How to Plan a Trip Abroad

Planning a trip out of the country can be overwhelming at first, so let’s break it down into a step-by-step process. My brain is very systems and type-A, so this is full of nitty-gritty details. Even if you don’t replicate this exact process, steal some nuggets to make your next trip overseas a breeze.

How to plan a trip abroad:

1) Book your flight first

I almost exclusively plan trips around flight deals. I keep a running list of places I want to visit and when I see a deal pop up for one of the spots I book it! If I know there is a particular time I want to be traveling (i.e. late May over Memorial Day) I set up flight alerts and/or have a weekly remind to check flight prices. Read more of my cheap flight tips below.

2) Figure out your priorities

What do you want to see and do? What are your “musts” for each area? What are your “would be nice, if there is time/logistically it makes sense” items for each area? I create a spreadsheet with columns for each location and make a list of all of the things I find that I want to do and then prioritize them.

For example, if I am visiting Argentina and Brazil my spreadsheet has one sheet for Argentina and one sheet for Brazil. On the Argentina tab I have 3 columns for each destination within Argentina—beers, eats, activities. So the first column might say Buenos Aires beers, second column Buenos Aires eats, third column Buenos Aires activities. Then I will skip a column to leave some white space before starting with Patagonia beers, Patagonia eats, and so on.

Within those individual columns I will make notations as I am researching—if a restaurant is a “must”, for example, I will italicize it. If it is a “maybe” I will add a question mark after the name. This continues for all three categories of beer, eats, and activities. If you have different interests your columns might look a little different—maybe you are a big museum person and you want to dedicate more time to those so you create a column specifically for museums instead of adding them to your activities column.

3) Make your itinerary

Now that you know what you want to do, plan out what makes the most sense to do when. You can make your itinerary as detailed or as loose as your style is—for me I like to plan out almost every detail, but leave some flexibility in case something else pops up that I hadn’t originally planned to do or I stumble across a delicious restaurant, for example. This ensures I actually enjoy my trip instead of spending my time researching what I want to do next or where to spend my time. There is nothing worse than being on a trip and spending your time on your phone or computer looking things up instead of soaking it all in.

I create a new google sheet that has each day at the top of the sheet and outline the day underneath. One example column would read from top to bottom: Monday—January 1st—Buenos Aires—Breakfast/Coffee ideas—Morning activity—Lunch ideas—Afternoon activity—Dinner ideas—Beer spots—Lodging. I include any travel in there as well (i.e. 2 hour drive from x to y or flight at x time). Then repeat this for each day of the trip.

Within your itinerary be sure to plan out the logistics as well—Do you need a rental car? Are there any ferry tickets, train tickets or in-country smaller flights to book? Do you need tickets or reservations for any activities or trails? Are there any restaurants you want to make reservations for?

I would recommend marking all of your itinerary items on Google or Apple Maps as you go so that you can then see what is close to each other and it’s easier to navigate once you land. I use different symbols for different types of activities—my method is: trailheads are the green flag in Google Maps, breweries that I must visit are hearts, breweries that are on my “if there is time or it is convenient” are starred, restaurants are the blue suitcase, activities are the teal icon for lists. This makes it easy for me to zoom out of an area and see what order it makes sense to do things in versus crisscrossing across town multiple times.

4) Book your lodging

Now that you know where you’ll be spending your time, it’s time to book where you’ll stay. Compare prices and neighborhoods for hotels and Airbnbs. If you marked things on Google Maps it’s easy to see how far away things are from your potential lodging spots. Make note of check-in and check-out times on your itinerary and if you will have a car what the parking situation is.

5) My Pre-Trip Checklist:

It’s almost time to go on your adventure! Here are the things I think through before leaving:

1. Schedule a mail hold (for longer trips)

2. Do you need a visa? Is your passport expiration date far enough out?

3. Double check flight seats are ideal

4. Confirm meal requests on flight (when needed)

5. Charge everything—phone, Airpods, Kindle, portable charger

6. Confirm phone plan details—what’s included, any potential extra costs

7. Download offline maps for each area

8. Download Kindle books, Netflix shows, podcasts

9. Confirm travel alerts on credit cards, get any needed foreign currency

10. Set your out of office—my favorite part :)

11. Hiking? Clean your boots and any gear to prevent spreading any pests/seeds

12. Bump up the air conditioning temperature or bump down the heat on your thermostat, season dependent.

13. Unplug most electronics around the house to save energy

14. Water your plants

15. Clean out your fridge

16. Take out the trash/recycling

17. Pack! I love packing cubes to stay organized. Don’t forget a plug converter when needed, plane snacks, and old-school wired headphones for long flights to watch movies.

Happy Adventuring! Let me know if anything else would be helpful! Cheers —Alexis

January 2024

January was a wild ride! I started off 2024 in Brazil before getting back home to Charlotte right in time for my birthday and then spent a couple of weeks bopping around Charlotte. In January I tried 99 different beers. Here were the best beers I had over the past month, in no particular order:

Pear Sauvie from The Ale Apothecary in Bend, OR

This is a Wild Ale with Mecca Grad Estate barley and rye malts, combined with Sauvie Island’s Crystal hops, brewed wild and naturally in the woods of Central Oregon. 100% naturally carbonated with pear juice. Unfiltered, open-fermented & barrel-aged. The Ale Apothecary’s unique brews are always a delight! I am a particular sucker for all things pear, so it is no surprise that this was one of my favorites this month.

A Rather Profane Sentiment Towards Things of This Kind collaboration beer from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC and TRVE Brewing in Denver, CO

This is an Imperial Stout with Toasted Hazelnuts, Madagascar Vanilla Bean, and Flamed Orange Peel. This collaboration was created to celebrate TRVE’s expansion to Asheville. Their new North Carolina taproom is slotted to open in early 2024.

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Biggie, Biggie, Biggie is a Triple IPA dry hopped with El Dorado and Galaxy. Monkish continues to put out the bangers, particularly their Triples.

Methods of Excavation III from Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY

Methods of Excavation is a Imperial Stout with almonds, cacao nibs, caramel chocolate ice cream, cinnamon, coffee, coconut, freeze dried ice cream, macadamia nuts, maple, marshmallows, molasses, Tahitian vanilla, vanilla wafers, walnuts, wild Thai bananas, and Madagascar vanilla. A wild amount of adjuncts come together in this brew to meld into a delicious beverage. Other Half has really nailed this style and I continue to be impressed.

Bueze (2023) from Transient Artisan Ales in Bridgman, MI

Bueze is a blend of 1, 2, and 3 year Weller Bourbon Barrel Aged Kentuckley Imperial Breakfast Stout with Comoros Vanilla Beans, Tugboat Coffee, and Maple Syrup. I snagged this while I was in Michigan last summer and was very impressed. The bottle came in a fun purple velvet bag which added some extra flair.

Fun Beer, Lovely Guys collaboration brew from Percent Tap House in Harrisburg, NC and Funguys Brewing in Raleigh, NC

Fun Beer, Lovely Guys is a Kiwi Topped Strawberry Birthday Cake Smoothie Sour with Double Strawberry, Kiwi, Strawberry Cake Filling, Yellow Cake Batter, and Marshmallow. This was a superb Sour—the cake elements were incredible. I could drink far too much of this!

Coating Consistency collaboration brew from The Eighth State Brewing Company in Greenville, SC, WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley, Co, Tripping Animals Brewing in Doral, FL, Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY, Moksa Brewing in Rocklin, CA and Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim, CA

Coating Consistency is an Imperial Stout with Toasted Coconut, Raw Coconut, Almonds, Walnuts, Muscovado Sugar, Vanuatu Vanilla, Indonesian Vanilla, West Papua Vanilla and Mayotte Vanilla Beans. Sheesh! What a killer collaboration. The vanilla really comes through strongly, but in a great way. It is no surprise that this was delicious given the fantastic breweries involved.

Check back next month for my top beers in February! Cheers —Alexis

My Experience in Antarctica

Visiting Antarctica was truly a dream! It had never been a spot on my “to-visit” list or somewhere I ever thought I would venture to. That all changed when my friends Wandering Hops sent me a text one day saying “Soooo do you wanna go to Antarctica?” How could I ever say no to that opportunity?

The Logistics

We booked our trip with Poseidon Expeditions in April for over Christmas—I would recommend booking as far in advance as possible! I spent some time upping my winter clothing game and then we were off to Argentina.

In order to visit Antarctica you need to travel to either South Africa or Argentina. In Argentina expeditions leave out of the Patagonian city of Ushuaia at the bottom of South America. There are many different companies that offer trips to Antarctica, and we landed on Poseidon for a few reasons.

1. The size of the ship: This was the biggest advantage to traveling with Poseidon! The ship only fits ~100 guests and there is an IAATO rule that only 100 folks can be on the ground at a landing site at a time. The larger ships can only do half of the expeditions because they have to rotate in groups who can go at a time. There are also ships were you don’t even get off the boat to step on the continent. Additionally, being on a small ship meant we could traverse tighter channels and see more!

2. The price: No matter who you travel with, visiting Antarctica is expensive! Poseidon’s price was lower than some of the other companies, but also not the absolute cheapest.

3. The dates: In the end we were down to Poseidon and Quark, but Poseidon’s Christmas dates worked great for our schedule so we booked!

The Journey

As we departed Ushuaia sailing through the beautiful Beagle Channel I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I do research before trips but I hate having expectations for anything—I hate movie previews, I hate seeing photos of a place before I visit, etc. (I know how strange that is ha!). I was already in awe of the views of this pretty channel in southern Argentina, but I had no idea what lay ahead.

Upon departing the Beagle Channel, the Drake Passage awaited. Some of you may have seen the famous “Drake Shake” videos—you either get a Drake Lake when you cross this treacherous passage or you are faced with the roughest seas that exist in the world. This is because it is where the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern seas converge, and because the currents here meet no resistance from any nearby land.

We had rough waters on the Drake Passage, both sailing to Antarctica and on the return. It was not as bad as it could have been, but it was not super comfortable. The first night entering the passage we had 16.5ft high waves and the guides compared it to “a small hurricane”. It thankfully eased up in the afternoon of our first day in the passage.

On our second day in the Drake Passage things were a bit bumpy but not too bad and we actually made it to Antarctica early! In the afternoon we arrived for our first expedition which was a huge bonus. Each of the 4 days in Antarctica they attempt 2 expeditions and everything is completely weather dependent. This early arrival meant we actually got to complete 9 out of 8 expeditions!

The Expeditions

Our 9 expeditions took place at Halfmoon Island, Palavar Point, Portal Point, Cuverville Island, Neko Harbor, Paradise Harbor, Port Charcot/Booth Island, Useful Island, and Foyn Harbor.

A typical expedition starts with layering up and then hopping on a zodiac boat to either cruise to land or if you are lucky enough to be a part of the Kayak Club, a zodiac ride to the kayaks.

Rebecca and I were kayakers and able to hit the water on 3 different expeditions. It was definitely one of the best parts of the entire trip! Being able to see everything from the water provided a different perspective and was incredibly amazing. It was also great that we didn’t feel like we were missing out on anything because after each kayak session we were able to go to the land and explore.

Some expeditions included a hike up a mountain in the thick snow, some included glacier views, and all of them included hanging out with a TON of penguins. The landscape of the continent was truly stunning!

The Wildlife

We were incredibly lucky on our journey with wildlife sightings! We saw thousands of penguins and three different types: Gentoo, Chinstrap and Adelie. We also saw a ton of them porpoising which was very cool, and even better when it happened while we were kayaking! It was hatching season for the babies so we got to see the mothers on their nests, eggs, and fathers gathering supplies for the nests.

The penguins travel via “highways” and are very indecisive. It was hilarious to watch them try to decide where to go and to watch them flail around with their little bodies. They are arguably the cutest animals I have ever seen.

Humpback Whales were the next wildlife type that we saw the most of. We saw somewhere over 40 Humpbacks, and we were lucky enough that TWO of them were breaching! We saw the Humpbacks from the ship throughout the journey and from the zodiac boats. They are such beautiful creatures and I could have watched them roll around for hours.

