Tag: Craft Brewery

On 22nd April 2019

Adventure is the best way to learn.
Unknown

Today’s adventure has us going to a small village called Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia. It is located on the Northumberland Strait, fairly close to Truro (the hub of Nova Scotia). We are checking out property and houses in the area. We have started to look at land and the possibility to build a house, as we haven’t found anything for sale that we really like. We checked out land in New Glasgow, on the Brule Shore, Brule Point, Malagash, Seafoam, Sand Point and Barrachois Cove. All fairly close to the town of Tatamagouche.

You may be wondering how looking for land has us ending up in a brewing company. Well, we decided to check out the area/town to see if it had all the amenities one would need, and there is a sign that says BEER-is calling you. Now, it would be just rude not to answer so we went in and checked it out at the Tatamagouche Brewing Co. This family owned and operated microbrewery is in the heart of town and it won the Atlantic Canadian Brewery of the Year in 2018! So……. one had to check it out and it was it was “Pure TATAMAGOODNESS”. We didn’t get a chance to see any more of the town this day, as we needed to get back to Momma Bears for supper. And you know we will be back.

Annapolis Valley

On 18th April 2019

You must go on an adventure to find out where you truly belong
Susan Fitzmaurice

Well, today’s adventure has us picking up Beck and going on a little road trip to check out a house in Margaretsville – a rural community in Annapolis County, on the bay of Fundy. Apparently, population 212. This used to be a very busy port during the 1900s, but now very, very quiet. There is a lighthouse, which was once believed to be on our 5-cent stamp in 1967, a wharf which is no longer deemed a necessity, and apparently a small art store which was closed today (it not yet being tourist season). The house we checked out was amazing with a million-dollar view of the bay and access to the beach with two waterfalls. Of course, we had to explore that!

As you know, adventure is not only about the scenery but about the restaurants you find and the food you can experience. Today’s culinary journey took us back to Port William to a new place “The Noodle Guy” … which was rated number 1 by the Curated Magazine – it serves “Artisanal Pasta for the Valley”. So, pasta and a number 1 rating means we need to check it out! We had the “Shells” – with zippy local sausage in a creamy wine, chipotle & asiago sauce; the “Ravioli of the Day “ which was Mushroom Sage and Sausage & the “Noodle Guy Stir Fry”. All dishes were very reasonable prices and amazing flavors – we wanted to lick the plate; if only we were home!

After a long walk on the dyke path we headed to the Church Brewing Company for a beer. It is a brewery, a restaurant and a concert venue all in one. Remember “Brew Good, Do Good”! This newly renovated church into a pub has become a great success in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. The place was packed, but we managed to get a chair at the bar. It is really good to see that a beautiful historical church like this one is still a place for people to congregate with friends and family; a place to make great memories. Jenna, the bartender, was fabulous! We wanted to drink Nova Scotia craft beer as we always try and support the local but their own brew was not quite ready yet. So, we drank the following craft beer – Amarzen Grace from Big Spruce Brewing, the Pineapple Wheat from Heritage Brewing Co, Dekorum from Tatamagouche Brewing Co, and the Que Onda (Tequila Barrel Aged Gose) also from Big Spruce Brewing. All Nova Scotia beer!! We really should get our livers checked after all this beer!

One last stop before heading back to the Gingerbread Inn. La Torta – Woodfired Pizzeria – the Carne Trio (mozzarella, local chorizo, Italian sausage, andouille & fresh parmesan) for Steve and the Tuscan (goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes olives and roasted garlic) for Jo. It was great being the only people in the place, as the cook gave Jo a great tutorial on how to make a perfect pizza! And perfect pizza it was!!!

How does it get better that this?

Exploring Grand Pré

On 2nd April 2019

Well the sun is shinning again – got to love Wolfville. Today we started with a walk around the Acadia Campus and checked out the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre and the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens. This building is spectacular inside and out. Just the entry way with the gigantic columns make you appreciate the architecture. The Grand Hall where the students were studying is massive and bright, the research facilities and green house in the back was informative and interesting. The things the students were researching gives hope for a brighter future for our environment. Then a walk around the Botanical Gardens even now at the end of Winter was enjoyable! We checked out other habitats including the Walled Garden, the Medicinal and Food Garden and lastly the Conservatory. One can just imagine how spectacular this would be in the spring or summer! Will definitely check this out when we bring Rebekah back in the late summer.

Grand-Pré National Historic Site – Canada’s 16^th World Heritage Site (2012). This monument commemorates the history of the Acadian people. The building was closed but we did have the opportunity to walk the grounds. Of course, also to take pictures of the statue of Evangeline and the iconic memorial church.

