Brown Ale. This is the type of spot where a flight is recommended so you can try a variety of their brews.

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood

Panzu Brewery

Panzú is a Caribbean brewery with solid beers and Hazys are what they do best. Their beer menu is a little simple but it works. They also have a tapas-focused food menu, a front patio, cocktails, and frequent specials.

Neighborhood: Mint Hill

Lower Left Brewing Company

Lower Left is one of Charlotte’s smallest breweries quietly putting out solid brews. Their Hazy IPAs are always tasty and their taproom exudes chill vibes only.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Legion Brewing

Ranking Legion number 18 in a city that runs on their flagship Juicy Jay is probably not going to go over super well, but here we are. Legion has 4 locations across the city where the atmosphere and delicious food keep bringing people back for more. Despite popular opinion around Juicy Jay, an IPA, Berliner Weisses and Lagers are what they do best here.

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood, SouthPark, Wesley Heights, South End (Trolley Barn)

Hippin Hops Brewstillery

Atlanta-based Hippin Hops Brewery opened two locations in Charlotte: They have Another Brewery in Villa Heights that strives to be a neighborhood bar with their own beers on tap alongside a small food menu. Hippin Hops Brewstillery is located in Uptown with their beers, cocktails, and hookah.

Neighborhood: Uptown and Villa Heights

Town Brewing

Town typically has a pretty standard tap list with solid beers. Broken Tarted, a Sour, is their best seller alongside several Hazy IPAs.

Neighborhood: Wesley Heights

NoDa Brewing Company

NoDa is one of Charlotte’s oldest and largest breweries. They opened in 2011 and their distribution in particular has grown wildly. Their West Coast IPAs and seasonal/holiday beers are always a good choice.

Neighborhood: NoDa and Villa Heights

Protagonist

Protagonist tends to have a pretty consistent menu of their mainstay beers but their special releases and collaborations are what they do best. They started on a tiny brew system in their original NoDa taproom (since closed) and then grew massively with their LoSo space that opened in 2020.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Lost Worlds Brewing

Lost World Brewing opened their CLT taproom in Metropolitan in spring 2024. Their original location is near Lake Norman in Cornelius. They have an adventure theme with solid beers. They also serve cocktails.

Neighborhood: Midtown

Hi-Wire Brewing

Asheville based Hi-Wire Brewing opened their colorful Charlotte taproom in July 2022. Their 10W-40 Stout series with rotating unique ingredients is always fun to try, but if Stouts aren’t your style they’ve always got a variety of beers on tap.

Neighborhood: South End

Lenny Boy Brewing Company

Lenny Boy is best known for their kombucha you can find across the city, but their beers are also solid. Their Sour program is well developed and they always have a beer on tap for any palate.

Neighborhood: South End

Armored Cow Brewing Company

Armored Cow is the only brewery in the University area of Charlotte. They specialize in gluten free beers and always have a good variety of beers available. Their Hazy IPAs and Stouts are what they do best!

Neighborhood: University

Birdsong Brewing Company

Birdsong is a great spot to sit outside on their patio and have a nice, easy-drinking beer. They tend to generally make lower ABV beers and their flagships are CLT classics.

Neighborhood: Belmont

Vaulted Oak Brewing

This brewery is housed in a converted bank and joined the scene in 2021. Their goal is approachable beers for any palate, and their tap list reflects that. Their West Coast IPAs and Sours are what they do best!

Neighborhood: MoRa

Sycamore Brewing

Oh Sycamore. A Charlotte mainstay that opened their doors in 2014 that has since transformed into an incredibly popular spot in South End. Their flagship IPA, Mountain Candy, is wildly popular and they tend to focus on the haze craze.

Neighborhood: South End

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery

Olde Meck is Charlotte’s oldest brewery—they opened in 2009 and paved the way for craft beer in Charlotte. They are a German-style brewery and beer garden so you’ll find classic German beers on tap.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Sugar Creek Brewing Company

Sugar Creek opened their doors in 2014. They focus on Belgian-style beers and more classic-style brews, but you’ll still find some of the trendier beers on their tap list.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Brewers at 4001 Yancey

This taproom is home to Southern Tier Brewing Company & Distilling, Sixpoint Brewery, Victory Brewing Company and Bold Rock Hard Cider. Due to having 3 breweries, a cidery and a distillery under one roof there is always something for everyone here. The beers from these breweries all tend to be pretty standard, but be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the ones brewed in Charlotte and try one of those small batches out.

Neighborhood: LoSo

Southern Strain Brewing

Concord, NC based Southern Strain opened a taproom in Plaza Midwood in 2022. Their beers are pretty standard but they do occasionally make fun one-offs that are quite unique!

