Merrick in the USA

Wednesday, May 22nd

     Well this was quite the unexpected week. I had plans for about two months to join my friend Melissa in Switzerland to go climbing and camping for a week. But last minute the trip fell through due to weather and we had to scavenge for something new. 

     Well Melissa was in Barcelona, she had been studying abroad in Spain for 5 months. After we aborted the Swiss trip, 12 hours later we had Melissa stateside for the first time all year in Atlanta on Monday the 20th. Joy and merriment were shared as she walked through customs, the reunion of two friends that blended in with the countless groups joining together. We had a week to kill, and we pretty much destroyed it.

   

     Tuesday starts off with exactly how I met Melissa: rock climbing! My friends Claud and Haley took Melissa and I to Tennessee to LIttle Rock City (just outside Chattanooga) for a day of warm, southeast bouldering. A beautiful woods lining a golf course, manicured grass in between outlying boulders, this was a paradise. But the area is a little odd to find. Not hard, just not obvious. We got turned around back in some side streets were I actually lodged my car in the mud. Three people to push and a driver, we got out in less than 5 minutes. But not without casualties. I suffered an onslaught of mud to my frontside.

     We bouldered for the day, saw some really great climbing, and Claud and Haley left to return to Georgia. On our way back from Tennessee, I decided to take a quick detour to LaFayette to show Melissa the infamous Rocktown. Rocktown holds a special place in my mind. It was the first area I ever went camping for a week, and it was in that week that I developed a much greater love for climbing outdoors. No way I wouldn't want to share such an awesome place with a fellow friend and climber. Seeing as we didn't have time to climb though, we hit the aesthetic highlights: Don Lolo's Mexican restaurant in LaFayette, and Pidgeon Mountain's waterfall and lookout point (the climbing is referred to as Rocktown).

     The waterfall lies a short 3 minute walk off the road, but it completely hidden from the eyes until you're about 30 feet from it. I had never been here in May, so we were both shocked to see the waterfall in its full roar. Coming down heavy and cold, the waterfall made for a refreshing, albeit short swim to cool us off after an accomplishing day of climbing. Next we drove the last 5 miles or so to the top of the mountain and on to the look out. I must say, Rocktown is one of my favorite look outs I've ever been to. Not because of some rare land formation, but because of it's simplicity. A straightforward 180 degree view gives you a clear sight of the rolling green landscape for miles straight ahead of you. If you're in Georgia, I think the waterfall and the look out are worth stopping over for.

     Wednesday, as per usual, was actually not a crazy day. Funny, I wanted to wrap this blog around Wednesday adventures but they keep falling on Tuesday and Thursday haha. Either way, Wednesday was exciting because I FINALLY moved into my new apartment with my wonderful new roommates. Getting out of a bad area in Atlanta, I now reside in Lenox with virtually everything I need within a 5 minute walk in every direction. And my room is great, with a closet big enough to store my climbing and camping gear! And did I mention my roommates are wonderful?!

     So Thursday wraps around and Melissa awoke with a bad case of Rocktown Fever. Don't be alarmed, we were in the car and then on the rocks in less than 3 hours. Her fever quickly subsided but I suspect she'll catch it again. A few detours, and maybe I got lost once or twice, we were able to do a basic tour of Rocktown, checking out about 50% of what was actually there. We might have seen more, but Tuesday's climbing and Wednesday's moving, coupled with little sleep made for a tired pair of climbers. And the fact that it was a perfect day under the trees, with a slight breeze rolling through, led to only one possible outcome. A boulder nap. Fortunately, I have a very large crash pad. We dozed for a couple hours under a problem we were working, then packed up and hit a few more boulders before leaving. We may not have climbed a ton, but it had been a while since I had climbed in rocktown, and any day with a boulder nap is a good day. All in all, it was a pretty relaxing day. The exact rest we needed for Friday's adventure.

