Comments on: Why I drive to the Great American Beer Festival

By: Stonch

Stonch — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 21:21:43 +0000

I don’t even know how to drive. Different worlds!

By: Eric Trimmer

Eric Trimmer — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 13:11:40 +0000

Lew,

Is is a diesel?

By: Lew Bryson

Lew Bryson — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 03:15:09 +0000

“On The Road”? Urf. I hated that book. I wanted to build a time machine so I could go back and kick the ass of everyone in it. I’m just not hip, I guess, but what a frickin’ pack of assholes.

But I do love me some driving. And yeah, Steve, 40 MPG, in comfort, at 75 mph, with real acceleration: VW Passat TDI. It’s a 2005, with 70K miles, and the dealer just offered to trade it straight up for a new 2007 Jetta. We thought about it, but turned him down. Probably stupid, but I love this car, and it’s just broken in.

Stan, you’re right, I really should. I need the proper road partner to trade off driving, though, and Uncle Jack ain’t it.

By: Alan

Alan — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:29:41 +0000

Just to be clear, not all Canadians have an aversion to the road trip. I love the 16 hours from eastern Ontario to Halifax and, if I didn’t have kids to drag along, would likely do it a couple of times a year still driven by the prospect of barleywine at Rogues Roost or singing sea shanties at the Lower Deck. Now, more often, I drive to the sea through southern New England to get to Maine with a stopoff at Tully’s in Wells before the delights of the taps of Portland. Next up, heading to Michigan in a few weeks for a visit to Jolly Pumpkin as well as another to Baltimore at Christmas for, apparently, pit beef and beers I have yet to meet. Car travel becomes a series of craft brewing touchstones – happily Grand River Brewing opened up on the way to and from the in-laws.

By: SteveH

SteveH — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:59:01 +0000

“Don’t write about MillerCoors.”

Okay, but at least write about whether or not A-B cares.

Wish I’d taken some shots from the backroads to Madison last weekend, Stan — it was that peak of the season and perfect, as Lew says, for dreaming about the first beer at the campfire.

40 MPG? Really?

By: Stephen Beaumont

Stephen Beaumont — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:10:21 +0000

You Americans and your “On the Road” mythology. I’ll never understand it…

By: Stan Hieronymus

Stan Hieronymus — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 15:50:15 +0000

Lew – We used to drive to GABF from Illinois in a long day if we were frantic, more like two so we could hit the good beer places.

Going in the other way, from Illinois east, we could be in Allentown for an early dinner.

This is a trip you can, and should, do.

By: Lew Bryson

Lew Bryson — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:45:55 +0000

I’m seriously thinking about driving to GABF next year, which, I’d point out, is a bit more of a commitment for me. I’m kind of driven by a love of the road, having a car that gets over 40 mpg (got 42 on the trip to Durham), and the thought of all the beer places I could hit along the way, but some of it’s also a desire to emulate my dad. He was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco during the Korean War, and drove his Studebaker across country three times and back, straight through, in the pre-Interstate days. One time he and my mother, with another couple, did it in three days. I’m not that crazy — or that young — but I’d like to push for that kind of road fever.

Love that song, Stan. It’s going to run through my head all day…and that’s not a problem. Enjoy the fest. Don’t write about MillerCoors.