65skylark

So many pictures, so little time...........

YES!!!! That is a crap load of amazing pitures, Jimmy. One of the best TR's I've seen in a long time!

I'd stick with what you're doing now, Scott.

The only thing that would have made that PTR any better is a trip to COSTCO. Love the fake tree, Chuck! I spent years convincing Sandi we needed to by a fake tree. She finally caved a few years ago. Great pictures! I loved Williamsburg last year when I visited. I really want to get back there with the Sandi and the kids.

Totally random beer thread comment, but The Abyss is currently sitting at number two ahead of Dark Lord on BA's top 100. I know I've never seen Dark Lord knocked out of the number two spot before.

Continuing on...... December 5th was my birthday so I decided to break out one of my bottles of '07 Abyss and do a vertical tasting. I also needed to make sure the '07 was still good as I had a package to prepare for shipping. Very nice! I will be trying this one again. And finally back at home I try out something new to me from Bridgeport. Hop Czar, an Imperial IPA. And I'll finish up with my favorite beer here, Hamerhead Ale. However, their artichoke dip is something special. Just like almost all their beers, it was solid, but not really anything special. The reason for this visit was to try their holiday brew, Kris Kringle. This time we sat next to creepy flute player dude. A few days later we find ourselves down the street at McMenamins. You really wouldn't know this beer was 11% by the taste. By the time you're done drinking it, however, you've got a pretty good idea. Great beer. Mad Elf. Mmmmm.....cherries. Yeah, even better. The 2007 was great but the alcohol presence was more noticeable and took a bit away from the flavour. Just a bit though as it was still very good! And now the 2008. Still very good. Definitely ages well. The Abyss, 2007. On tap I prefered the aged '07 over this years '08.

^ Nice pics. Looks like it was a great trip. I need to get caught up. I'll start by throwing up the pics from our trip out to Full Sail that didn't load right last time. They have a Full Sail pub right here in Portland but be wanted to make a trip out of it and head down the Columia River Gorge to Hood River where the brewery is. WOW! Now that is exactly my kind of stout. LOTS of coffee/espresso flavor with just enough chocolate. I was a bit concerned when I saw the "double chocolate" on the label but it was all good. This one just bumped Obsidion down a notch on my list of favorite stouts. Fantastic! More pics on the way......... Finally I get a chance to see what Founders Breakfast Stout is all about after seeing it several times in this thread. Maybe just me but I thought it was a little watered down for a porter. But I have to admit, I haven't had that many porters, and the only one I have had on a regular basis is Black Butte, so maybe I'm just spoiled Still, it certainly wasn't bad at all. Dead Reckoning porter. Great holiday beer with lots of hoppiness as usual. Hard to go wrong here. Next up, a beer enthusiast winter time staple. Celebration. I'm not a huge fan of this style of beer but this one was better than average. Lots of orange and cinnamon flavor. While at Deschutes I picked up a bottle of their 20th anniversary Wit. It was pretty good. I didn't like it quite as well as other Imperial Stouts I have had but still very drinkable. Continuing with the "gift from Derek" theme. Monster Mash Imperial Stout from Boaks. I loves me a good IPA and this one did not disappoint. Up next, a gift from Derek. I wasn't expecting much from this one and it was actually very good. Back at home I picked up the new winter brew from Widmer. I picked up some goodies to bring home along with this growler of Wassail. Nothing out if this world but still pretty good. Actually tasted a lot like Sierra Nevada Celebration. Next up was Wreck The Halls. I figured I'd stay with a winter theme while I was here. And Sandi had some shrimp on a stick. Chad had the chowder. Ellie had the humus plate. Fish sandwich for me. It was freakin awesome. Very good indead! Started out with their Wassail on nitro. Small but with a nice cozy feel to it. An hour later and we're here. And West back toward Portland. Looking east toward Hood River. Just a little windy up here. Quick stop at the Vista House for some cool views of the gorge. Entering the Columbia River Gorge on I-84 with Mt. Hood in the background. (blury, but you get the idea)