We also saw over 30 Orca/Killer Whales! These are not as common in the area and were definitely a treat. The Orcas got very close to our ship and provided a lot of entertainment. We even saw a pod of Orcas hunting a Humpback which is very rare (and sad).

On most of our expeditions there were several seals on the ground and surrounding rocks—we probably saw somewhere over 25 in total. They were mostly Weddell Seals and Leopard Seals. They are so funny the way they just lay around and are unbothered. From the kayak we did see some enter the water which was very cool.

The Ship

Though the ship was small, it was more spacious than I was expecting. There are 6 floors and a majority of the space are the guest cabins. There is a dining room, a lounge, a bar, a library, a gym, and an upper outdoor deck with a hot tub. The hot tub was fantastic and definitely a highlight!

The food on the ship was solid. It became a bit repetitive at times but they did a great job of meeting different dietary restrictions and cultural norms. The dining staff were all incredibly nice and ensured we never went hungry or thirsty!

While at sea there were various information sessions and briefings so were always pretty busy. I envisioned being bored, reading a ton of books, or playing a ton of games, but we really were constantly on the go.

The Highlights

The best parts of visiting Antarctica for me were:

• The wildlife—As described above we were incredibly lucky and saw so many penguins, Humpback Whales, Orcas, and seals.

• The polar plunge—They offer an option polar plunge so obviously I had to do it! Jumping into the Antarctic waters was absolutely freezing but such a cool, once in a lifetime experience. The water temperature was about 35 degrees.

• The landscape—I was blown away by the diverse landscape of Antarctica. Seeing all of the mountains and glaciers was incredible. We saw some gorgeous sunsets off the mountains and it was truly majestic.

• The icebergs—The color, size, and texture of the thousands (millions?) of icebergs that we saw were epic. There were some that were such a bright blue it looked fake. Some that flipped over right in front of us. Some that broke apart right in front of us. Some that were absolutely massive. They were incredible!

• Traversing the Channels—The Errera Channel and Lemaire Channel in particular were absolutely breathtaking. These narrow slices through the land and ice were amazing to witness.

• Kayaking—Getting up close and personal to the icebergs and wildlife was unforgettable!

The Return

After 4.5 days in Antarctica we headed back across the Drake Passage. On the return we had 13-16.5ft waves the entire two days. We traveled 1,795 miles on our Antarctic journey and it was a profound, once in a lifetime, majestic experience.

Have any Antarctica questions? Let me know! Cheers —Alexis

Charlotte Brewery Specials (2024)

It's a new year and it’s time to save that money, honey. I am so sick of living in a state where Happy Hour is illegal and constantly paying $8+ for a beer, so I decided to round up Charlotte’s brewery specials for each day of the week.

MOnday

Another Brewery: $5 Jager, Rumple Minze, and Fireball

Birdsong: $12 Rewind pitchers

Brewers at 4001 Yancey: $5 CLT Brew’d drafts

Burial: $5 Lagers

Divine Barrel: $10 Flights

Fonta Flora: $1 Off pints

Hi-Wire: $4 Select pints

Lower Left Brewing: $1 Off pints

Monday Night Garden Co.: Rotating $5 pint and $8 Mules

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery: $0.75 Cent wings

Panzu: $6 Pints

Protagonist: 1/2 Off cocktails + $6 Hank pint and a slice from 4-6pm

Salud Cerveceria: $5 Pints

Suffolk Punch Brewing (South End): $7 Smashburger and fries and $5 pours of Blue Daisy Pilsner

Vaulted Oak: $1 Off pints

Tuesday

Another Brewery: $5 Jager, Rumple Minze, and Fireball

Birdsong: $3 Rotating drafts

Brewer’s at 4001 Yancy: 1/2 off Apps

Burial Beer: $5 Pints of Prophetmaker

Devil’s Logic Brewing: $10 32oz Crowlers to-go & $4 select pints & half-off glasses of wine

Fonta Flora: 15% Off to-go beers

Hi-Wire: $15 Flagship pitchers

Lenny Boy: 50% Off bottles of wine

Monday Night Garden Co.: $5 Taco Tuesday pints

NoDa Brewing: $2 Off to-go beers

The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery: $8 Zack’s special

Panzu: $4 Guest taps, taco specials

Pilot Brewing: 1/2 Off shots and 20% off snacks

Protagonist: $2 Off drafts + $6 Hank pint and a slice from 4-6pm

Resident Culture Plaza Midwood: $4 Island Times

Suffolk Punch Brewing (South End): $10 Chicken tenders & fries

Wednesday

Another Brewery: $5 Jager, Rumple Minze, and Fireball

Birdsong: $4 Pints of Lazy Bird, Higher Ground, and Jalapeno

Brewers at 4001 Yancey: $1 Wings (in-house, minimum 5)

Burial Beer: $5 Pints of Surf Wax

Devil’s Logic Brewing: Half-off apps from 3-6pm

Fonta Flora: $1 Off Appalachian Wild Ales & wine pours

Hi-Wire: $12 Flights

Monday Night Garden Co.: $8 Wine glasses + $30 wine bottles

Panzu: $2 Off wine glasses, $8 off wine bottles and $11 wings

Pilot Brewing: $3 Select beers

Protagonist: $5 wine pours and $12 bottles + select Bourbon on special + $6 Hank pint and a slice from 4-6pm

Resident Culture Plaza Midwood: $4 Select pints

Resident Culture South End: $5 Drafts, $10 flights, $12 steins, $17 pitchers

Salud Cerveceria: $15 Wine tasting

Suffolk Punch Brewing (South End): Half-off salads

Triple C Brewing: $15 One topping pizza & any draft

Vaulted Oak: $1 Off glasses of wine & 20% off to-go crowlers

THursday

Another Brewery: $5 Jager, Rumple Minze, and Fireball

Blue Blaze Brewing: $4 Off pitchers

Brewers at 4001 Yancey: $6 Feature burger + side

Burial Beer: $10 Burger & Fries, $5 Lightgrinder

Fonta Flora: $1 Off in-house cans and $2 off to-go 4-packs

Lenny Boy Brewing: $5 pretzels and $10 flights

Monday Night Garden Co.: $10 Signature cocktails + free draft beer with to-go beer purchase

Panzu: $10 Cocktails

Petty Thieves Brewing: 1/2 Off wines—bottles + draft

Protagonist: $15 2 topping slice, salad and beer from 11-4

Resident Culture South End: $4 Yard Ripper Seltzers

Salud Cerverceria: $5 Side pours + $9 chicken wings

Southern Strain: $1 off pints

Suffolk Punch Brewing (South End): Half off beers and $1 wings

Friday

Another Brewery: $5 Jager, Rumple Minze, and Fireball

Brewers at 4001 Yancey: $10 Growler fills

Lenny Boy: $10 Pitchers + $10 Growler fills

Monday Night Brewing: Buy one get one free pizzas from 12-3pm

Protagonist: $15 2 topping slice, salad and beer from 11-4

Triple C Brewing: $15 Burger and Beer from 12-3pm

Saturday

Another Brewery: $5 Jager, Rumple Minze, and Fireball

Town Brewing: $5 Mimosas

Sunday

Another Brewery: $1 Raw oysters + $5 Jager, Rumple Minze, and Fireball

Birdsong: $6 Mimosas

Blue Blaze: Half price wine by the glass, $9 pitchers of Yellow Blazer, $4 off all pitchers

Brewers at 4001 Yancey: $5 Crowler fills

Devil’s Logic Brewing: $4 Mimosas and beermosas

Divine Barrel: $5 Small batch pours & wine

Fonta Flora: $1 Off dimple pours

Free Range Brewing: Half off mimosas

Hi-Wire: $5 Mimosas and beermosas

Lenny Boy: $3 Kombucha-mosas

Monday Night Garden Co.: $5 Select Stout, sangrias and mimosas

Panzu: $8 Mimosas + $10 Bloody Mary’s

Pilot Brewing: $5 Goblets, Bloody Mary’s, and mimosas

Protagonist: $6 Mimosas

Petty Thieves Brewing: $5 Mimosas and Saisons

Resident Culture South End: $5 Mimosas, $8 Bloody Mary’s

Salud Cerveceria: $5 Mimosas, beermosas and Micheladas

Southern Strain: $5 Cherrymosas

Town Brewing: $5 Mimosas

Vaulted Oak: $5 Mimosas

Happy savings! Cheers —Alexis

Washington Road Trip

Washington! What a glorious state. I spent 13 days meandering the area and here is my full guide to The Evergreen State:

Seattle

Check out my full guide to Seattle here! Here are some favorites from this trip:

Fair Isle Brewing: An amazing brewery focused on Saisons and Farmhouse Ales. Their taproom is cute, their staff is really nice, and their beer is absolutely incredible. By far my favorite stop in Seattle. 49th Street Beast is their onsite food truck.

The Masonry: A stellar beer bar and pizza restaurant in Lower Queen Anne. They have a solid draft list and a good list of beer bottles, wines and cocktails. Their pizzas are fantastic and the menu also includes salads and small plates.

Fast Fashion: This is a great brewery with two locations in Seattle: Lower Queen Anne (connected to The Masonry) and in the SoDo neighborhood. They are known for their tasty IPAs but still have a robust tap list.

Great Notion Brewing: This fantastic Portland based brewery has two locations in Seattle, one in the Ballard neighborhood and one in the Georgetown neighborhood. They are particularly great at Sours and Stouts. In Ballard the taproom has nice indoor and outdoor seating with Burb’s Burgers inside for eats.

RidgeWood Bottle & Tap: A great beer bar and bottle shop in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood. They have a huge tap list with a great selection. The vibes are chill and there are some water views from the front patio space.

Fulcrum Café: A cute coffee shop in Belltown with a small food menu. Their coffee is great!

Chihuly Garden and Glass: A very cool glass museum with an indoor gallery, outdoor gallery, glass blowing demonstrations and onsite restaurant. Tickets are $35 which I was shook by but I would say it is worth it! Located in the Seattle Center next to the Space Needle.

The Fat Hen: A cute spot for brunch just north of the Ballard neighborhood. They have a coffee bar, full food menu and a few cocktails. Everything I had was delicious and it is a great little neighborhood spot.

The Maxwell Hotel from Stay Pineapple: A really nice hotel conveniently located right downtown in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood. They are dog-friendly and have onsite parking. The bedding and robes are absolutely luxurious, and there is also an indoor pool and complimentary bikes. They have an onsite bar/restaurant and coffee shop with tasty drinks and eats.

Biscuit Bitch: A popular and touristy spot with delicious biscuits. They have 2 locations and you can order online to avoid any potential lines.

Seattle Center: Wander this area that is home to the Space Needle, multiple event spaces and a large outdoor park.

Lake 22 Trail: This trail is 6.4 miles long with 1,450ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. It is a rocky trail out to Lake 22 which is pretty and overall it’s not too tough. The trailhead is 1 hour north of Seattle in Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest. It takes just over 2.5 hours to complete.

Holy Mountain Brewing: Holy Mountain has two locations in town—their OG taproom and the newer Phinney Ridge taproom. Phinney Ridge is a nice, sleek space with a smaller tap list. There are a few places nearby to snag eats. The original taproom has frequent food trucks and a large open space.

The Pine Box: A craft beer dive bar with a food menu in an old chapel. The vibes are fun and their selection is solid. The Pine Box is located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, parking in this area can be tough.

TeKu Tavern: This beer bar and bottle shop has a great can and bottle selection alongside some solid taps.

Ravenna Brewing Company: An average brewery in the northeast Suburbs with frequent food trucks.

Bellevue

Bellevue is right across the water from Seattle and has a cute downtown and over 100 parks.

Bellevue Brewing Company: Located in The Spring District, a planned community, they have a great patio, a large variety of beers, cocktails, wine and a full food menu.

Get on the water: Rent a kayak or stand up paddleboard from the REI Boathouse on Meydenbauer Bay. The bay leads out to Lake Washington with pretty views. They also offer tours.

Take a Circuit to get around: Bellevue offers Bellhop for free electric transport in town.

Bellingham

Bellingham is a cute little waterfront town full of breweries. It is 1.5 hours north of Seattle and 20 minutes south of the Canadian border. Keep your eyes peeled for seals in the bay!

