Rochester, NY

Rochester is a really nice city full of fantastic food & drinks!

ROC Tips: 

• Rochester is a pretty small city, you could easily explore without a car via ride shares, walking and biking.

• Make sure to eat a famed garbage plate—learn more here!

• On a Western New York road trip? Check out my Buffalo beer and travel guide here and my Finger Lakes area guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• Fifth Frame Brewing: A killer brewery located in downtown Rochester. Their beers are absolutely fantastic. Their tap list is Sour heavy, but each style of beer I tried was delicious. They also have a small food menu and some outdoor seating.

• Strangebird Brewery: A fantastic brewery with a wide variety of beers and specializing in Farmhouse Ales. They also have a full food menu with delicious, locally sourced and seasonal options. Their taproom is beautiful and they also have an outdoor patio.

• Living Roots Urban Winery: An adorable winery with delicious wine and food and the nicest team! They have a great patio and a cute indoor space as well. Living Roots offers flights of wine, 3oz pours, 6oz pours, glasses and bottles. The small food menu has the perfect snacks to accompany wine including a great cheese board. Reservations are recommended but you can also walk in. They also have a location in the Finger Lakes.

• Mortalis Brewing Company: A great Sour and Stout brewery in south Rochester. Their taproom has very limited hours so be sure to plan ahead to visit.

• R.O.C. Brewing: A nice brewery downtown with solid beers and a lovely patio. F.L.X. Weinery shares the space with the brewery so you can get hot dogs, burgers, fries and more with your beers.

• Black Button Distilling: A fun distillery right near the market with a super nice team and tasty spirits. Their Bourbon Cream is their top seller, but they have a wide variety of spirits to choose from. They use all natural and local ingredients and aren’t afraid to go against the norm, such as with their award-winning citrus-forward Gin. They also make their own syrups, create canned cocktails, and host classes.

  • The city’s first craft brewery, Rohrbach Brewing, is right next door as well.

Strangebird Brewing

Touristy Things in Rochester Worth Doing:

• Genesee Brew House: This historic brewery is a must visit in Rochester. Downstairs they have a tasting room, gift shop and to-go beer selection. Upstairs they have a restaurant-style setup with a full food menu, a balcony with views of High Falls, and a rooftop terrace. They generally make light, easy-drinking beers and their Cream Ale is what they are famous for.

• High Falls: A large waterfall in the heart of downtown. Walk out on the bridge for the best views of the falls.

• Rochester Public Market: A massive market with indoor and outdoor sections full of food and drinks. A lot of booths are cash only so be prepared. Don’t miss Juan and Maria’s Empanada Stop inside and Flour City Bread Company along the perimeter.

• Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park: Check out this state park with access to Lake Ontario, a pier, fishing, a beach and the Lakeside Trail. Located 15 minutes north of downtown Rochester.

• Sam Patch Erie Canal Boat Cruise: This 1.5 hour canal cruise takes you down the Erie Canal and through Lock 32 with history along the way. There are snacks and drinks available on the boat and it launches from Pittsford which is 15 minutes from downtown Rochester. There are also walking and biking trails that run along the canal.

Living Roots

Other rochester things to do:​​​

• Sager Beer Works: A solid brewery right behind Living Roots. They have a full food menu, a small patio, and frequent events. Sager focuses on classic, easy-drinking beers with a neighborhood pub vibe.

• Swiftwater Brewing Company: An average brewery with an IPA heavy tap list and a small food menu.

• Copper Leaf Brewing: Located in Pittsford, a 5 minute walk from the Sam Patch canal cruise. This is a small brewery with solid beers.

• Lock 32 Brewing: Another brewery in Pittsford, right behind the Sam Patch canal cruise.

• Stay at the Courtyard by Marriott: This hotel is a great base for exploring Rochester. It is right downtown with clean and modern rooms. They also have a full restaurant and bar.

• Melo Coffee and Kitchen: A cute coffee shop with a food menu and outdoor seating options.

• Hop on a shared bike or scooter with HOPR

Buffalo, NY

Buffalo is an old, industrial city with a vibrant beer scene

Buffalo Tips:

• Buffalo is a very proud city and they love their Bills. Everywhere you go, football season or not, Bills insignia dots the city. In all of my travels I have never seen a city so obsessed with their NFL team. If you happen to be in town during football season prepare for a bit of madness.

• I found the driving in Buffalo to be alarming—folks are running red lights and driving aggressively everywhere you look. Be aware and be cautious.

• The Buffalo Roam app is what the city uses for parking. You’ll need to add a $10 deposit to start an account.

• On a Western New York road trip? Check out my Rochester guide and my Finger Lakes region guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• Froth Brewing Company: An extremely good brewery specializing in Fruited Sours. Their taproom hours are a bit more limited than other spots in town so be sure to plan ahead.

• Other Half Brewing: The Buffalo outpost of the popular NYC brewery. They are located right across from the baseball stadium with a bit of an odd set-up. Inside they have a couple of arcade games with limited seating and only 8 taps. Outside there are a few tables and corn hole.

• The Beer Keep: A fantastic bottle shop and beer bar in the Elmwood Village neighborhood. They have great vibes, patio seating, a small food menu, and a killer selection of beers.

• Thin Man Brewery: A good brewery on Elmwood Avenue with games, a rooftop patio, a full food menu, and good vibes. Their tap list is Sour heavy but they still make a wide variety of beers.

• Belt Line Brewery & Kitchen: A great brewery with a plethora of IPAs and Sours. They also have a food menu and some outdoor seating.

• Big Ditch Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a full food menu in downtown Buffalo. This is a popular spot for workday lunches due to its location. Their Sours are what they do best!

Niagara Falls

touristy things in buffalo that are worth doing:

• Check out Niagara Falls: Touristy, yes, but still awesome to see. The Canadian side offers better views, so be sure to bring along your passport or enhanced license to get across the border. Expect it to be very busy. Niagara Falls is 30 minutes from downtown Buffalo.

  • If you’re just making a quick stop to see the falls, park at Niagara Garden Place near the police station. The falls are right across the street and it is $10 for 30 minutes of parking which is the perfect amount of time. There is conveniently a public restroom nearby as well.

  • If you want a more robust experience you can do a boat tour or walk behind the falls. You will get soaked as a forewarning. There are several different tour operators in the area with various options.

• Explore Elmwood Village: This is definitely the nicest neighborhood in Buffalo and Elmwood Avenue is full of bars, restaurants and shops to hop around and visit.

• Canalside Park: A nice park on the Buffalo River and Lake Erie. There are walking trails, boat tours and a Naval and Military Park.

Big Ditch Brewing Company

other things to do in buffalo:

• Resurgence Brewing Company: A popular brewery with a spacious taproom, an outdoor patio and some food options as well. They share a courtyard with Hartman’s Distilling Co. if a cocktail is calling your name!

• Hofbrauhaus: The Buffalo outpost of the German brewery. They are located downtown with a great patio space and stay true to the German roots with their beer and food menu. Hofbrauhaus also has a great happy hour, but the service I had here was truly awful.

• Gene McCarthy’s Old First Ward Brewing Company: A little dive bar with a full food menu that makes their own beer. They have a nice outdoor patio.

• The Intersection: A little coffee window in the Allentown neighborhood with coffee, tea, muffins and bagels.

Hudson Valley, NY

Hudson Valley is a gorgeous area just north of NYC full of great brews & views!

Hudson Valley Tips: 

• This area stretches 150 miles along the Hudson River from just north of Manhattan to Albany and things can be a bit spread out so be sure to plan ahead!

• While you are in the area head into the city too! Check out my New York City guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• Suarez Family Brewery: One of the top breweries in the country for Mixed Fermentation beers and Lagers! The have a quaint little taproom with 2 beers on tap and a large bottle selection. Located in Hudson. They have limited hours unfortunately so if they are closed while you are in town you can try to snag their beers at local bars/restaurants.

• Hudson Valley Brewery: A fantastic brewery specializing in Sour IPAs and Farmhouse Ales. They are located in the heart of downtown Beacon and have a nice outdoor patio space.

• Equilibrium Brewery: Located in the heart of Middletown, Equilibrium makes some fantastic beers. They have a nice outdoor space, a full food menu via Equilibrium Bonfire that specializes in BBQ, and overall a very nice aesthetic. They also have a full retail section with merchandise and to-go beers.

• Tin Barn Brewing: Located in Chester, Tin Barn has solid beers with an IPA-heavy tap list. They have a large indoor taproom and a nice outdoor patio. They have pizzas available for food and a nice atmosphere.

• Foreign Objects Beer Company: Located in Monroe, this spot has a friendly team, a cozy taproom and a nice backyard space. They are known for their Hazy IPAs but I found the Sour to also be delicious.

• Plan Bee Farm Brewery: This is a nice farm-style brewery with tasty beers, chill vibes, and frequent food trucks. They use all local ingredients and focus on Wild Ales, Sours, and easy-drinking beers. Located in Poughkeepsie.

• Obercreek Brewing Company: A very popular brewery known for their Wild Ales and IPAs. It is a very small taproom and larger outdoor space. They have frequent food pop-ups and I highly recommend Busbys Pizza if they are there while you visit! Located in Wappingers Falls.

