ROAD TRIP!!!!!

Here’s a fun beer travel info request. I’m moving across country in February and taking my time. My wife, son, dog, and cat will be picking up, loading what fits into a sweet little 26 foot camper trailer and a 2005 F250 superduty and taking 14-16 days to find our way from Davis CA to Underhill VT. Due to the time of year the northern route is out so we will be heading down I-5 and or 99 and cutting across on I-40 most of the way. Somewhere east of oklahoma we have to cut off I-40 to head to Huntsville AL for a beer. Then we turn northeast and hit I-75, I-40, and I-81 through PA. after that I’ll probably play it by ear and try to avoid bad weather as much as possible.

so where else should I stop for a beer?

A short detour from I-81 to I-64E in VA will take you along the Brewridge Trail for stops at three excellent breweries:  Blue Mountain Brewery, Wild Wolf Brewery, and Devils Backbone Brewery (winner of multiple brewpub of the year awards at GABF).

I’ll take a look!

Jonathan, I’ve been wanting to stop in Albuquerque NM to go to La Cumbre Brewing when I’m in the Southwest next.  They’ve won tons of awards. I brewed one of their IPA recipes (Project Dank) last summer that was amazing. It would steer you well south of the winter weather !

Devil’s Backbone has the brewery, but stop at the Brewpub.  Great food & has a larger beer selection.

I think we are slated to go through Albuquerque. I’ll put that on the list.

Check with Le Cumbre if there is anyplace to park a rig like that if you will have the trailer attached, as they are in a light industrial area. Look it up on google maps. It is very much worth a stop, we were so impressed with the    beers.

If you do hit DB and all that jazz it mountainous and the weather can get dicey. But if you go check out Bold Rock Cidery and you may as well hit Starr Hill.

Are you going through Western Mass? If so I have some suggestions.

If there is a way to skirt that 1-40 line between New Mexico and Oklahoma City, I would. Used to live in Elk City OK and just hated that road. Especially between Amarillo and Elk City - you will want to brush your teeth after 40 miles of cattle yards.

Of course, kicking up to Tulsa there is the Prairie Artisan Ales taproom. On my list next time I drive that direction. Further north near Manhattan, Kansas is Tallgrass. Not sure how much meandering you are planning. It’s a bit north of a route toward Huntsville.

depending on one’s feelings toward mead, one might turn south off of I-40, and less than an hour later end up in Prescott, AZ, at Superstition Meadery.
Depending on weather, maybe take 89A back up through the red rocks/Sedona.  Scenery, yo.

awesome ideas so far folks. keep it up.

It just occurred to me that if you drive through Massachusetts you should pick up a 4 pack of Spencer Abby Ale, America’s first Trappist Ale. The monks won’t give tours because the brewery is in the enclosure so don’t go out of your way to get to the abby itself, although if your ever in the area its a beautiful spot, I grew up a few miles away and spent a lot of time there.
Also, see if you can find some beers from Element Brewing Co. in Miller’s Fall’s Mass. If you end up going to Vermont via I-91 its not far off the path. They are my favorite brewery right now. Everything they do is unusual and well done and they really use expensive ingredients. I recommend Dark Element and Red Giant especially.Its sold throughout Massachusetts in Belgian corked bottles but I understand they have some limited distribution in Vermont. It might not be a place to go on this trip as they only have tastings, you can’t just have a beer. If you are going that way and want some sustenance for the last leg of your journey try the People’s Pint in Greenfield Ma or the Whetstone in Brattleboro. I think you could park your rig in the co-op parking lot across the street from The Whetstone. they have a heated dining room right above the Connecticut River and have stuff they brewed themselves plus a decent local selection on tap. Greenfield and Brattleboro are both on I-91

oh man I can’t wait to be back east. Pete B. good ideas all. that end of the trip is still very up in the air. It may well have to remain that way as we will be playing dodge-um with the weather at that point.

Yea, I figured that would be a game day call based on road conditions. Hopefully we’ll be in the middle of a January thaw.

instead of a a full on february blizzard. yes please. If it was just the truck I wouldn’t worry too much, it’s a 4wd beast but with a 26ft camper behind I just don’t know.

You going to be back in time to submit an entry for the 14th Star competition?

I’m hoping to get down to CT this weekend to check out Two Roads and New England Brewing Company. If I make it, I’ll let you know how they are.

If for some reason you’re coming up along I-93 in NH, let me know.  I can take you by 3-4 breweries and a meadery (Moonlight) in the Derry/Londonderry area, all right off the highway.  And don’t get me started on the Seacoast!

I hope so! I paid my 10 bucks already. I’ve got a couple beers in the closet that I could submit but I’m going to try to get a kit together and knock out a marzen or a CAP instead. I kind of dig the pressure of only being able to enter one beer. Really have to put some thought into which recipe is doable in the time period, commercially viable, and spot on. My marzen recipe always scores very well and the CAP has done well in comps and uses corn which is a very VT sort of ingredient.

Detour through Colorado! So many brew houses!

So much snow and mountains! I would love to. we have friends in the boulder area but the idea of hauling a 26 foot trailer and everything I hold dear in the world over ice and snow covered passes just… well, chills my blood.