| Author |
Message |
    
Etennuly
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 - 11:24 am: | 
|
Know the difference between Coors beer and sex in a canoe?
Ya can't knock it if you haven't had both in the same day!
AAAAhhhhhh.....to be so young again! |
Tootal
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 27, 2016 - 11:27 am: |
|
Day 8
I wake to the sounds of a cat playing in the hall. There are a lot of cats here. One outside, two upstairs and three in the basement. Now the Dog is allergic to cats and I can't believe he has all of these! He did explain that as long as he washes his hands after touching them and doesn't touch around his eyes he seems to be ok. It seems a neighbor moved out leaving a pregnant mother. The mother ended up under their porch in the middle of Winter. His wife, a real cat lover, decided they had to help them and finally got all but two of them inside. The other two were just too wild and they could never catch them. Because of that one of them died so now they feed the one that's outside but you can't get close enough to him to grab him.
So I wait till the Dog is out of the restroom before I rise. He's in making weak coffee and I get dressed. He pours me a cup and shakes my hand and apologized for the busy weekend but I didn't mind at all. Always good to see old friends no matter what you do! He runs off to the train station leaving me with the cats!
I load up the Harley and use the restroom one more time. Never ever pass up an opportunity to use the rest room! The day before, while shopping, I had picked up some noise canceling ear buds. Now I can hear the Google Maps girl. I put in my planned destination, my ear buds, my helmet and I fire the beast up head on down the road. I'm on the fastest route! Thanks dear, good to know that!
I cruise down some back road which surprised me. I'm glad she told me to go this way, it's nice and twisty! I end up on I-78 heading into Pennsylvania. She tells me to head North on 33. It's not an interstate but it is a 4 lane and traffic is great! I reach I-80 and set the cruse on 70 and relax. I-80 is really nice for interstate. It's got some rolling hills and a few curves and since we're further north it's cool!
My destination today is Meadville Pa. I have to take a detour off I-80 onto I-79. My reason to go here is that it's almost half way home and there's a brewery called VooDoo brewing. I have found a Days Inn and my Map girl is telling me where to go. I just keep saying, "yes dear". I've never been married but I'm assuming this is what it's like!
I arrive at the Motel around 3:30. I get my room and watch some tube till I'm cooled off. I hate taking a shower while I'm still hot, seems I'll get out and still be sweating! So with a nice cool shower I'm feeling great and once again don the ear buds and go find this brewery.
It's a narrow building in downtown. It has old faded antique doors hanging from the ceiling. The beer taps are sticking out of old refrigerators that have been narrowed so they don't take up so much space behind the bar. One is a Kelvinator! Very cool! I order up a flight and get six small glasses of several styles. Although they are called a certain style they are all variations on a theme. None of them are bad or have any off flavors which means the brewer has his/her sanitation down. That's a good thing! I enjoy the different varieties but I must say, the lowest alcohol of the beers is 7.3 percent! I ordered some chips and salsa to soak up all that alcohol and then ordered a nitrogen milk stout for dessert and it was really good. They get a thumbs up on beers but I can't stay long with those percentages!
In my discussions with the bar tender he tells me of another brewery in town that has a real menu. It's called Timber Creek Tap and Table and I locate it and find it's a bit more upscale. Let's see how they brew! I order a beer and look at the menu. Hmmm, Ahi tuna, medium rare sprinkled with sesame seeds and shavings of ginger. That sounds like a plan! It ended up being a good plan! So good food and good beer, another thumbs up! Oh, and let's not forget the friendly and cute bartender who's not afraid to talk to an older man! She also admitted she liked VooDoo's beers too!
Well my motel is down a long hill and if I didn't have any red lights I could coast there! I went back to the room but it's still early and this motel has a lounge so I head on down there. I decide a Yeungling sounds good and order one. The gentleman next to me starts talking and I find out he's a truck driver now but at one point in his younger years he was a Navy Seal sniper. Now this is a guy I can talk guns with! After another beer we're old friends! Like I said before, a counter at a truck stop or at the bar, you can always find interesting folks. My new friend has to get up early to finish his run so I head back to my room too. Tomorrow we'll see if I can get all the way home or not.
(Message edited by tootal on July 27, 2016)
(Message edited by tootal on July 27, 2016)
(Message edited by tootal on July 27, 2016) |
Tootal
| | Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2016 - 12:40 pm: |
|
I wake up early and watch a little news and then start the routine and end up with a loaded bike. I dropped off the key and I'm ready to head out. I need gas so I ride up the hill and find a station and fill her up. Once filled I decide I'm actually going to need to wear my leather jacket! Sitting still is ok but the wind is pretty cool! I like it!
I get on the highway heading South back to I-80 and I'm glad I've got my jacket on. I'm able to keep it on for quite a while until I stopped for breakfast. After eating I debate whether or not to keep it on and decide to wear it a bit longer.
I'm heading South on I-77 but wanted I-71. I got confused in Akron Ohio and saw an odd numbered, North/South, interstate and took it. Oh well, I just added to my day. I'm almost to I-70 when Blam! I get hit in the left temple by some suicidal insect! It has gotten caught behind my glasses and stung me. I knocked it out but too late. I'm getting a really bad headache! I pulled off the highway and into a parking lot of an old abandoned restaurant and find some shade. I tried scraping the sting with my knife but I'm not seeing any stinger. I just happened to have some apple cider vinegar with me and a cotton ball. I wiped the sting for a while and it helped with the stinging part but not the headache. I wasn't dizzy or sick feeling so I decide to keep riding. The jacket is coming off! The heat is back.