Otherlands Beer: My favorite spot in town! The beers here are superb and mainly Saisons and Lagers. They also have a European-style food menu and a restaurant set-up. Highly recommend!

The Great Northern Bottle Shop & Lounge: A fantastic bottle shop and beer bar from Garden Path Fermentation. They are located in the heart of downtown with a ton of bottles and a great selection. They have Garden Path Fermentation taps and guest taps with super friendly service.

Stemma Brewing: A great brewery with a cute taproom, nice patio space, and tasty beers.

Explore Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest:

• Chain Lakes Loop Trail: This trail is 8.3 miles long with 1,794ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. The views of Mt. Baker are fantastic before the beautiful Iceberg and Hayes Lakes. Bagley Lakes are here too and you can extend the trail to do the Bagley Lakes Trail if desired, but they weren’t as impressive. The last 1 mile from the Visitor’s Center back to Artist Point is extremely steep, and the trail takes about 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete. I highly recommend starting this trail early, it gets very busy. It is a very exposed trail and rocky at points.

• Picture Lake Path: A quick little paved trail to a small lake with views of Mt. Shuksan. It is worth the stop!

The North Fork Brewery: A quaint little brewpub in Deming, between Mt. Baker and Bellingham. They have pizza, salads and appetizers and it is a popular spot.

Home2Suites: A nice place to stay that is 5 minutes from downtown. Updated and clean!

Structures Brewing: Structures has 2 locations in town. Their original taproom has a small tap list and a cute outdoor seating area. Their Old Town location has a burger menu and a few more taps.

Wander Brewing: This brewery has a wide variety of things on tap and very strong branding. The beers overall are average but the vibes are great. Their second location is named Roam and also has coffee.

Artivem Mead Co.: A nice meadery and wine + beer bar on the waterfront. The views are quite nice and you can do flights of the various meads.

Elizabeth Station: A craft beer bar, bottle shop and pizza restaurant with a solid selection of Pacific Northwest beers.

Little Squalicum Beach: A nice little rocky beach that is great for sunset!

Aslan Brewing Company: Aslan has two locations in town, the Brewpub and the Depot Barrel & Blending facility. At The Depot I found the beers to be average, there were not blended or barreled beers available during my visit (given the name this seemed off), there is a nice patio space, and they have a full food menu.

Woods Coffee: A local chain coffee shop with solid coffee and food, they open very early which was convenient!

San Juan Islands

Grab the ferry from Anacortes and head out to the San Juan Islands! The ferry is $15.20 roundtrip for passengers and you have to buy them at the counter, there are no advance reservations unless you are bringing a car to the islands. Parking is $13 per car at the lots onsite and there are more spots in businesses nearby for $7 per day.

The ferry takes just over 1 hour each way to get to San Juan and there are pretty views of various islands along the way. The ferry is a well-oiled machine and there are plenty of seats so there is no need to arrive super early. Be sure to catch the sunset if you’re on the ferry at the right time, it is absolutely gorgeous.

The town of Friday Harbor is cute and quaint, I walked the whole downtown in about 30 minutes. It is perfect for a day trip! There are also other islands you can visit, but San Juan is the main island and most popular.

Take a whale tour: I did the Adventure Whale Tour with San Juan Safaris and we hung out with 3 killer whales for a majority of the time, it was epic. We also saw a ton of absolutely massive sea lions. They provide spray suits for the wind and water which was very helpful on our little zodiac-style boat. There are multiple whale tour companies on the island, but I had a great time with San Juan Safaris and would definitely recommend the smaller boat experience.

Riptide Café is connected to their building and has coffee, smoothies and a small food menu.

Cease and Desist: A fantastic beer bar on the water with a solid selection of Pacific Northwest beers, great vibes, and water views.

San Juan Island Brewing Company: A cute restaurant-style brewery with full food menu. They have indoor and outdoor seating.

Overlook Park: A good viewpoint higher up overlooking the bay.

The Whale Museum: A small museum all about whales. It is $10 to enter and probably not worth that cost but when in Rome.

Cynthia’s Bistro: I have mixed thoughts on Cynthia’s—the food was good and the little side garden is nice and relaxing but the food took an insane amount of time to come out (not just mine, other people mentioned this to me later in the day too), and the mimosa was almost all juice. In conclusion go for the food if you aren’t super hungry and have a lot of time to spend.

Madrone Cellars: A winery and cidery with a lovely back patio. They have a small food menu as well, but I was not super impressed with the wine.

Avoid Cousin Vinny’s New York Pizza: They offer slices of pizza or whole pies but it’s a complete ripoff.

Anacortes

Anacortes is where the San Juan Islands ferry runs from. If you aren’t taking the ferry there is no reason to head over here.

Good Bagels Café: A cute spot for coffee, bagels and burgers. The bagels here are really fantastic.

Marina Inn: A nice hotel that is pretty modern and very clean. It’s also quite cheap!

Deception Pass State Park: I was underwhelmed by this park, so don’t go out of your way for it, but it has some nice spots. The bridge is the main attraction here which is always an odd concept to me but it is a nice bridge. North Beach is a rocky beach with views of the bridge and lots of folks come here to fish. There is a $10 entrance fee without a Discover Pass.

Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery: A popular spot with a full food menu and interesting dive bar and restaurant vibes. The beer here is mediocre but it’s open later than most spots in town which was what I needed after the San Juan ferry.

North Cascades National Park

North Cascades National Park is one of the prettiest places I have ever been and I highly recommend exploring here! The North Cascades Highway runs directly through the park and is full of great views. It is pretty isolated up in this area of Washington and the nearest towns to stay in are Marblemont, Winthrop (an old western town), and Mazama.

Unfortunately wildfires prevented me from getting to have the full experience I had planned, and unfortunately this is not uncommon so be prepared for potential road and trail closures. I planned to stay at Freestone Inn & Cabins which looks great!

Diablo Lake Overlook: A stunning viewpoint—if you do one thing in this area visit this overlook.

Cascade Pass Trail: This trail is 7.7 miles long with 1,784ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. It is a steady climb up that leads to a viewpoint. There are a ton of switchbacks to start but they aren’t too steep and you’re almost done when you complete those. The trail takes just under 3.5 hours to complete and the trailhead is off of a gravel road but it is pretty smooth. It also connects to Sahale Arm & Doubtful Lake.

Trail of the Cedars Trail: A nice easy trail with views of the Skagit River and a fun suspension bridge.

Gorge Overlook Falls Trail: A quick trail with really pretty Gorge Lake views. I would recommend just going out to the viewpoint off the paved trail instead of completing the dirt loop here, the rest is boring.

Sterling Monroe Boardwalk Trail: This is a simple trail at the Visitor’s Center that leads to a nice mountain view.

Planned hikes that were closed but look awesome: Diablo Lake, Thunder Knob, Cutthroat Lake and Cutthroat Pass, Blue Lake, and Maple Pass.

Leavenworth

Leavenworth is a touristy but cute Bavarian Village nestled in the mountains. There are a ton of beer bars and wineries here along with lots of themed shops. The parking in town is awful and I would recommend staying somewhere you can park at the hotel/Airbnb and walk.

Colchuck Lake via Stuart Lake and Colchuck Lake Trail: This trail is 10.7 miles long with 2,342ft of elevation gain and is rated hard. The views are absolutely stunning and it is a fantastic hike. Pack your bathing suit and jump in the lake if you are brave enough for the cold water! The lake is located in The Enchantments in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The first half of the trail is pretty easy and then it gets pretty steep with some nice flat sections sprinkled in. The trailhead is 35 minutes from town, and the last 4 miles are a gravel road. The parking lot fills up quickly because there are other trails here so I would recommend starting early. It takes just under 4.5 hours to complete.

Yodelin Broth Company and Beer Garden: A superb spot. They have a wide variety of menu items and are known for their broth. The back garden space has nice views and they also have a solid beer list. I enjoyed it so much I went back a second time during my stay in Leavenworth!

Icicle Brewing Company: A great brewery with a small food menu, a nice patio and chill vibes. Their IPAs are particularly tasty.

München Haus: A touristy spot for brats, pretzels and beers, but it is actually great. They have Icicle Brewing and Hofbrauhaus beers on tap. I was taken aback by how good the veggie wurst was, and I loved the variety of condiments and toppings available.

Bushel and Bee: A beer and cider bar and bottle shop with a relaxed atmosphere. They have a good list of selections and a variety of cans and bottles.

Blewett Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a pizza menu and a wide variety of beers. They have indoor and outdoor seating with nice views.

Hampton Inn: The Hampton Inn in Leavenworth is wildly nice. It is definitely the best Hilton property I’ve ever stayed at. The rooms are huge and really well done, the lobby is gorgeous, and there is a shuttle to town so you don’t have to pay to park or you can walk about 20 minutes.

Leavenworth’s Finest Espresso: A really great spot for coffee that is a quaint drive-thru.

Lake Valhalla Trail & Mount McCausland Trail: I combined these two trails and it totaled 8.6 miles with 1,900ft of elevation gain. They share the same trail for a majority of the hike until a split where there is a very, very steep climb up the mountain and a slight decent down to the lake. It was extremely foggy when I got to the mountain and the lake even though it was a perfectly clear day for a majority of the hike, so perhaps start this one a little later in the day to ensure things are clear. The trailhead is about 45 minutes from Leavenworth and the last 3 miles are a gravel road.

Milepost Brewing: This is in nearby Cashmere with a full food menu but only a couple of their own beers on tap.

Skip the Howard Johnson: This was not a great place to stay, and was a late addition to my itinerary due to wildfires in North Cascades. It was nice to be able to walk everywhere in town but would not recommend.  

Chelan

Chelan is a cute little town known for wineries and lake life. The water is super clear and pretty with nice mountains surrounding the lake.

Nefarious Cellars: I had the best glass of wine of my life here so I would highly recommend a visit! They are just a small spot but the wine was superb, the views are fantastic and it is very chill. They’ve also got a guesthouse you can rent to stay onsite.

Tsillan Cellars: A fancier winery with a nice restaurant onsite. They have a great patio space and delicious wines that are available for a tasting, glass or bottle. The staff here was incredibly friendly.

Lakeside Lodge & Suites: The views at this hotel are fantastic. It is right on the lake on top of Lakeside Park with a swimming area and volleyball court. They have two pools and are just 5 minutes from downtown. The rooms themselves are a little dated but the views and lake access make it a great stay.

Sigillo Cellars Tasting Room and Public House: A solid winery with a full food menu and a delicious cheese board. There are nice views from the rooftop, though it is on a main road.

Lake Chelan Artisan Bakery: An average spot for coffee, pastries, pre-made breakfast sandwiches and breakfast burritos. I found my sandwich and coffee underwhelming.

Don Morse Memorial Park: A waterfront park downtown with lake access.

Mount Rainier National Park

Mount Rainier National Park is stunning. There are so many great views from all over the park, it is truly amazing. There are two main areas to explore: Sunrise and Paradise. If you can only choose one, I would recommend Sunrise. It has prettier views of Mount Rainier and is quieter than Paradise. Be bear aware and do not feed the chipmunks.

Sunrise Area:

Sunrise Rim Trail Loop and Mount Fremont Lookout: This trail is 10 miles long with 2,004ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. The trail has stunning views from the start and hits all of the main views in the Sunrise area. It is a fantastic hike that isn’t terribly difficult with a great mixture of things to see. The Mount Fremont Lookout Tower is a steep climb for the first half and then evens out and leads to completely panoramic views. The climbs up each Burroughs Mountain are steep but lead to great views—this trail has you go to the 1st and 2nd but you could also continue on to the 3rd. You get very close to Mount Rainier from the Burroughs and it is awesome. When you turn around from the Burroughs you can see the North Cascades on a clear day! The sunset rim side of the trail is very quiet and has nice views of Glacier Basin. This whole trail is very exposed so definitely bring layers. It takes about 4hrs 45 mins to complete, but that is with 50 mins of break time to enjoy a beer with the view.

