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JOIN THE BLUEDOG DRINKING BEER IN AMERICA |
In June 2009 Bluedog went to the USA in search of good beer - and found it.....
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Statue of Duke Paoa Kahanamolu legendary surfer & olympic swimmer. He stands before Waikiki Beach and is adorned with flowers by visitors |
One thing you need to know is that flying from Australia to anywhere is a herculean task. For us it's a 5 hour drive to an airport; Then a one hour flight to the international airport. Then you're facing a 14 hour flight to the West coast of the USA. Are you exhausted yet? By breaking up this journey and allowing our internal clocks to reset we hoped to arrive in the continental USA still able to tie our shoelaces and spell our name and not need to sleep away the first couple of days. We needed a stopover to renew our souls (and drink beer) so Hawaii was the obvious choice. It is a 10 hour flight from Sydney but you fly out late at night (so you sleep) and arrive mid morning feeling well rested. So far, so good.
The photos above are of the obligatory trip to famous Waikiki beach and to marvel at how small it is. We opted for a two night stay - and can recommend the Aqua Waikiki Tides Hotel (415 Nahua Street). Two things; The Aqua group has just purchased a heap of hotels and put the word Aqua in front of the name that's why the full address. And second; Remodelling work was still going on at this hotel. (June 2009) so their prices were great because of the unfinished look and the fact that they needed to attract tourists back to the hotel. Location? Just back from the beach, no ocean views here but priced well. All-night sports bar downstairs, and surrounded by good food places. International Markets just opposite. Takes about 3 minutes to walk to beach. Price? We paid $77 per night for a King room, Plus taxes of course... and that's U.S. dollars
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Diamond Head..
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No visit to Hawaii is complete without the Pearl Harbour tour. Tours usually include entry to the Pearl Harbour exhibit and a US Naval boat ride out to the Arizona memorial.
Approaching the USS Arizona memorial is eerily quiet first thing in the morning. There are separate tours available of the USS Missouri (pictured above) and USS Bowfin if you want to make it an all day visit. Massive construction work is underway at the Pearl Harbour exhibit at the moment so it's going to be a very big thing when it's finished. A tip; Spend the $5 & rent headsets - you'll get so much more information as you wander around. Another tip for first time visitors; Book your tour with Discover Hidden Hawaii Tours and ask for Kanoelani and her early morning tour. Yes! Make the effort to get up and be at the kerb at 6am, that way you're at the museum/movie for the first 7:45am show which means first boat ride out to the memorial. Apparently the place becomes packed out later in the day and you know how we Aussie's find that a struggle. Kanoelani will impress you, she's a champion hula dancer and I guarantee she'll remember the names of every one of her passengers! A Five star tour although we only did the morning as we're not real tour people... and beer was calling. OK, we hear you ask, where's the beer. Here is the local Hawaiian brew is KONA and a mighty fine drop it is too.. They make Kona Longboard, Big Wave and a couple of others. You can travel to one of the other islands and visit their brewery too!
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It was then on to San Francisco and Irish Pubs and Barbary Coast Saloons |
Dungeoness Crab to be devoured
Union Square
Murals celebrating North Beach
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One thing that should be mentioned.... What the bluedog misses most about the U.S. is the seafood so this trip, apart from being a beer sampler was also intended to be a SEAFOOD banquet! Dungeoness Crabs at Thanh Long Restaurant & drinking Mission Street Pale Ale, brewed in the region.
These Roast Dungeoness Crabs pictured are a specialty at the famous Thanh Long Restaurant (4101 Judah St, SF) right on the Muni Line so easy to get to but... you'll have to take a number and wait for a table. This is just the best, noisiest, friendliest place to go and the word has spread so it very popular.
Next day it was off the wharf area and the Historical Ferry Terminal building (where you catch the ferry to Oakland) for **Yumm** clam chowder, washed down with copious amounts of draft IPA's which better restaurants are now stocking. Not a Bud or MGD to be seen. Oh and a really nice wheat beer from Pyramid.
It was a freezing cold summer day in San Francisco a summer Heferweizen seemed appropriate and in the spirit of things... To walk off some of the food and beer one simply must do the touristy things like a walk from the ferry terminal right around the piers. Pier 39 is the usual tourist trap - with the exception of one of the best Lefty's shops - that's for all you left handed people. Purchased all manner of Left Handed things and they mail order to Australia too! A big attraction at this pier are the Sea Lions. They come and go as they please and fight and squabble for the best spots in the sun on those freezing cold, fog filled summer days... Yes.. summer days are very cold in SF. It's actually warmer there in winter! Go figure.