     Friday found us waking up pretty late. Which is totally fine. Because we were headed to Six Flags Over Georgia! Located only 25 miles southwest of my new place, we got our tickets and drove right on over. Today marked the summer opening day of Six Flags, as well as the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend. We were concerned, but fortune favors the bold! Short lines and quick turn coasters had us all over the park, experiencing all but one of the roller coasters. And again, it was a PERFECT day. The whole week was perfect in fact, sunny weather with a cool breeze. You just can't beat it. And I was lucky to have a fellow coaster fanatic with me. This wasn't the first Six Flags that Melissa and I had been to. Last year a group of our friends took a trip to California to go to Six Flags Magic Mountain, just north of LA. Needless to say, we didn't waste any time waiting for a Merry-go-round. Around 7 we finally left the park to head back home, and were surprised with a generous gift! Melissa's parents called and told us to go get a nice dinner, on their ticket. We gratefully obliged, of course! Once again, I cannot stress how close everything is to my apartment. A quick shower and a 3 minute walk, we found ourselves at a delicious, modern European bistro. The bar manager was quick to recommend cocktails of his own recipe, and when we finally got around to the food we were not disappointed. A duck charcuterie plate and a fantastic entree of shrimp and grits gave Melissa a nice blend of the European culture she had been living in for the last 5 months, as well as a taste of the south. I gave the grits my seal of approval, despite not being home-styled. Some more wine and pleasant conversation, we wrapped up a great dinner and made the quick walk home to crash.

     Saturday morning rolls through and we had to head to the airport. It was time for Melissa to actually go to her real home back in Arizona. Some laughs and some hugs, soon she was on a plane and I was headed home to my apartment. It was truly a magnificent week, a great reunion and a wonderful welcome back trip. Looking forward to the next adventure this week!

PS- Sorry this took so long to post! And sorry if the photos aren't aligning well!

Bro-ad tripping through the Mountains

Wednesday, May 15th

     This week my travels take me to Asheville, North Carolina. I've heard of this city all my life but this was my time visiting the mountain town in western NC.

     So I flew into Raleigh Tuesday night where I met up with my friend Ian who would be joining me on my trip to Asheville (approximately 4 hours west). A simple evening consisting of IHOP and some beers, we couch surfed with my friend Brian before embarking on our quick getaway.

     8am passes. 10am passed. 11. 12. Ok Ian is finally awake at this point and around 1pm we hit the road. I think those that have traveled with me know I can be somewhat of a "come on, lets go lets go" kind of person, but I actually really enjoyed this lazy river of a road trip. Leisurely cruising at the speed limit, we stopped in Burlington to go browse Northern Tool Co. Because men like tools.

                  Ian, and his wrench

     Another pit stop at a small grill restaurant attached to a gas station (super common in NC) left us with bellies full of baked chicken and potatoes. 

     So we finally got to Asheville around 6/6:15 and just for the hell of it decided to go swimming. If you've ever been swimming in the mountains, you understand when I say this water was freezing. Not just cold, freezing. But it was clean water and you could see straight to the bottom. The palm sized stones under your feet were smooth and icey. It was very refreshing.

     So Wednesday was a fun but relatively relaxing day. Thursday is where I really started to enjoy Asheville. For those of you that do not know, this week is American Craft Beer Week in the USA. Asheville has a strong reputation as a great beer town; they have the highest number of breweries per capita in the US! So Thursday found us ready to celebrate the wonderful craft beer scene in Asheville. Seeing as I had never been to Asheville, I decided to let the locals tell me where I needed to go, along with some of my own input. 

     First on the list was the Wicked Weed. This brewery was aesthetically one of the greatest locations I have ever been to drink beer. Being a brew town, Asheville's breweries have a strong pride and they don't want you to feel like you're in a dive bar. Thick cut, oak tables with a beautiful, natural looking finish. Giant barrels aging beer right in front of you. And the famous quote from King Henry VIII that inspired the name of the brewery itself.