Neighborhood: Plaza Midwood

Gilde

Gilde is a large German brewery with standard German beers. Expect to always see a Hefeweizen, Shandy, German Pilsner and Red Ale on tap. They were established in 1546 in Germany and opened in LoSo CLT in 2022.

Neighborhood: LoSo

*To note—some folks will refer to LaBARatory in the Urban District Market as a brewery—it is not. They are a soju distillery. Thanks for coming to my TedTalk.

Colorado

colorado is a gorgeous state with amazing SCENERY and some of the best breweries in the countrY!

Check out my recommendations for Denver, Frisco, and Boulder:

Colorado Tips: 

• Be aware of the altitude! It's real! Stay hydrated and take things slow to avoid feeling sick, especially when you first arrive

Denver Top Recommendations:

• Cerebral Brewing: Quite possibly my favorite stop—Cerebral has a killer tap list with juicy IPAs, thicc Stouts, and great vibes!

• Voodoo Donuts: Creative and crazy donuts that are incredibly delicious!

• The River North (RiNo) neighborhood is full of art and breweries, what more do you need? 

  • Bierstadt Lagerhaus: This is the Mecca of Lager beers. Get a Slow Pour Pils and Giant Ass Pretzel and don’t look back

  • Our Mutual Friend Brewing: Lots of fantastic IPAs in particular. They also have rotating food trucks and an outside patio

  • Ratio Beerworks: Fantastic outdoor space with cornhole and a patio. They have a wide variety of beers and it’s an overall fun & funky spot

  • Odell Brewing: Another solid option in the RiNo neighborhood with a variety of beers

  • Central Market is a great food hall in the heart of the RiNo neighborhood

Union Station Denver

Denver Top Recommendations CONTINUED:

• TRVE Brewing Co.: A dark taproom filled with metal music specializing in Sour and Farmhouse Ales.

• District Denver: A fantastic spot for brunch with $15 mix and match bottomless drinks, delicious food, and a cute patio.

• Crooked Stave: Their Denver taproom is small but they still have a variety of beers to choose from and a huge bottle selection.

• Denver Biscuit Company: A phenomenal, albeit touristy, spot for breakfast! The biscuits are massive, flaky, soft, and amazing.

• Red Rocks Park & Amphitheater: The amphitheater is touristy but worth checking out! They do concerts, yoga, and numerous activities in this space.

  • I would definitely recommend hiking in the park! We did a 4.3 mile trail that had diverse landscape and wasn’t too challenging.

• New Image Brewing: In the suburb of Arvada, New Image has a small food menu, outdoor patio, and great IPAs!

• Onefold: Fancy breakfast burritos for the win! They’ve also got super delicious coffee at this little cafe.

• Burns Family Artisan Ales: A quaint brewery with big beers and homey vibes. This is not your standard brewery, they have super unique beers!

Cabin Creek Brewing

More Ideas for Denver:

• Illegal Pete’s: A great spot for burritos, nachos, and tacos!

• Check out the giant blue bear at the Convention Center!

• Check out a bottle shop! Argonaut Wine & Liquor and Baker Wine & Spirits are two great options.

• Spangalang Brewery: A microbrewery in the Five Points neighborhood with yummy beers and a patio.

  • Famous Original J’s Pizza is right around the corner as well!

• Epic Brewing: 25 taps! Food trucks!

• Larimer Square: A little bit more of a 'fancy' area, the lights at night make it a beautiful place to grab dinner or a drink!

• Wynkoop Brewing: More of a brewpub, Wynkoop is a hot spot for lunch during the work week, being located right downtown. 

• Great Divide Brewing: There is a lot of hype around this brewery but I wasn't super impressed. The staff was straight up rude and the beer was just alright. There are plenty of other places you should visit before here!

Our Mutual Friend Brewing

FriscO Beer & Travel Recommendations:

Frisco is just over an hour from Denver and definitely worth an adventure to!

• Hike! The Frisco area is absolutely gorgeous. We did a moderate 3.4 mile hike to a small lake that was right near downtown and had amazing views!

• Outer Range Brewing Co.: An absolutely amazing brewery with killer IPAs. The brewery has amazing mountain views from the taproom as well. There’s also a coffee shop and a “Thai-ish” fried chicken restaurant in the building.

• Cabin Creek Brewing: Located in Georgetown, Cabin Creek is the perfect stop on your way back to Denver. It is right off of I-70 making it super convenient! Cabin Creek has a full food menu with delicious pizzas and is located right on the lake surrounded by mountains!