Paradise Area:

Skyline Loop Trail: This trail is 7.2 miles long with 1,768ft of elevation gain and is rated hard. It was not too difficult after the first section where you climb about 100 flights of stairs in an hour. There are stunning panoramic views throughout the trail. The first section is paved and starts with Nisqually Glacier before heading onto great views of Mount Adams, Mount Hood and Mount St. Helen’s. The last section is also paved and ends with Myrtle Falls, which is a very popular area. It takes about 3 hours to complete and there is a cool little hobbit bathroom about halfway through the trail.

Reflection Lakes: A nice serene lake with Rainier views. There is also a loop trail here, or you can just walk down and enjoy the view. You can actually see Mount Rainier reflected on the water on a clear day which is amazing!

Inspiration Point: A pretty scenic turnout between Ruby Falls and Reflection Lakes with views of Mount Rainier and the surrounding valley.

Narada Falls: A quick trail to a large waterfall that is short but a little steep. I would recommend visiting the falls in the afternoon—in the morning they are shadowed and dark.

Yakima

Yakima is most known for their farms, and particularly their hop production. The area has quite a few breweries to explore, but unless it is on your route I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to explore this city.

Bale Breaker Brewing Company: This is a very cool spot growing their own hops onsite. They have hop-forward beers, as you might expect, and nice vibes. The outdoor space is nice and they frequently have food trucks.

Single Hill Brewing: This brewery is the closest to downtown Yakima itself and they have a great outdoor space. The tap list has a wide variety of styles and the beers are pretty solid. They have a food pop-up inside with a limited menu.

Wandering Hop: I had a really poor experience at Wandering Hop due to the bartender so it was tough to enjoy my beers but they were tasty. They’ve got a food menu with sandwiches and snacks that is not always available. They have a second taproom in Zillah too.

Valley Brewing Company: This is a popular spot with an underwhelming tap list. They have a Mexican restaurant in the back for eats and a nice patio space.

The Donut Bar: An average spot for donuts, bagels and espresso. The vibes were weird and the food/drink were just okay. I wished I had gone to Catalyst Coffee instead!

Olympia

Olympia is a great stop south of Seattle. I added this in to break up my drive between Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks.

Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar: This is a superb spot for oysters, cocktails, and more. Highly recommend!

Oly Taproom: A great beer bar and bottle shop with nice views—a 3 minute walk from Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar.

Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park is an insanely diverse park—there are forests, mountains, and the coastline. There are no roads through the park so it takes quite a bit of time to get from one spot to another.

There are two main areas to stay for park exploration—Forks and Port Angeles. Forks is known for their Twilight connection and there are a few touristy things for the vampire lovers out there. Port Angeles is a cute little town and it was a delight to see free street parking all over.

I stayed at this Airbnb, a tiny home in Forks, and it was nice. It was larger than expected and only about 10 minutes to central Forks. In Port Angeles I stayed in an average basement Airbnb. If possible I would recommend staying at Lake Crescent Lodge—it’s a great central location and right on the water.

Ruby Beach: This is a great spot for sunset! It is popular but absolutely worth it. It is a rocky beach with beautiful views.

A Shot in the Dark: Solid drive-thru coffee shop with a small breakfast menu.

Hole-in-the-Wall from Rialto Beach Trail: This trail is 3.2 miles long and mostly flat along the beach. The trail leads to a giant hole in a rock that is pretty neat—to get to this last part you can either scramble along the cliffside or go up and around. Be sure to check the tides because you can’t get to Hole-in-the-Wall if the tide is up. I wore sandals because it was a beach walk but would recommend hiking boots to better navigate. It takes about 1.5 hours to complete and I highly recommend going in the early morning light for a gorgeous glow! The trailhead is about 20 minutes from Forks.

Hall of Mosses Trail: This trail is 1.2 miles long and mostly flat. This is in the Hoh Rain Forest along with the Spruce and Hoh River trails. It is pretty and, as you might expect, very mossy. This area gets very busy so the morning is best.

Hurricane Hill via Hurricane Ridge: My intent was to complete this hike but due to nearby fires there were no cars allowed and limited shuttle times so unfortunately the timing did not work out for me, but I have heard great things so I wanted to include it! Hurricane Ridge is a pretty area with a few other short hikes with nice views that I was able to do. This area is 45 minutes south of Port Angeles and you can take a shuttle from downtown to reach it. If you do plan to hike Hurricane Hill keep in mind the shuttle stop is 1.5 miles (each way) from the trailhead.

Angeles Brewing Supplies & Taproom: A solid beer bar and bottle shop with good vibes in Port Angeles.

Catch the sunset at Lake Crescent Lodge: This is a pretty area for the sunset that is not too crowded. You can explore the grounds even if you are not staying there.

Mount Storm King Trail & Marymere Falls Trail: Both of these trailheads are at Lake Crescent Lodge and easy to combine, or you can just choose one or the other. Together they are 7.1 miles long with 2,404ft of elevation gain and take about 3 hours and 15 minutes to complete. It’s 10 minutes from the intersection of the two trails so the falls are an easy addition after the mountain.

• Mount Storm King is a hard trail with 2,106ft of elevation gain. I would describe it as very difficult and quite sketchy and not for folks who are inexperienced or afraid of heights. After a very, very steep climb you reach a section of ropes to pull yourself up the mountain and then cross a narrow stretch of rock to the viewpoint. The views are wildly stunning and it is worth it, if you are comfortable and capable.

• Marymere falls is an easy trail with 298ft of elevation gain with a few stairs. The waterfall is nice and this is a popular trail.

Next Door Gastropub: A beer bar with a full food menu. Their tap list is decent and the food is tasty. Located in the heart of Port Angeles.

Higher Ground Espresso: A solid spot for coffee and breakfast with 2 locations in Port Ángeles.

Add on a visit to British Columbia!

Check out my full guide to Vancouver here! Though not in Washington, this is an easy addition to a Washington road trip. Here are some BC favorites from this trip:

Garibaldi Lake Trail: This trail is 13.8 miles long with 3,211ft of elevation gain and is rated hard. It is very challenging but absolutely worth it! The views are truly epic at the lake. There are two other lakes you’ll come to first but Garibaldi is majestic. The water is absolutely stunning and Sphinx Glacier is very cool. It gets quieter and easier after the switchbacks where many folks head towards the Black Tusk and takes just under 6 hours to complete. A day use pass is required in Garibaldi Provincial Park during the summer months—you can reserve this easily online ahead of time.

Backcountry Brewing: Located in Squamish, 25 minutes from the trailhead. This a cute and popular spot with great beers and food. The menu is pizza focused and everything was delicious. Squamish is 1 hour north of Vancouver.

Superflux Beer Company: The best brewery in Vancouver, by far. Their main taproom has a restaurant-style set-up with chill vibes and tasty beers. The food menu here is an interesting mix of hot dogs, salads and appetizers. Superflux Cabana is their second space with vacation vibes, a different food menu, and their same tasty beers.

Luppolo Brewing Company: A great brewery with a Lager-heavy tap list and a full food menu. They have a side patio for outdoor seating or a colorful inside space.

33 Acres Brewing Company: Their food here shines a bit more than the beer, and I am not a fan of only having 16 or 24oz pours. It is always quite loud in their taproom, but the cheese board made it worth it for me.

Strange Fellows Brewing: A solid brewery with a quaint taproom. They make tasty Sours.

What are your favorite spots in washington state? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

A Weekend in Frankfort, Michigan

Frankfort is a cute little city on Lake Michigan known for their sunsets! It is just south of Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula and makes for a great weekend getaway.

Want to head a little further north? Check out my guide to Traverse City here and the Leelanau Peninsula here.

• The main attraction for Frankfort is their great beach and famed Lighthouse. Spend some time at the lake soaking in the views. There are lots of benches and some parking but it is easily walkable from downtown as well. The sunset at the beach is fantastic!

• Stormcloud Brewing Company: A great brewery with tasty beers, a full food menu, a nice patio space, and friendly staff. They have two locations—their main pub is right downtown and their newer taproom is just a few minutes away.

• L'Chayim Delicatessen: A delicious spot for bagels and lunch sandwiches with locations in Frankfort, Beulah and Glen Arbor.

• Glen Arbor Wines: A great spot for wine with a nice outdoor space and friendly staff. They also have a small selection of cheeses and things in the fridge.

• Vita Bella: A nice Italian restaurant in downtown Frankfort. Their pizza and pasta is tasty and they’ve also got sandwiches and salads on the menu. The back seating area has a water view.

• Stay at this Airbnb: Which is a nice cozy spot on Little Lake Platte with water access that is wildly cheap.

• Rock's Landing: A nice spot for dinner with good lake views. Reservations recommended.

• Birch & Maple: A solid spot for brunch and dinner downtown. It has a cute interior space.

• The Manitou: A good spot for dinner with a menu that is seafood focused but still has a variety of options.

• Point Betsie Lighthouse: An old historic lighthouse on the beach. It is $5 to enter the lighthouse itself or you can just check out the outside and surrounding beach. The beach is to the left of the lighthouse on an unmarked path. This is a great place to find Petoskey Stones!

• Beulah Beach: A nice small beach on Crystal Lake.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

• Empire Bluff Trail: This trail is 1.7 miles long with 170ft of elevation gain and takes about 50 minutes to complete. It is rated moderate but quite easy and leads to a nice bluff overlooking the lake.

• Dune Climb: A must! If you want to go beyond the initial dune you see be prepared that it can be hot and intense! If you want to get down to Lake Michigan over the dunes plan 3-4 hours. It took approximately 45 minutes round trip to get to the top of the fourth dune where you have nice views of Lake Michigan.

• Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive: This is a 7.8 mile loop drive with overlooks and a few hikes. There is a very steep dune climb you can do here but beware, it’s hard! It costs $3,000 to be rescued and over 100 people have to be saved each year, so make sure you can make it back up before you start your descent!

• Sleeping Bear Point Trail: We did a shorter version than this map just out to the lake and back which was just under a mile and took about 35 minutes trudging through the deep sand.

Kentucky and Tennessee Road Trip

Kentucky and Tennessee are home to a lot of beautiful nature, some great breweries, and some fun adventures! For Thanksgiving I decided to go for a road trip across these two states and with a smidge of Virginia and Georgia as well.

I designed this as a loop road trip starting and ending in Charlotte, NC. It was 11 days of adventure with 60 miles hiked, 1,628 miles driven, 30 breweries visited, 1 National Park, 7 State Parks, 1 National Recreation Area and 2 National Forests. Do what works best for you, your style, and your schedule!

A disclaimer—I had been to all of these cities besides Louisville before, so if this is your first time in each place you should add more time to get to see more of the city! For me it was just revisiting some of my favorites and exploring a few new spots in each city.

Day 1: Grayson Highlands State Park & Abingdon, Virginia

Kick things off at Grayson Highlands State Park where the Appalachian and Rhododendron Gap Trail has nice views and wild horses.

After hiking, head over to the small charming town of Abingdon. Here I highly recommend Abingdon Vineyards for wine on the river and The Girl and The Raven for breakfast and coffee.

Day 2: Breaks Interstate Park State Park & Red River Gorge

Breaks Interstate Park, the “Grand Canyon of the South”, is 1 hour and 40 minutes northwest of Abingdon. This was a short detour on my route so it was worth it for the nice overlooks, but in general I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way for this park.

In Red River Gorge I loved glamping with Dappled Light, eats and drinks at Hop’s, and hiking to Double Arch. Check out my full Red River Gorge blog here!

Day 3: Red River Gorge and Lexington

Lexington is 1 hour west of Red River Gorge. In Lexington my favorites were Mirror Twin Brewing, Ethereal Brewing, and staying at The Manchester. Check out my full Lexington guide here!

Day 4: Louisville 

Louisville is just over an hour west of Lexington and an easy choice for your next stop. In Derby City I recommend Atrium Brewing, Butchertown Brewing, and checking out the famed Big Four Bridge. Check out my full Louisville guide here!

Day 5: Mammoth Cave National Park & Nashville

Mammoth Cave is perfectly halfway between Louisville and Nashville, at 1.5 hours from each city. Here I would focus your time on a cave tour and ditch the hikes, they are all quite boring. The Historic Tour is a nice way to see the cave and get an understanding of the park.

