One Night in BOS.

Meandering back to the hotel after a great meal in the North End.

Leinenkugel Brewery Tour; Chippewa Falls, WI.

[these were on sale for $10]

So I'm not a huge drinker these days, beer or otherwise, but I've been known to down some suds from time to time. I also like to break up the drive from CHI to MPS however and wherever I can.

How about a quick stop to see how America's 4th largest "craft" brewer does their stuff? Yes, I think the Leinenkugel Brewery Tour will do just fine. Is there a location in Chippewa Falls, WI? Yes again, excellent.

[park in the factory parking lot on the weekends and walk over the bridge]

[this is not the spring they use for their water, though it is nearby]

You start out in the "gift shop", where you can sample beers (and soda, if you're driving home that afternoon), send postcards, sign up for the tour, check out some northwoods history, and most/best of all, you can get almost anything you can think of labeled with "Leinenkugel's" on it - thank God. I've been needing a new canoe paddle and would like to show my pride for my favorite beverage on said paddle - phew, they have me covered.

I'm not kidding, here's some shots of the brewery grounds and the store (like the MAM exhibit, pics are not allowed in the brewery proper):

[the new distribution addition won't be done til November, so the packaging line is closed for tours]

[but maybe they'll re-open the ole Leine's barn. this is where they used to keep the horses that delivered the beer all over WI "back in the day"]

[speaking of draft horses, did you need some new gear for yours? i think this is emblazoned with their logos]

[before you start your delivery route, pack up all your beer in these cool vintage/retro cases - they were not for sale, but what isn't if the price is right?]

[the first keg-erator!?!]

FYI #1- Leine's is the 4th largest craft brewer, Sam Adams is #1. They still don't touch the mega brewers like Budweiser, Miller, and Coors.

FYI #2 - Leine's has a brewery on 10th St in MKE. I did not know this. They also have a smaller line of beers called "Big Eddy" that do not travel out of WI very often. In fact, I heard on the tour it is rare to see these beers north of Madison. Might be cool to try and find some, people seem to like them.

Safety First.

Do you think this Porsche is parked carefully enough in our hotel
parking lot? I hope someone doesn't park too close or has a bug land
on it. I'm sure the cones will help.

It's autumn, climb a tree.

I found a swell tree a few days back and couldn't help but have a retro-childhood moment. The tree was perfect for climbing and I stretched in ways I haven't in years (and perhaps shouldn't have, ouch). The tree was found in a park that I basically just stumbled into.


[ooh, water features]

[this maybe the biggest native american dreamcatcher ever, or just ornamentation]


[the pond was a nice place to sit and relax after a long day at work]

[the tree in question]

[first effort up a few branches... i can do better]

[now up another route a bit higher this time... now that's more like it]

[and looking back down onto that pond]

I would encourage you to find a tree to climb this fall, just stretch a little first.

Ruminate #3.

Faith is a cop-out. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can’t be taken on its own merits.
- Dan Barker

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
- Douglas Adams

35,000 feet up.

On the way to Logan International for a trip to Providence, RI. Not a
bad start.

Can you say, "sommelier"?

I have a friend from grad school (well, she was an undergrad) that has recently gone to Paris to attend sommelier school. You can see some pretty interesting wine things (and probably non-wine things) on her new blog. Check it out: http://vieenrose.tumblr.com/