Hudson Valley Brewery

touristy things in hudson valley that are worth doing:

• Hudson Highlands State Park Reserve: This park is close to everything and has some great views. I did the Bull Hill Full Loop Trail which was 5.7 miles long with 1391 feet of elevation/122 flights up. It took about two and half hours total. The trail follows along the Hudson River for a section with nice views and was very quiet overall. I would recommend bug spray in the summer months, and there is a parking lot but it is a bit small and it is shared for several trails I would recommend starting early.

• The Catskill Mountains: It is $10 to enter the park and I would recommend going early, there can be a lineup to enter in the afternoons.

  • Artist’s Rock, Sunset Rock, and Newman’s Ledge via Mary’s Glen Trail: This trail is ~7.5 miles long with 790ft of elevation gain. A few issues: 1) the parking marked on AllTrails is incorrect, I just followed the map and found a small lot. 2) It is very rocky, buggy, and muddy. 3) The whole top loop is not at all worth your time. All of that being said, Newman’s Ledge is impressive and Sunset Rock is very cool. Artist’s Rock gives essentially the same view as Newman’s Ledge, just from a lower point. If I were to do this again I would park at the North Lake Day Use Area and do a quick out and back to Newman’s Ledge.

  • Kaaterskill Falls: This is very popular and parking fills up quickly. also very popular and fills up

• Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park: A nice large park with great views right near downtown. There are kayak rentals here if you are interested. This is a great spot to catch the sunset as well.

Melzingah Tap House

other hudson valley ideas + Where to Stay:

• I stayed at the Hampton Inn Middletown and the Hampton Inn Poughkeepsie and both were perfectly fine.

• Industrial Arts Brewing: An IPA-heavy brewery with two taprooms in the area, Garnverville is their original spot and Beacon is their newer taproom. The Beacon taproom has a large patio, food trucks and axe throwing next door.

• Sloop Brewing Company: An IPA focused brewery in the old IBM plant. They have more of a restaurant set-up and a full food menu.

• Melzingah Tap House: A beer bar and restaurant in downtown Beacon with a solid craft beer selection.

  • Fishkill Overlook Falls is right across the street and very pretty at sunset

• The Drowned Lands Brewery is located between Foreign Objects and Tin Barn, but unfortunately was closed for a private event when I was in the area.

• District 96 Beer Factory: Located in New City, District 96 is makes some great IPAs. There is a nice patio out back and they have a restaurant set-up. The Burger Loft has a food menu and a full bar with cocktails and more. Overall I enjoyed the beers but I wasn’t super impressed with the food, service, to-go options and dirty glassware.

The Finger Lakes, NY

The Finger Lakes Region of New York is a Gorgeous area full of Wineries, Breweries and Outdoor activities!

FLX Tips: 

• Summer or fall is the ideal time to visit! Book your lodging as far in advance as you can as it is a popular area to explore.

• This region is surprisingly very affordable—the food, wine and beer were all really quite cheap.

• Watkins Glen and Geneva are both great home bases for exploring this area.

• In terms of wine, this region is mostly Riesling and Cabernet Francs.

• On a Western New York road trip? Check out my Buffalo beer and travel guide here and my Rochester beer and travel guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top FLX Recommendations: 

• Aurora Brewing: A fabulous brewery in King Ferry on Cayuga Lake. The vibes are great, the pizza is delicious, and the beer is quite tasty. Highly recommend! They also have a taproom in Rochester.

• Tin Barn Brewing: A fantastic brewery on Seneca Lake with great views and killer beers. They also have a kitchen offering tacos and appetizers. Their main taproom is in the Hudson Valley area of New York.

• Other Half Brewing: The Bloomfield outpost of this popular NYC-based brewery has a fantastic outdoor space and delicious beers. Their Finger Lakes taproom is also home to their Wild Ale program so be sure to give some of these brews a try in addition to their fantastic IPAs and Stouts. The vibes are great here and it is a must visit.

• Standing Stone Vineyards: A phenomenal winery on Seneca Lake with beautiful views. Their building is also gorgeous. They offer various sizes of pours, if you are splitting with a friend(s) the 5oz pours a la carte are a very affordable way to try a variety of different wines. They also have a small food menu. Reservations are recommended.

• Stay at 41 Lakefront: This is a Wyndham hotel right on Seneca Lake in Geneva. It’s not the fanciest but it’s a good price and great views. They have Adirondack chairs on the water, super soft towels, and an onsite restaurant.

• Keuka Spring Vineyards: A lovely winery on Keuka Lake with great views. They offer tastings, glasses or bottles with indoor and outdoor seating.

• Weis Vineyards: An award-winning winery on Keuka Lake with solid views and some snacks. They offer tastings, flights, glasses or bottles.

• Climbing Bines Brewery & Hop Farm: A lovely outdoor space with a hop farm onsite. The beers here are average but it is a nice spot to visit overall. They also have a pizza food truck in the summer.

• Grist Iron Brewing Company: A popular brewery on Seneca Lake with solid beers, a full food menu and nice views. They have a large outdoor space with picnic tables. This spot gets very busy and the food wait can be quite lengthy.

Watkins Glen State Park

touristy finger lakes things worth doing:

• Indian, Finger Lakes and Gorge Trail Loop at Watkins Glen State Park: This trail is 5.8 miles long with 875ft of elevation gain and takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes to complete. The gorge is quite nice, the lake is just mediocre so you could skip this section to make the trail shorter. It is $10 to park.

• Taughannock Falls via Gorge Trail at Taughannock Falls State Park: This 1.9 mile trail on Cayuga Lake is mostly flat and easy. It leads to a nice 215ft high waterfall. This trail is quite popular because it is easy and has great views. It is $9 to park, but that pass is good at all New York State Parks for the day.

• Lucifer Falls via Gorge Trail at Robert H Treman State Park: This trails is 1.6 miles long with 282ft of elevation gain and takes about 45 minutes to complete. Start to the right, it is easier than the stairs on the left. There is a nice view from the top with a large waterfall. You need to pay to enter at certain times.

• Geneva Lakefront Trail: A pretty spot for a walk along Seneca Lake to the State Park.

Two Goats Brewing

other things to do in The Finger Lakes:

• Two Goats Brewing: An average brewery on Seneca Lake with spectacular views. They have set flights of beer and a small food menu.

• Lamoreaux Landing Vineyard: A nice winery with solid views on Seneca Lake, but the wine and the service here was not as impressive as the other wineries in the area. They are 100% solar powered. Reservations are required.

• Lucky Hare Brewing Company: An average brewery on Seneca lake with a nice back porch. Babes Burgers is onsite for food.

• Grounded: A nice spot for coffee and breakfast, they have a small patio as well. Located in Geneva.

• Finger Lakes Juice Bar: A solid spot for juice, Açaí bowls, and other healthy eats in Geneva.

• Seneca Mill Falls: A nice waterfall that is just a 5 minute walk from the parking area. The Keuka Outlet Trail runs along here as well.

• Big aLICe Brewing: This Brooklyn-based brewery has a taproom on Seneca Lake, but you can’t actually see the lake which is a bummer. The beer is average.

• Scuteri’s Cannoli Connection: A small family run business with cannoli, desserts and pizzas in Watkins Glen.

• Irish Mafia Brewing Company: A brewery in Bloomfield across the street from Other Half with a full food menu and average beers.

Upstate New York

Upstate New York is beautiful and full of small towns worth exploring. I spent time in Albany, Troy, and Saratoga Springs.

Albany Recommendations:

I would not recommend going to Albany in general, but there are a couple of great beer spots here. The city itself leaves a lot to be desired.

• Fidens Brewing Company: A superb brewery in a beautiful space. They have about 20 taps with incredible beers along with cocktails and wine. Their main focus is IPAs, but their Sours and Stouts are also delicious. The food menu is full of delicious eats.

• Delaware Supply: A fantastic beer bar with a great tap list, a cute interior space, and some patio seating. They also have a small to-go selection.

• Druthers Brewing Co.: Beer cheese everything and a large quantity of beers in their flight—need I say more?

• New York State Capitol: The biggest and most grand building in the city. Tours are available by request.

• Alias Coffee: A coffee shop in the heart of downtown that roasts their own beans in Troy. The service is very slow and not always accurate.

• Skip Hampton Inn Albany: This hotel is outdated, smelly, and has a host of issues. Unimpressed.

Saratoga Springs Recommendations:

Saratoga Springs is a super cute little town just a quick train ride from Albany, I highly recommend!

• Get outside! Check out the State Park or one of the many local parks

• Artisanal Brew Works: The owner is so nice, the beer is pretty tasty, and the taproom is nice and sunny.

Artisanal Brew Works

Troy recommendations:

If you decide to head to Troy, be sure to check out the two spots below!

• Rare Form Brewing: Worth the venture. A cute little taproom with friendly bartenders

• Brown’s Brewing: A bumping taproom and a full menu in a fun two-story set-up

Lexington, KY

Lexington is a fun city to explore with numerous breweries and plenty of bourbon!

Lex Tips: 

• Lexington is pretty small but I would definitely recommend having a car as it is a little bit spread out.

• Be aware of events at the University of Kentucky—it is right in the heart of Lexington so basketball/football games and graduation can lead to a packed city and lots of traffic.

• Red River Gorge is just over an hour away from Lexington and a great place for outdoor adventuring—check out my RRG guide here!