Day 6: Nashville

In Music City I highly recommend Southern Grist Brewing, Barrique Brewing and Blending, Ladybird Taco, and exploring the 12 South neighborhood. Check out my full Nashville guide here!

Day 7: Cloudland Canyon State Park & Chattanooga

Cloudland Canyon State Park is 2 hours and 15 minutes from Nashville and 30 mins south of Chattanooga. This is a beautiful park and worth the slight detour! There are some waterfalls and sweeping views here.

Day 8: Chattanooga

During your Chattanooga exploration I would recommend Oddstory Brewing, Pax Breu Ruim, and Ruby Falls. Check out my full Chattanooga guide here!

Day 9: Burgess Falls State Park, Cummins Falls State Park and Big South Fork National Recreation Area

Burgess Falls State Park is 1.5 hours north of Chattanooga and here the Burgess Falls Trail is a great, easy trail with multiple waterfalls. Cummins Falls State Park is just 30 minutes from Burgess Falls and another large waterfall. Further north, Big South Fork National Recreation Area is home to Twin Arches Short Loop Trail. This is a very cool hike and I would highly recommend.

Burgess Falls State Park, Cummins Falls State Park, Big South Fork National Recreation Area, and Cumberland Falls State Park are all nestled right along the Kentucky/Tennessee border, so you could choose to do these in a different order if it works better for you!

Day 10: Cumberland Falls State Park & Knoxville

Cumberland Falls State Park has several observation decks to see this large waterfall and is a quick stop. Buzzard Rock Trail is nearby and provides great panoramic views off of a short trail. Knoxville is 1 hour and 20 minutes from Cumberland Falls State Park.

Day 11: Knoxville & Travel HOme

In Knoxville I highly recommend Xul Brewing Company, staying at The Tennessean Hotel, and exploring World’s Fair Park. Check out my full Knoxville guide here!

From here you’ve wrapped up the loop trip and it’s time to head home! Asheville, NC is also 2 hours from Knoxville if you’re looking to extend your trip!

Have you explored Kentucky and tennessee? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

November 2023

November was a month full of travel! I visited Charleston SC, Hickory NC, and took a road trip through Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. I tried 130 different beers in November, and here were the best beers I had over the past month:

A Decade Under the IPA collaboration brew from Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, NC

A Decade Under the IPA is a celebratory IPA dry-hopped with 10 different hops, selected by 10 different breweries for Fonta Flora’s 10th anniversary. This was easily the best West Cosat IPA I have ever had. The hops were: Bearded Iris - Mosaic, Burial - Simcoe, Fast Fashion - Anchovy, Firestone Walker - Azacca, Green Cheek - HBC 582, Highland Park - Nelson Sauvin, Monkish - Chinook, Other Half - Motueka, Russian River - Amarillo, and Trillium - Citra.

Houtenhamer (2021) from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

Houtenhamer is a Double Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout aged twice in bourbon barrels. The 2021 edition came in at a whopping 16.2% ABV. Houtenhamer is Burial’s classic no-adjunct Stout and always a favorite. I had been hanging onto this bottle for a while and was very impressed!

Mixed Berry Cobbler from Southern Grist Brewing in Nashville, TN

Mixed Berry Cobbler is a Fruited Sour with lactose, vanilla, cinnamon, blueberry, blackberry and strawberry purees. Southern Grist always makes great Sours but I loved all of the different fruits in this one in particular.

TenneSPON Traditionelle from Barrique Brewing and Blending in Nashville, TN

TenneSPON Traditionelle is a Wild Ale that is a blend of one, two and three year old spontaneously fermented Lambic-inspired ales. My visit to Barrique was filled with delicious beers but this one took the top spot. I love a non-fruited Lambic and this blend was superb.

PB&J Mixtape from Xul Brewing in Knoxville, TN

PB&J Mixtape is a Fruited Sour inspired by peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I have been lucky enough to have this beer several times in 2023 and every time it is fantastic. It truly tastes like you’re just biting into a sandwich, in all of the best ways.

Bone in the Throat from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

This was Batch 6 October 2023 of Bone in the Throat, an Imperial IPA. I have lost count of how many times a Root and Branch IPA has made my “best beers” list—they absolutely crush the IPA game.

Pressed from Phase Three Brewing in Lake Zurich, IL

This was the Maple Batch 2 version of Press from Phase Three. It is an Imperial Porter with Tugboat Coffee and maple syrup. Normally I don’t love Porters but the coffee/maple combination in this one was absolutely delightful.

Check back in February for my top beers from December and January! Cheers —Alexis

Exploring Red River Gorge

Red River Gorge is a pretty area in eastern Kentucky within Daniel Boone National Forest. It is a great outdoorsy area with lots of hiking, rock climbing, camping, and more!

Red River Gorge is just an hour east of Lexington, a fun city to explore! Check out my Lexington guide here.

Red River Gorge Lodging, food & drink Recommendations:

• Glamp with Dappled Light: This is a superb glamping experience with 9 tents and a cabin. The tents all have electricity and heaters to ensure a comfy experience, along with a shared bathhouse. There are thoughtful touches in the tents along with great views from the decks. Highly recommend!

• Hop’s: A great restaurant and bar with tasty eats and a solid beer and bourbon list. Their seating is an outside covered patio with heaters that is dog-friendly. They’ve also got a great happy hour!

• Miguel’s Pizza: This spot is a popular backpacker’s hangout with pizza, beer and camping. They have ample outdoor seating, some of which is covered, and an indoor space.

• Daniel Boone Coffee Shop: A nice spot for breakfast, lunch, and coffee. They also have a little shop with some groceries and souvenirs.

Red River Gorge Hiking recommendations:

• Double Arch, Courthouse Rock and Auxier Ridge Loop Trail: This is a great highlight trail of a few different nice spots in Red River Gorge. It is 6.7 miles long with 1036ft of elevation gain and is rated moderate. This is a popular trail and the parking lot can get crowded. Double Arch is very cool, you can climb up under it and look out. Courthouse Rock is nothing special, it looks cooler from the stairs just after you pass it. Auxier Ridge is a cool skinny strip to walk along with views. Right before Haystack Rock is a nice cliff where you can see out to Double Arch and beyond. The beginning and end of the trail both are a bit long and boring, but overall it is a sold trail that takes just about 3 hours.

• Chimney Top Trail: This is a quick .7 mile trail with 88ft of elevation gain that is rated easy. It takes 18 minutes to complete and leads out to a nice viewpoint. It is a good spot for both sunrise and sunset. The last section of road to the trailhead is gravel but it is smooth, and the parking lot is shared with Princess Arch.

• Sky Bridge Trail: This is a quick .6 mile trail with 150ft of elevation gain and some stairs—it is rated moderate but is an easy hike. It takes about 20 minutes to do the loop under and on top of the sky bridge.

Another idea in the area is Natural Bridge State Resort Park. I had planned to do the Natural Bridge via Rock Garden Trail and Devil’s Gulch Trail, but this park is not dog-friendly and it was raining.

Have you been to Red River Gorge? What were your favorite things to do? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

Hickory, NC

Hickory is a cute little town 1 hour from Charlotte, 1 hour from Asheville, and 1 hour from Boone. It is truly “small town America” with a Main Street of bustling shops and restaurants alongside incredibly nice folks.

The staff (almost) everywhere were incredibly kind and exuded southern hospitality. Downtown is very cute with lots of outdoor seating and green space. Hickory also has a Downtown Social District where you can grab to-go drinks from any business in the downtown radius.

Check out all of my recommendations for both downtown Hickory and the greater Hickory area below!

Standard Oyster

Downtown Hickory Recommendations:

• Stay at 2nd Street Inn: This is a great loft-style space with individual apartments. It is walkable to everything downtown and very convenient.

• Hickory Wine Shoppe: A lovely spot that is cheese and wine focused with other menu options available as well. They have a great front patio with heaters that is dog-friendly. The team here is also super nice.

• Barley Market: A beer bar and bottle shop with a great selection of taps, cans and bottles. They are dog-friendly with a friendly team and chill vibes.

• Battle Axe Mead House: A bar with local North Carolina meads available in bottles, flights or pours. They are dog-friendly and just behind the main hustle and bustle of downtown. They have frequent live music and occasional food trucks.

• Cowa-Saké: A trendy spot for sushi, sliders, and cocktails. This is a delicious spot for dinner that I definitely recommend. If it is a busy evening you can get on the waitlist via their website in advance.

• Plant Based Boss: A delicious spot for vegan eats downtown. They have weekend brunch, tacos, burritos, cookies and more in a beautiful space.

• City Walk Brewery & Distilling: A fun spot for drinks—the brewery is on one side and distillery (coming soon) is on the other. There is a cool back patio space with games. They have a small snack menu for eats.

• Hickory Museum of Art: A free art museum connected to the Catawba Science Center. It is pretty small but there are a good variety of displays.

• Olde Hickory Tap Room: A restaurant-style brewery with pub vibes. The beers here are average.

• The Coffee Nook: A nice spot downtown with for coffee, tea and pastries. They also have a plant exchange which is fun!

• Olde Hickory Station: A popular spot for brunch from Olde Hickory Brewery. It is housed in an old train station with a nice patio space.

Hickory Aviation Museum

GReater Hickory AreA things to do:

• Warehouse Distillery: A woman owned and operated distillery in nearby Newton. They have a nice cocktail lounge with great drinks. They are also super dog-friendly!

• Blowing Rock Draft House: A solid brewery in town with a full food menu. They have a nice covered and heated patio space that is dog-friendly. They are housed in an old mill with several other businesses.

• Palm Berries: A cute spot for açaí bowls and smoothies. They are just outside of downtown and have a nice interior space along with tasty eats.

• Taproot Coffee: An adorable coffee bus that moves around town. There is seating inside the bus and it is a total vibe. They have coffee and tea, no food.

• Riverwalk: This is a nice area at Geitner Park on Lake Hickory. The Loop Trail takes about 50 minutes for 2.5 miles. It is a combination of paved greenway and woodsy trail that is mostly flat. There are also a lot of bike trails here.

• Standard Oyster: A fantastic spot for delicious oysters. They also have other seafood dishes and small plates. On the drink side their Bloody Mary is large and delicious and they also offer bottomless mimosas. They have a heated, dog-friendly patio in the back.

• Hickory Aviation Museum: A fun museum with an inside “typical museum set-up” and outside you can actually explore the old planes! This museum is free and dog-friendly. It is housed at the Hickory Regional Airport.

• Bakers Mountain Trail: A 2.5 mile long trail with 633ft of elevation gain up to the highest point in Catawba County. The trailhead is just 15 minutes from downtown and the trail takes just shy of 1.5 hours. The overlook at the top has nice views.

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

October 2023

October! Fall is here and it’s my favorite time of year to sit in the backyard and watch football with some delicious beers. October was a very busy month mostly in Charlotte but with mountain trips to Bryson City, NC and Boone, NC. I tried 134 different beers this past month and in no particular order, here were the best ones:

Magos del Subterráneo collaboration brew from Brujos Brewing in Portland, OR and Troon Brewing in Hopewell, NJ

This is a Hoppy Ale with raw Oregon honey and double dry hopped with Nelson CGX, Nelson, Motueka CGX, Motueka & Citra. This is the second time I have been lucky enough to have this brew and it is absolutely superb.

Cellar Creeper collaboration brew from Side Project Brewing in Maplewood, MO and Tired Hands Brewing in Ardmore, PA

Cellar Creeper is a Barrel Fermented Wild Ale aged with mangoes. Side Project always crushes the Wild Ale game and this was a delight. Mango is not usually my favorite fruit to be added to a beer but it worked really well here.

Shibui from Cellarest Beer Project in Asheville, NC

This slow pour of Shibui was both beautiful and tasty. It is made from a base of Chesapeake pilsner and chit malt and hopped with Styrian Celeia and then rested cold in oak puncheons. Crushable!

Bourbon Barrel Aged Ego Death with Vanilla from Resident Culture Brewing Company in Charlotte, NC

Ego Death is Resident Culture’s annual anniversary release and the vanilla version is always a winner. The 2023 vintage base is a blend of Imperial Stouts aged in Willett Bourbon, Willett Rye, Heaven Hill Wheated Bourbon, Weller Bourbon, and Buffalo Trace Bourbon barrels for 18-42 months, then conditioned on Toasted Hazelnuts, Cacao nibs and Comoros Vanilla Beans.

