The Publican's Pacific Northwest Brew Pub Tour, May 6 – 14, 2008.

As many of you already know, I’ve put together a Pacific Northwest brew tour package for May and am now accepting reservations. We have a limit of 25, with ten signed on as of today.

Dates:
Leaving Louisville May 6, returning May 14.

Airfare:
NOT included; Bliss Travel (New Albany) is working on a group package, and you're free to determine your own so long as I know the itinerary, you can find the group once there, and return arrangements fit the schedule.

Final pricing:
$1,875 per person double occupancy, and $2,275 per person single occupancy. This includes transfers, all motorcoach, brewery tours, breakfasts, a few evening meals, museum, ballgame admissions and all lodging.

Please do me a favor and pass this along to interested parties. My e-mail address is istanbul85(at)yahoo.com, and our local tour operator is Tony Minden, owner of OregonWest Excursions.

Portland OR
Embassy Suites (Downtown)
BridgePort Brewing
McMenamins Cosmic Bus Tour (McMenamins Edgefield, Kennedy School, Crystal Ballroom)
Rogue Ales in Portland
Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
Multnomah Falls
Full Sail Brewing
Hood River Fruit Loop
Timberline Lodge

Tacoma WA
Harmon’s Brewery & Restaurant
Museum of Glass

Seattle WA
Silver Cloud Hotel
Hale’s Ales Brewery & Pub
Pike Pub & Brewery
Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurants
Safeco Field tour and Mariners vs. White Sox

Astoria OR
Comfort Suites Columbia River
Wet Dog Cafe & Astoria Brewing Company
Fort George Brewery + Public House
Columbia River Maritime Museum
Seafood School

Newport OR
Elizabeth Street Inn
Rogue Ales
Rogue Ales Public House
Marine Discovery Tours
Rogue Brewer’s on the Bay
Oregon Coast Aquarium

Pacific Northwest Brew Tour, May 6 – 14, 2008.

I've forwarded the following to those on the mailing list. If you're interested, please let me know (use the e-mail address at my blogger profile page).

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Note that everything following is tentative. Our local tour operator is Tony Minden, owner of OregonWest Excursions. Tony submitted a plan to me, and I have edited his work and made a few changes, which he’ll be examining for accuracy. The edited version, minus exact timings, is here. I believe the information below to be substantially correct at this time. Assuming Tony agrees, we’ll begin the process of determining the price.

Note also that the group’s airfare is still being researched by Mary Pat Bliss of Bliss Travel in New Albany, but that you retain the option of arranging your own flights subject to land transportation constraints and my required foreknowledge. At this time, we believe the roundtrip fare to be in the range of $550, but of course this might change.

Some form of breakfast is included at each stop.

Tuesday, May 6th

We will depart Louisville for Portland, and depending on the final flight plan, the itinerary may change. Airport transfer; arrive in Portland. Read: New York Times on beer in Portland. We’ll be staying at the Embassy Suites (Downtown). There’ll be a tour, tasting and meal at BridgePort Brewing, Oregon’s oldest craft brewery (founded 1984).

Wednesday, May 7th

Private charter aboard the Portland Ducks Tour’s Hydra Terra amphibious vehicle for a half bus/half boat city tour with guide that travels city streets and the Willamette River alike. We’ll tour Portland’s waterfront and ship yard, and then end up at Widmer Brothers Brewing for a taste, followed by a free afternoon in downtown Portland to rest, relax and enjoy the city. Later, there’ll be a McMenamins Cosmic Bus Tour (visits to a selection of McMenamins' historic properties (i.e., McMenamins Edgefield, the Kennedy School, and the Crystal Ballroom) and appetizers, handcrafted ales, wines and spirits. We’re leaving the evening open pending a chance to socialize with Phil “Biscuit” Timperman. Phil currently works for Rogue Ales in Portland, and formerly was employed by Hair of the Dog and the Horse Brass Pub.

Thursday, May 8th

Morning departure for a drive through the gorgeous scenery of the Crown Point State Scenic Corridor, followed by a stop at Multnomah Falls, the second highest water fall in the United States. Lunch and beers will be at Walking Man Brewing in Stevenson. After lunch we’ll travel the "Hood River Fruit Loop," coming eventually to the landmark Timberline Lodge (where Jack Nicholson’s “The Shining” was filmed). During this time we will try to meet with Charles Porter, formerly the brewery at Bloomington Brewing Co. and Upland in Bloomington, Indiana. Charles now lives in Hood River and works for Full Sail Brewing. There might be a vineyard tour as well. Afterwards, an open final evening in Portland.

Friday, May 9th

Depart Portland for Seattle. Stop in Tacoma at Harmon’s Brewery & Restaurant for a tour, tasting and lunch, then free time in Tacoma. Near Harmon’s: The Museum of Glass, including work by the world famous Dale Chihuly; artists at work in the Hot Shop; bridge of glass; and the restored Union Station. In Seattle, we’re staying at the Silver Cloud Hotel. A monorail/tram to and from downtown is being built, and it may be operational by the time of our visit. The hotel also offers local shuttles. We are hoping to arrange an evening visit, tasting and dinner at Hale’s Ales Brewery & Pub.