• Louisville is also just about an hour from Lex, check out my guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

• Mirror Twin Brewing: A great brewery with a large tap list and Rolling Oven Pizza in-house. Their Hazy IPAs, Fruited Sours and Pastry Stouts are delicious and they also offer cocktails if that is more your style. They are dog-friendly inside and out.

• The Manchester: A fantastic hotel with two restaurants and bars onsite. The entire hotel is insanely gorgeous with keen attention to design details. Their rooftop bar and restaurant Lost Palm is a tropical tiki paradise. Their lobby bar and restaurant Granddam exudes Kentucky charm. They are located in the Distillery District so they are nice and close to everything along with being dog-friendly.

• Ethereal Brewing: A popular brewery with tasty beers and 3 locations in town. Their Manchester location has a large patio and is located directly next to James E. Pepper Distilling Company so I’d recommend setting up a distillery tour and then checking out the brewery after! The Slice House is on the UK campus in a shared space with tasty pizza. The Public House has a full food menu downtown.

• Country Boy Brewing: A great brewery near downtown with a smaller taproom but it still boasts a large tap list with a wide variety of beers. They also have a small patio. They are the oldest brewery in Lexington and are putting out beers that can please everyone no matter your palate. They also do their part to connect back to the community and partner with Earthly Labs to reduce their CO2 impact on the environment.

• West Sixth Brewing: The second oldest brewery in Lexington and the first brewery to can beer in Kentucky! They are now KY’s best selling craft beer, but they intentionally keep their distribution small. Their number one seller is West Sixth IPA and their Oktoberfest is super popular as well. I recommend the different variants of the Snake Eyes Stout. They have four taprooms—Lexington, Louisville, Newport Kentucky near Cincinnati, and the farm near Frankfort.

  • Their Lexington taproom and brewery is an old Rainbow Bread factory with a massive 90,000 square feet footprint. They have several tenants in their space that focus on nonprofits and giving back to the community. One of their tenants is Smithtown Seafood which has plenty of food options to enjoy with your brews, including non-seafood options if that’s more your style!

• Goodwood Brewing and Spirits: A solid brewery with incredibly delicious food, a covered patio, and Happy Hour specials. Their Lexington location is just south of downtown.

• Blue Stallion Brewing Co.: A large German-focused brewery with a massive tap list that has a variety of styles of beer. The taproom has fun games such as darts and pool as well as frequent live music and events. They also do liter specials on beers on different days of the week.

Country Boy Brewing

Other lexington things to do:

• Lussi Brown Coffee Bar: An eclectic coffee and cocktail bar downtown with great coffee.

• Rock House Brewing: This brewery has very interesting vibes in an old warehouse with rustic and homey furniture. The beers were solid!

• Whiskey Bear: A super fun bourbon bar with delicious drinks.

• Pivot Brewing: A brewery and cidery that mostly focuses on their ciders which are quite tasty.

• The Beer Trappe: A beer bar and bottle shop with taps and to-go beers. The selection was a little underwhelming but I am also quite a beer snob, overall it was solid.

  DV8 Kitchen: A breakfast and lunch spot doing good for the community.

Louisville, KY

Louisville is bourbon filled horse-loving city on the river

Derby City Tips: 

• Louisville is full of bourbon and horses—if those are your interests lean into them and hop around to various distilleries and horse museums and races.

• Louisville is a bit of a gritty city—I never felt unsafe but just be aware.

• Add Louisville to your road trip! It’s just over an hour from Lexington and 3 hours from Nashville. Check out my Lexington guide here and my Nashville guide here.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• Atrium Brewing: A fantastic brewery specializing in Sours. They have two locations—Logan Street has food from Daryk’s with a nice patio space. Norton Commons works with Noco Delivery for eats. They’ve also got cocktails for your non-beer friends.

• Stay at The Bellwether Hotel: An art-deco hotel that is set up as individual apartments in the Highlands neighborhood. They are dog-friendly with cute touches like a selfie check-in station and a great patio space.

• Butchertown Brewing: A great brewery inside an old mill that is the Mellwood Art Center with a few other businesses. Their tap list is Sour and Stout heavy with some gluten free options.

• Sergio’s World Beers: This beer bar has a great tap list and can/bottle selection. The prices are quite high and they are cash only. They have dive bar vibes and a small food menu.

• Against the Grain: A solid brewery with two locations in town. Their downtown Public House has a nice patio space, a full food menu, and is connected to the baseball field. Their second location Highlands is a bit outside of town.

Atrium Brewing

touristy things in louisville worth doing:

• Big Four Bridge: A bridge you can walk or bike across the Ohio River into Indiana. It lights up at night which is nice to see. The bridge is not pet friendly unfortunately. The Waterfront Park around the bridge is nice with lots of seating and playgrounds.

• Muhammad Ali Center: A nice museum telling the story of Muhammad Ali’s life, activism and boxing career. It is downtown and a $20 entrance fee.

Mammoth Cave National Park

other louisville things to do:

• Mile Wide Beer Company: A solid brewery with indoor and outdoor seating. They have a game room with pinball and a pizza focused food menu.

• Gravely Brewing Company: Average beers, great vibes. They have a beer garden and various seating options inside, and they are dog-friendly. Gravely’s food menu is focused on melts and apps. Located right around the corner from Mile Wide.

• Venture to Mammoth Cave National Park! It is 1.5 hours south of Louisville (and 1.5 hours north of Nashville). This park is home to the longest cave in the world.

  • The only way to go into the cave is via a tour, so I opted for the Historic Tour. I recommend booking in advance as many tours sell out. This one was 2 hours long, about 2.5 miles and some stairs. It is a smooth walking surface throughout and a only a little bit chillier than the ground level. There were some narrow spots both horizontally and vertically and a couple of cool things to see.

  • Green River Bluff, Echo River Springs, Sinkhole and Heritage Trail: A moderate 4 mile long trail with 564ft of elevation gain that takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. This trail was pretty boring but the green river is in fact quite green. There is a portion of the trail that is paved and we encountered many deer.

  • Cedar Sink Trail: An easy 1.6 mile trail with 206ft of elevation gain and takes about 35 minutes to complete. I was not impressed with this highly reviewed trail that was basically a walk through the woods with a small hole in the ground.

  • If you are traveling with your dog they have kennels available. You can rent a lock at the lodge check-in desk for $10. They do not take reservations, it is first-come first-serve. Vaccination proof is required.

Nashville, TN

Nashville is a fun city that is home to more than just country music—there are so many neighborhoods to explore!

Music City Tips: 

• Get off of Broadway. Sure, pop into some honky-tonks, see some live music, but then explore the rest of the city!

• The city is pretty spread out so plan ahead to make the most of your time.

• If you don’t have a car, you don’t need a car. Parking is difficult and costly in a lot of neighborhoods so if you can use ride shares and walks that is much more convenient.

• On a road trip? Louisville is 3 hours north of Nashville, check out my guide here + Chattanooga is 2 hours southeast—recommendations here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• Southern Grist Brewing: A stellar brewery absolutely killing the game + they’ve got two taprooms for you to choose from:

  • East Nash Taproom: A restaurant-style brewery with tasty eats and a dog-friendly patio.

  • The Nations Taproom: A smaller taproom with food options from nearby restaurants. Located on the West side of town.

• Barrique Brewing and Blending: Such a great brewery! They specialize in Wild Ales and Lagers and make fantastic beers. Their team is super nice as well and they allow dogs outside. 

• Living Waters Brewing: A great brewery with a Lager and IPA heavy tap list. They also have coffee and a small breakfast menu. It is a cute spot that also has a small dog-friendly patio.

• Bearded Iris Brewing: Great IPAs and two taprooms:

  • Sylvan Supply has Black Dynasty Ramen inside for delicious (though pricey) eats. Their patio here is heated and dog-friendly.

  • Their original taproom is downtown and very dog-friendly with chill vibes.

• Ladybird Taco: A delicious spot for tacos near 12 South. They have an Austin-style taco menu with breakfast tacos, coffee, lunch/dinner tacos, and starters. It is a popular spot so you can also order online to save time!

• Smith & Lentz Brewing: A tasty Lager-forward brewery with a pizza menu. They have a spacious dog-friendly back patio and are located in East Nashville.

• Monday Night Preservation Co.: The Nashville location of Monday Night Brewing is a gorgeous space. It is a converted warehouse that used to be a meat packing facility giving it super unique vibes. The outdoor space is partially covered and huge. They have classic MNB beers, wine and cocktails.

Southern Grist Brewing Company

touristy nashville things worth doing:

• Tootise's: The most popular bar on Broadway, with good reason. Three different floors of live music and bars. The rooftop patio is also fun!

• Explore the 12 South neighborhood: This is a super cute area with plenty of bars, restaurants, stores, and murals to explore!

• Pedal Bar: Soooo touristy. Surprisingly fun. BYOB and ride the city! 

• Acme Feed & Seed: Rooftop bar and restaurant on the end of Broadway near the river!

• Union Station Hotel: This is a gorgeous hotel in an old train station. Even if you don’t stay here it is worth wandering into their lobby that is stunning and home to a bar.

12 South Neighborhood

other nashville ideas:

• The Pharmacy: A tasty spot for burgers and beer in East Nashville.

• Fait la Force Brewing: A solid brewery specializing in European style beers and eats. Their dog-friendly patio has skyline views.

