Where we rest our heads

This was our first experience with air b&b.  There are some things to love and some things to hate.   Some folks will use the service again and some folks would rather sleep in their car.

Some things to love:
can lounge in the apartment
Can cook in the kitchen
Can stay in a neighborhood
Walking distance to two great neighborhood beer locations
Washer & drier
The price bitches
The view,  from the place horrible but the street had a great view of the city

Some things to hate:
Wasn't as clean as a hotel
The towels were made of sandpaper and fear
Getting the key and questions answered was problematic
Ham sandwich

The last photo of the church was something I saw on my walk before heading home.   I imagined the crucifix Pigeon giving a sermon to the other winged sinners.   That day,  he was talking about the evils of eating from the chicken processing plant and how it was against falcon Jesus and crow god to eat of their own kind.

Our second trip, the men who came

Well,  the trip is over and we're all home and safe.   We've all started drinking at lunch and continue to find Canadian shekels in random pockets.

These are the random last photos I'm sharing of the three men that went up to Vancouver to drink many beers and bond over conquering a shared enemy.

The three - a storm brewing... inside our bellies

Ryan liked the look and feel of the lucky hat.

Me trying to take a selfie in my lucky hat

Ryan ands Neil being followed into a dark stinky alley full of chicken slaughter by an even darker and slaughterier madman in his lucky hat. 

30 minutes and 50 miles out of the way,  Ryan is paying our toll for the new "convenient" toll bridge out of Vancouver. 

Stanley Park

Home now, but I still have trouble grokking the size of Vancouver.  I guess when I visited as a child I just thought of it as a slightly larger version of Portland. But oh boy that skyline, those burbs and the apartment blocks EVERYWHERE.  That is some dense living but in a really comfortable package.  Everyone seemed to be walkiing a dog or riding a bike (when they weren't cutting us off in traffic with the pass-agg honkhonk/wave combo).

Saturday surprised us with some sunshine so we visited Stanley Park.  Again: So Big.

Update! Natalie just pointed out that Portland and Vancouver are just about the same population (500-600k).  However, Vancouver packs those people into one-third the space of Portland (44.4 vs 145 sq/mi).

Looking south at downtown

Looking north at West and North Vancouver

Ducks and glowing buildings

10th stop: Scuttlebutt (epilogue)

Our tenth and final brewpub, this one in Everett, WA on the way home. A family restaurant and brewery with at least a couple of good but not exceptional brews. I had the Triple Seven Belgian style and Derrick took on their porter. Our driver had a soda because he doesn't drink on Sundays. Or something.

Canadian happiness, one curd at a time

Poutine!  Yes, it is magical.  Gravy, fries, and cheese curds, the foundation this great white north was built on.  We all overstuffed ourselves and feel just fine.  Well, other than the Canadian food babies.  Mine also had Montreal-style beef, Ryan's had grilled chicken, and Derrick went off the grid with butter chicken.
I also got to watch hockey while drinking beer and eating that wonderful mess.  I am so proud to adopt this land as my second home.  "O Canada...

9th stop: Storm Brewing

For a place with a stinky chicken processing plant for a neighbor, these guys make some very flavorful brews. Their juniper IPA is Very Junipery, The Fennel Countdown pilsner is overpoweringly but deliciously licorisey, and their Cinnamon Bun ale is so buttery and cinnamony it's saving me a trip to the bakery. The guys may later list their favorites here...

Derrick adds: I loved the vanilla whiskey stout and raktajino stout was one of the craziest beers I've ever had.   It was like one of my crazy concoctions,  only drinkable. 

9 beers tried which brings us to a total of 60 for the trip. A new record?

Follow the scent of puréed chicken crap

No, really, we mean it.  Just next door to the factory that does unspeakable things to poultry, and then vents the horrific nasal results to whatever suckers decide to derp on by, there is really interesting and tasty beer.  Yes, there are plastic rats. Yes, there are real rats. But, still, it's, um, I've lost you, haven't I?
Just see the official post about storm brewing, and forget the above. It's best that way.

8th stop: Yale town

This place looks great but it and the area around it remind me of the pearl taint from Portland.   walking in,  I had the song 'turn for the douche' from Garfunkel ands oats.   The smell of old spice wafting of the popped collars got us in the mood for bro beers before we even sat down.

We got to sit on cows and violate their pretty bathroom and then drink some of their tasty beers.   the waitress totally f flirted with all of us but I was totally her favorite. 
The end.

