Sunset Zen, session notes from the Rogue.

Zen on the river. The Point, 6/27/2024.

     Slipped out into the river on a last minute decision to go for an evening paddle. Headed southeast- around Tern Island. Into the canal between Lookout Point and Moonshell Drive. Back to the dock. Focused on balance and the route in front of me. Felt the resistance of the paddle... three strokes on the left. Two on the right (stronger on the right side). Back and forth. Hearing the shrill warnings of the terns, the smell of the salt in the warm air (high 70s this particular evening). The whole Zen of the exercise drained away the stress of the day. Throw in a sunset on the river. Stoked. 

     Ice cold Belgian Wit. Perfect sesh closing brew from Heavy Seas. Clear golden pour. Light carbonation. Finger and half white, fizzy head. Sweet tangerine and citrus aromas. Tart, bitter orange rind in the taste. Some pepper zest. A little acidic. Light hops. Fresh close. 5.2% ABV. Maybe 25 or so IBUs. Rated a B.

"It's a fair wind that blew men to ale."

-Washington Irving

First Attempt, session notes from the Rogue.

"A shore break is a wave that breaks right on the beach, has no room to ride.
We've also called them pounders as they also pound the sand (and anyone nearby -ed.) on the beach." -Otter Pro
Surf check: Waist high shore break peaking above the beach. 48th Street break, 6/20/2024.

      First time time loaded up with the Shell Shape stick and a spring suit. Semi clean break listed on the report. Ocean temps in the high 60s. Clear mid-70's late afternoon. Winds about 5-10 mph. First day of summer. First attempt. Could hear the waves crashing against the sand, rollin' up to the beach. Shore break. Has been the local in-town coastal epidemic since last year. No major storms have come through, so the shoaling has been minor. Tide has to hit just right, and I'm thinking that my break is gonna be a' changin'. In the mean time, Plan B. Feed the machine.

Tapped into the Tiki.

     45th Street Taphouse Tiki Bar. Spectacular sunset to take one's mind off of the lack of surf time. Chilled IPA. Crab-stuffed Avocado. Old Bay Wings. Korean BBQ Potstickers. Wife and I were stoked as soon as we laid eyes on our choices. Lump crab loaded up over corn salsa in a ripe avocado consumed immediately. Wings were meaty, hot, and perfectly dusted with Old Bay. Potstickers were our least favorite, but were tender with a tangy BBQ sauce over a spicy slaw. More sticker than pork (hint). Regardless, enjoyed the dinner overall and refueled, we headed back to base.

Now, I'm just gonna sit at the dock of the bay

Watching the tide roll away

Sittin' on the dock of the bay

Wastin' time  -Otis R.

     Next evening, sippin' on a tequila inspired Paloma. Bada$$ Strawberry Moon (also known as a mead moon... Salude!) over the St. Martin as an added garnish. Thumped first attempt, but still grateful to be livin' the life!

Old Irving Brewing. Beezer Hazy IPA.

6.9% ABV. 45 IBUs. Dense orange haze

pour. Finger and a half foam head.

Mangos, orange, and pine in the nose.

Melon, grapefruit, and more resinous

pine flavors. Great hop bite in the finish. 

Smooth. Not heavy goin' down- hence 

dangerous. More than a couple and it'd

thump ya like the surf. Rated an A.

Grey Wolf Lobo Agave Spirit Tequila. 

43.5% ABV. Add grapefruit juice, lime juice, 

+ soda over a sea-salt rim. Gotcha a Paloma. 

Had a couple. A sipper for howlin' at the moon. 

First Lunasea after Solstice. Hangin' at the Point on the St. Martin, 6/21/2024.

Summer Marker, the Rogue's notes.

The Jet Coast- Shell Gut, 6/8/2024.

    Has become an annual thing. Time to pull out the Jet Skis. My buddy DP  calls to set the date.  Pick 'em up. Gas 'em up. Run 'em around.  It's a season opener. Had winds around 9-10 mph, so some cappin' on the bay and river.  Really gotta hang on when you hit some of that chop at 55 and above rippin across the St. Martin. Even got ta' help a neighbor going thru the start-up blues. Always makes for a feel-good time. Made for a fun morning on the water. A definitive summer marker.