We also ventured a little further down to the road to the Grand Pré Beach, definitely not the day for a swim but some nice views of the basin and Cape Blomidon, a great time for rock collecting and Kodak moments for those of you who remember Kodak!

Bad Apple Brewhouse is our next stop! We had the “core” flight, with the Mosaic DIPA, the Black Currant Cider and Brett Pear Cider. However, not on tap was our favourite was the Cranberry Cider. Nevertheless, we did purchase the “Mosaic Double IPA” (in honor of their son Hunter who has Mosaic Down Syndrome) as it has all of its profits are donated to sending kids with special needs to Camp Brigadoon. We were also impressed with the fact that the owners were staffing employees with “all abilities” so that all feel included. Last stop for the day was to participate in the Burgers Wars (a fundraiser for Campaign for Kids). Or last stop was at the Church Brewing Company and their Holy Smokes Burger – with a slogan “Brew Good, Do Good” – How can one go wrong?…More on this place in a latter blog!

Happy 19th Birthday Rebekah!

On 1st April 2019

In Events

Today is a double post day as I felt Rebekah’s 19^th birthday deserved a post of its own.

Breakfast at the Gingerbread Inn Bed and Breakfast. The hosts Brigette and Beat Schmid were kind enough to let us have Rebekah down for breakfast too. So, after her day of studies we hit a few places she wanted to be able to go into and order legally on her own. First stop NSLC to stock up! Second stop; Annapolis Cider Company for a classic flight with corn nuts. She was kind of disappointed that no one carded her…maybe they recognized her face!! Next Stop the Port Pub & Bistro – Ocean Blue Cocktail at Happy hour – Yes, they asked for ID!!! Scallops, fish cakes and Crème Brule. How does it get better than this?!

Happy Birthday Rebekah!

Ottawa Home Show

On 24th March 2019

In Events

Let’s get this show on the road. For people looking for a new place to live and of course trying hard to procrastinate from packing, we thought “why not check out the Ottawa Home show?”. Now, one thing for sure is that one can have fun everywhere they go – it is just how you approach it. We got free tickets from our awesome real estate agent, Monica Haddow, and we went along with our friends, Daphne and Trent.

Spring was in the air with the gardens, the tulips & the green shrubs. Oh man, it felt good to see some color other than white (snow)! We checked out house plans, floor plans, beds, gutters, garlic and ginger presses, veggie peelers, home made pepperoni, candied apples, walked the foot assessment plate for orthotics and much more. We even checked out air-conditioners; you know for when that next season eventually comes around. It was fun to feel like spring was in the air!

We decide to end our day and Wet our whistle with a stop at the Perth Brewery stand – “Wet your Thistle!” for a cold beer. A “Last Duel Lager” and an “Oh Canada Maple Ale”. Did you notice that all of our adventures end up finding a craft brewery?!

How does it get better than this?

A Day for Airports!

On 19th March 2019

Nova Scotia to Ottawa via MONCTON!!! Well this was an adventure! Ended up with 3 hours to kill in the Halifax airport. Man, shopping in airports can get addictive! So instead I checked out the Bia Mara restaurant & bar. Found a table with a plug-in for the computer and had a good Nova Scotia breakfast; eggs, bacon and fish cakes with toast and relish – Yummy! then to the Liquid Assets to check out Nova Scotia Spirits, beer and cider…leave it to Jo. But only ended up with an amazing Chocolate brownie!

Now you know we have been on the downsizing kick – well this was the smallest plane that I have ever been on; well except for the one I parachuted out of in my younger years. When I walked out on the tarmac, I thought how cute is that plane and needed a picture. I asked the first person who walked by me to take a picture, only to find out later that he was the pilot! Now, I have to say I was fascinated by the technology of this little plane – I mean I was looking right in the cock pit. It was so cool to watch them fly the plane. I am not sure why it was so different in this plane flying in and out of the clouds watching the propellers. I just found it so mesmerizing, maybe I was just surprised that it could fly!

Moncton Airport; now this was interesting, as the bar and Tim Horton’s was all in the same room. To walk the airport from end to end took about one minute! But my favorite memory was when I was looking for the gate for the Ottawa flight. I finally found someone to help me and I was told that the Ottawa flight departs from this gate but they did not have enough 9’s in the collection to put it up on the board! So, all we knew is that we were to fly in between the flights to Toronto and Montréal.

It was sad to leave Nova Scotia but it was good to be back in Ottawa.

Truro – the Hub of Nova Scotia

On 18th March 2019

Coffee Shoppe Junkie – Yep that is me. Today we explore Truro, Nova Scotia; apparently it is the “Hub of Nova Scotia”. I had to return the rental car today :(. Great car – little mishap with a rock chip – that little chip won with a crack in the windshield. I did say I like to support the little guys but that only applies to shopping and food. Not rocks! (Thank goodness it wasn’t in the RV!)