I hit I-70 soon after and it's a pretty normal boring ride. It's getting late afternoon and I'm 2 hours from Indy. I decide to spend the night there since there is a brewery I want to try. I know where it's at and want to get a room near it but discover there are no motels anywhere close! I had to ride all the way out of Indy past the airport before I found a hotel.
I was glad to get off the bike. My ass is sore and my head still hurts. I don't know what got me but it did a good job of it! I cooled off and showered and found another brewery within walking distance so I waited for the sun to get a little lower and then walked down for some dinner.
I take the last seat at the bar. The "gentleman" next to me is very large and powerful looking. Red hair and big bushy side burns. He looks over and says hello and starts asking me questions and then tells me his story while slurping down a nice scotch. Not my way to drink scotch but to each their own! He asked the bartender for another and she acknowledges him. He keeps talking and I realize, this guy is lit. I ordered a beer and a menu and he orders another scotch. She says ok but walks off leaving him dry, again. After another 20 minutes of not getting served he finally stumbled off.
The beer I'm having is a Vienna Lager. It's really heavy tasting and flat. Lack of carbonation will cause that. Not happy with my first choice I decide to ask for samples. I go through 3 samples and nothing taste good. My buffalo burger shows up and it's ok. It's got too much crap on it to taste the meat and the fries are ok. This place brags about their fries and dipping sauces. The dipping sauce I ordered was to be a sun dried tomato sauce with some spice. It was a thick nasty looking bowl of gummy nonsense! The fries would break off it was so thick. I ended up taking a fork and putting it on a fry. So for those keeping score it's the Black Swan Brew Pub. Do not waste your money!
If it was 20 years ago I might have thought different but the equipment and ingredients are so much better now and so is the brewing knowledge. There's no reason to suck that bad anymore!
I walked back to the motel disappointed but then again, it's the first bad brewery experience I've had this whole trip! There was a Clint Eastwood marathon on television and I've never seen, For a few dollars more, in it's entirety so I stay up after midnight watching it. Just gotta love Clint! Tomorrow will be an easy day so I can sleep in if I want. Good night! |
86129squids
| | Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2016 - 03:40 pm: |
|
... cue the "BLERK SWERN" meme, phleeze... 
Thanks for your posts, buddy. In this day and age, fewer and fewer folks know how to write , much less grasp the concept of journal keeping.
You and John do a pretty good job! |
Crusty
| | Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2016 - 04:57 pm: |
|
I'm enjoying the sh*t out of these posts! Thanks, Greg! |
Pwnzor
| | Posted on Thursday, July 28, 2016 - 07:25 pm: |
|
Me also... I like finding out about places to avoid almost as much as hearing about good places.
Keep up the good work! |
Tootal
| | Posted on Friday, July 29, 2016 - 10:49 am: |
|
Last Day.
It's early morn and I awaken to some sunlight creeping past the blinds. It's a nature call of course! I jump back in bed and go right back to sleep. When I awaken again it's to the sound of thunder and the sunbeams are gone. Well, might as well stay in bed!
Sometime around nine the sun peeks out again and now I get up. I'm packing the bike while the hotel maids are having a cigarette. One ask if I'd like a rag to wipe off the bike. Of course that would be great! She returns and hands me a very soft towel that looks like it would do a great job but the fiber it's made of just doesn't want to soak up water! I dried my saddle and back rest but stopped there, it was taking too long to soak in. I returned it and thanked her, it was the thought that counts!
I saddled up and headed West. I rode to Terre Haute and found a Denny's. I was glad to see a counter. So many stores are getting rid of them and using the space to sell "to-go" items. This morning I sit alone but enjoy my breakfast. I see the cloudy sky and am actually thankful. No sun means cooler ride and if lucky I miss any rain, at least according to the radar.
Back on the highway I enter the Nazi State of Illinois! I really wish we could gift Canada the city of Chicago! But then again, most Canadians are too nice to do that to!
The ride goes well, not a drop of rain yet cloudy and cooler. Just the way I like it! The State Trooper's are everywhere! Must be the end of the month or they are looking for somebody, or both! I think I passed a dozen troopers in the last 30 miles! It doesn't matter, I'm in no hurry I'm almost home.
My exit arrives and within minutes I'm raising the garage door. The Harley has performed well once the air stayed in the tires. It averaged 40 mpg even though it was a little on the rich side. It should be good and broken in by now!
So that's the end of the East coast banzai trip. It was really nice to visit everyone along the way. It also felt good to get the Barcalounger out for a long ride, it's been two years since I've done that. I must say this is not how I usually like to travel. I prefer back roads to interstate and fewer miles per day but when time is factored in to a trip sometimes the fastest way is the best.
Thanks for all the kind words above. I hope it was a decent distraction for those following the Crustmeister. I'm looking forward to his "snippets" when he's back on the road.
Here's to all my friends!
And yes Vern, I have more than one...at least 3? |
|