"Hops are a wicked and pernicious weed" -King Henry VIII, 1519

     In our first flight (a rack of beers to sample), we selected an array of traditional brews as well as a few intricate crafts that really blended a lot of aspects of different types of beers. Sitting in the sun in the late afternoon, sipping some absolutely delicious beers in between laughter with friends, I can honestly say it is moments like these that I don't ever need a blog to remember. I have really developed a passion for beer and I cannot wait to begin brewing myself (coming soon, Fall 2013!). For those of you interested, here were a few of the beers I tried: 

Heinous Brown Ale - A double brown knocking your door at 8.2%; lots of chocolate malt and earthy hops

Vixen Bourbon Aged Stout - tons of orange zest and cocoa nibs, aged for 3 months in bourbon barrels; such a rich and delicious stout

And my favorite from this brewery fits your traditional pale ale: the 1519 Pale Ale. This is one of the most signature beers from this brewery, named after the year King Henry VIII said the above mentioned quote. Dry-hopped with 5 varieties of hops, this pale ale came in smooth and crisp. Although there were a few beers I didn't really care for from here (Wild Abigial - a Belgian Abbey dubbel), I think overall I enjoyed the beers from Wicked Weed the most out of all the locations I drank at.

Wicked Weed beer tasting! Holly, Ian and myself

One of our flights from Wicked Weed.

     It's not even 4:30 yet though! Next on the list was a completely new experience for me: a tour of a brewery! Oh how I had been waiting for this moment! We made our way to the east side for Highland Brewing Company, the third largest brewery in the southeast. Approaching this brewery by car was like a fairytale, haha. A winding road up a tall hill, tree lines blocking your view the entire way until you round a corner and suddenly everything opens up to reveal a rustic looking warehouse complete with the largest tasting room I've ever seen (bigger than any high school gymnasium). Our tour group was small, and we were escorted throughout the brewery as our super fun tour guide gave us the low down on brewing on the commercial scale. We passed by one of the many fermentation tanks as they were removing the yeast and we got to stop by and smell it. A 50 gallon barrel of yeast has such a warm smell, it was actually kind of pleasant =] After the tour, we had another flight to sample all their year round brews as well as one of their seasonal coffee porters and an Imperial IPA. Most of these beers were really good, however nothing really stood out as exceptional. I did really enjoy the Imperial though.

Highland Brewing Company. You aren't even seeing all of it, this is like half, and there is stuff behind it too.

     Not even 6pm yet! We took a break to let our pallets rest then headed out for some dinner. A good ol' rack of ribs and tasty stout/porter half and half to finish it off, we found ourselves looking for the next location. Upon countless raves and recommendations, we headed to the Thirsty Monk for our next beverage. What was really cool about this bar was the moment you walk in you are in a devoted American Craft beer bar, carrying a huge variety of brews from asheville, as well as across the southeast and the US. Head downstairs though, and you enter a Belgian bar with the same proud devotion to the traditional European style beers. This bar was literally your one-stop shop for getting the most varied types of beer in one location. I highly recommend it to everyone to go check it out, it is exactly what everyone exclaims about!

      My final location for the day took us to the Bier Garden in Asheville. I didn't spend too long here, but a crisp beer and some new friends made for a simple finish to an absolutely fantastic day. All in all, I tried about 20 new beers Thursday. It was time to wrap up my time in Asheville. After what felt more like a nap, I woke up and flew back to Atlanta. I hope you enjoyed my first real post in Where in the World Wednesdays. Tune in next week for something a bit more exotic! 

I like this town.

Catching Up.

Recap of the Last Few Wednesdays

Wednesday, April 10th 2013

     Nothing! But Friday the 12th was the Disney Movie Club Ball! So I flew to North Carolina State University to attend the Ball hosted by the Disney Movie Club, a club I belonged to freshman year and a club I still frequent a few times a semester. If I could describe this event in one word, I'd say it was joyful! The spirit of DMC is unlike any other group I have belonged to. Such a happy vibe pulsating throughout the audience. What made this event even more awesome was the fact that I had previously volunteered to teach a dance lesson at the beginning of the Ball! I have been doing West Coast Swing for almost a year in Phoenix and I absolutely love dancing. Even if I'm not great at it, haha. But it was fantastic to actually teach people a crash course in WCS. Everyone learned so quickly and did a wonderful job. And everyone looked spectacular, too! Nothing better than getting dressed up and having a good time! Definitely one of the best events I've ever been to with DMC. In addition to a brief dance lesson, I was also put in charge of the after party. I'll spare the details, but at around 3am everyone went outside for quite a hysterical game of frisbee!