Derrick liked: Blanche DE clemantine, roundhouse wheat

Ryan like: Blanche DE clemantine,  losing bay ipa

Noel liked: $cotish shilling brown

5 beers tried

7th stop: steam works

Got up in the morning,  purged the demons,  ran some errands and then headed back out for some beers. Our stomachs and bums weren't ready for the adventure to begin again but we pushed through. 

This place is the touristy of the tourist bars in the most touristy of the tourist parts of any town I've been in.  They were friendly and the food was pretty ok. 

We could see American football on the TV  and it made us feel safe and happy.

Derrick liked: jasmine IPA
Ryan liked: jasmine ipa
Neil liked: stout  kolsch

9 beers tried

1st stop, part deux: Parallel 49

Someone wanted a growler so last night we walked the 4 blocks or so back to P49 and tried another flight.  Their infusion this time was Thai inspired; they ran their lager through a mixture (pictured below) of lemongrass, chili, ginger and coconut.  A cool system that allows them to swap out those infusions nightly. The previous night was their Old Boy through chocolate, pumpkin and spices.

Also, custom tap handles!

Religion bad

There is no god.  How could there be, when a place called church's chicken does that to a person's insides. Is that why people pray?  Perhaps.
The mildly unpalatable anchorman 2 didn't help, though three archer episodes allowed the sandman punch the deity square in his stupid face.  Seriously dude, you're supposed to help humanity.
Published by neil

6th stop: R & B BREWING

The delicious kick to the temple that was the brass neck tapster strong ale sent us merrily wobbling across the street to our next stop.  After using all of Neil and derrick's drunken strength to pull Ryan past the enticing Swedish bakery, we tucked into a narrow and mildly unstable space called R&B brewing.  On a scaffold with beer tanks hovering nearby, we sampled five brews.  D liked a pair, Neil liked a different pair, and Ryan dreamt of pastry. We left without much more than a couple of sips each, which was fine in our collective state.  We tried the last neighborhood place, 33 acres, but turned away from the vast array of Canadians standing in wait outside.  From their, back to the car, and more adventures.
Published by neil

5 beers tried

Minor achievements

Untappd thinks I'm an alcoholic. Pretty sure the "intervention" badge is next.

5th stop: Brassneck

This place was craaazy busy on a Friday night. We were ushered into the at-capacity tasting room and managed to find elbow room at the bar to enjoy our samplers.  And that's when I fell in love... She was an intoxicating little barrel-conditioned American Strong Ale named Tapsters Promise that smelled of bourbon and tasted like ... a strong ale. Really good but I can't imagine having a full pint.

We all liked TP but other favorites:
Derrick: Small Wonder, Killjoy, Thumbs
Neil: Mr. P
Ryan: Thumbs

8 beers tried (We're up to 32 different beers tried so far)

4th stop: Main Street

This place is totes adorbs.

This was kinda fancy but the beers were just Mmm-k.
Derrick (me) liked the stout, Pilsner and the regular brown ale.  The guy behind the bar had the most interesting Canadian accent!
I can't remember what the other blokes liked.  I was too busy givin the wallabee the how's your uncle and gittin ready for me walkaboot.

7 beers tried 

3rd stop: black kettle

3 beers,  6 pepperoni flavors.   Mmmmm.  We shared both meat rods and beers.

The wheat was the best damn wheat I've  ever had.   We all picked that as our favorite of 3.  And I wouldn't lie to you,  I'm a doctor.

3 beers tried

2nd stop, Bomber - after much searching

Pretty cool place but sad about the beer choice for growler.   We did get a growler of esb.
Ryan and Neil are trying to make me feel better about that right now.

Had 7 beers.  Liked the choqlate porter but they don't have that shit on growler.   Esb was the third best choice.

I'm not a doctor,  well yeah,  I'm definitely a doctor but,  yep yep yep...

7 beers tried

2014 brewery 1st stop: 49th parallel

Derrick liked: ugly sweater,  infused porter, pumpkin beer.  Forgot and had the pumpkin beer later in the evening too.

So, this place was a short walk down the street from our rental and it was also one of the coolest little neighborhood places I've been too.   There were people bringing dogs in,  a mellow yet upbeat vibe from folks sharing a crowded room,  a rotating food truck and good beers on tap.   I would have a serious drinking problem if I lived at our rental.  Especially with a ratty storm just a few more blocks away for beer appetizers before sitting down for beers here.  This is the only place we decided to revisit during the trip. 

8 beers tried

Ryan put a bird on it!

Rian is friend to all animals.

Dog Mountain

Took in a hike a little north of Vancouver. Rated "easy", it supposedly has a great view of Vancouver and the ocean. We didn't see that. Instead we saw a little fog. Still a lovely hike.