So now it's Sunday morning and we are on our way to another release party for The Abyss. This time in Bend where I knew I wouldn't have to wait in an insane line of people just to get a few bottles. Plus the day was a perfect sunny fall day and the drive to Bend is always nice. This year we decided to go a different route up the Santiam Pass. We left early so we could make a few stops along the way. So that wraps up this years beer and waterfall PTR. The Abyss is still holding strong at number one for me. Although........that box in the first picture of this BTR had a little something in it from Three Floyds that just might change that. We shall see............... And a few bottles of the new stuff to add to my remaining '07 bottles. Yep, still the best beer I have ever had. The last two glasses we'll have on tap until next year. Sandi isn't a big beer drinker but even she can't pass this up. Everyone was given free samples for the toast. Time to toast... Just enough time to try their Red Chair IPA. Lots of grapefruit citrus flavor in this one. Not bad but nothing special. Salmon fillet sandwich for dinner. Very good. Best all around stout out there in my book. The release was at 5pm and it was just befor 4pm when we got there so I decided to start out the The Abyss' little brother Obsidian since they had it on Nitro today. Some decent reading material inside. And here we are, where it all started. Almost there. That is Black Butte in the distance. Hmmmmm.......Black Butte Porter...... A few miles up the road this is what the lake looked like. And the much lower than normal Detroit Lake on the other side. Looking out from on top of the dam along the Santiam River. Kids were fine, however. I have to admit, this was really freaking me out. Another hour up the road we stopped for a minute to let the kids walk across Detroit Dam. Ladies and gentleman, the back side of water. You can walk behind the waterfall. Pictures don't really do it justice. This thing is roaring while you are back here. Another picture a little further down the trail. South Falls. Coffee. Lots of coffee flavour with some coffee notes in the background and nice stong coffee finish. First a quick stop at the lodge for my first beverage of the day. First stop would be Silver Creek Falls. The South Falls to be exact.

So on Saturday, we decide to make a short little hour long drive down the Columbia River Gorge to Full Sail Brewery. I had never been here before and have had it on my list of places to visit for some time now. They actually have a pub in Portland but I thought it would be a fun evening for the family to take a nice drive to Hood River and visit the actual brewery.

Alright, Derek and Heath always seem to have a theme going with about half of their posts, so I figure it's time I joined in. My overall theme for this post will simply be......"The Abyss". You will all have to bear with me, as I just can't seem to do a BTR without pictures of waterfalls and rivers and such. I freakin' live in Oregon, OK! It's not my fault this is truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. So, the weekend starts with the local Deschutes pub here in Portland throwing a release party for The Abyss. This is one of maybe 5 days out of the entire year you can get The Abyss on tap, so naturally, we were there. And we leave with this very sad picture. Next stop............Full Sail Brewery. Gaze into.......THE ABYSS. '07 on the right, '08 on the left. I have to admit the '07 has aged very well. I actually preferred it over the '08 unlike last year where I preferred the new release of the '07 over the '06. Sandi got a snifter of the '07 on tap just for this event. Amazing. By far my favorite beer to date. Just so much going on and smooth as silk. But I was just here for what was on tap. The view from our corner of the restaurant. There was a line around half of the inside of this place of peole waiting to get bottles of The Abyss. Maybe 1/3rd of them ended up getting some bottles befor it was all sold out. Lots of cinnamony spiceyness. Not really my favorite style of beer but worth a try a few times every fall. Still another 30 minutes before The Abyss is ready so I thought I'd try their Oktoberfest before it was gone for the year. while I got the insanely good fish and chips. Sandi got the garden burger....... Sandi got some hot tea. Yeah.......what the mug says. I absolutely love this beer. I can't seem to make a trip hear without getting a pint. If you like a good ESB, then this beer is for you. and some Batchelor Bitter. After finally getting seated we start out with some steamer clams.... Started the night with some Hop Trip. Very drinkable beer with a nice subtle amount of citrus/pine flavour. Not as hoppy as I would expect from a beer called Hop Trip, but still very good. You can see where some of the magic happens from the bar. It was about a 50 minute wait for a table, so we hung out with a few thousand other people in the bar. A few hours later we find ourselves in the heart of Portland's Pearl District at our favorite pub. As if this weekend wasn't going to be good enough, I see this sitting in my desk chair as I walk into the living room upon returning home from work. Those goodies will have to wait for another day, though.