Now keep walking and you arrive at Fisherman's Wharf.
The place is packed with tourists even at off-peak times so don't even contemplate this place during U.S. school holidays. But having said that, you do have to see the street vendors cooking up crabs and other seafood.... so toughen up! it's just for an afternoon. Don't bother eating at the fancy restaurants, they're overpriced and pack-em in, but if you can handle food while you walk, a handful of crab is pretty cool. No good beer down on the wharf, it's time to head to the city but it's WAY up there... up and over all those hills..... You've all heard about the cable car and you think, why climb up that hill when you can ride the cable car? Well get in line... because about 10,000 other tourists got there first. It's a silly nonsense really to stand in a queue, or a "line" as the rest of the world calls it. Then to be packed like sardines onto a cable car and have your head in someone's armpit, just so you can say you rode it? Give it a miss! WALK up the hill a ways, and settle in to Kennedy's Irish Pub!
First the placard will intrigue you... and when they say $2 Pint's of Guinness they mean a full 20oz pint! A pommie pint - not one of those sissy Yank pints! If you're irish and can say Tirty Tree - that's how many beers they have on tap.
And here's the picture to prove it The beers were all different and truly excellent. So many local Californian beers and some wild IPA's and wheats. SF has a really great public transport system. Now what bus was it we had to catch up to the city? Damn if I can feed those $1 notes into such a tiny slot... and I have to go underground to get my next connection?? TAXI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well there's nothing like rolling up to your abode and falling out of a cab, now is there... and your hostess tappin' her foot and askin' what have you done to yourself? And next morning asking yourself, did I eat duck? as you scrape something dry off your tongue whilst swearing to never drink again. But it got you to wondering if you actually did try every one of those 33 beers at Kennedy's Irish Pub & Indian curry House on the pointy corner of Columbus avenue & Taylor Streets.
Ok now you'll recall that we've sworn off drinking for life..... so it was time to walk all over San Francisco and check out the sights. A walk to the second largest chinatown in the US and wandering through the mazes of junk shops. Down to the end of Grant street and got a look at the murals painted on old apartment blocks. But then look.... A beer truck............. That can only mean one thing.... good quality beers are somewhere nearby. And the logo on the truck advertising the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, well now that's a fine drop.
And look what we found. A truly excellent micro brewery on a busy street and their motto - From Grain to Glass ! The San Francisco Brewing Company, 155 Columbus Ave. North Beach. Master Coppersmith Fred Zaft handcrafted this unique brewing kettle
The name plates above the bar say it all. House Brews and such good beers they were too. The wheat that they call Hugh Hefnerweizen was a truly delightful drop with wonderful banana overtones. All the rest were equally well made, with IPA hoppiness to die for. Now once again I bring to your attention that we've sworn of the evils of alcohol but they tempted us beyond what man or woman could bear. And they had samplers.... Wee drops to whet your appetite before you ordered up a pint or two.... here we go again.
So here's the story from the bronze plaque in the window. It was originally the infamous Billy Goat Saloon operated by Pigeon Toed Sal. It was the last of the Barbary Coast saloons and was destroyed in the great earthquake and fire of 1906. Rebuilt & renamed the Andromeda Saloon in 1907. The fighter Jack Dempsey worked the door around 1913, before he became world champion . In 1977 it became known as the Albatross Saloon. In 1985 Allan Paul established the San Francisco Brewing Company on the site. This was San Francisco's first and the 4th USA operating brew pub after prohibition. And now for the funny dedication on the plaque.... (and I quote) Dedicated 22 March 6008 (2003) by Capitulus Redivivus, Yerba Buena number one of the Ancient and Honorable order of E Clampsus Vitus. Credo Quia Absurdum Look it up... like all good brewers... they don't take themselves too seriously.
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oooh pretty
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Ok so you're home, a little tired and emotional from all these fine Californian craft brews
Keep walking.... walk off some more of the good food and great beer. Walk up telegraph hill... it's UP there, you can't miss it. The fire hose thingy on top is called Coit Tower. The view from the top of telegraph hill give you a good idea of San Francisco, the two bridges, although the Golden Gate was almost always shrouded in fog... and of course the famous Alcatraz Island. . Time to move on. Worn out all welcomes in the foggy city. Ate clams and crabs and drank beer to excess. Next stop... Massachusetts. |
To be sure, to be sure, this is one place not to be missed.
