Tuesday, September 16, 2008

We Party at Donner Pass!

First a little business.

I'll be bringing a bunch of beer to The Kurth Friday night. If you are going to be attending but arriving late and want to reserve some let me know.

I'm giving The Kurth $20 since I'll be taking away from some sales so I'll have the donation hat out to recover some of the $20 and hopefully give the Kurth a little extra.

Reviews have been coming in pretty positive on Lazy Man's Porter. Only the amount of carbonation (bubbles) is a worry (on my part).
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Yesterday started with scrambled eggs mixed with fresh smoked salmon, cream cheese and caramelized onions bacon and OJ. I now weight over 300 pounds and have manboobs.

Then DJ and I went off to discover the Northern Lake Tahoe area by driving to Truckee to find a good liquor stored for California Craft Beer that can't be found in WI. We drove past Fifty Fifty, the only Brew Pub in the area but since it was like 10:00 a TAD too early.

We picked up s 6 of Downtown Brown produced by Lost Coast Brewery and a bomber of Fat Tire Amber. Then set out towards the Donner Pass Memorial. You can read about the Donner Party all over but the thing I found interesting was that the Donner Pass elevation is really only about 7100 feet. I'm sitting higher then the pass right now!!

Yet Donner Pass averages 415 inches if snow every year and if you are a wagon train in a very narrow pass . . . . . .

Here is a photo of the memorial.


OK - many people think I have a problem with the Engrish language so you guys will understand this completely.

OK! Makes sense to me! Is this some sort of puzzle?? Can you make a real sentence out of these words???


The Donner Party was a group of California-bound American settlers caught up in the "westering fever" of the 1840s. After becoming snowbound in the Sierra Nevada in the winter of 1846–1847, some of the emigrants resorted to cannibalism. Although this aspect of the tragedy has become synonymous with the Donner Party in the popular imagination, it was actually a minor part of the episode.

For more of the Party tales click here.


After Donner Pass we cruised to Squaw Valley - home of the 1960 Olympics and one of the largest and most high-concept ski areas in the United States. It receives 40 feet of snow per year with a 200 inch base.


Olympic Village


I did not get many photos of the because all the mountains look like Devils Lake and are underwhelming - Still the smallest run would be the largest run at Devils Head - AMAZING STEEP for the real runs. My god I would not walk down those slopes.

For a clue here is one photo - if you run a line straight up from the 8200 - THAT is a run!! Looks like a cliff to me!! But there is a little line on the map that shows it's a run for "experienced skiers".


Funny thing is the place was empty. It's the BIG off season. Summer is over and there is no snow yet. Almost everything was closed. In fact it was the FIRST day the lifts were not taking people to the outstanding views on top of the hills. grrrrrrr!

One thing that is a huge problem in this area are bees.

Most houses in the Lake Tahoe area don't even have screens. No bugs. All restaurants have outdoor seating. However - when you go into a park the rangers will warn you "If you are having a picnic you better eat in the car". YEA - that is a selling point.

There are these signs all over.

Big problem this year.

After Olympic Village we drove to Tahoe City and looked around at the stores. This area is just like Door County except the average SMALL house costs 2 million dollars. There was one sign for a parcel of land, no house, 1/4 acre, 26 million dollars.

Gas is $4.35 per gallon but our rental car came with a full tank at $3.20 per gal.

A photo from Tahoe City.


Lot's of haze here from Sacramento smog I am told.


Then we back tracked to Fifty Fifty a Brew Pub. Opened for 1.5 years and we had a "snack" and have some craft brew. I had a Donner Party Porter which was OUTSTANDING!!! DJ had Manifesto Pale Ale which we thought was a little hoppy but good anyway.

These are real barrels of brew that are aging in whiskey barrels, an Imperial Stout.



Today it sounds like we are going to South Lake Tahoe and maybe hit a casino. Not sure what else.

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Football - I'm 4th out of 300 in a $10,000 ATS contest.

Gotta run!

CHEERS
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In some very sad news keyboardist for Pink Floyd, Richard Write died from cancer.

OK.

WHAT? more photos of DJ?? OK!

Rod

Monday, September 15, 2008

Where in the World are Rod and DJ


Public Enemies Columbus Merchandise
WWW.PublicEnemiesColumbus.Com

WELL NOW - it's two hours later then I thought.

You see, over the weekend we took a little trip. Traveled down to Chicago and boarded a 757 to Reno. Then got a car and drove 60 miles to Lake Tahoe . . . . .wait a minute - it's 8:06 here YOU are 10:06. LOL OK sorry - time warp.





The flight was the smoothest I have ever been on. The pilot at take off said it would be real bumpy for a long time (hurricane an all that) but nothing. The flight was smother then the roads in Columbus (NOT THAT I'M COMPLAINING).

I did complain a little about my neck on the flight. I LOVE plane rides, I'm like my dog on a "come along". I press my face against the window and marvel at the natural geographical features as we fly over them at 35,000 and mach 0.80.

Here is what my view was. Notice the alien crop circles.


We arrived to warm sunny Reno airport ripe with slot machines and they force you to actually walk through a casino to get your bags. That cost me over $300. NO NO not really.

We found our way to the little rustic vacation home that Don and Becky invited us too (Don is DJ's brother) we will call this "our little rustic vacation home" for the next 4 days. (5 wide screen TVs, workout room, pool tables, WiFi . . . and that is only our bedroom).

and the reverse view I took this morning.

We were pretty pooped so we went out to eat and were talked into drinking Wet Woody's, a drink concoction with something like 6 different rums including 151 rum. "It will knock you on your ass!" we were told.

Nothing. Sure, I ran to the car barking like a dog at one point I really did not feel the alcohol.

I DID have a $19 hamburger though. Lake Tahoe is known for it's outstanding restaurants with the chef name printed on each menu. This, I feel adds $10 to each entree'. If Culver's had the chef's name printed on the menu a Butter Burger would cost $12. (I'm remember all this for when I open up Grinders Island Brew Pub and Organic Breakfast Nook (GIBPOBN). I do the beer, Suz has the restaurant and Shakes is running the OBN.

One thing I have to remember is take photos like a tourist!! So hopefully I'll start that today.

Before crashing I took a night photo from one of the many decks.


This morning we woke up early as some sort of taradactil was honking at us through the window and we about to go out to eat. Maybe for $25 eggs and bacon!

ANYWAY - I'll have some adventures for you (did I mention getting lost in Chicago?).

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in other news

I see the pack won in a boring game LOL

I am now in 4th place in a group of 300 in a pick against the spread pool.

Gotta run - trains leaving.

I'll have more stuff when I get a chance. I'll blog later tonight when when I'm more awake.

CHEERS

Sunday, September 14, 2008