• Waymore’s Guesthouse and Casual Club: A nice hotel in East Nashville that is art deco themed and very trendy. Their rooftop bar is coming soon and their lobby bar has delicious cocktails. I would have enjoyed a fridge and microwave in my room.

• Bongo Java East: A good spot for coffee, breakfast, lunch, board games and beer in the 5 points neighborhood.

• Marble Fox Brewing Company: A cute spot with solid beers. They are located downtown in The Gulch and the tap list is IPA heavy.

• Five Points Alley Shops: A nice little array of shops and small businesses.

• Pinewood Social​: A fun spot for upscale bowling with a bar and restaurant.

• Fat Bottom Brewery: Average brewery with a large taproom with great outdoor space.

Knoxville, TN

Knoxville is a fun city with plenty of good spots to eat and drink and frequent festivals, markets, and outdoor concerts to keep you entertained!

Knox Tips: 

• The city is pretty small so you don’t need a car to get around to the different neighborhoods.

• Old City is a great hub of activity in Knoxville but be sure to explore the other neighborhoods as well!

• Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee so be sure to take that into account for game days and events!

• Add Knox to your road trip! Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are just an hour away and Asheville is two hours! Check out my guide to the Gatlinburg area here and my guide to Asheville here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: ​

• Xul Brewing Company: A fantastic brewery with a wide array of beers on tap. Their Sours are my favorite! They have two locations—downtown and Hardin Valley. At the downtown location Abridged Burgers food truck is onsite for eats. They have a nice dog-friendly patio space outside and multiple seating options and TVs inside.

• Stay at The Tennessean Hotel: This luxurious hotel is located in the heart of everything. It is steps away from Old Town and has great Sunsphere views. There are a plethora of amenities here including black car service, golf carts, e-bikes, concierge service, and more! The rooms are spacious, clean and dog-friendly.

  • Their restaurant The Drawing Room is housed on the second floor and specializes in Smoked Old Fashions alongside farm-to-table eats. Their cocktails are superb.

• Pretentious Beer Co: Great beers and cool glasses as they are also a glass company. Hongs Kitchen is inside for eats and they also have a great back patio space that is dog-friendly and heated.  

• A Dopo Pizza: Extraordinarily good pizza, staff that goes out of their way to be incredibly nice, local taps, wine carafes and gelato all in a cute open-concept setting.

• Albright Grove Brewing Company: A good brewery with an interesting mix of styles available. They are dog-friendly inside and out.

• Schulz Brau Brewing: German-style beer garden with classic German brews following the Reinheitsgebot purity laws. They’ve got fire pits, frequent live music, and snacks!

• Crafty Bastard Brewing: This brewery has three locations—downtown, West Knox, and South Knox. They always have a very unique tap list. The vibes are good and dogs are allowed inside.

• Merchants of Beer: A beer bar and bottle shop in an old diner space. They have a great outdoor space and dive bar vibes inside. They are super dog-friendly inside and out.

• Bearden Beer Market: A beer garden/bottle shop combo with a mix of local and afar taps. Frequent food trucks and dog friendly.

• Abridged Beer Company: Tasty beers and a wide variety of colorful sours. They’ve got a great outdoor space and delicious food. Located in the Bearden neighborhood west of downtown.

Xul Brewing Company

touristy things in knoxville worth doing:

• Market Square: The hub of downtown with several bars, restaurants, and shops.

• World’s Fair Park: Be sure to see the Sunsphere and if you’re lucky there might be live music at the amphitheater!

• Ijams Nature Center: A great spot to get outdoors! There are many different trail options here, many of which are on the easier side for family outings.

  • The River Trail Loop takes about 30 minutes and is just 1 mile long with 114ft of elevation gain. It leads to a boardwalk on the river and part of the trail is a paved greenway.

  • Mead’s Quarry is a cool section across the road from the visitor’s center. The Rock Bridge Trail via Imerys Trail is 1.1 miles long, mostly flat, and takes about 25 minutes to complete.

Ijams Nature Center

Other knoxville things to do:

• Alliance Brewing: Solid beers at this ‘active lifestyle’ brewery with outdoor seating.

• Balter Beerworks: A brewpub with solid food and beers and a super friendly staff!

• House Mountain State Park: Great hikes close to the city!

• Next Level Brewing Company: This brewery has a wide variety of beers on tap. They are dog-friendly inside and out and have frequent food trucks. They are located just up the block from Xul and Crafty Bastard.

• Ebony and Ivory Brewing: A solid brewery that is dog-friendly and working to improve the beer industry. They’re the second Black-owned brewery in the state and are located right down the block from Elst Brewing.

• Elst Brewing Company: This brewery is dog-friendly with a food truck out back focused on burgers. They have a nice back patio space and chill vibes.

• Old City Market: If you happen to be in town on the second Sunday of the month or fourth Thursday of the month be sure to wander through this market in Old City! It features local artists and makers selling a variety of goods.

• Printshop Beer Co: Classic brewery vibes with a good variety of beer. Located in South Knoxville near Alliance Brewing.

• Last Days of Autumn Brewing: Average beers, a bit off the beaten path and known for their eats. They are opening St. Lucille’s Cajun Kitchen next to Crafty Bastard soon!

• Downtown Grill and Brewery: Average brewery with outdoor seating and a full food menu. Located in the heart of Gay Street.

Chattanooga, TN

Chattanooga is a nice little city surrounded by nature

Chatt Tips: 

• Get outside! Be sure to take advantage of all of the nature activities in and around Chattanooga.

• Expect a lot of paid parking—even in brewery parking lots.

• On a road trip? Nashville and Knoxville are each about 2 hours away—check out my Nashville guide here and Knoxville guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• Oddstory Brewing: The best brewery in town, by far. Oddstory has two locations—their original taproom that has a full food menu and dog-friendly patio and The Greenhouse that has a beautiful space, taco truck out back, and is dog-friendly inside. They have great specials and they also have cocktails and wine.

• Pax Breu Ruim: A great beer bar that has a legit selection available. They are dog-friendly inside and located right near the original Oddstory taproom.

• Mean Mug Coffeehouse: A great coffee shop with locations downtown and on the Northshore. They have coffee, breakfast, lunch and chill vibes. I was very impressed with my massive biscuit sandwich that was only $6.

• Timberroot Rustic Retreat: I booked a cabin through them on Airbnb and enjoyed my stay. It was a cute and cozy cabin with a hot tub and communal fire pit. It was only 10 minutes to downtown by still surrounded by nature—though there is some street noise.

The Greenhouse by Oddstory Brewing

touristy things to do in chattanooga that are worth it:

• Cloudland Canyon State Park: This is a great park just across the border in Georgia. It is about 30 minutes from downtown Chattanooga and worth exploring! There is a $5 entrance fee to the park. They also have camping, yurts, and cabins here.

  • I chose to combine the Cloudland Canyon West Rim Loop and Cherokee and Hemlock Falls Trail which was 5.5 miles long with 1,180ft of elevation gain and took just under 3 hours. The Rim Loop was pretty boring—there were a couple of viewpoints but they were not as nice as the viewpoint at the parking lot. The waterfall trail was nice with two large falls, but be aware there are a lot of stairs on this trail. It also connects to the Sittons Gulch Trail.

• Ruby Falls: An underground waterfall tour that it lit up. It is touristy but cool.

• Walk the Market Street Bridge: This pedestrian friendly bridge connects downtown and the Northshore. Coolidge Park on the Northshore is a nice spot for bridge views. Grab a coffee from Provisions at The Edwin Hotel right before the bridge for your walk!

• Sculpture Fields at Montague Park: A 33 acre park with sculptures to wander around outside. It is free and a nice activity.

Ruby Falls

other things to do in chattanooga:

• Wanderlinger Brewing Company: An average brewery with a solid food menu including build your own grilled cheese. Their parking lot requires payment.

• Hutton and Smith Brewing Company: A brewery with a very unique tap list just down the block from Oddstory’s Greenhouse. Dog-friendly and nice folks.

• Cherry Street Brewing: An average brewery with a wide variety of beers. They have a food menu and two different taproom spaces—the left side is more of a restaurant and the right side is a casual taproom. Cherry Street is located on the Northshore across the river from downtown. They also have two locations in Georgia.

• Rock City Gardens: An “enchanted trail” where you walk through rock formations. It is touristy and a bit odd. You can see 7 states from the midway viewpoint which is neat. Dog-friendly.

• Tailgate Brewery: An average brewery with locations across Tennessee. I had really bad service at this brewery and would recommend exploring the other spots in Chattanooga ahead of this one. They have a dog-friendly back patio and pizza menu with sports bar vibes. Their parking lot is paid.

Savannah, GA

Savannah is a gorgeous, quintessentially Southern city that is super fun to visit!

Savannah Tips: 

• It gets incredibly hot and humid in Savannah, be mindful when planning your trip—I would recommend spring or fall for the best experience, but if you visit in the summer be sure to stay hydrated!

• It’s a pretty small city overall, you can easily do it all in a weekend!

• Savannah is near the ocean, but not on the ocean—this isn’t a beach vacation, which some people misunderstand. You can easily do day trips to the surrounding beaches though!

• Drink on the streets! Savannah allows folks to walk around with beverages so most places offer to-go drinks. Just make sure you have a plastic cup!