Come on Jimmy, we all know that's what you would have done anyway.

^ I was able to read it last night before it vanished.

Time for something new. Fantastic! Probably my second favorite stout behind Obsidion. Loved it. Some Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout.

It's been like over a month since I've even looked at this thread. So I make my return with one of the best winter ales out there...... Very similar to last years offering but that's not really a bad thing at all. Plus, I have to stock up on some Dechutes anyway for my beer trading buddy in PA. 08 Jubilale from Deschutes Brewery.

'Salem's Lot is my number one for overall "scariest" Stephen King novel. A great read for Holloween, especially if you are not fimiliar with what the book is about.

Normally, on Wednesday evenings during the summer, I can be found at Portland International Raceway. This last Wednesday, however, the race was cancelled because of rain but I still had to drive out to the track for a team meeting. So, I took Sandi with me so we could stop by one of our favorite restaurants located just a few minutes away from the track. And I finished up with one of my all around favorite beers on tap here. Bachelor Bitter. Still the best ESB I've ever had. Sandi had the steamer clams My half eaten hamburger. They pretty much have the best hamburgers ever. Sandi had the extra rare Deschutes water with lemon. Started off with there seasonal summer brew, Twighlight Ale. A very nice summer ale, with four different hops and malts used, it really has a strong hop presence with plenty of maltyness to make this a very balanced and easy drinking beer. A look at the what's on tap. Actually, nothing real special in my book as I'm really not a big fan of Belgian style ale's. Very nice. Where the magic happens. Nothing but goodness here. and Deschutes newest brew pub. the single largest book store in America..... Portland's Pearl District. Home to lots of high rise condos.......

I have never understood this logic. I've worked incredibly hard to acheive what I have in my life up to this point. I'm confused as to why it should be obvious that I don't deserve to keep the same percentage of my income as someone who is making less. As far as the candidates go, I would actually be leaning more towards Scott, if it weren't for the recent cabinet appointments he has suggested. I'm just not sure Matt is the right person to handle our transportation issues. And that Maple Leafs hat is just a little too Canabian for my tastes. I don't know, I suppose there's still time to win me over. I've got an old Bill Walton Portland Trailblazers jersey that would look great on you, Scott!

What an awesome trip report! Thank you for the great pictures and detailed info on the rides. I haven't enjoyed reading a PTR that much in a long time.

That's funny you mention that because I was just looking at their web site yesterday and noticed they had Plpiny the Elder on their upcomming tap list section. They have so many beers on tap at a time that they update their tap list on line on a daily basis. I thought I'd give them a call this weekend. We'll probably stop by this weekend, anyway. BTR to come.

Awesome pics, Kevin. I love seeing the city from other people's perspective. Looks like John's Marketplace was probably a better decision than Belmont Station. It's been years since I have been to Belmont and I have never been to John's Marketplace. That will change soon, though, after seeing those sixers of Dogfish Head I forgot there was a Laurelwood pub at the airport. Glad to see you had time to stop in there since you missed their brewpub in Portland.