      Another sign of summer. The Mai Tai. Yeah, I know. Somewhere left of beer. But, all Rum!  Spent the morning on high seas (sorta). I'm sure a few brigands hid on the river. Ya gotta drink like a pirate. Bacardi White, Tortuga Gold, and a Goslings Black Seal (dark rum) floater. Plenty of pineapple, orange, and lime. Luxardo Cherry and lime garnish. You'll burn down a few towns with a couple of these. When self-crafted...an A+!

"Drinking rum in the morning doesn't

make you a lush, it makes you a pirate."

-a friend's quote

Tidewater Coastal Pilgrimage, the Rogue's notes.

 

Coastal high-tide on Broad Creek. St. Michaels, MD - 5/26/2024.

    Haven't been to St. Michaels, MD in a minute. Became time to take stock and stock up. A Tidewater Coastal pilgrimage of sorts. Indulged a bit. Beer. Spirits. Food. History. Beer. Did a few tag-ups... Gina's for a quick bite, Eastern Shore Brewing for a beer or two or three, Lyon's Distillery to fill our depleted bar, some street shop surfing, then finished with dinner at Limoncello's.  This is why we always make a timely return. Somewhat yearly. Hell, got married here! No wonder it's ingrained. Place always leaves us stoked. 

Eastern Shore Brewing

        

Colonel Kemp House.

           Yeah. Okay. It's from the county below, but RAR Brewing puts out a very solid IPA. Nanticoke Nectar. Served in many a' St. Michaels tavern. Dark golden pour with a near 2-finger head. Ample thick lacing. Floral and citrus in the nose. Biscuity. Caramel and pine. Flavors of the caramel-toffee malts. Plenty of mango, grapefruit, and resin. Earthy, bright, crisp finish. At 7.4%, you'll begin to feel the net one quick. Kinda like a dizzying 65 IBU hop punch in the mouth. Like I said. Solid. Rated a B+.

"Life and beer are very similar;

keep it chill for best results."

-A. Nonymous

Fast Crash Rollers, the Rogue's notes.

Rollin' on the River. As the swell and the Cruisers rolled out, the fog rolled in.
St. Martin River, Shell Gut. 5/21/2024

    May. Water's warming. Not fast enough. Running about 48-50F. Shorebreakin' a bit as well. In addition to the Atlantic rollers crashing the beach (literally), we've had Cruisin' Weekend crashing the town (not literally). Surfin' and Street Rods. Always a fast pair. Can't get wet, can at least get charged.

'73 Chevelle SS

    Brew review. Boreal, "of the North." A Michigan Dry Hopped Lager. An IPL- India Pale Lager. So to speak. Old Nation Brewing. A hoppy lager that poured a straw yellow with a thin, white, fizzy head. Fast dissipating, like the lacing. Aromas of herbal hops and lemon zest- heavy citrusy lemon. Flavors of no-salt saltines. Crackery malt. Bready. More lemons. Lite grapefruit. And a sharp pine finish. At 5%, refreshing. At 40% IBUs, very crisp. A- rating. Get's ya charged! Good stuff.

Inlet parking lot, 5/18/2024. (Dispatch photos)
"Surfing and hot rodding weren’t mutually exclusive,
and many of the surfers who made money selling
boards or winning contests put that money into the
hot rods, muscle cars, and sports cars that announced
their arrival at the beach."   -Benjamin Preston, Hagerty Media

Surrey Sesh, the Rogue's notes.

27th Street Dunes. Windblown waist plus chop. Waves couldn't decide where to break. 
Salted spray everywhere. Off the Boards, 4/14/2024

     Blowin' sand all afternoon. Yeah. Sunday on the Boards. Long winter. Spring has sprung. Spent those stretches away from the beach. Good to get back. I remember riding bikes on the boardwalk. Wife and I? Can ride bikes around the OP all the time. We rented a Surrey. Bike World on Caroline. Our boardwalk bike-ride go-to. Riding north we were with the wind. A breeze. Pun intended and appreciated. 