Behold The Affixation Of Magnificence To Very Unglorious Things from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

This is a Triple IPA with wheat, barley, and candi sugar with Motueka, Amarillo, and Citra hops. It was one of Burial’s Burnpile festival releases and an absolute banger.

Axle from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Axle is a Triple Dry Hopped Quadruple IPA with Citra, Galaxy, and Motueka hops. Monkish can do no wrong, even with a bold move like a Quadruple IPA!

Beyond Forever from Private Press Brewing in Santa Cruz, CA

Beyond Forever Batch 2 showcases all rye barrels and an average aging time of 17 months and then the blend was conditioned on the signature Private Press vanilla blend of Ugandan, Tahitian, and Ecuadorian vanilla beans. This was a rich brew packed with flavor yet incredibly easy to drink.

Einfluss collaboration brew from Fox Farm Brewery in Salem, CT and Schilling Beer Co. in Littleton, NH

Einfluss is a “Landbier that draws inspiration from the lagers of Franconia but is made with 100% Connecticut and New Hampshire malt including a hearty dose of Triticale, a wheat/rye hybrid grain.” This is a very unique beer and extremely delicious—crushable and enjoyable.

ChecK Back next month for my top beers of November! Cheers —Alexis

Shenandoah National Park Guide

Shenandoah National Park is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The park itself is long and narrow while the surrounding area is full of small towns. I enjoyed the views at the park and the various trails, but wouldn’t want to spend too much time in the nearby towns.

Planning a road trip? Check out my guide to nearby Washington D.C. here, Baltimore here, and Richmond here!

Hawksbill Mountain

Shenandoah National Park Recommendations:

Shenandoah National Park is relatively small and mostly based around one main road: Skyline Drive. You can easily tackle a good chunk of this park in a couple of days! I would recommend trying to visit on weekdays instead of weekends as much as possible just because it is quite popular and there are many large cities within quick driving distance that people visit from. You will need a National Park Pass or to pay to enter the park. One note—at this park most of the trailheads do not have bathrooms so keep that in mind when starting your adventures!

• Mary’s Rock via Appalachian Trail: This trail is 4.4 miles long with 1,210ft of elevation gain and takes about 2 hours to complete. The trailhead is just after the park entrance so there is ample parking here and a bathroom. It is a steep, steady and rocky climb up, and this trail is rated hard. It leads to a beautiful viewpoint of the surrounding area. Dogs are allowed on this trail!

• Berry Hollow to Old Rag Mountain Trail: This trail is 6.5 miles long with 1,751ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Permits are required to hike Old Rag, so be sure to snag one before heading out. It is rated hard. Heads up this is one of the only trails in the park that is not off the main road, Skyline Drive. Parking is quite limited so try to arrive early. The traditional route for Old Rag is much more popular and more difficult at 9.3 miles long with 2595ft of elevation gain and many scrambles. Choose your own adventure!

• Stony Man via Appalachian Trail: This trail is 1.5 miles long with 321ft of elevation gain and takes about 35 minutes to complete. It takes you through the woods to a pop out with a nice view of the surrounding area. It is rated moderate but was a pretty quick, steady climb up.

• Dark Hollow Falls Trail: This trail is 2.1 miles long with 583ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour. It is a popular trail but not overcrowded and leads to a nice waterfall. There is also one more viewpoint at the bottom on a wooden bridge. It is a relatively steep climb back up to the parking area, and this trail is rated moderate.

• Hawksbill Summit Trail: This trail is 1.9 miles long with 672ft of elevation gain and takes about 50 minutes to complete. It is the highest peak in the park and a short trail so it is quite popular. It is a very steep hike up but since it is so short it is rated moderate. Dogs are allowed on this trail! An alternative option is the Hawksbill Loop Trail which is just a bit longer and takes you around the summit instead of straight back down.

• Take the scenic drive down Skyline Drive: There are overlooks throughout the straight shot drive from one end to the other. Boldface Mountain is a nice overlook on the south end of the park. If you have driven the Blue Ridge Parkway this has very similar vibes.

• Bearfence Mountain Trail: This trail is 1.4 miles long with 242ft of elevation gain and takes about 40 minutes to complete. This trail is full of rock scrambles so it is definitely not for kids or folks afraid of heights. Keep your eyes peeled for rattlesnakes as well. It is rated moderate. I did not love this trail because there was not a view at the actual summit, just some views with the rock scrambles along the way.

Broadporch Coffee

Shenandoah Valley Recommendations:

• Broad Porch Coffee: A fantastic spot in downtown Luray for breakfast and coffee. They have a cute spot with indoor seating and a back porch with river views. I went two days in a row because I enjoyed it so much!

• Elkton Brewing Company: A solid brewery in Elkton with a nice outdoor space. They have food trucks on the weekend, they are dog friendly and they are housed in a nice historic building.

• Quièvremont Vineyard & Winery: A nice winery with great views in Washington, VA. They also have food options. Heads up it gets quiet popular on weekends!

• Vibrissa Beer: Vibrissa has two locations in Front Royal and Winchester. They both have full food menus and outdoor seating as well.

• Gathering Grounds: A solid spot for breakfast in downtown Luray.

• I stayed at this Airbnb which was nice, but I would probably stay somewhere with a better view if I visited the area again. The outdoor space and screened-in porch were lovely.

• Wisteria Farm and Vineyard: An average winery in Stanley. The wine is fine but there are no views and the food is very overpriced and prepackaged. They are dog-friendly and you can bring your own food as well. It is a very casual spot and people loved it, I just wanted a bit more out of it.

• Pen Druid Brewing: A brewery with nice views in Sperryville. It was not my personal favorite but it’s worth checking out. They have an onsite food truck, Sumac.

Harrisonburg

• Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint: A simple spot for burgers and drinks in downtown with absolutely delicious eats. Highly recommend!

• Brothers Craft Brewing: A nice brewery just outside of downtown Harrisonburg. They have indoor and outdoor seating with chill vibes.

• Restless Moons Brewing: An average brewery with interesting vibes. I definitely watched multiple drug deals happen here. Their tap list is Sour heavy and they have pinball machines for entertainment.

Dark Hollow Falls

August and September 2023

August & September started off with 2 weeks in Charlotte before heading out for a 6 week adventure! I spent time in Michigan and Washington before heading back to CLT at the end of September. In this time I tried 232 different beers via a couple of bottle shares and visiting a lot of different breweries in my travels.

In no particular order, here were the best beers I had over the past two months:

Magos Del Subterraneo collaboration brew from Brujos Brewing in Portland, OR and Troon Brewing in Hopewell, NJ

This is an Imperial IPA with raw Oregon honey and is double dry hopped with Nelson CGX, Nelson, Motueka CGX, Motueka and Citra hops. This is a superb beer. I was lucky enough to have it twice in August and I gave it a 5 on Untappd both times. The honey was a fantastic addition!

No Sleep Means Insomnia from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

No Sleep Means Insomnia is a Triple IPA with Motueka & Citra hops. Monkish Triples are just unbeatable. I had a few great ones over the past two months so it was hard to select just one for the list, but this one stood out for it’s superb flavor.

Lorraine from Fair Isle Brewing in Seattle, WA

Lorraine is a Farmhouse Ale with Gewürztraminer grapes and Syrah pomace. Fair Isle is one of my favorite breweries in the country so I was extremely excited to get to visit their taproom again. I had several beers during my visit (and grabbed a few to-go bottles too!) and Lorraine was spectacular!

Chainsaw from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

Chainsaw is a Triple IPA with wildflower honey and dry hopped with Cashmere, Citra and Simcoe hops. This is the second IPA with honey on the list so perhaps this is how my taste buds are leaning as of late. Another killer brew from R&B.

Edge of the Dessert from Great Notion Brewing in Portland, OR

This is a Smoothie Sour with pineapple, mango and cheesecake. It’s been a little while since I have had a Great Notion Sour and this was a great reminder of how delicious they are. We’ve been getting some Great Notion distribution in Charlotte so I had debated whether or not to visit the Ballard taproom in Seattle, but I am so glad I did! Great brews and chill vibes.

MMXXI Chardonnay from Floodland Brewing in Seattle, WA

Description from the brewery: “This 2021 harvest beer was made through a native fermentation of Chardonnay grapes from French Creek Vineyard on the slopes of the Yakima River. The grapes from were destemmed and crushed and kept in contact with the skins for some time before being pressed and then blended with well aged spelt saison as well as saison brewed with wheat and oats. This beer was refermented to condition in the bottle with raw honey from Cougar Canyon Apiary, harvest on Rattlesnake Point 10/01/2021.”

Floodland! I was very excited to see Ridgewood Bottle and Tap had this hard-to-find brewery on tap while I was in Seattle. Stellar brew, as expected.

Solo Exhibition (Citra) from Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY

This is a Triple IPA with Citra hops. It’s a classic Other Half style brew with all Citra hops which is hard to beat. Smooth, flavorful, delicious.

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

Maryland and Delaware's Beaches

The Delmarva Peninsula is home to portions of Maryland and Delaware with nice beaches and some great breweries. This guide goes sequentially driving south to north from Berlin Maryland to Cambridge Maryland after adventuring along the coast.

Burley Oak Brewing

Berlin, Maryland

• Burley Oak Brewing Company: This hype brewery is Sour focused but also makes tasty IPAs. They have a large outdoor space with frequent events. They do not have any food and they do not allow dogs inside or out. Located 15 minutes from Ocean City.

OCean City, Maryland

• The Other One Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a small food menu and non-beer options. They have a dog-friendly shared patio space and are on the south end of Ocean City.

• Stay at the Home2Suites Ocean City Bayside: This is a nice hotel in a good location and is reasonably priced for the area.

• Grab ice cream at King Kone, it’s fantastic!

• Check out Northside Park—this is a great spot to walk, run, or take your dog.

Dewey Beer Co

Dewey Beach, Delaware

• Dewey Beer Company: Dewey has two locations—the original space is a block from the beach in Dewey Beach and their new space in Harbeson, about 30 minutes inland. The beach location has a ridiculously delicious food menu and Harbeson has their newest venture Pizza Machine next door for ‘za. Parking at the beach location can be a little challenging, while Harbeson has ample spots. Sours are what Dewey does best but their IPAs are also good. Dogs are allowed on the patio at the beach and inside and outside at Harbeson.

Big Oyster Brewery

Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

• Dogfish Head Brewery has multiple locations—Brewing & Eats is their restaurant and taproom in Rehoboth, emPOURium is next door with cans, and Chesapeake and Maine is the next building with seafood and cocktails. Dogfish Head’s main brewing facility and tasting room is in Milton, DE.

• Stay at Home2Suites Rehoboth: A nice, updated hotel with tasty breakfast and great amenities.

• Thompson Island Brewing Company: A restaurant-style brewery with average beers. It is a beautiful space with a small outdoor space in both the front and back. The space is beautiful, but the location is a bit odd next to a gas station. No dogs allowed.

Lewes, Delaware

• Wander downtown: This is an adorable small town full of shops, restaurants, and parks.

• Olive and Oats: A cute spot for coffee, breakfast or lunch in the heart of downtown.

• Dogfish Head Brewery has an Inn to stay at right downtown!

• Big Oyster Brewery: The beers here are solid but the vibes are not great. They have a full food menu and operate in the style of a restaurant. Half of the seating is in an outdoor tent with plastic dollar store chairs. Skip the pretzel, eat the oysters.

• Grab the ferry to Cape May, New Jersey to extend your adventures. Reservations required.

Wave goodbye to the beach, it’s now time to head inland—

RaR Brewing

Delmar, Delaware

• Loakal Branch Brewing Company: This is a subsidiary of Burley Oak Brewing and more of a local’s dive bar than anything else. I found this to be a very odd spot and not worth visiting.

Salisbury, Maryland

• Burnish Beer Company: A restaurant-style brewery with a full food menu and a large outdoor space. The food here is tasty and the beers are average. Dogs are allowed outside.