Chinatown entrance
The original name plaque of the Albatross Saloon, one of the many names attached to this place over the years.
So we left chinatown and entered North Beach, and what's left of the Barbary Coast.
and look how many steps you have to climb to get to your front door... 
A cross country flight to JFK - grab a rental car & head to Massachusetts |
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Got a good deal on a Dollar Rentals Dodge Charger Big and comfy and it knew to stay on the other side of the road just fine - although the Japanese speaking GPS threw us for a while.........
Yes it's summer in Massachusetts but still 50 bloody degrees F ! - which calculates to be 10 Celsius - that's cold in anyman's language! Still there were plenty of clams dipped in hot butter to take your mind of it. And going back for seconds and thirds was expected.
Not to mention some damn fine Sam Adams's to make you wonder what you were complaining about. Six packs of Sam Adams or Hoegaarden for around US$10.... makes it a cheap night in too.
This is photo of a family lobster dinner; Thanks to his Dad & Sister Bluedog got what he'd been dreaming about... 9 lobsters for US$90 with hot dipping butter to accompany them... **yumm**
OK visit with family duly completed. Love and kisses all round, see you in another 10 years. |
Nice wide roads, 4 or 5 lanes in either direction all the time and plenty of power under the hood
It's June, It's summer & it's 50F !
A QUICK SIDE TRIP TO NEW JERSEY |
 The old home looks the same |
Just to check in on where Bluedog spent a lot of time as a kid... The old home looks the same - NOT! Wow those trees are now 50 years old, where did all the time go?
Ok, enough nostalgia... it's now a quick 30 minute drive into Manhattan - well as far as the Tunnels and bridges anyway. |
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Once through the tunnel and into Manhattan you can ditch the rental car in favour of walking - and the crowds will astound you. How's this for an innovation? They block off the busiest square in the known universe and put out cheap garden chairs and recliners.... The City and Mayor Bloomberg did this. Why? So people will stop rushing and just sit, relax, talk, have a coffee, watch the traffic and people go by. Of course the Mayor is up for re-election so he's trying all manner of things to be noticed these days.
Next came the obligatory tourist destinations... Statue of Liberty, World Trade Centre and the empire state building. Did you know that the Staten Island Ferry (the best way to see the city and Lady Liberty) used to cost 25 cents and now it's free! Bargain! You just ride the ferry over to Staten Island, exit the ferry and re-enter the terminal and ride it back to the city. NY is a working harbour so all types of shipping is going on around you on the trip.
Once back on land you're at the bottom end of Manhattan so a wander through battery park is a pleasant interlude. There's artwork and street theatre and about a dozen guys dressed as "Statue of Liberty" so you stand and get photographed beside them and they hit you up for money... not unusual? One would be nice, two - ok but 6 in a row at each point in the park - Talk about overkill.
The New World Trade Centre site is slowly taking shape. There is massive underground development of transportation etc and only one building (the ethereal glass building in the Right Photograph) is complete at this stage.
From ultra modern steel and glass to timeless classical architecture of days gone by
And to see another icon
To look Uptown past Central Park Or look Downtown to the battery and the financial district, it really is a stunning island.
What about the beer I hear you ask ??? Must admit we didn't find a micro brewery but then again we were right in Manhattan where space is at a premium but we drank plenty anyway at all the irish pubs. Some of them leave a lot to be desired, cranky bar staff who are trading on the good old irish namesakes without delivering much service, let alone a smile... and yes it galls when you're expected to tip 17-20% these days or you're considered a cheap bastard. We managed to get out alive leaving only 10% trying to express our disappointment with the service in the only way you can. Prices were outrageous too. A bottle of half decent beer in some places was $9 U.S (plus tax plus tip!). And here's another snag about NYC - no public toilets! So when ya gotta go, you have to go into a bar and buy high priced beer to use their 'bathroom' - then you walk on and need to go again so you repeat the process. We were continually topping up and going, topping up and going. We did manage to find one fine establishment with true green irish lads running the bar.