So, while we were figuring this claim out, we checked out NOVELTEA Bookstore Café – Novel inspired drinks, hand blended teas and coffee roasted in house. This little gem is located in the heart of downtown Truro. Now, Momma Bear is an avid Tim Horton’s customer so it was going to be a challenge to convert her to this quaint little shoppe. But I had her hooked on the idea when the tea was boiling HOT!! The atmosphere was extremely relaxing with unique quilts, pottery, glassware gifts and antique books everywhere (SSH! You were worried that the Librarian was around the corner lol). They boast they have Nova Scotia’s Best Chai tea latte – something to test when Rebekah is with us but they do make a great hot cocoa!

Discover Fundy – the Tidal Bore Viewing Area. Now, if you are in the area and the tide is coming in, it is an interesting thing to see – some of you might think it is a total bore but it is a cool part of nature and the tidal changes. Also, there is the Trans Canada walking trail nearby for a bike ride or a walk – today’s walk was a lot chillier than our walks down south but it was invigorating to say the least! Lunch – Google “Craft Beer Truro” and you will find The Salty Dog Brewing Company! Another spot in the heart of downtown Truro (Coincidentally right across the street from the Tea Shop). Darn It was closed, but The Nook and Cranny Brew Pub was open and it served the Salty Dog craft beer! Nan had their fish and said it was great – I wasn’t totally sold on their fish tacos but they do make a good beer. Our favorite was their Blueberry Beer – what better in Nova Scotia but Blueberry Beer!

St. Patty’s Day 2019

By Steve

On 17th March 2019

In Events

So, when the Cats Away the Mice will Play……………A picture is worth a thousand words. But I will let Steve handle this one alone! …

A little late spring snow frolicking with Max to start the day and then Matthew & I were off to Landsdowne Park in downtown Ottawa for the Beau’s Brewery St. Patrick’s Day Party! Here we met up with a few friends (old & new) and had a great ol’ time. Check out Beau’s video here and you’ll get a very quick overview of what was a fantastic evening!

Niagara On-the-Lake

On 4th March 2019

We came back this route for Winnie to have her first check-up and address some minor items that we found since delivery. No sense wasting the day in the RV dealership waiting room, let’s go explore!

First stop, shopping at the Outlet Collection at Niagara. Wine tasting at Wine Country Vintners with samples from Trius, Peller Estates, Thirty Bench and No. 99 Wayne Gretzky Estates. Jo sat this one out but fortunately Daphne was a great tasting partner for Steve, as no one likes to drink alone. We also did some shopping…

Finally it was time for lunch and of course Jo’s turn for another flight of local beers! On the recommendation from Karen at the wine shop we headed to the Bricks & Barley Restaurant for wood-fired pizza & craft beer. We shared Daphne’s Wachos (i.e. waffle-fries nachos), Jo’s Veneto (asiago-artichoke based) pizza & Steve’s More Meat pizza. This new restaurant was a great find with amazing food and awesome service!

Florida’s Forgotten Coast

On 24th February 2019

This area of Florida had been deemed “The Forgotten Coast” even before last Fall’s Hurricane Micheal roared through and raged major destruction. From Newport Park, we first headed south to St. Mark’s Lighthouse & Wilderness Area. This area reminded us of the Everglades with it’s vast Pineland forests and wonderful bird habitats.

The day before, Jo had walked to a roadside Boiled Peanut stand with no money and Captain Dan gave her a free sample bag. They were so delicious and when we saw Captain Dan was back at his stand, we bought a mixed bag of original and Cajun style. They were soooo good later that afternoon for a snack! Boiled Peanuts are now considered (by some) to be a delicacy and are a pretty cheap source of protein to boot.

This was also our last chance for Florida beaches so we made stops at Alligator Point (hit roads that were washed out and impassable), Bald Point State Park (perhaps should have been named Jellyfish Point), Carrabelle Beach (much more appealing than the tea-coloured waters at Bald Point!) and St. George Island (beautiful beaches and colourful houses like those on Jelleybean Row in St. John’s, NL) as we made our way around the gulf to our final destination for the day in Apalachicola. Here we enjoyed yet another flight of beer at Oyster City Brewing Company. This time we tasted the likes of “First Light”, “Tate’s Hellies”, “Mill Pond”, “ManGrove”, “Fermentus” and “Foulin’ Harries”. All were of high alcohol content and oh yeah… free popcorn!

Lightning Strikes!