Frisco, Colorado

Boulder beer and travel recommendations:

Boulder is only about 30 minutes outside of Denver and well worth a visit! 

• Boulder is definitely a college town so be aware of football games and other big events that could hinder your transportation/plans

• Avery Brewing: Great beers in a large facility. An extensive tap list.

• Mountain Sun Brewing: They have a cute little outdoor space and delicious food! 

• West Flanders Brewing: Super friendly bartenders, lively atmosphere right off the main strip of town

• Boulder Beer Co.: They closed their taproom, but look for their beers on tap around town. The Nitro Chocolate Porter is delicious!

Philadelphia, PA

In West Philadelphia born and raised [in the brewery] is where I spend most of my days!

Philly Tips: 

• Philly is a really cool city with lots of distinct neighborhoods to explore. It exudes gritty vibes.

• Driving here is not enjoyable, avoid it if you can.

• On a Pennsylvania trip? Check out my Pittsburgh recommendations here.

Adventures & Ales Top Philly Recommendations:

• Human Robot: A stellar spot for Lagers in particular, but they of course make other styles too. They have a few locations across the city—the OG has Poe’s Sandwich Joint inside with tasty, massive sandwiches.

• Other Half Brewing: Other Half is one of the top breweries in the country, and their Philly taproom is cranking out some delicious beers. They have a nice patio space and inside they are set up for bar seating and watching sports. They also have a small food menu and cocktails. Parking in this area can be very annoying.

• Bart’s Bagels: Superb bagel sandwich spot in West Philly. Their menu has a ton of options. Highly recommend.

• Venture an hour north of the city to Brick Farm Tavern: This lovely restaurant and farm has fresh Troon on draft and tasty eats. Worth the drive x 100.

• Fermentery Form: Brave the creepy alley you have to walk down to get here for the delicious beers! I am forewarning you that it is literally an alley with no sign for the brewery, just go with it!

• Crime and Punishment Brewing: Located in the Brewerytown neighborhood (perfect fit, I know), this brewery is legit. Their beers are fantastic. They’ve got a small food menu with some amazing perogies if you’re hungry as well!

• Evil Genius Brewing: Hilarious beer names, a cute outdoor space, and fun vibes. They’ve got a small food menu to keep you satisfied. Located in the Fishtown neighborhood.

• Monks Cafe: A Belgian beer bar with some amazing beers on tap. Dirty glassware, pretentious staff.

• St. Oner’s: The downtown taproom for Tired Hands located in Fishtown. They have a good, IPA-heavy tap list and a small food menu. Their taproom is small but beers are tasty.

• Carbon Copy: A solid brewery in West Philly with a pizza-focused food menu. They are housed in a cute building.

Evil Genius Beer Company

Philly tourist spots actually worth visiting:

• The Rocky Steps: You gotta run up ‘em!

• Philly Magic Gardens: Artsy space, $10 entrance fee

• Love Sign: Duh, it’s a must! There are actually a few scattered throughout the city, the main one is in JFK Plaza near City Hall

• Rittenhouse Square: A lovely park

Other Philly things to do:

• Love City Brewing: Cute brewery with industrial vibes and rotating food trucks that pull inside through the back door.

• Kismet Bagels: Solid bagels downtown.

• Humble Parlour Brewing: This brewery has great reviews but unfortunately they ran out of beer when I was in town.

• Passero’s Coffee: Great coffee shop in downtown Philly. The staff is super friendly and I am still dreaming of the lavender honey latte I had.

• Urban Village Brewing: I expected to not be very impressed with Urban Village’s beer because of the brewpub vibes, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood, a trendy area worth wandering around, and they were cranking out some delicious stuff. They’ve got cool flight boards made from used barrel that let you sample every beer on the menu, a cute outdoor space, a solid food menu, and great happy hour pricing!

• Second District Brewing: A little bit of a pretentious vibe, but worth it. They’ve got a small food menu (again with amazing pierogies—who knew Philly was the pierogi hot spot?!)

• Ground Rittenhouse: A cute plant shop and café that is dog-friendly downtown.

• Yards Brewing Co.: A huge space for this commercialized brewery. Average beers, full food menu

• Philadelphia Brewing Company: Basic beers that weren’t too impressive, but their Peacock Room is a cozy little spot to play games next to the fire

• Bluestone Lane Coffee: A cute coffee shop in the city center

• Saint Benjamin’s Brewery: Very brewpub vibes but also grungy at the same time. They’ve got a full food menu with some delicious options like mac and cheese egg rolls

• Mainstay Brewing: Solid beer spot.

• Federal Donuts: Hot, fresh, and delicious donuts!

• Brewery ARS: This brewery has a couple of locations in South Philly and Fishtown. They have solid beers.