Built in wind socks!

Wind was blowing hard enough we coulda broken records. Ride back? No records. No music. Just that wind. Blowing in our faces. Ears. Hard. Pump those legs! On more mile. Got the beach though. And that lovely Ocean. Chopped up slop. They were rights. Frontsides. Long to get back in. Have a better season than last. What a conundrum. Freezing chop? Or the relentless wind in a surrey? Well...we rented the surrey. Had to return it. Good thing a beer was waitin' at home.

     Penrose Brewing. St. Charles, IL. Day Off IPA. Perfect name for the beer to quench my fatigue from that boardwalk wind brawl. Not super heavy at 5.7% ABV. Poured a bright gold with a finger-plus, white head. Thin lacing. Aromas of citrus and guava. Light pine typical of a fresh IPA. Tropical flavoring- lemon-lime, pineapple, and grapefruit. Nice hop bitterness to balance the citrus. Easy drinker. Solid B rating.

Outside The Box, the Rogue's notes.

"A real wayfinder never sleeps." - Maui
Man's imagination... Lake Buena Vista's Amphicar.

     Four days of the Mouse. That wave of Disney took it's toll. Decided to spend time outside the box. So to speak. Over the next two days: put in a day at SeaWorld then split our final day- poolside at the resort... eating and shopping at Disney Springs.

     SeaWorld. Had a Food, Wine, and Beer Fest going on- Seven Seas Food Festival. Quick Queue- like a fast pass. Restaurants in general.  All X-Pen-Siv. Like more than Disney, not gonna lie. Not as high end, and not as clean. However, this was a resort town. Resort prices. And smaller parks gotta make their margins. Their aquariums, and shows did shine somewhat. The real leviathans were the Coasters. We did Manta and Pipeline. Sick. Both impressed. Late morning until evening. Mod Pizza for dinner (this was Orlando), then back to home base to unwind.

 

The Manta!

 

Taking flight.

Ready to ride the wild surf!

 

  

Gotta take that one last ride. -Jan and Dean

     Closing day. Hit the pool, late AM (yes, slept in) until early PM. Two pools to chose from. "Avast!" Chose the pirate themed pool. More to work the young imagination. Copa Loca Bar & Grill, to help the Grups douse the week's burn. Another sunny Florida morning. Stoked. 

     Late afternoon. Disney Springs. Yes, more of and the last of Walt's world that topped off an outstanding seven day fiesta. An intense last Disney sesh. Dinner at The Boathouse. 

Islamorada Beer Co.

Blonde Citrus Ale. 

Straw yellow pour.

Fluffy 2 finger

white head. Lemon 

and malt aromas.

Flavors of citrus

and hops. Refreshing

lawn-mower brew. 

5% ABV, 19 IBU.

Marina drinkin.'

Rated a B-.

Classic marina view.

Sunrise IPA. Sailfish

Brewing's  hopped-up

offering with a water

slappin' 77 IBU bite.

Hazy orange-amber

pour. Finger thick head.

Sweet mangos and

oranges in the nose.

Grapefruit, pineapple,

and resinous pine in

the flavors. At 7% ABV,

one too many and

you'll need the bright

lights of Disney to find

your way! Liked this

one. Gave it an A-.

Coffee at Joffrey's- the Disney staple. Walk off dinner. To Jock's. To the Edison. Passed Planet Hollywood... reimagined from Disney's Pleasure Island days. Crossed T-Rex's. Entered the World of Disney. Skimmed the Polite Pig (a bourbon bar replete with their own brew on tap- much to my disenchantment). Closed out with Ron Jon (found the replacement stoke!). Needless to day- slept well. As difficult as it was, we found the energy to check out. Portillo's once again as we exited Orlando. Provided the kick needed for the trip back. Great vacay!

Jock Lindsey's

Shaky Jamaiky

The Planet

the Edison

T-Rex's - the bones await.

Bourbon 'n Beer here.

Plenty of Disney- at a price!

Store of Stoke

Morning wakeups, the GV.

"TAKE VACATIONS!

You can always make more money.

You can't always make more memories."

-A. Howell