Cambridge, Maryland

• RaR Brewing: A Sour focused brewery in downtown Cambridge. Their taproom, their Chessie Burger restaurant, and their cocktail bar The LaboRaRtory are all in a shared row. They have a ton of guest taps and guest cans in the taproom alongside a large house-made beer selection. RaR has a cool space with artwork and chill vibes, but the beers were a bit disappointing. There is no dog-friendly space here.

Have you explored The Delmarva Peninsula? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

Exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia

The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia are a beautiful area to spend a long weekend. There are lots of great hikes to stunning views and large waterfalls, a plethora of wineries, and some solid breweries in the region. Below is a full guide to exploring this area, organized by town.

Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge is a great home base for exploring the region. It is an adorable little town, but it is going to be a bit of a drive to trailheads, as a forewarning. Heads up, the breweries in town do not have food or food trucks, so be sure to have a separate plan for eating! Pro-tip if you’re traveling with dogs—the public dog park at the Humane Society in town is really nice.
Recommendations:

• Amicalola Falls: These waterfalls are absolutely huge and are definitely a must-see while in the area. This trail is .9 miles long with 425 stairs and takes about 20 minutes to complete. I would actually probably recommend a different hike here, the one linked starts at the top of the falls and goes down to the bottom and then back up which was fine but check out the other options too. The entrance fee is $5 without a Georgia State Parks Pass.

• Springer Mountain Trail: This trail is 2 miles long with 393ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour to complete. This is the southern terminus of Appalachian Trail which is fun and there is a marker at the summit for the AT. It is a steady climb up and pretty rocky and muddy. The views are quite nice and this trail is rated moderate. It is quite the journey to get to this trail for such a quick hike, so just keep that in mind in your planning.

• Angry Hops Brewing: Easily the best brewery in town. This spot has chill vibes, a small patio, and angry music, for the brand.

• Mercier Orchards: A huge facility with a market and a bar serving hard cider, wine and 1 beer. The ciders are quite tasty. Go early if you want donuts, they tend to run out.

• Grumpy Old Men Brewing: A popular spot with a nice patio and average beers.

• Mountain Mama’s Coffee Lounge: A super cute spot with coffee, tea and a small food menu. The coffee is great here and they are located right downtown.

• Tipping Point Brewing Company: This brewery has a nice upper patio overlooking downtown with average beers.

• The Pasta Market: A nice restaurant and shop with solid pasta and an upper deck. They also have wine and beer.

• Falls Branch Falls: This trail is 1 mile long with 200ft of elevation gain and takes about 30 minutes to complete. It is an uphill, muddy climb to the falls which are quite nice. This trail is rated moderate but was pretty easy.

• Bear Claw Vineyards & Winery: This winery has a nice outdoor space with a patio or picnic tables. They offer their wine by the flight, glass, bottle or slushie. They also have a small food menu.

• Elijay is another cute little small town south of Blue Ridge. Elijay Coffeehouse is a homey coffee shop with a small sandwich menu in the heart of downtown.

• Fannin Brewing: A small spot with mediocre beer and rustic outdoor seating.

• Skip Cucinella’s Pizzeria—the staff was not helpful and the pizza was average.

Helen

Helen is a German-themed town best known for their Oktoberfest and Decemberfest celebrations. River tubing is also quite popular here in the summer months. This is a very touristy little town that I would recommend spending a few hours in and then escaping. Expect heavy traffic and parking is $10 for the day anywhere downtown.
Recommendations:

• King Ludwig Biergarten: An outdoor beer garden in the main city square. They have a small food menu with German items alongside beers and wine. There is constant live music here as well.

• Hofbräuhaus: A German restaurant and beer garden. They are on the north end of Main Street a bit past the hustle and bustle on the river. The service here was not great and my beer was served warm, but it’s a decent stop.

• Anna Ruby Falls: This trail is 1 mile long with 220ft of elevation gain and takes about 30 minutes to complete. The trailhead is directly outside of Helen and quite popular because it leads to a beautiful large waterfall. It is a paved slightly uphill walk that I highly recommend. This trail is technically in a National Forest so you’ll need a National Park Pass or pay $5 to enter. This trail is rated moderate.

• Duke’s Creek Trail: This trail is 2.3 miles long with 337ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour to complete. It is an easy walk down to the waterfall that is pretty nice. This is in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest so you’ll need a National Park Pass or pay $4 to park. It is rated easy.

• Raven’s Cliff Falls Trail: This trail is 5 miles long with 623ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours to complete. There are lots of roots along this path but there is also numerous river access points which is very nice. Overall the views here are just okay, but the river is nice. This is in Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest so you’ll need a National Park Pass or pay $5 to park.

• Brasstown Bald: This is the highest point in Georgia and provides stellar views for miles upon miles! You’ll drive up the byway to a parking area where you can either shuttle up (every 5 minutes) or hike a very steep .6 miles up. I’d recommend shuttling up and hiking down. Dogs are welcome on the shuttle as well. You’ll need a National Park Pass or pay $8 to enter. If you’ve been to Clingman’s Dome in Tennessee this is very similar.

• Tallulah Gorge State Park: A popular park about 45 minutes east of Helen. The entrance fee is $5 and the main attraction is the large gorge with waterfalls. Heads up, only the rim trail is dog friendly where you can visit 9 overlooks.

Dahlonega

Dahlonega is a very tiny town about 30 minutes south of Helen that is home to the University of North Georgia.
Recommendations:

• Preachers Rock from Woody Gap: This trail is 2 miles long with 436ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour to complete. It is part of the Appalachian Trail in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. It is a mostly shaded trail that pops out to an exposed rock with stunning views, especially in the morning. This was my favorite hike in the area and I highly recommend it. It is rated moderate.

• Accent Cellars: A nice winery on the river. They have glasses, bottles, tastings, or flights of wine along with wine cocktails and a few snacks in the cooler. They are on the river which is nice and more of an urban winery just 3 minutes from downtown. This spot is dog friendly inside and out.

• Barefoot Hills Hotel: A solid hotel that is very affordable and has great mountain views, especially for sunset. They are dog friendly and there are games on the property too.

• Montaluce Winery: A beautiful, fancy winery tucked back into nature. They also have a full service restaurant onsite. This spot is not dog friendly inside or out.

Cleveland

Cleveland is just south of Helen and the town itself is not worth visiting, but there is a good hike, brewery and winery to check out:

• Mount Yonah Trail: This trail is 5 miles long with 1,453ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours to complete. This trail is quite steep and strenuous, as it is rated hard. The views from the summit are not quite as impressive as the other hikes in the area, but it is a great workout and still nice.

• NoFo Brew Co: This taproom is 5 minutes from the trailhead and the second location for NoFo. They have lots of outdoor seating with views of Mount Yonah but it’s also right off a pretty busy road so it’s not super serene. They have a wide variety of beers on tap. Heads up the flights here are very expensive.

• Yonah Mountain Vineyards: Around the other side of the mountain is a nice winery with mountain and vineyard views. They offer their wine in a glass, bottle or flight.

Have you explored the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia? What are you favorite spots? Let me know in the comments!
Cheers—Alexis

July 2023

July was a busy month! I tried 215 beers in July which is potentially the most I’ve ever had because of a beer fest, bottle share and lots of beer flights while traveling.

July started off with Free The Whales beer fest on which was full of delicious brews and was hosted at HopFly Brewing with Resident Culture Brewing. After that Mosaic and I headed to the Blue Ridge Mountains in north Georgia for the fourth of July week. We came home to a bottle share with friends and then left again for a 13 day road trip to the Outer Banks, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Maryland, Delaware, and Shenandoah National Park. All of that resulted in some high quality beers and it was quite difficult to narrow down this list.

In no particular order, here were my top beers in July:

Raspberry Marmalade from Dewey Beer Company in Dewey Beach, DE

Raspberry marmalade is a Fruited Sour with raspberries. I had this at Dewey’s original taproom at the beach and absolutely loved it. It truly tastes like raspberry marmalade in the best way possible.

Hang My Boots from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Hang My Boots is a Triple IPA with Nelson Sauvin hops. I cracked this the night before departing for my road trip and it certainly kicked the journey off on the right note. A truly fantastic brew.

Blu Jamz from Seedz Brewery in Union Pier, MI

Blu Jamz is a blended Saison refermented with Michigan grown blueberries. I am absolutely stoked to finally be visiting Seedz in a couple of weeks after they’ve been on my list for years. Everything I’ve ever had from them has been great and Blu Jamz was another superb brew.

More Jasper Than All Jasper collaboration brew from Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY and Fidens Brewing in Albany, NY

This is a Triple IPA with Citra hops. It is a blend of Other Half’s More Than series and Fiden’s Jasper. This is far too easy to drink for a Triple and full of juicy notes.

PB&J Mixtape from Xul Brewing in Knoxville, TN

PB&J Mixtape is a peanut butter and jelly Sour. A lot of breweries make pb&j beers but this was easily the best I have ever had. It tastes exactly like you’re eating the sandwich and is ridiculously great.

Double Dry Hopped King Sue from Toppling Goliath Brewing in Decorah, IA

DDH King Sue is an Imperial IPA with Citra hops. I was lucky enough to have this beer twice recently because Toppling Goliath is now distributing to North Carolina! So excited for this and for all of their fantastic beers to make there way over here.

Monolith collaboration brew from Lua Brewing in Des Moines, IA and Little Cottage Brewing in Atlanta, GA

Monolith is an Imperial Stout with coconut, hazelnuts, marshmallow, and cacao nibs. At 15.2% ABV this is a heavy beer, but it is absolutely delicious. This was easily the best beer at the Free The Whales festival and everyone was talking about how great it was. Lua continues to impress!

Darkness at Noon from Root + Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

This was the May 2023, Batch 4 version of Darkness at Noon and absolutely superb. It is a multi-oat/wheat Triple IPA and we had this in a growler, so it was delightful to have a fresh Root and Branch not out of a can.

Check back next month for my top beers in August! Cheers —Alexis

June 2023

June was a pretty lowkey month—I spent most of June in Charlotte aside from a work trip to the beach and checked out some new spots in CLT and hung out with Mosaic at home. I tried 101 beers over the past month and this list has the best of the best. 3 of the 6 beers on this list are Saisons, which I think just points to how incredibly hot it has been in Charlotte and the need for light, delicious beers.

In no particular order, here were my top beers in June 2023:

Raspberry Tart from New Glarus Brewing in New Glarus, WI

Raspberry Tart is a Framboise Lambic with Oregon raspberries spontaneously fermented. I’ve been holding on to this since my visit to New Glarus last summer and finally decided to crack it open. This beer was insanely delicious and far exceeded my expectations. I wish I had more of this one to enjoy all summer long!

I Used To Consider The Consequences collaboration from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC and Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, NY

This is a Double Dry-Hopped Imperial IPA with Citra and Cashmere and finished with Motueka and Citra Cryo hops. Burial recreated this brew that originally dropped in 2020 and it is delightful. Packed with flavor, juicy and well-rounded.

Saison du BlÉ (Blend #13) from Side Project Brewing in Maplewood, MO

Saison du Blé is a oak aged Saison that is then bottle conditioned. Side Project can do no wrong and this is a classic, delicious brew from them. Long live Saison Summers!

Donut from Nebuleus Beer in Portland, OR

Donut is a blend of gin and chardonnay barrel aged Saisons refermented on donut peaches. This was my first time hearing of Nebuleus and I was super impressed by this brew. I don’t always love things that have peach but this was well balanced and fantastic.

Clover (2020) from Hill Farmstead Brewery in Greensboro Bend, VT

Clover is a Saison that is a blend of Ann, Art, and Flora aged between 16 to 27 months independently and then combined before aging another 2 years. Clover is one of Hill Farmstead’s most sought after beers and for good reason—this was superb!

Probably Existing with Coconut from Resident Culture Brewing in Charlotte, NC

Probably Existing is a bourbon barrel aged Imperial Stout aged in Heaven Hill bourbon barrels for 24 months then conditioned on toasted pistachios, cocoa butter, cacao nibs and vanilla. This version also has toasted coconut, giving it the perfect combination of barrel flavor, sweetness, and smoothness.