This weekend I was able to head down for a short while to the Oregon Beer Festival. Unfortunately, my schedule was very tight, so the only time I could get down there was on a Saturday evening. I'm just going to post a few pics as I know Kevin will probably have tons of pics and he will be able to post a much better PTR of the festival. And I will leave you with a cat riding a flying ram. Glad I was able to meet up with you, Kevin. I look forward to reading your PTR and actually seeing some of the stuff I missed. Scary dude riding a trout. Or is it a Salmon? They have some "interesting" art work throughout the place. Sandi opted for a Yukon Jack and Coke. And some of the best hamburgers you will ever have. Their food doesn't suck, either. Broccoli soup and fries. Since the OBF was very light on stouts I got the Terminator Stout. A staple beer at McMenamin's and a very good stout overall. McMenamin's. Our most frequented brew pub as they have a location just blocks from our house. Overall it was just too crowded to really enjoy. Next year I'll try to make it down earlier in the day on a Thursday or Friday. Time for one more stop for dinner before heading home. Another winner. I suppose I would consider it an amber with a nice medium body. Not sure what they officially classify it as but it was pretty good. That is about all the time I had available. I left Kevin with a nice parting gift that I am sure he will enjoy. With one token left I waited for a smaple of Glen from Rogue. Most excellent! Very well balanced beer with lots of hoppiness and a good malty backbone. Next up I tried Hazed and Confused from Boulder Beer Company on Kevin's recommendation. Hey, look who I found! Kevin had already had the Levitation so he wasn't as disappointed as I was. I'm pretty sure he didn't mind having to settle for Ruination, either. And apparently that isn't going to change as they were out and serving Ruination instead. Oh well, still very good. Now we're talking. I have never had Levitation before. I quickly realised that I would not be able to get a lot of different beers in, so I just decided to use my tokens for a full mug rather than spend 4 hours trying to taste maybe a dozen different beers. I started with Full Sail LTD a pretty light pale lager. The North beer tent. Basically, there were no lines, just mobs of people. Got my mug, lets see what they've got. Oh my! That is the line, or should I say lines, just to get your mug and beer tokens. I wonder what the actual beer lines are going to be like. Well, I know I'm in the right place. I'm scared. Hmm, Saturday at 5 O'clock might not have been the best time to come down.

^ If you felt it was worth the trip before, then Thrill-ville being closed shouldn't change how you feel. Not to say anything against Thrill-ville, but I have seen larger traveling carnivals. The Ripper was a nice little coaster and the park was worth a stop if you were already there doing Enchanted Forest. The haunted house is a walk through and is a lot of fun. It is kind of hard for me to give a recommendation for EF because I have been going there since I was a very small child. I don't even have any memory of my first few visits. I really love the park and it is VERY unique. I haven't been to as many parks as a lot of the members of this sit, but I read nearly every trip report posted, and I think I can safely say that there really isn't any park like it in the US. Having said that, if you REALLY took your time and did everything in the park, including multiple rides on the coaster, dark ride, and log flume, it would still be a half day park, at best. Oaks is also a very small park but it is just a few minutes out of Downtown Portland. I would recommend the trip just to do some site seeing in Portland as it is one of the best larger cities I have ever seen in terms of things to see and do in a very condensed area. Hope that helps.

Haven't been in here in weeks, maybe even months, I can't remeber. I ran across some beer pics while posting my PTR on the main forum. I'm not going to even mess with putting them all up now. Hopefully I will get back into the swing of things again. In looking through all my pics, one stood out to me, as I had already forgot about its awesomeness. So here is my one pic from about 4 months ago........... Ten Fidy! Best beer you will ever drink from a can and the second best Imperial Stout I have every had. Thanks again Derek!!!!

Here is a link to some pictures from opening day and a short interview with Silverwood's head of marketing. http://www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/video/play.asp?file=20080721_aftershock&filetype=swf

Continuing on......... So that was may Father's Day and it was a great one! Hope you all enjoyed the pics! Ah, but today I'm feeling like a nice cold Margarita. Even our table is BACT approved. And finally, we stop for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants. It rains so much here, even the statues have umbrellas. Tried to get an artsy pic from Pioneer Courthouse Square. I think it turned out pretty decent. Beaver. And a few blocks down we pass another of my favorite places to have a beer in Portland. BACT will appreciate both of those pics. Heading into downtown we pass one of my favorite places to have a beer in Portland. Looking back now from the second bridge at the first on we crossed.