 |
| "Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone." -Charles M. Schulz Enough wind to slap a few extra waves on the lake shore. Lake Geneva, WI. 12/19/2020 |
Long work week. Looked forward to being off for a few. Pandemic seemed to be spreading everywhere. There was a time earlier in the year, it'd be tough to think of anyone even within the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, that had the virus. Since the summer ended and cooler weather moved in it had been on the rise... throughout the country. And especially close to work and home. More friends, relatives, and co-workers were coming down with it. Some with worse symptoms than others, fortunately all recovering. Yet, as we got our home decorated, checked out the lights of OC light show, the celebration of the Season was in the air. Early AM start. The anticipation of the holiday festivities with friends and family in the Midwest made the cross country trip seem a little less arduous. First stop was Michigan. The initial two thirds of the ride was smooth. Hit snow (on the ground) crossing the Alleghenys. Through PA, into OH. Coming up on our exit to MI. At five minutes out, Michigan became a no go due to the 'Rona. Change of plans, more of an alteration, as we ended up rerouting to WI. Added five hours to our drive. And a weekend that was the most relaxing part of our Christmas.
Geneva National Resort, Lake Geneva. Home to our close friend. The hard to find kind. Family. Had to mention this brief of our first night there. Showed up a day early, and late in the evening. A spread of drinks and eats waiting. The season was hung everywhere with Christmas music in the background. Regardless of the time of night, our gracious hostess managed to erase the fatigue and stress of the trip from the moment we walked in. Awesome...awe inspiring. She was. Set the tone for the entire weekend.
 |
on an English Pale. Twisted Hammock. Light orange pour with a fizzy, white, less than finger head. Herbal hop nose. Lemon citrus taste with that classic bitter English finish. 5.5 ABV, approximately 40 IBUs. Rated a B-. |
Spent the next couple of days going "off-campus." Got some shoppin' in...Midwest beer included, of course, and checking out the downtown. Got in the main attractions of Geneva Lake and Williams Bay. A bit of an afternoon southwest wind on the water. Chopped it up, but make no mistake...only surf to be found would have been in the form of wakesurfing in the warmer climes. Not that it wouldn't be a badass experience. More like cold-ass this time of year. Water hanging in the mid to upper-30s as the winds were the only thing keeping a skim of ice off the surface. Only a couple small fishing boats braved the conditions. C'mon man! It's Christmas. Only made sense to go to a service while we were in town. Topsy Turvy, a brewery that had remodeled and settled into a church. Perfect place to book a flight of brews from an ample beer list that included other local Wisconsin beers. Cold outside, warm church inside. Very good service.
 |
| Midwest tiki. |
 |
| Christmas on campus. |
 |
Spotted Cow Farmhouse Ale, New Glarus Brewing. A WI exclusive. Hazy straw yellow pour. Corn, some grain, banana, and floral hops in aroma. Flavors of banana, berry fruit, light malt, Fresh, dry finish. Had this for the first time back in the early 2000's. Business trip to Madison, WI. It was big then and continues to dominate the state now. Very drinkable, as in more than one. 4.8% ABV, 18 IBUs. A solid B rating. |
Returned to the cottage for a righteous, homemade Mostaccioli dinner. Classic. Yeah, that's right. Seasonal relaxin.' Next day, we got back on the road. Checked out some of the local light displays on the way thru Williams Bay. Next stop Carol Stream/Chicago.
 |
 |
| Pier 290 decked out. |
 |
 |
| Founders Brewing brought on Marvelroast. An 8% Imperial Golden Coffee Ale. Poured a clear amber-gold. Big 2-finger plus, white head. Sweet cocoa, vanilla, coffee, and a hint of malt in the aroma. Caramel, chocolate, more malts, more coffee in the taste. 20 IBUs. Bittersweet, biscuity finish. Nice brew. B+/A- rating. |
 |
| It was like they knew what was comin'... |
No comments:
Post a Comment