Check back next month to see my top beers of July!
Cheers —Alexis

Utah Road Trip Itinerary

Utah is a fabulous area for a road trip! In 12 days of adventures I explored 5 National Parks, 2 State Parks, 2 National Monuments, 1 National Forest and 1 National Recreation Area. This was with 1,863 miles driven and 121 miles hiked. All of the National Parks are quite small so you can cover a lot of ground in not too much time which is great! You can also shorten or lengthen this trip—the bottom of the itinerary has suggestions for both.

This is a recommended 12 day Utah road trip itinerary and how I did my trip, but be sure to check out my full Utah guide here for all of my recommendations on hikes, eats, drinks, where to stay and more! I also include a smidge of Northern Arizona on this route.

Day 1: Arrive

Fly into Salt Lake City—I chose an evening flight so I wouldn’t need to use another day of PTO. If you have any earlier flight you can combine days 1 & 2. You can also fly into Las Vegas and do this loop road trip just hitting Zion first instead of Arches!

Sleep: Salt Lake City

Day 2: Drive to Moab, explore Arches National Park

Hit the road! It’s a 4 hour drive from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park, so get an early start and then you’ll still have almost a full day in Arches. If you want to start off with a bang the Devil’s Garden Trail is a great choice. Spend the evening exploring the cute town of Moab.

Sleep: Moab

Day 3: Arches National Park, Moab

Today is another full day for Arches and luckily Moab is just 10 minutes from the park entrance. Recommended hikes: Delicate Arch Trail, Windows Loop and Turret Arch Trail, Fiery Furnace (permit required). If you’ve still got some energy later Corona and Bow Tie Arch Trail outside of the park in Moab is a nice hike with a massive arch.

Sleep: Moab

Day 4: Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse State Park, Moab

Start the day with Fisher Towers Trail, about 40 minutes north of Moab. Head back into town for lunch before driving 45 minutes west to Canyonlands National Park. Half of a day for the Island in the Sky region is plenty. Stop at a few overlooks and do a couple of short trails such as White Rim Overlook Trail and Mesa Arch Trail. Head over to Dead Horse Point State Park for sunset—it’s 13 miles from Canylonlands on the same road heading back towards Moab.

Sleep: Moab

Day 5: Canyonlands National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument, Monument Valley, drive to Page

Today is the only day of the trip with a lot of driving so buckle up—literally and figuratively. Start the day in The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. This is 1 hour and 45 minutes south of Moab. Chesler Park Viewpoint Trail is a great way to see this unique area of the park.

From here it’s a 2.5 hour drive to Natural Bridges National Monument. Plan for about 2 hours to explore the loop drive and short trails here. From Natural Bridges head further south to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Lookout for cows in the road along the way and be sure to stop for views of Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley from the road.

It’ll take about 1 hour to do the scenic loop drive at Monument Valley and from there it is a 2 hour drive west to Page, Arizona. You could also cut out any of this—Natural Bridges and Monument Valley were my two least favorite stops out of the entire trip. Driving straight from Moab, UT to Page, AZ is 4.5 hours. Grab dinner/drinks in Page and then get to bed nice and early after this long day of driving!

Sleep: Page

Day 6: Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, drive to Zion National Park

This was my absolute favorite day and although it seems like a lot it was absolutely perfect! Start the day with sunrise at Horseshoe Bend. Grab breakfast and coffee then explore Lake Powell and Glen Canyon Recreation Area via kayak. Kayak rentals are for the full day but I found 3 hours to be the perfect amount of time on the water with getting to explore a loop route to Ice Cream Cone Slot Canyon and not getting too much sun.

After kayaking it’s time for the famed Antelope Canyon. The early afternoon is said to be best time for sun beams. Be sure to book this in advance, you can only visit via guided tour. After Antelope Canyon it’s time to head out to Zion National Park, a 2 hour drive north. Personally I was too excited to not explore any of the park and just grab dinner and go to bed so I did the short and sweet Zion Canyon Overlook Trail upon entering the park and this was the perfect way to meet Zion.

Sleep: Zion

Day 7: Zion National Park and Sand Hollow State Park

Today is a full day of Zion! Recommended hikes: Angel’s Landing (permit required) or Scout Lookout via West Rim Trail, The Narrows or The Zion Narrows Riverside Walk, The Watchman Trail, or Emerald Pools Trail (not my favorite personally).

After hitting a few trails, head 45 minutes southwest to Sand Hollow State Park for a nice relaxing time at the beach! A perfect way to cool off and rest after a day in Zion.

Sleep: Zion

Day 8: Zion National Park, Red Canyon, drive to Bryce Canyon

Another full day in Zion—hit whatever trails are left on your list and drink one more prickly pear margarita at Camp Outpost.

After a full day of exploring Zion head up to Bryce Canyon National Park, which is just under 2 hours away. Directly on the route is Red Canyon, which is part of Dixie National Forest, and is a great stop with beautiful trails.

Sleep: Bryce Canyon

Day 9: Bryce Canyon National Park

Today is a full day in Bryce Canyon—which is an absolutely stunning park! Recommended hikes: Wall Street and Queens Garden Loop to Peekaboo Loop (Figure 8), Fairyland Loop Trail, Mossy Cave, Turret Arch and Little Windows Trail, Lower, Mid and Upper Inspiration Points Trail. Be sure to also drive the Southern Scenic Drive here!

Sleep: Bryce Canyon

Day 10: Bryce Canyon National Park

Another full day in Bryce Canyon—hit some more trails and soak in those beautiful views.

Sleep: Bryce Canyon

Day 11: Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Drive to Torrey

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is home to one of my favorite hikes I’ve ever done, but this area is frequently overlooked since it’s not a National Park. The start of the National Monument is just around the corner from Bryce Canyon, and the trailhead for the Dry Fork Narrows, Peekaboo and Spooky Slot Canyons Trail is 1.5 hours from Bryce Canyon. The slot canyons are definitely not for everyone, but I absolutely loved it!

After this drive an hour back up the washed out road to Lower Calf Creek Falls Trail for a nice easy, albeit a little long, walk to a relaxing waterfall. After finishing your hikes it’s an hour drive up to Torrey, a great place to stay for exploring Capitol Reef National Park. This drive is through Dixie National Forest and full of great views.

Sleep: Torrey

Day 12: Capitol Reef National Park and Departure

It’s the last day! Time for one more National Park—Capitol Reef! Recommended hikes: Grand Wash Trail, Cassidy Arch Trail and Hickman Bridge Trail.

After exploring Capitol Reef it’s time to head back to Salt Lake City, which is a 3.5 hour drive north. Catch an evening or red-eye flight home to wrap up your adventure. If you’ve got time in Salt Lake for a couple of beers before the airport don’t miss Templin Family Brewing and Grid City Beer Works.

Have More time?

Spend more time in Salt Lake City, add on the North Rim of The Grand Canyon, add a visit to Grand Junction, Colorado, or make a stop in Las Vegas and explore Valley of Fire State Park. Check out my Las Vegas Area guide here! Move slower—I like to keep a busy schedule and see a lot, but you could also add in more time throughout.

Have Less time?

Skip: Natural Bridges National Monument, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, or Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. You could also skip Page altogether and just stay in Utah, but Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon are a real treat!

Consolidate: Spend less time in Arches—you can do Arches and Canyonlands in 1.5 days if you wanted to. Cut a day from Bryce Canyon or Zion (or both!). Cut some State Parks and extra trails.

Have you explored Utah? Let me know in the comments!
Cheers —Alexis

May 2023

May brought less beer consumption for me—I tried 72 different beers over the past month—but there were still some truly delicious beers. This month’s list is comprised of 100% IPAs which is pretty odd for me! Overall since I didn’t have that many beers this month, I didn’t go to many breweries, and the weather has warmed up, I guess that led to a need for more haze craze than anything else. Plus, I spent 12 days adventuring around southern Utah and northern Arizona going on stellar hikes and not drinking very many beers, and the ones I did have were more so trail beers than fantastic sippers.

Here are the best beers I had over the past month:

Triple Farmer from Fidens Brewing in Colonie, NY

Triple Farmer is a Triple IPA with Citra, Galaxy, Mosaic and Nelson hops. This was the best beer I had in May—I rated it a 4.75 on Untappd. It was smooth, juicy and delicious!

Bloom and Blossom from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Bloom and Blossom is a Double Dry Hopped Double IPA with Galaxy, Rakau and Mosaic hops. I was lucky enough to have several Monkish beers in May and they were all superb, but this one was particularly packed with flavor.

Water Balloon Fight Club from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

This is a double dry-hopped version of their Water Balloon Fighters Double IPA with Mosaic, Citra, and Simcoe hops. Another fantastic beer from the folks at Monkish!

Do We Live in A Society of Spectacle? from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

This is the Citra batch 5 version of Do We Live In A Society of Spectacle. It is a multi-oat/wheat Double IPA with all Citra hops. It’s hard to not love a fully Citra hopped beer, they are always fantastic!

What Changed? from Fonta Flora Brewery in Morganton, NC

What Changed? is a Double IPA dry-hopped with citra incognito, motueka, rakau and topaz hops. I love that Fonta Flora has just recently entered the Hazy IPA game and is already putting out absolutely fantastic beers! This was super crushable.

Double Grid from Hop Butcher for the World in Chicago, IL

Double Grid is a Double IPA with Citra and Mosaic hops. I don’t get my hands on enough beers from Hop Butcher, and this brew reminded me of how amazing they are. I was thrilled that Pop The Top had this on tap!

April 2023

April was a fun month with trips to Austin, Texas, Holbox Island in Mexico, and Richmond, Virginia! I also had a couple friends visit Charlotte and got to show them around town and then also participated in a couple if bottle shares. All in all I tried 117 beers in April. In no particular order here were my top beers of the past month:

Everyone Stands Beneath Their Own Dome of Heaven from Root and Branch Brewing in Copiague, NY

This is the classic “multi-oat/wheat double IPA” as Root and Branch likes to describe it. They like to hold their secrets close to their chest without revealing any hops or much information, but this one was a banger. It was batch 6 of the brew and truly superb. I enjoyed this one at the pool of our Airbnb in Holbox which was delightful!

Seven from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA

Seven was one of The Veil’s 7th anniversary beer releases and phenomenal. Lucky for me I visited their taproom in RVA a week after the anniversary and was still able to try it on tap and grab a bottle to take home. Seven is an Imperial Stout aged in Willett, Utopias, Maple and Weller Bourbon Barrels for an average of 21 months then conditioned on chocolate sandwich cookies, toasted coconut, Tahitian vanilla and truffle.

The Laurentian Series: Cuvee Des Grands Lacs with Marquette Grapes from Speciation Artisan Ales in Grand Rapids, MI

This complex beer is a blend of 5 barrels filled with spontaneously fermented beer that was cooled in a coolship near each of the 5 Great Lakes and fermented exclusively with the wild cultures caught in the air at each site, Marquette grapes were then added. I’ve had this beer before and was blown away by how fantastic it was so when I saw another bottle at a shop in Michigan I knew I had to have it!

Flora (Cherry, Raspberry, Northern Kiwi) from Hill Farmstead in Greensboro, VT

Flora is the wine barrel aged version Florence and always one of my favorite beers. I love the different varieties they Hill Farmstead makes of it! This version was aged on hand-picked Vermont-grown Montmorency cherries, raspberries and northern kiwi.

I Hope This Is The Endgame from Burial Beer in Asheville, NC

Burial’s adjuncted Stouts are hard to beat! This one is an Imperial Stout with toasted pecans, Thai banana, vanilla bean, cinnamon, maple syrup and sea salt. As I am sure you know by know I am a sucker for anything with Thai banana so when they released this beer I knew I had to snag a bottle. It was absolutely delicious!

Snow Giant from Monkish Brewing in Torrance, CA

Snow Giant is a Triple IPA with Citra and Nectaron hops. I enjoyed this on tap at The Veil’s new taproom since they had some guest taps for their anniversary on. Monkish always crushes the juice game and this one was delightful—easy drinking and packed with flavor.

Check back next month for my top beers in May! Cheers! —Alexis