• Not just based on the open drink law, but in general Savannah has very similar vibes to New Orleans. If you like Savannah I would recommend NOLA and vice-versa.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: ​

• Two Tides Brewing: I LOVE Two Tides. Every beer I have had there has been absolutely incredible, and trust me, I have drank a LOT of their beers. I highly recommend a visit! They are located in a super cute renovated house with a balcony, games, and snacks available.

  • Smol Bar: They also have a tiny taproom on the side of their building with beer, cocktails, and snacks.

• Starland Yard: A food truck park directly next to Two Tides. The food trucks rotate, but Vittoria Pizza and the Yard Bar are always there. The pizza is outrageously delicious and overall it is a cool spot!

• Hop Atomica: A great brewery that offers food as well. They have a nice patio space and make their own liquor for cocktails too! I particularly enjoyed their IPAs.

• Electric Moon: A fun rooftop bar on top of the JW Marriott with a slide and other fun games plus stellar river views. It’s a great place to catch the sunset and I highly recommend the boozy cakepops!

• Service Brewing: A Veteran-owned brewery with tons of games and a fun space

Two Tides Brewing Company

• Stay at The Alida Hotel: The Alida is a luxurious hotel with adorable rooms and thoughtful touches everywhere you turn. They have a gorgeous pool, fire pits, and even a daily wine happy hour that I highly recommend taking advantage of! It is conveniently located in the heart of the city and easily one of the nicest places I’ve had the pleasure of staying at.

  • The Lost Square is their rooftop bar with nice views of Savannah and the river. They also have a small food menu up here if you’re hungry!

  • Rhett is their full-service restaurant located on the ground floor. It is a super cute spot offering brunch, dinner and a bar. The brunch was incredibly delicious! If you’re going for dinner I would recommend a reservation.

• Bull Street Taco: Great tacos, a few local beers on tap, and outside seating options.

• Perc Coffee: A coffee production facility/coffee shop combo. The staff is super nice, coffee is amazing, and breakfast snacks will make you drool! The everything croissant was SO good.

• The Grove: A fun restaurant and rooftop bar near the City Market. The rooftop food menu is slightly smaller than the downstairs menu but it is worth it for the views and vibes.

• Alley Cat: A speakeasy style bar in an actual alley. It is super cute and the drinks are delicious. They also have a small food menu.

• Big Bon Bodega: Bagels and hot or iced coffee in a super cute space with really nice staff! They also have pizza at night.

Electric Moon

touristy things in savannah worth doing:

• Forsyth Park: A gorgeous park in the center of the city, definitely worth walking through at some point during your stay!

• Wander the Squares: Savannah has 22 historic square parks throughout the city that are charming and make for a perfect stroll through the city. Some have fountains, some have statues, some are full of locals picnicking—find your favorite!

• The City Market: This is not exactly a market anymore but more of a street with restaurants and bars. It is a fun spot to hang out and people watch.

  • Georgia Tasting Room is a good spot in the Market with extremely cheap wine tastings and a variety of beers, mixed drinks, and frozen drinks as well!

Tybee Island

other savannah things to do:

• Tacos + Tequila: A fun spot for you guessed it—tacos and tequila! They have a variety of Latin-style food items and the queso is delicious! They also have a nice outdoor space.

• Moon River Brewing: You’re at Moon River for the atmosphere more than for the beer. It is located right in the heart of the Historic District with a huge outdoor patio

• Coastal Empire Beer Co.: Another brewery you can check out, this one has a pretty small beer selection

• Foxy Loxy: A cute cafe with Tex Mex, wine and beer, cheese plates, kolaches, and a nice outdoor space!

  • They also have another location named The Coffee Fox downtown that is strictly coffee and pastries.

• Southbound Brewing: Another solid brewery a little off the beaten path with a warehouse style taproom

• White Whale Craft Ales: A craft beer market and taproom with ten beers on tap

• Starland Strange and Bazaar: An eclectic shop and ice cream parlor directly across the street from Two Tides Brewing.

• Paris Market and Café: An adorable shop and coffee stop!

• Peregrin Rooftop Bar: Located inside the Perry Lane Hotel, this rooftop has nice views, small plates, a few beers on tap, full bar, and in the summer frose! You’re paying for the view, so if you’re budget conscious don’t plan to spend a lot of time here.

• Rise Biscuit Co.: A Southern chain offering delicious breakfast biscuits in the heart of downtown.

• Riverside Biergarten: A cute spot along the river for some beers! They have limited hours so be sure to check before heading over.

  • Graffito Pizza is right next door if you’re hungry but I will forewarn that my experience there was not great.

• Urban Poppy: An adorable shop with a variety of flower arrangements and fun accessories.

• Take a day trip to Tybee Island—it wasn’t my favorite beach but if you don’t live close to the ocean you might want to go get your beach fix! Heads up, it can get really crowded and the parking is quite expensive. The tide can come up really high so watch your stuff if you’re in the water!

  • I ate at Fannie’s on the Beach and wasn’t super impressed but they do have a cool balcony upstairs with beach views (open Wednesday-Sunday during the summer only)

Miami, FL

Miami is a beautiful beach city with fun vibes and some great breweries, bars, and restaurants!

Miami Tips: 

• Miami is more than just a party beach, make sure you explore all the city has to offer!

• I would recommend staying on the city side, it is way cheaper, and it is just a quick ride to the beach.

• A lot of businesses add in an 18% tip automatically, so just be sure to double check your bill so you know which spots are including it and which are not.

• If you’re also visiting Fort Lauderdale, or flying in/out of there, there is a train that runs between the two cities. Fort Lauderdale recommendations below!

Adventures & Ales Top Miami Recommendations: 

• Explore the Wynwood Neighborhood!

  • J. Wakefield Brewing: Taproom closed. While they are looking for a new space snag their beer on tap around town.

  • Wynwood Walls: It's hard to miss the amazing artwork that lines the walls of this neighborhood! Wander the streets and check out all of the amazing pieces. There is also a specific area that you can pay to enter and explore, but from my perspective there is plenty of gorgeous free art throughout the area.

  • Traveling with a group? AvantStay has some amazing larger homes for rent! Use my link here to save $250 off your stay!

  • Coyo Taco: A popular taco spot with delicious food!

  • No. 3 Social: A fun rooftop bar and lounge. The views are average, but it is still a nice spot to hang out. They also do a happy hour with great deals!

  • Oasis: A shipping container-style outdoor food hall. It is super cute and a great spot to hang out.

  • The Bagel Club: A great bagel shop with delicious sandwiches and a cute back patio. You can also preorder online.

  • Kush: A restaurant and beer bar with a solid tap list and full food menu.

  • Wynwood Brewing: A fun spot with board games, flights, and an outdoor patio

• Tripping Animals Brewing Co.: A great brewery in Doral with a wide variety of beers. They also have a killer food menu—the mushroom sandwich was phenomenal.

Oasis Wynwood

Miami Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:

• Miami Beach: While in Miami you’ve got to hit the beach! The sand is white and soft and the water stays pretty warm year round.

• Bike along A1A Beachfront Avenue: It's the perfect way to explore all of the coastline.

• Stroll along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach to check out the art deco buildings!

• Other Miami Beach Ideas:

  • Naked Taco: A boujee taco spot on the main strip of Miami Beach

  • Juice and Java: A health-focused cafe with a very large menu of salads, smoothies and more

  • Cortadito: A coffee shop in the heart of Miami Beach with delicious drinks and fun vibes

  • Joe & The Juice: Absolutely would not recommend. Overpriced, mediocre juices and smoothies with no air conditioning.

• Versailles Cuban Restaurant: Touristy but delicious Cuban food.

Orchestrated Minds Brewing

Head to Fort Lauderdale for some more brewery hopping:

• Orchestrated Minds Brewing: A tiny little spot making delicious beers—especially their Stouts and Barleywines! Their team is also incredibly nice and it is a fun spot to hang out.

  • Vegan Junkie is a delicious vegan junk food truck around the corner!

• Invasive Species Brewing: Another great brewery in Fort Lauderdale with fantastic beers, especially the Sours! They have a nice back patio space and frequent food trucks.

• 3 Sons Brewing: A restaurant-style brewery specializing in Pizzas and Lagers. They are just 6 minutes from the Fort Lauderdale airport, so if you are flying in/out it is a great stop on the way.

• Funky Buddha Brewing: Technically just north of Fort Lauderdale, but one of the largest and oldest breweries in South Florida so it is worth a stop. They have restaurant vibes and a full food menu.

• While you’re in the area check out Hollywood Beach—it is another fantastic beach with beautiful soft, white sand

Bagel Club

Other Miami Ideas:

• Unseen Creatures Brewing & Blending: Another brewery option with a dark taproom, IPA-heavy tap list, and frequent food pop-ups.

• Beat Culture Brewing & Kitchen: An interesting brewery with a bar food menu and dive bar vibes. They are 6 minutes from the Miami airport so it’s an easy stop on your way in/out of town.

• Toasted Baglery and Deli: A small bagel shop nestled on your way to the beach in Miami City with delicious sandwiches and coffees.

• Ittle Italy: Delicious vegan pizza delivery option!

• Panther Coffee: They’ve got several locations throughout Miami and Miami Beach with breakfast sandwiches, pastries and coffees.

• Spanglish: A cocktail bar and kitchen with club-ish vibes. Definitely not what was expected.

