BEERtrekkin ~ Macon, GA to Louisville, KY

So day two of my beer road trip and vacation and due to extreme exhaustion, I didn’t bother with getting this out last night. Oh well. I am here now with rambles and pics so all is good.

Let us dispense with the bad news first. Mr. D is still at the IRAH under the care of Doc and his assistants. We spoke some more today, and while Mr. D is more perky and alert today, he isn’t really having any significant BMC. He’s eating and drinking which is good, but something along the intestinal area is interfering with the natural steady flow of his food. Doc is worried about a lump/mass he feels around in that area, so he has some of that x-rayable ink working its way through. Hopefully the x-ray this morning will give us some more information so we can go from there. No matter what, I told Doc to do what he needs to find the problem and make my baby all better. Doc and IRAH is old-fashioned in that it isn’t excessively greedy; I know they won’t go test crazy and do a bunch of stuff and charge a bunch of stuff that isn’t necessary. Doc’s been our family veterinarian almost as long as I’ve been walking this Earth, maybe even longer.

Putting worries for my baby aside, I enjoyed our venture today out of Georgia, through a little bit of Tennessee, and finally making it to Kentucky. Of note, the Kentucky Bourbon Ale billboard prominently lit and on display. Righteous.

I may be a bourbon phreak, but I unfortunately have yet to cruise the Bourbon Trail. Not officially at least, though I did live that adventure vicariously through all the road signs noting Jack Daniels, Makers Mark, Bulleit, and Knob Creek to name a few. Mm… gonna have to get me some when I return home later next week.

My lil munchkin was a bit more restless in the care today, though understandably slow. She’s not getting as much exercise and outsides-boutsies as she normally gets. Exhaustion doesn’t set in as well, and the tired squirmies begin. We made it obviously, and today she’ll get more play-time thanks to a stop-off to visit an aunt on her pappy’s side.

During our drive through Atlanta, Jenn showed me more of her haunts while living there, and during our drive north beyond Atlanta, I was introduced to the hotels she n mom stayed at on their drive down. We’re taking pretty much the same route back with a couple small detours: one to Three Floyds Brewery in Indiana and the other to Glenview, IL to visit some relatives. Brunch is in order, which sounds fine and dandy to me. I have a splattering of beer so if it does turn into brunch, a small quaff may be in order.

Speaking of beer, we also stopped off in Dalton at the same Kroger Mom n Jenn stopped at previously. Their stop though coincided with Sunday, and Sunday in Georgia isn’t friendly to my beery and spirituous beverages. Seeing as yesterday was Thursday, we were in the green. Jenn had mentioned an impressive beer selection for a grocery store, and I can now wholeheartedly agree. I was also impressed by the mini selection of Asian and Asian-themed beers over by the Southern Tsunami sushi bar. Mm… baby octopus. Yes folks, Southern Tsunami apparently offers baby octopus up here. Great for me then, though not so great back home where I am baby octopus deprived. Sure there is Hiokis, but that’s a planned drive for dinner, not a quick healthy munchy from the grocery local.

I have been very good when it comes to the beer of this trip so far. Granted there is no room in the car for a cartload or two of beer, but so too is there no room in my budget. Besides, I have come to terms with (quite amicably too) that pretty much no matter where I am, beer I don’t get to taste will be right there with me. C’est la vie. So is the world. What I did bring home was the Lindeman’s Cassis Lambic, the last of the fruit lambics from Lindemans which I have yet to try, along with Moonshot and Edison of Beer Wars fame, Samuel Adams Coastal Wheat, and three beers from the Tap Room 21 Brewery; Pale Ale, Amber Ale, and Lager. Out of all the beers I picked out, I am most excited for the Tap Room beers.

We didn’t spend much time in Tennessee while cruising the interstate, but in passing through Chattanooga I took in the very cool Chattanooga River. Getting more in general rocky mountain territory, it was fun to note the sheered cliffs along the road sides which were decorated in ice sheets and icicle. Some had even crumbled to the ground where they lay in a slightly sloppy mess of ice chunks and slosh. I tried to snap a pic or two of them, but my camera didn’t like the idea for whatever reason so you’ll just have to use the imagination.

Keeping myself awake in the mornings, I find that four cups of coffee for this road trip does the trick. The morning workouts help revitalize and work out any stiffies, but the coffee is essential for bright eyes on my part.

The further north we go, the colder we get. Inside Jenn’s car is a dashboard trip monitor which marks the temperature outside. Somewhere around Georgia/Tennessee border area, the 40s surrendered and the 30s took over. In parking the car at our hotel in Louisville last night, we closed out at 33* Fahrenheit. A tittly bit nipply if I do say so myself. I’m definitely glad I took accepted Mom’s generosity in lending me her black winter coat which is thankfully not girlie. Besides being water resistant, it blocks out almost all the wind and cold for a toasty embrace. The jean-covered legs are a different story. My knee-length toe socks help, and as much as I hate wearing toe closed shoes, I’m going to have to surrender the flip-flops from this day onward for my black Sketchers.

Cracker Barrel came to the rescue again in one of our walkie-feedie stops, and hopping around outside where the cutest lil birds. I meant to snap a pic, but when we came back out of Cracker, they had gone. Don’t blame 'em. They were trying to get away from the cold and someplace else much warmer, I am sure.

With Louisville close in site we were ready to just be there. Mr. Skyler was just as ready as we were to be there, and poof! Then we were. Watched some Olympics, ate, supped a couple more New Belgium 1554 beers, and called it a night. I slept on the living room couch as last time, and Jenn, munchkin, and Skyler snuggled in the bedroom. After all, privacy is good and the last thing I want is to disturb them at five in the morning as I do my online stuff, imbibe another sweet nectar of life – coffee, and head downstairs to the gym for a workout.

Just for the record: It is currently 25*Fahrenheit outside.



(an original written work by Kristyn Lier. plagiarism is not tolerated)