Harrington's, 370 Seventh Avenue, between 31st & 30th Street Very good food served till late and a terrific sports bar feel. There are dozens of bars around the area as Madison Square Garden and Penn Station are nearby. We were there during the Ice Hockey and the NBA play-offs, so bars were humming as people shouted at the screens. They were also showing Aussie sports too, AFL & NRL games as well as Union so it was an excellent atmosphere for a couple of Aussie's sampling the brews. |
You need a plan of how to get there
Tolls, tolls, tolls mostly $5 but $10 on some bridges
Quickest way in from New Jersey is through the very long Holland Tunnel - more tolls and long delays as you try and run through residential streets to get a line into the tunnel.
Staten Island FREE ferry ride
This sculptures in Battery Park is a tribute to the immigrants
When ya gotta go... you gotta go - "air-loo"
Why do people go to New York? for all kinds of reasons. 100's queue to see the shows like Letterman.
LAS VEGAS, Last stop - another fine brewery found |
Complete with fountains
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We had one last stop to make and we didn't think we'd find a micro brewery - but we did ! If you've dreamed of seeing Vegas at it's best, you might have missed it. Yes the architecture of the Casino's is interesting as each place vies for your dollar. The Paris, New York, Luxor all famous names. There is a gap on the Strip at the moment as 3 new casinos go up side by side -(there was talk of two of them going bankrupt before they could be finished). All that constructions means heavy truck traffic, loss of sidewalks, noise and dust. Sadly things have changed in Las Vegas, it's dirty. Filth litters the streets and gutters and becasue of the construction people have to shuffle along like herd animals. The 'flicker' men - or pimps as they really are, hand out cards for 'girls who just want to meet you and be your friend'.... gee could that be prostitution? The major casino's move these sleasebags along but wherever there is City land or a vacant lot they line both sides of the footpath and touch you with their cards and flick them to attract you. Rather than make eye contact the tourists accept the cards just to get away from the flickers then drop them immediately in the streets so the ground is littered with thousands of girlie cards, offers of free drinks and cheap meals. It actually makes escaping into the Casino's a respite from the slease. If you're gambling drinks are free... but are they? You have to tip the dealer to thank them for your winning hand and you have to tip the waitress for bringing you the drink... And speaking of waitresses... the same girls from 20 years ago who wore sexy bustier tops and fishnet stockings are still working there... Talk about a fright when you turn around and your grandmother is serving drinks with her boobies pushed up and out the top of her outfit! So how do you visit and beat the system? We wont be the first to tell you that the "big" hotels are rubbish these days. The Paris staff are rude and hotel a rip off - as a booked room turns out to NOT be available unless you pay more. The New York is dirty and the staff just plain rude. SO - Don't stay out on Las Vegas Blvd - commonly know as The Strip. Make hotel reservations in old Las Vegas known as Downtown or Freemont Street. Hotel Casino's are way better priced, staff actually seem to enjoy their work, their pokies and tables pay better odds, drinks are much much cheaper and that lead us to another micro brewery. It's in the Main Street Station Casino, Brewery & Hotel just off Freemont street and it's called the Triple 7 Restaurant and Microbrewery. Don't know which beer to try? No problem they have a cute little rack thing they bring you with 5 sample beers. Then order away
You sit at the bar or tables and look at the mezzanine where the beer is brewing. Pretty impressive although difficult to photograph behind all that glass, but you get the idea. We tried their Porters and Wheats and IPA's. We didn't rate them as highly as the San Francisco brewing company but still way beyond what the masses are drinking. By the way if you're just into grabbing a beer and want to keep walking then they have $2 Heinekens all day every day and everyone drinks in the street. If you're staying around Freemont Street, the Main Street Station Casino runs a shuttle service up to the Strip or you can buy a 24 hour bus pass on the Deuce double decker buss. Costs $3 for one trip or $7 for the 24 hour pass. Get on or off as you please so you can stay for cheap in Old Las Vegas and visit the sleaze pits as you please. So whilst some Casino's are trying to immitate classical art...
Or classic architecture & fountains Some have just given in and enjoy tacky Or if they're particulary literate they print it on your undies !
Of course the old MGM lion still guards the MGM Grand But some just know their place in our hearts...
And the Luxor makes you feel really tiny
New York New York has recreated the NYC skyline complete with Brooklyn Bridge And the Bellagio plays classical music while a thousand fountains dance to classical music
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Caesar's Palace
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