• Zak The Baker: A popular bakery in the Wynwood neighborhood. Check your order before walking away because mine was completely inaccurate, but the bagel itself was tasty.

Jacksonville, FL

The Jacksonville Beach area has several different towns along the beautiful coast to explore!

Jax Beach Tips: 

• The beaches here are nice and also are dog friendly during the off season.

• I found the Jax Beach area to not be super pedestrian friendly. It would be tough to get around without a car and when I did walk from one spot to another there were generally not a lot of crosswalks.

• I was disappointed in the lack of oceanfront restaurants/breweries/bars/coffee shops. Personally when I go on a beach trip I want to see the ocean as much as possible without always having to be sitting on the beach sweating. Spots with a view were few and far between.

• I’d recommend checking out the Amelia Island area while you’re in Northern Florida, recommendations are below. It is a cute little coastal town with great vibes.

• Skip the city of Jacksonville itself and hang at the beach, but if you do venture into the city I have some recommendations on that below.

Jacksonville Beach Area Top Recommendations:

• Hit the beach! That’s probably the reason you’re in the area, and Jax Beach is really nice. There are public restrooms and parking near Oceanfront Park but things are more limited near the fishing pier and pavilion end.

• Southern Swells Brewing: The best brewery in the area, hands down. They have a cute little taproom in a strip mall with a small patio out front. I was thoroughly impressed with all of their beers, no matter the style.

• Jax Beach Brunch Haus: A very popular spot for brunch. Expect a wait, but the vibes are great and the food is good. Their team is incredibly nice!

•  9 Zero Pour: A beer bar and bottle shop with 16 taps and cans/bottles. They’ve got a great selection on tap and in package.

• Engine 15 Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a large tap list including several guest taps. They also have a full food menu. The vibes here are very “Florida dive bar” but I was impressed with their beer.

• Hoptinger Bier Garden and Sausage House: A beer bar and restaurant with a full food menu and large tap list. They also have a location in downtown Jacksonville.

• Round Bird Coffee: A South African inspired coffee shop close to the beach. They’ve also got a full food menu with unique offerings.

• Ink Factory Brewing: An average brewery with a large tap list and wide variety of beers brewed. They also have a coffee shop.

• Green Room Brewing: An average brewery with lots of games such as ping-pong, darts, Golden Tee, and more. Heads up this spot gets pretty crazy late in the evening.

Southern Swells Brewing Company

Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach area top Recommendations:

The beach here is nice and there are a plethora of access points along the coast. The only con to these beaches is that you have to pay for parking past 11am. Pro-tip there is a somewhat hidden public bathroom behind the police station.

• Reve Brewing: A great brewery with Bones Pizza inside. Their Sours and Stouts are particularly delicious and the pizza was also good.

• The Local: A great spot for brunch with a nice patio. They also offer lunch and dinner. The prices are great, especially for being at the beach. I went here twice during my trip because I enjoyed it so much!

• Southern Grounds: A coffee shop with a full food menu and even alcohol too. They have a large patio and are just a couple blocks from the beach.

The Local

Jacksonville Area Top Recommendations:

I found Jacksonville itself to be pretty rundown and not the nicest city, so I would definitely recommend spending your time at the beach towns in the area instead.

• Cultured Collective: A great brewery in Orange Park. They have an open air space which is great for the Florida weather and their Sours in particular are delicious!

• Aardwolf Brewing Company: A solid brewery with a huge tap list pouring a wide variety of beers. It’s a great spot to grab a flight since they do so many different styles. They have a nice outdoor space and a permanent food truck onsite.

• Friendship Fountain: A popular park and large fountain that is one of the main attractions in Jacksonville.

• King Maker Brewing Company: An average brewery with a wide variety of taps. Choose to sit inside the taproom or in the warehouse space to the right which has some games and and is open air. They also have an onsite food truck.

• Strings Sports Brewery: An average brewery with a nice beer garden space and games in the taproom. They are located right downtown and they have a kitchen with a large menu. Hyperion Brewing and Historically Hoppy are right here too if you’re doing a crawl.

Amelia Island Brewing Company

Amelia Island AreA top Recommendations:

• Hit the beach! At Seaside Park you can drive onto the beach and at Main Beach Park there is ample parking and public restrooms.

• Mocama Beer Company: A beautiful brewery in a converted car dealership with great beers. They also have a coffee shop and are adding a kitchen in the future, along with opening a second location in the Wildlight neighborhood. They mainly focus on Lagers and IPAs but they brew a lot of small batches so there is always something on tap for every palate. Their team is super nice and they also host a lot of fun events.

• Amelia Island Brewing Company: A popular brewery in the heart of downtown. Choose to visit The Alley, a beer garden style space with a smaller tap list and snack menu or The Tavern next door that is a restaurant-style space with a full bar.

• Amelia River Cruises: This is an awesome way to get out on the water and see more of the area. The guides are entertaining and share interesting facts and information along the way. There are several different cruise options and they are BYOB and dog friendly.

• First Love Brewing: A solid brewery with a full food menu. Their Sours are what I enjoyed most!

Saint Petersburg, FL

Saint Petersburg is an artsy beach town with chill vibes that Is a great place to explore!

St Pete Tips: 

• Central Avenue is absolutely the place to be. This street runs from West St. Pete to the water and has about 2.5 miles of restaurants, coffee shops, bars, breweries, shopping, and more.

• Hop on the trolley! There is a well-priced trolley that will take you throughout the area—whether that is up and down Central Ave or out to the beach.

• Fly into PIE—St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport! This small airport is super easy to fly in/out of and is a great launching point for your adventures in Florida. Check out my thoughts on flying Allegiant Airlines here.

• Be sure to head across the bridge and explore Tampa while you are in the area as well! Check out my beer and travel guide here.

Adventures & Ales Top St. Pete Recommendations: 

• Cycle Brewing: A top-notch brewery focused on Barrel Aged Stouts and Barleywines. Their team is super kind as well. This was the best beer I had in St. Pete and I would highly recommend checking them out.

• Green Bench Brewing: A fantastic Lager-focused brewery with great beers and a killer patio space.

  • Webb’s City Cellar is Green Bench’s Mixed Culture, Wild, Sour, and Cider location right next door. The two locations somewhat blend together with the shared patio space, but be sure to check out both.

  • Green Bench and Webb’s City Cellar are both Bring Your Own Food establishments and there are a ton of places nearby you can pick up from or have delivered.

    • I got Mexican from right next door at Red Mesa Mercado, that was tasty but I would caution that they completely messed up my order so check it before you walk away.

• Hawthorne Bottle Shoppe: A beer and wine bottle shop and bar with good vibes. This is a really cool spot and they have a good selection of beers to choose from. They also have a food menu and an outdoor patio.

• Grand Central Brewhouse: A European beer focused brewery that features a unique tap list. They have indoor and outdoor seating both upstairs and downstairs, and a nice railing to sit at and overlook Central Ave.

• Overflow Brewing: A Sour-focused brewery with delicious beers.

• Bayboro Brewing: A solid veteran-owned brewery with a great patio, happy hour specials, and a food menu as well. Their tap list includes a wide variety of beers.

• Fabrica Pizza: A delicious pizza spot where you can choose from their menu options or build your own pie.

• Hops 2.0: A beer bar with a solid selection to choose from. They have 28 taps and food options as well. The vibes are definitely more “normal bar” than craft beer bar, but I would visit again for their beer list.

• The Brutalist/Temple of Beer: A brewery and taproom from the folks at King State and Hidden Springs in Tampa coming soon.

Webb’s City Cellar

saint petersburg Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Canopy at The Birchwood: A rooftop bar on top of the The Birchwood Hotel with sweeping views of the bay and city. They have great specials for Happy Hour and overall great vibes.

• Paradeco Coffee: An adorable coffee shop with a food menu as well. They also have a plethora of vegan and gluten free options. Located near the St. Pete Pier.

• The Dalí Museum: An art museum featuring works from Salvador Dalí and a rotating special exhibit. Tickets are $29 and you should book ahead of time online for a timed entrance. The museum also has a nice garden area in the back. Overall there were some good pieces but I thought the museum was a bit small for $29.

• Hit the beach! Head over to St. Pete Beach or Clearwater Beach for some time on the sand. The trolley is by far the cheapest way to get out there.

Dali Museum

Other st. pete ideas:​​​

• Arkane Aleworks: Arkane is not located in St. Pete, they are in Largo about 30 minutes away, but they are a top-notch brewery so I had to include them here.

• If I Brewed The World Brewery: A small brewery with a nice back patio and average beers. Located just up the block from 3 Daughters.

• St. Pete Brewing Company: An average brewery in the heart of downtown with a small patio space and pretty cool vibes.

• Pinellas Ale Works: A spacious dog themed brewery with average beers and frequent food trucks.

• Cage Brewing: A mediocre brewery with a large patio and somewhat trashy vibes. Located right across the street from Pinellas Ale Works.

• 3 Daughters Brewing: A popular brewery with mediocre beers. They have a warehouse bar, a main bar, and a full game room. They have a food menu as well and offer specials Monday-Friday.

Tampa, FL

Tampa has some fantastic breweries & Cool spots to explore, plus the weather is basically always great—what more do you need?

Tampa Tips: 

• I would recommend checking flights into the St. Pete-Clearwater airport if you are flying in addition to directly to Tampa—I found some great deals into PIE and it is a much smaller and easier to navigate airport. Check out my thoughts on flying Allegiant Air here.