 Cupid Shuffle!

Tony!

Wednesday, April 24th 2013

     Today I took my first trip to the Windy City. Chicago was absolutely great. I flew in and met with my buddy Connor who I met my last few weeks in AZ. I finally got my hands on some Chicago pizza and yes, it was everything I hoped it would be! Connor actually works for a theater company, doing freelance work. We were supposed to see a performance that night but I completely bombed by getting there 2 minutes late and they shut the doors. So Connor and I were separated for a few hours and shitty cell phone service combined with no knowledge of Chicago means I had a mini panic attack that I would be sleeping on the street, haha! But we met up just before midnight and finally hit the town. Wicker Park, the area Connor lives is so beautiful! If I had to live in Chicago, this would be the place for me. We hit the bar, played some billiards with some nice strangers and enjoyed some Bells brews! Afterwards we hit this hole-in-the-wall taco shack at like 3am. The lady there spoke spanish and Connor and I enjoyed talking about dance and tacos with her. 

 Pizza and Cider at Santulos!

     After a quick three hours of sleep, I was back to the airport and off to North Carolina! I went back for the final meeting of Disney Movie Club at NC State University, which was very important seeing as my best friend, Tony, was graduating and this was his last meeting as President. The night was perfect, filled with emotion speeches and great jokes, and to top it all off we had a few beers afterwards to celebrate!

Disney Movie Club 2013

     The next day, Friday, I spent the day wandering around and revisited Lake Raleigh. I come to this lake every time I visit NCSU, it holds a special place in my heart. I remember exploring around there freshman year and just having little mini adventures. There is a dam there, and if you've got the strength you can climb up the dam and then jump into the water. Always a blast! 

     That night though was one of the 3 or 4 annual Hillsborough Hikes. Hillsborough lines one side of college campus and the Hike is a perfect pub crawl. This was not my first attempt at a pub crawl but I will say it was my first successful pub crawl! 5 bars, $20 and 7 drinks was the perfect end to another glorious trip to North Carolina!

I think this photo says a lot about me.

Wednesday, May 1st 2013

     My first trip back home to Phoenix since I moved away the month before! I can honestly say it felt so weird to be back. I mean, I got the job with Delta in Phoenix. I always left Phoenix and came back within a few days or weeks. This time, coming back was just a blur. A tease, a tickle of the memory of the life I had previously. I definitely miss my life in Phoenix, and most of all I miss my friends there. But I've got a new chapter full of adventures ahead!

     My inaugural trip back to Phoenix was quite fun. Every night was spent at my old Mellow Mushroom that I used to frequent all the time (best happy hour in Tempe). I had a new bomb called a Gladiator. Boy, that was interesting, and tasty! A few games of LoL with the old roommates, some swimming time, and a lot of day drinking filled most of my time in Arizona.

 Speaks for itself

 Yep

     One of the best events was my return visit to AZR, the climbing gym I used to throw down at. It was so wonderful to see so many familiar faces again, and the problems were better than ever! I definitely enjoyed sharing hugs and laughs with my old climbing buddies. Next time I come back to AZ, I'll have to do another day trip to Flagstaff or Sedona.

Wednesday, May 8th 2013

Nothing! I'm in Atlanta. I spent the day cooking some slump (crock pot concoction consisting of a cornucopia of constituents), found some possible roommates and had a great talk with coach Emily with Urban Core about a possible coaching position. Top the day off with some climbing and a brew, and I'd call that a pretty fantastic Wednesday!

 Some of the bouldering at Stone Summit in Atlanta

Yesterday, Tuesday the 7th, one of my best friends, Chase had a layover in ATL. I met him for breakfast while we waited for his next flight =]