• Bar Hygge/Brewery Techne: This spot is definitely more of a restaurant, but they do make their own beer. It’s a cute, cozy spot with 7 of their own beers on draft. They’ve also got cocktails and wine, and a full food menu. I’d recommend getting a board to kick things off!

• Avoid at all costs: The Maj Hotel. I cannot begin to explain how horrendous my stay here ended up being. 0/10, run by scam artists.  

Washington D.C.

Washington D.c. is a historic city full of Distinct neighborhoods to explore

​D.C. Tips: 

• Traffic is truly the worst, avoid driving if you can. Rent bikes through the Capital Bikeshare program, use the Metro, or walk. Parking costs quite a bit nearly everywhere, so having a car is a bit of a nuisance.

• D.C. is obviously a very political city so expect to see protests, delays due to events, and more. Everything in general here tends to be quite crowded.

• A couple of days is plenty of time to see most of the city but the suburbs of D.C. are extensive, so there is also a lot to explore surrounding the area as well. Baltimore is also just an hour north for another city to adventure in, check out my Baltimore guide here.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• ChurchKey: A great beer bar with chill vibes and a fantastic beer selection. They also have a small food menu. Unfortunately the service we experienced here was truly atrocious, but the beers made it worth it.

• Sovereign: A Belgian restaurant and beer bar with a killer beer selection and cool vibes. It is located down the alley, so don’t miss it!

• Other Half Brewing: The DC taproom for this NYC-based brewery is in an industrial space with fantastic beers. They have a nice outdoor space and chill vibes.

• Pearl’s Bagels: A delicious spot for bagels. They are quite popular so expect a short wait, but it is worth it.

  • Compass Coffee is next door if you’d like something more than the basic coffee menu at Pearl’s to accompany your bagel.

• Bluejacket Brewery: A solid brewery in the Navy Yard area of DC with a nice patio. They are mostly IPA and Lager focused and they also have a full food menu with brunch on the weekends. Parking in this area can be a challenge.

• Aslin Beer Company: A popular brewery with a large outdoor space. Aslin has three taprooms—DC, Alexandria, VA and Henrico, VA.

• Dacha Beer Garden: A cute little beer garden with mainly German and local beers on tap. They also have a small food menu, Happy Hour and frequent events. Visit them at their Shaw or Navy Yard locations.

Pearl’s Bagels

Explore the Metropolitan Beer Trail!

This is DC’s first ale trail and links 7 bars and breweries along the Metropolitan Branch Trail. You can bike along the trail between the various locations or walk between some as well. Download the free digital passport and check in at each location to receive a free t-shirt!

• Wunder Garten: A large beer garden and event space with an extremely nice outdoor area. They have a large draft list, cocktails and wine. They also have a couple of food partners if you are hungry. The Happy Hour specials are great!

• Metrobar: A very unique bar with an old metro car. They have fun vibes, DJs and food trucks. The drink selection includes draft beers, canned beers and cocktails. The team here is also super nice!

  • Metrobar is a great spot to try Urban Garden Brewing—a black, Latin, woman owned brewery that does not have a taproom but makes great beer.

• Right Proper Brewing Company: A neighborhood brewery with board games, frequent live music, and chill vibes. They have two locations, the Brookland Production House and Shaw Brewpub and Kitchen.

• Red Bear Brewing Company: An average brewery with a full food menu that includes brunch. They have a small patio and are located in an artsy area.

• The Eleanor: This is a bar, grill and bowling lounge with a full food menu including brunch, happy hour, a large beer list and an extensive cocktail list. They have pin ball, bowling and a couple other games. The parking here is in a paid garage under the building.

• The Dew Drop Inn: A beer and cocktail dive bar with daily food trucks. They also do beer cocktails combining local beers with liquors into delicious creations.

• City-State Brewing Company: A brewery with a small tap list of below average beers. They have indoor and outdoor seating and some games.

National Museum of American History

Touristy DC things worth doing:

• Explore the National Mall: This area is home to the Lincoln Memorial, the Tidal Basin, Washington Monument, Smithsonian Museums, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Memorial, the White House, the Capitol, World War II Memorial, and more! You can start at one end (the Capitol or Lincoln Memorial) and wander throughout the area. It does get a bit crowded at the popular stops so go early or later in the day for less people around.

• Visit a Smithsonian Museum:

  • National Museum of African American History and Culture: This Smithsonian requires free advance ticket reservations that go very quickly so be sure to plan ahead! The museum is massive and full of history, pop-culture and more.

  • National Museum of American History: This Smithsonian is focused on innovation, democracy and history.