• Tampa has some areas of town that are not super safe, so just be aware of your surroundings and be smart.

• Head across the bridge to the cute artsy, beachy city of St. Pete! Check out my beer and travel guide here!

Adventures & Ales Top Tampa Recommendations: 

• Angry Chair Brewing: A fantastic Stout-focused brewery with absolutely incredible beers. Their current taproom is small but they are moving into a new space soon.

• BarrieHaus Beer Co.: A killer Lager-focused brewery. They offer side pull and slow pours of a variety of beers that are delicious. They have a nice little patio along with pretzels and Cuban sandwiches.

  • I would caution that they are a stop for the brew bus tours so when the bus pulls up it is incredibly packed with drunk people, so try to visit on a weekday or an off time.

• Woven Water Brewing: A top-notch brewery with great vibes and delicious beers. I was impressed with their Fruited Sours, IPAs, and Stouts. The team here is also incredibly nice!

• Hidden Springs Ale Works: A Sour and Stout focused brewery in an artsy taproom. Highly recommend getting a flight so you can try a variety of their beers. They are just up the road from the food hall Armature Works if you are hungry!

• Garagiste Meadery: A fantastic meadery right between Hidden Springs and Magnanimous. Their small tasting room has chill vibes and you can see a lot of the production which is always cool. If you are unfamiliar with mead it is very boozy and very pricey as a forewarning, so take it slow and enjoy!

• Magnanimous Brewing: An IPA-focused brewery with great beers and a relaxed atmosphere. They also have a coffee program and a taproom in Bradenton.

• King State: A brewery, restaurant, and coffee shop all in one. Their space is a cute 70’s style set-up and their beer menu is focused on Lagers. They are known for their breakfast and they do Pizzas on Friday nights that are great.

Barriehaus

Tampa Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Oxford Exchange: A restaurant, coffee shop, tea bar, book shop, champagne bar, and store all in one! This place is absolutely adorable and I highly recommend visiting for brunch, coffee, tea, cocktails, shopping or afternoon tea.

• Armature Works: An awesome food hall in a beautiful restored building. There are a ton of different food vendors, a couple of bars, and seating indoors and out. It is right on the river and a walking trail runs through the area as well.

• Explore Ybor City: this neighborhood reminded me a lot of New Orleans with bars, restaurants, cigar lounges, and balconies everywhere. It’s a popular area especially at night.

• Hit the beach! Drive over to the coast or down the bay for some of the best beaches in the US.

Oxford Exchange

Other Tampa Bay Things To Do:​

• 7venth Sun Brewery: An average brewery with fun flight “trees” to sample a variety of their beers.

• Cigar City Brewing: A commercialized brewery with a large taproom and full food menu.

• Coppertail Brewing Co.: An average brewery with a full food menu and a small patio space.

• Bastet Brewing: A unique brewery that is just up the road from Coppertail focused on Sours with an interesting tap list.

• Zydeco Brew Werks: A mediocre brewery in Ybor City that is New Orleans themed and more restaurant than beer focused.

Atlanta, GA

ATLANTA is a fantastic city that gets a bad rep for its notorious traffic, but don't let that deter you, it’s a cool place!

ATL Tips: 

• Okay for real though the traffic in Atlanta is ferocious, ​do not drive any time near rush hour or you will regret it! For hours and hours and hours.

• Be mindful of where you are staying because Atlanta is MASSIVE. If you know you’re going to spend most of your time in Midtown, for example, don’t book someplace to stay on the opposite side of town because you will spend a ton of time/money driving or Ubering.

Adventures & Ales Top Atlanta Recommendations: 

• Monday Night Brewing: SO great. One of my favorite breweries in the world. The staff is fantastic, the beers are delicious, and the environment is ideal. Bring your dogs, hang out on the patio, and drink up!

  • Monday Night Garage: Located in the Lee + White West End establishment, this is MNB’s second location in ATL. They’ve got a nice outdoor deck and plenty of space inside as well, with an art pop-up and BBQ food truck.

  • Wild Heaven Beer is in this establishment too! They’ve got a nice outdoor space, tasty beers, and delicious food from Comida Fina.

• Halfway Crooks: An incredible Lager focused brewery with an open air rooftop and small food menu.

• Contrast Artisan Ales: A cute little brewery with solid beers and usually a plethora of dogs to pet.

• 3 Taverns: Another great brewery with two locations: The Parlour is the OG brewery and production space and located in Decatur. The Imaginarium is located in the Atlanta Dairies complex right off the BeltLine.

• The Vortex: Mouthwatering goodness. Two locations, go to the one in Little Five Points, it's the original. Nachos, burgers, fries with marshmallow sauce... it goes on and on.

• Center for Civil and Human Rights: One of the best museums I've ever been to. Explore the Civil Rights Movement and human rights movements around the world. Interactive and engaging throughout.

• Piedmont Park: The classic ATL park, it is gorgeous. Sometimes there are festivals, and there’s always lots of dogs to hang out with.

  • A good option is to walk the BeltLine to get here!

• Orpheus Brewing: Set behind Piedmont Park, they have a ton of really great beers!

• Little Five Points Neighborhood: full of bars, theaters, and shops, definitely the trendiest neighborhood in the city.

• The Porter Beer Bar: In the center of Little Five Points, they have a vast selection of beers.

Halfway Crooks

Atlanta Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• The Battery: Home to Truist Park where The Braves play, a plethora of bars and restaurants, shopping, and more! Our favorite spot was Terrapin Taproom which also serves Fox Bros BBQ.

• Centennial Olympic Park: A park, where the Olympics were held. Oh sorry was that obvious from the name? It's actually super pretty with the Ferris wheel and the fountains, a great spot for a picnic or to wander about when it's busy on a Sunday.

• The Varsity: A famous drive-in perfect for late night eats. Noms. 

• SweetWater Brewing: A fun spot to hang out. Live music, lots of beers only at the taproom and not distributed

The Center for Civil and Human Rights

Other Atlanta Things To Do:

• Stone Mountain: Make the climb! Awesome views of the city skyline from the top.

• New Realm Brewing: A fun brewery with lots of outside space, frequent live music, and a food menu. It’s located right on the Beltline too!

• Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Party: English afternoon tea in a fun and quirky little café.

• Aurora Coffee: Really delicious and centrally located. Also good for bagels!

• Jimmy Carter Presidential Museum and Library: Nerd out in the model West Wing and learn all about Jimmy Carter's life and legacy.

• Elsewhere Brewing: A solid restaurant-style brewery. Their food menu has yummy empanadas and sandwiches.

• Eventide Brewing: Located right down the block from Elsewhere, they have a wide variety of beers and board games.

• Ponce City Market: Shopping, food options, and a connection to the BeltLine

  • Nine Mile Station is the rooftop bar that is worth checking out!

  • If you decide not to eat here, 8arm is right across the street and has delicious food!

• Float down the Chattahoochee River: slightly outside of town but well worth the trip! This is exactly what you're picturing when you hear "float down the river"--beer, tube islands, and a very fun time

  • We went with Shoot The Hootch and I would recommend it!

• Antico Pizza: extremely good pizza and it's huge!

Monday Night Brewing

Spots to visit in the atl suburbs:

• Variant Brewing Co.: Located in Roswell and arguably the best brewery in the suburbs. Variant has fantastic brews and chill vibes.

• Gate City Brewing: Also in Roswell, Gate City is more of your traditional brewery with a warehouse set-up and frequent food trucks.

• Pontoon Brewing: A fantastic brewery in Sandy Springs with unique and crazy ingredients in their beers.

• From the Earth Brewing Company: A restaurant-style brewery in Roswell with delicious food and solid beers.

• Pop’s Coffee Co.: A very unique coffeeshop in Roswell housed with a motorcycle shop. Their coffees & breakfast foods are delicious.

• Six Bridges Brewing: Located in Johns Creek, this brewery has a great outdoor space and a very chill atmosphere.

• Reformation Brewery: A large operation, they have 3 locations: Canton, Smyrna, and Woodstock. The Smyrna location has outdoor seating along the Chattahoochee River.

• Anderby Brewing: Located in Peachtree Corners, Anderby has yummy beers and super nice staff members.

• Social Fox Brewing: Situated in the heart of Norcross with average beers and frequent food trucks.

• Cultivation Brewing: Also in Norcross, Cultivation has great beers, games, and a nice patio space.

• NoFo Brewing: NoFo is in Cumming and I personally cannot recommend visiting. Their space is overwhelmed by screaming children, disrespectful staff members, and overall bad times.

Richmond, VA

Richmond is a fantastic beer city to visit! They are cranking out some delicious brews and have some awesome places to explore.

RVA Tips: 

• Hang out in Scott’s Addition—there’s a plethora of breweries, cideries, wineries, and distilleries all within walking distance of each other.

• Bop around Carytown and The Fan! These two neighborhoods are overflowing with restaurants, bars and shops to explore.

Adventures & Ales Top Richmond Recommendations: ​

• The Veil Brewing Co.: Their main location in Scott’s Addition has a fantastic outdoor patio to relax on with a variety of beers to choose from. Their Sours and Stouts are my personal favorites that they make! In Scott’s Addition they’ve got Nokoribi inside with a Japanese yakitori inspired menu.