Saturday, May 10th

A brief city tour of the highlights will be followed by morning free time. Circa 1:00 p.m., we meet at the Pike Pub & Brewery for lunch and a beer pairing. Next is a tour of Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners and a pre-game tour and tasting at the Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurants. At 7:00 p.m., Mariners vs. White Sox, sushi (Ichi-Roll) and IPA, then back to the hotel after the game. Note that the Safeco Field tour and game timings are contingent on the 2008 schedule, which thus far is tentative.

Sunday, May 11th

Depart for Astoria, Oregon, on the northernmost tip of the Oregon coast. The hotel is Comfort Suites Columbia River. Lunch is on your own in Astoria, which boasts a great downtown to wander, with unique shops, restaurants and pubs, among them the Wet Dog Cafe & Astoria Brewing Company (formerly Pacific Rim Brewing) and Fort George Brewery + Public House. We’ll visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum in the afternoon, then attend Seafood School for demonstrations, seafood, and a beer-themed presentation from Chef Eric Jenkins.

Monday, May 12th

Depart Astoria for Newport. This is about a 3-hour drive, and quite spectacular. We’ll allow an hour and a half for stops along the way, including Cannon Beach or Seaside. Arrive in Newport circa 1:00 p.m. The small, succulent Yaquina Bay oyster made Newport famous, and the town is a popular destination for seafood lovers, but we know it better as the home of Rogue Ales. Lunch at your own pace along the Historic Bayfront, location of Rogue Ales Public House and Local Ocean Seafoods. Rooms at the Elizabeth Street Inn. Monday evening is free to roam. There is the possibility of a program and session at the Rogue Ales Public House.

Tuesday, May 13th

We’re hoping to book a morning excursion with Marine Discovery Tours. Lunch is at Brewer’s on the Bay, Rogue’s restaurant inside its microbrewery complex, which is located on the south side of the bay (you can see the Public House across the way), followed by a Rogue brewery tour. Next, a visit to the nearby Oregon Coast Aquarium, then regrouping at the hotel. Dinner at the Hallmark Inn in the group’s own private dining room overlooking the ocean. Finally, weather permitting, the Elizabeth Street Inn will put on a bonfire on the beach, including smores and plenty of Rogue ales.

Wednesday, May 14th

Pending confirmation of the flight time, this day remains unplanned. It is 2.5 hours travel time to Portland and 1.5 hours check in time at the airport. This might require an early wake-up …

Real planning now underway for PacNW beer and brewery tour, 2008.

My method of trip planning follows a sloppy but reasonably consistent logic.

It begins with hours of informal discussion with friends and cohorts, followed by a vague announcement, and then much fevered activity to actually pull the strands together.

The discussion period has largely passed, although there remains much time to refine the concept, and now we're somewhere just past the vague announcement and entering the active phase of planning for the May (or thereabouts) brewery and incidental culture motor coach tour of the Pacific Northwest in 2008.

Negotiations are ongoing with the travel company that I believe will be the choice to organize this trip with me. I’m also receiving itinerary advice from the Portland tourism bureau, so there’s no shortage of good information.

It is my aim to cap this one at 25 (approximately) people, although it may be possible to squeeze a few more into the group.

Currently the itinerary would include time in Portland and Seattle; a Rogue brewery visit (Newport); touring of the Columbia River gorge; Astoria and perhaps Bend (both in Oregon); a smattering of historical sites, a vineyard; and hopefully a baseball game in Seattle. Naturally, all possible breweries in and near these places will be investigated and many of them toured and visited.

Duration is slated for 10 days, flying from Louisville to Portland and back. Precise air arrangements will come a bit later, after I’ve had the chance to converse with Bliss Travel for ideas. The exact dates may well have to wait until later this fall owing to the contingencies of the baseball schedule for 2008.

I realize that price is a crucial factor, but so far, it isn’t something that can yet be predicted with confidence.

Readers, for now, know that the show is likely to go on. Please let me know immediately if you are interested; you’ll be added to the mailing list, and I’ll continue with the scheming. Use the e-mail address listed at my Blogger profile page.

Brewery and beer suggesions are welcomed, and they'll certainly make me thirsty.

Update: Beer hunting by motor coach in the Pacific Northwest, May, 2008.

After mulling on the topic for some months and inviting suggestions, planning has started in earnest for the May, 2008 group excursion to the Pacific Northwest. As with the initial period of research for previous excursions to Europe (there have been five since 1998), goals continue to shift as information is processed, but the broad strategy remains the same.

I've been in contact with an Oregon travel company as well as the travel planning division of the Portland tourist bureau, and the people I've spoken with in both places have expressed enthusiasm at the beer emphasis of the trip.