  • National Air and Space Museum: This Smithsonian has been going through renovations for several years to expand their galleries. They are focused on the history and modern inventions around space exploration and flying. Entry requires free advance ticket reservations.

  • National Museum of Natural History: This Smithsonian is focused on the origination of the earth with exhibits around fossils, animals, mummies, gems, geology, and more.

Metrobar

Other Washington DC things to do:

• The Bruery: This California-based brewery has a small taproom and bottle shop in DC. They have limited hours though so be sure to plan ahead if you’d like to visit.

• Pizzeria Paradiso: A delicious spot for pizza with a solid craft beer selection.

• Matchbox: A restaurant with 3 locations in the DC area offering brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks. The Penn Quarter spot is near the National Mall with well-priced food and drink.

• Gregory’s Coffee: A local chain coffee shop with a small food menu and tasty coffee.  

Baltimore, MD

Baltimore is a gritty city on the harbor with some nice neighborhoods to explore

Charm City Tips: 

• Baltimore gets a relatively bad rap—if you’re planning a trip here plan to hear the phrase “be safe!” at least 100 times. I didn’t feel unsafe at any point, but I always travel very aware and make smart decisions, so just be conscious of your surroundings.

• As a heads up most of the breweries in Baltimore don’t open until pretty late in the afternoon, unlike other cities where some open as early as 11am or 12pm.

• Check out my guide to neighboring Washington DC here and my guide to the nearby Delmarva Peninsula here.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

• Sapwood Cellars: A stellar brewery in Columbia, a suburb just southwest of Baltimore about 20 minutes from downtown. They are located in an industrial park but have a nice taproom and new patio. They have a great variety of beers and everything they make is extremely good. Highly recommend!

• The Local Oyster: A fantastic restaurant with two locations—Locust Point and Mount Vernon. The oysters and beverages are superb and the folks are incredibly nice. Highly recommend.

• Crooked Crab Brewing Company: A great brewery just south of downtown in the suburb of Odenton. They are located in an industrial park and have only indoor seating along with a pizza menu. IPAs are what they do the most and what they do best.

• Pariah Brewing Company: My favorite brewery in Baltimore proper—the beers here are great and the team is incredibly nice. Overall great vibes. They also have a nice patio space and frequent food trucks.

• Sam’s Bagels: Tasty bagels and nice folks—in the heart of the Federal Hill neighborhood.

• Wet City Brewing: A great brewery located downtown. Their Sours and IPAs are delicious, they have a food menu, and they have great vibes.

• Checkerspot Brewing Company: A nice brewery near the stadiums. They have a small food menu and patio space. IPAs are what they do best here!

• Peabody Heights Brewery: A solid brewery with a large taproom and patio. They have a full room dedicated to arcade games here.

The Local Oyster

Baltimore Touristy things worth doing:

• Federal Hill Park: A lovely park with great views of the skyline and harbor. 

• Walk the Harbor for water views, there is a park along the water.

• Cross Street Market: A nice food hall with a variety of vendors. Located in the Federal Hill neighborhood.

  • Ceremony Coffee Roasters is inside here with coffee, tea and a small breakfast menu.

• Wander the Federal Hill neighborhood—this area is full of bars, restaurants, shops, coffee and more.

Pariah Brewing

Other Baltimore things to do:

• Pure Raw Juice: They have several locations in the Baltimore area for juice, acai and smoothies. Delicious but expensive.

• Diamondback Brewing: An urban brewery with indoor and outdoor seating and average beers. The beer selection is limited and the pizza is not great.

• Morning Mugs: An average coffee shop, but they are super dog friendly!

• Skip Nepenthe Brewing Company: I had a truly horrible experience here and they reached out to apologize but I can’t imagine ever supporting such a business.

Wheatland Spring

things to do in the greater baltimore area:

• Wheatland Spring Farm + Brewery: This is a stellar brewery in Waterford, VA set on a farm. They have a small and delicious food menu, insanely fantastic vibes, and great beers. Highly recommend!

• Idiom Brewing: A solid brewery in Frederick, MD with a large taproom and a back patio. They have a nice team and are dog-friendly inside and out. They also have frequent food trucks and live music.

• Adroit Theory: This brewery is in Purcellville, Virginia, but if you happen to be anywhere nearby it’s a great stop! Their beers are absolutely delicious, particularly their IPAs and Sours. They have indoor and outdoor seating and slushies in the summer.

• Bear Chase Brewing Company: Located in Bluemont, Virginia, 15 minutes from Adroit Theory. They have fantastic views and average beers. This is a casual spot with a ton of seating on the elevated patio and along the lawn. They also have a small food menu.