On 21st February 2019

In Events, Florida 2019, Places We've Been

The day in Tampa was Rebekah’s favorite bucket list item. We jumped on the historic (and free!) TECO streetcar line and visited Yber City. This original core of Tampa was the home of many cigar companies back in the day and now houses a number of breweries, which of course Jo had to try TBBC (Tampa Bay Brewing Co). Another day, another flight! More quaint names (“Hair of the Hog”, “Hog’s Breath”, “True Blonde” & “Red Eye”) but nothing we had to take home for later. From here we strolled the River Walk on the hunt for food and Lightning gear. We chose Ferg’s Live right across from Amalie Arena for pre-game wings, mini corn-dogs and macaroni bites. (Not a lot of choice on the menu!)

Next stop, Thunder Alley for some pre-game festivities! Jo also found the perfect shirt for Beck on clearance to boot! The atmosphere outside was fantastic but inside it was absolutely electrifying! Lots of 2 way action in the game with both goalies making incredible saves. The Lightning really know how to generate positive energy in the crowd. They play a fast, aggressive style of hockey and the community is certainly behind their team. We definitely got our monies worth, as it came down to a shoot-out before Tampa secured the win sending the majority of the fans home happy. Seeing Stamkos score in the shoot-out made Momma Jo’s day!

Gulf Coast Beaches!

On 20th February 2019

In Campgrounds, Florida 2019

From Clearwater Beach and Ron Jon Surf Shop (√) , we headed south on the Gulf Coast with our first stop at Sand Key beach. Although a beautiful spot, on this day it was very windy and we had sand flying everywhere with even the odd umbrella taking flight!

Next stop was John’s Pass Boardwalk for lunch at Mad Beach Craft Brewing Company which we would highly recommend. We had yet another flight of beers with names like “Life’s a Beach”, “Kalypso”, “Dolphin Drool” and “Coco Sider”. All were very tasty and hit the spot with our lunch of Gator Chomps, Fish Tacos, BBQ Pulled Pork and Black Beans, Rice & Chicken. Someone’s gonna pay for those beans! We also took home a growler of Coco Sider (coconut cider), as it was Beck’s fave.

Last beach of the day was Madeira Beach for some study time for Beck, reading for Steve and more beach-walking for Jo. Another perfect day comes to a close!

An afternoon at Lake Dora

On 17th February 2019

We arrived at our next stopover with some time on our hands so on our hosts’s recommendation off we went on a tour around Lake Dora. First stop was Tavares, the Seaplane Capital of Florida. This resort area was styled after Key West and had a happening pub scene with lots of live music, big chairs & big beers! Next around the lake was Eustis at the Wolf Branch Brewery. A much sleepier little town where we simply drank a flight with the locals. Our final stop was in Mount Dora and oh what a a stop it was. All parking lots were jammed and we just by chance ended up in the Palm Island Park lot where we encountered an amazing boardwalk experience and fantastic sunset views. Seriously, how does it get better than this?

Our bedtime snack was the Cheesecake Factory desserts of Key Lime Pie, Salted Caramel and Chocolate Oreo. Another list item checked off!

Key West – 48 Hours in 8!

On 5th February 2019

Today’s destination brings us to the southernmost location in the USA and Steve’s ultimate goal for this trip. Buckle up, here we go!

Key West offered great memories, as we ate local cuisine, dipped our toes in the Caribbean, saw the “Key” highlights, put over 14 kms on our weary feet and, of course, had a few drinks at many local spots!

In order we hit;

Moose Lodge (for parking),
Tourist Info (location closing due to Google),
Veterans Memorial Gardens (not initially on the list but Steve had to take that call & Momma Jo walked wrong direction),
Back on planned route (did you know there’s free range chickens everywhere?),
Ernest Hemingway house (we didn’t pay the US$28 to enter),
Photo op at Key West Lighthouse museum (Jo wondered why the Lighthouse was in the middle of town!),
Southernmost Point, Buoy, House, Pier & Beach,
El Sibnoey Restaurant (we would highly recommend the excellent Cuban food! – #33 of 200 on Trip Advisor),
Duval Street (nice during the day and expect it gets wild at night!),
Oldest House in Key West museum (free to enter),
Mile Zero of Hwy US 1,
First Flight Brewery (southernmost microbrewery in USA),
Mallory Square (seems to made for the cruise ships),
Sloppy Joe’s (just had to try Sloppy Joe Ale & (hard) Lemonade),
Hemingway Rum Distillery (Pillar Rum tastings),
Key West First Legal Rum Distillery (more rum tasting!),
Key West Winery (I know, mixing our liquor isn’t good),
Historic Harbour Walk (accidentally due to wrong turn) ,
Finally Key Lime Pie! – Kermit’s Key West Pie Shoppe (confirmed with a few locals we met as the best in Key West),
But one more stop was the hidden gem of the Waterfront Brewing Co (thank goodness we had to leave before Happy Hour or we would’ve spent the night!).

The Overseas Highway