Recalling that it is perfectly acceptable to make your own flying arrangements subject to advance notice, the group will depart Louisville on a still yet to be determined date in May (following the Kentucky Derby, which runs on Saturday, May 3, 2008) and will fly to Portland, Oregon, where a chartered motor coach will be waiting. Roughly ten days of regional tourism will follow, with a heavy accent on indigenous microbrewing culture.

Consider this short list of possibilities:

Portland, Oregon
Hood River valley and Mt. Hood
Astoria, Oregon
Rogue Nation (i.e., the home of Rogue Ales) in Newport, Oregon
Crater Lake National Park
Seattle, Washington
A Mariners game at Safeco Field in Seattle, with microbrews and sushi (Ichi Roll!)
Olympic peninsula
Mount Rainier

Note that there would not be time for all of these, but that there would be one or more breweries and brewpubs in or near most of them. I’d like to have a nice balance between bigger and smaller cities, moving around and staying put, and organizing brewery tours while allowing for ample free time in the places we visit for non-yeast-culture activities like museum visits, walking and enjoying the scenery.

As much as I’d like to include Northern California, and after long deliberation, it is almost certainly out of the itinerary picture. One look at a map will tell you why. The prime beer-related places (North Coast in Ft. Bragg, Anderson Valley) are much closer to the Bay Area than Portland. It would require devoting premium time to commuting, and in the end, the numerous breweries and wineries in that part of California deserve their own journey at some point in the future. Too much time on a motorcoach is something we’d like to avoid. There is too much fresh air, not to mention fresh beer, waiting.

As of this time, I’m interested in knowing who may be “in” for this May trip in 2008. There are no financial obligations. Write to the e-mail address in my blog profile, or leave word at the pub. Also, suggestions continue to be appreciated.If you're new to this, know that my aim after organizing and arranging the trip is to pay my own way with a percentage of the proceeds above raw cost, which is all safely above board and conducted through my side venture, Potable Curmudgeon, Inc.

References from past travelers are available upon request. I hope to see many readers next year.

The Curmudgeon will be coming out of retirement: Group beer hunting trips are planned for 2008.

For a Gravity Head lineupdate (20 March): Gravity Head lineupdate.

On numerous occasions I’ve confided to friends and pub patrons that coming up with a sequel to the legendary 2004 German-Czech beer tourism group trip has proven to be a chore. That’s because the 2004 trip was probably as close to perfection as any of us are likely to experience, and in addition, the years since have been filled with other challenges and commitments that have conspired to make a group trip difficult to schedule.

After much deliberation about the future of such endeavors, I’m pleased to announce that my mind’s made up. I’m planning two very different group beer trips for 2008, and you’re invited to attend.

The 2008 spring group excursion to the Pacific Northwest likely will include Seattle, Portland and Rogue Nation in Newport, Oregon. All I can say for sure is that it will take place in May, probably after the Kentucky Derby, which runs on May 3, 2008. The trip will last around 10 days. It is likely that the bulk of the group will be flying from Louisville, although participants are free to make their own arrangements subject to my being in the loop.

Once in Portland or Seattle, a chartered motorcoach will be waiting, and we’ll go from there. Of course, as many beer-related events and tours as possible will be scheduled, and there’ll be ample free time in the cities we visit for non-yeast-culture activities.

In September, 2008, the usual suspects from the beercycling gang will be organizing a bicycle-oriented beer hunting trip to Belgium and Netherlands. The core group will either take bikes or rent them in Amsterdam, which we’ll in all likelihood be using as arrival and departure point. The group will travel by train to the vicinity of the Poperinge hop festival (probably Ieper), and attend the parade on September 21, 2008. After a program in the area, we’ll ride over a period of eight or so days back to Haarlem, Netherlands (minutes from Amsterdam), where the trip will conclude.

We have precise biking maps of the entire area to be covered, and this beercycling trip will be completely planned and micromanaged to ensure that a pre-determined, specific distance is covered each day, with conclusion in a pre-booked hotel.

It is our aim to rent a vehicle to serve as sag wagon, and to carry luggage aboard the sag wagon, not in panniers has been the case on previous trips. Subject to interest and the size of the vehicle, there will be limited seating in the sag wagon for non-cycling participants – perhaps as many as three or four. In addition, given the proximity by rail of most of the sites we’ll be visiting, there is the possibility of meeting rail travelers at pre-arranged rendezvous points. I will assist interested parties in arranging their affairs, but will not actively supervise them.

As of this time, I’m interested in knowing who may be “in” for either of these planned excursions in 2008. There are no financial obligations. Write to the e-mail address in my blog profile, or leave word at the pub. Also, suggestions are appreciated.

It’s early, but preparations are starting. If you're new to this, know that my objective after organizing and arranging these trips is to pay my own way with a percentage of the proceeds, which is all above board and conducted through my side venture, Potable Curmudgeon, Inc. References from past travelers are available upon request.

I hope to see many readers next year.