  • The Funkhaust Cafe is their smaller funkier taproom with chill vibes and a small tap list. The hours are limited here so be sure to check ahead of time.

  • Forest Hill is their third, larger location and is across the river in Richmond. Y Tu Mama is located inside this location serving up delicious Mexican eats.

• Triple Crossing Beer: Their Fulton location has chill vibes and is one of my favorites spots in town to hang out. There is a ton of outdoor space, great pizzas, and absolutely phenomenal IPAs! Their downtown location has a great patio as well.

• The Answer Brewpub: Great beers, particularly their ‘Joose’ Fruit Beer series and Stouts. They’ve also got tasty food.

• Nate’s Bagels: A delicious bagel shop downtown. Order online ahead of time to skip the line!

• Mekong: A Vietnamese restaurant and beer bar with a superb tap list. It is connected to The Answer Brewpub and owned by the same folks.

• Roastology: A delicious spot for breakfast and coffee! Their biscuits are massive and delightful.

• Final Gravity Brewing Company: A great brewery just outside of central Richmond specializing in Hazy IPAs. They have a beautiful, dog-friendly taproom as well!

• Corks and Kegs: A killer bottle shop with a few taps and great selection of cans and bottles.

Nate’s Bagels

Other things to do in richmond:

• SB’s Love Shack: A fun dive-bar-esque spot for breakfast, lunch and brunch. They have two locations: Lakeside and Main Street.

• Tabol Brewing: A Lager focused brewery in the northside neighborhood. They have a nice patio and a cute space. They have their own food truck onsite and frequent live music.

• Vasen Brewing Company: A brewery with a wide variety of beers just up the block from The Veil in the Scott’s Addition neighborhood.

• Hardywood Park Craft Brewery: A large brewery with lots of outdoor space and chill vibes. Their Stouts and seasonal releases are what they do best!

• Benchtop Brewing: A Lager focused brewery in the Manchester neighborhood with solid brews. Their main taproom is in Norfolk, VA.

• Zorch Pizza: A delicious spot for ‘za in the Carytown neighborhood. Heads up this is a popular spot!

• Richbrau Brewing: A solid brewery right downtown with a small food menu. Their Sours are particularly good!

• 821 Café: A delicious spot for brunch! They’ve got lots of vegan and vegetarian options as well.

• Bingo Beer Co.: Another brewery in Scott’s Addition with a full arcade and food menu.

• Cupertino’s Bagels: Yummy New York style bagels!

• Social 52 Kitchen and Craft Bar: A restaurant and bar with a solid beer selection and craft cocktails. Right near SB’s so if you have to wait for brunch this is an ideal spot to grab a drink while you wait!

• Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop: A popular brewery in Scott’s Addition with a lovely rooftop patio. They usually have a food truck out front as well. The beer here is average.

• Ardent Craft Ales: One of RVA’s OG breweries with average beers and a nice patio space. Located in Scott’s Addition.

Norfolk, VA

THe Port City of Norfolk is a great spot to spend a weekend!

NFK Tips: 

• Norfolk is a bit spread out so be sure to plan your travels out ahead of time to avoid backtracking across the area.

• Virginia Beach neighbors Norfolk, check out a couple of top recommendations for the city at the bottom of this guide.

• Visit hungry. Everything we ate in Norfolk was extraordinarily good!

• Norfolk is just 1.5 hours from both The Outer Banks and Richmond—check out my guide to OBX here and RVA here.

Adventures & Ales Top Norfolk Recommendations:

• Codex: A wildly delicious restaurant in the heart of downtown Norfolk. I cannot emphasize enough how great everything was—the food was superb and portions were large, the cocktails were fantastic, and the team was super nice. Highly recommend!

• The Veil Brewing Company: The Norfolk taproom of Richmond’s hype brewery The Veil has great beers and a ton of space. Lil Za Pizza is inside making delicious ‘za and they have a small patio out front that is dog-friendly. Stouts, Barleywines and Sours are what they do best here.

• Explore the Chelsea District:

  • Benchtop Brewing: A nice spot with a wide variety of beers. They have indoor and outdoor seating at this taproom and a location in Richmond.

  • Smartmouth Brewing Company: A popular brewery with solid beers and frequent events. Ghost Kitchen food truck lives onsite for eats and they also have a taproom in Virginia Beach.

  • The Birch: A great spot for craft beer, cider, mead, grilled cheese and charcuterie. They have a beautiful space and a small front patio.

  • Grandiflora Wine Garden: A wine bar at an inn with a vegetarian food menu. The use of the word “garden” feels a bit strong here and the wine is very pricey.

• Commune: A great spot for breakfast, lunch, coffee, or happy hour. The food here is fantastic and the team is very nice. They have indoor seating with coffee shop vibes and a small front patio. Commune also has a location in Virginia Beach right next to Esoteric.

  • This is located in Norfolk’s NEON District, an area with street art and shops.

• Handsome Biscuit: A fun old school style spot for sweet potato biscuits that are delicious.

• Cure Coffeehouse: A cute spot downtown for coffee with a small food menu.

• Reaver Beach Brewing: A solid brewery with a nice team. They have frequent food trucks and events and are dog-friendly inside and out. IPAs are what they do best here! They’re Norfolk taproom is a 3 minute drive from The Veil and they also have a space in Virginia Beach.

The Veil Brewing

norfolk Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:

• Norfolk Botanical Gardens: Beautiful gardens to explore! Tickets are $16 and on Sundays they are dog friendly! They have a massive layout and it is fun to explore.

• Check out the Elizabeth River Trail: This is a 10.5 mile long trail along the waterfront that is great for walking, running and biking.

• American Rover Sunset Cruise: These daily sunset river cruises offer a relaxing journey down the Elizabeth River. The schooner operates via wind on the way out of the harbor and motor on the way back. There is a bar and a bathroom onboard plus a musician. Tickets are $40 Sunday-Thursday and $45 on Fridays and Saturdays. There are a few other companies offering various versions of river cruises as well.

• Town Point Park: A waterfront park with frequent live music and events.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

recommendations for Virginia Beach & The Surrounding ARea:

• Esoteric: A delightful beer bar and restaurant located in the Vibe Creative District. They have a great tap list, cocktails, and wine along with delicious food. This is a very cute spot with a great back patio as well.

• Commonwealth Brewing Company: A fantastic brewery specializing in IPAs and Sours. They are just north of the airport and worth detouring for. Commonwealth also has coffee and tea in the morning and a pizza kitchen. Their taproom is a popular spot and they have a nice large outdoor space too.

• Oozlefinch Beers and Blending: A Sour-focused brewery in Fort Monroe. Their taproom is right off Fort Monroe National Monument and the outside seating has some water views.

• Coastal Fermentory: A great brewery in The Yard District of Newport News. Their Hazy IPAs are delicious and they have a nice taproom and small patio. A second taproom will be opening in Newport News soon.

Pensacola, FL

Pensacola's beaches are pristine + being located on Florida's panhandle makes it a quick drive from much of the southeast US

Pensacola Tips: 

• Most lodging on the beachfront of Pensacola can be quite pricey, but if you stay in Gulf Breeze, between downtown Pensacola and Pensacola beach prices are downright cheap!

• There are a few restaurants right on the beach, but I would recommend stopping at the grocery on your way there instead

Adventures & Ales Top pensacola Recommendations: 

• Pensacola Bay Brewery: Extremely delicious beers right in central downtown Pensacola. Embrace your inner pirate matey

• Gulf Coast Brewery: Large TVs, darts, a cigar lounge, a wine room, pet-friendly, and an outside patio. This brewery has it all!

• The Drowsy Poet Coffee Company: The setting is why you are going. The coffee is also really good, but the view of the bay is fantastic. Go early to be in peace!

• Ye Olde Brothers Brewery: Located closer to Navarre, this brewery gives you tons of options for your flight so that they are more like shooters than samples, but they are all solid!

Pensacola Bay Brewery

Pensacola Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• Mmmm the beach. Duh.

Skip:

• Goat Lips Chew and Brewhouse: A strange place. Beer is not very good. Food is average. Outside patio is full of flies. Meh.

Birmingham, AL

Birmingham is an up and coming southern city with lots of history and some great breweries

Bham Tips: 

• The city is pretty spread out so it would be tough to venture without a car!

Adventures & Ales Top Birmingham Recommendations: 

• Avondale Brewing: Amazing beers and an amazing outside area with live music and lots of green space. Pro Tip: Get pizza from Post Office Pies next door to enjoy with your brews

  • They also have a sour room out back you can check out!​

• Trim Tab Brewing: An eccentric brewery with a different spin on things. Their IPAs are great!

• Birmingham Civil Rights Institute: Birmingham was at the center of the Civil Rights Movement and is full of history. This extraordinary museum is one of the best I've been to.   

• Cahaba Brewing: A fun brewery with live music and free skee-ball!

• Check out the tunnels under the bridges at night, they light up! 

Sloss Furnaces

Birmingham Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: 

• 16th Street Baptist Church: The location of the 1963 bombing

• Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark: An old industrial sight that is fun to explore

Avondale Brewing

Other Birmingham Things To Do:​​​

• Good People Brewing: Good beers and located right by the baseball stadium. I especially enjoyed their stouts!

• Ghost Train Brewing: Another brewery with solid beer options and lots of TVs for sports