Midwest Roadtrip 2020 pt 3

So we’ve weathered the storm. It sounds deep so roll with it…

We awoke in Dallas and in the end it worked out because we had more time to explore the city. When we started this trip, we chose to detour to Dallas because the weather supposed to be 80 degrees, but when we awoke in Dallas, it was NOT 80 degrees. It was cold and dreary. I reached out to a friend and told her she lied about the great weather but she informed me that she too was just as perplexed. I guess mother nature was just being a hater. Apologized to the homie and invited her for beer the next day…

We started the day with a bagel sammich from Shug’s Bagels and went to an Instagram worthy yarn exhibit at Sweet Tooth Hotel. We took pictures, danced like nobody was watching and had some cute drinks that matched the esthetic. My wife had a martini (or 2) and I opted for the Abita Purple Haze. At one point, I would drink this beer as a preference but now it’s strictly for something fun like this. Purple Haze has hit OG status in the beer game, hate it or love it. 

Leaving our mini photo session, we know it’s time for beer but first, grub. As I circled the block trying to find just where JFK was shot, we looked for some food and found a vegan spot. When we made our change of plans, I hit up people in my beer circle in effort to connect. Jarrod (@beerdreadawesome on IG) works at Peticolas Brewing and told me to hit him when I was in the area. Searching for a brewery, we were literally 5 minutes away from Peticolas. He was at work and told us to pull up. Best decision of the day. Jarrod gave us a tour of the facility and a tasting of pretty much all the beers. Their beer was well done and thought out, but their Velvet Hammer was amazing. 9% red ale that was so smooth but  packs a punch. Hits like a velvet hammer if you will. The team was really cool and full of conversation. I could totally see me hanging at this spot post pandemic, which would be the only option since they’re only doing pick up during covid.

We stop at nearby Celestial Beerworks, which was so stinkin cute. They created this adorable pairing with De Leon Provisions and their beers which I wanna call “fluffy.” They’re like unfiltered, fun pastel style colors. The pairings are below but just know that ceviche pairing was A1.

This is where my age starts to show.  We are full and filled… so we head to the airbnb for a nap. We laid down for an hour and 4 hours later we awoke. We pretty much missed the rest of the day but things closed late so we stepped out to check what the nightlife looked like. We didn’t like what we saw (too many people) so we just drove through Dallas on the late night tip.

The next day we grab a bite to eat and some bomb ass cheesecake from Val’s Cheesecakes! OMG it was so good! We explore different parts of the city but the best part was heading to Brain Dead Brewing and drinking with friends. My Urban League family pulled up to drink beer with the kid… even though they don’t really drink it. It’s always fun to have the non beer drinker try something but even better when the Brewery carries non beer options. The goal is to feel good off something you enjoy. Braindead provided that kinda spot. We were supposed to head to another brewery but the conversation was flowing so well we sat tight instead.

As with all the cities, we quickly came saw and conquered. Just like that it was time to head to the next location. Before we left the state, I had to experience Buc-ee’s. The big ass gas station that’s like Quiktrip and Walgreens had an offspring that grew up to outshine their parents. (Just realized there’s one ln the way to Atlanta so ima stop again, but this time hungry.) We grabbed snacks and gassed up before heading to Little Rock.

As we were leaving Dallas, the weather started to break and the forecast for Little Rock was promising. As much as Little Rock was just a stopover, I joked with my wife that we’d likely enjoy the city most. My joke had some truth behind it. The weather allowed us to walk the city, a big plus for us. We went to a janky haunted house that just added to the fun. There’s a small riverfront that gave nice views. The first night we went to Lost Forty and East Sixth, two breweries right next to one another. East Sixth had a hipper vibe than Lost Forty but LF actually gave us some life on a pretty chill night. Just more of a bustle. I’d say the beers played into that too. East Sixth had good beer but it didn’t stand out, just like their vibe. Last Forty was more memorable. I will say this, with the right weather and no covid, East Sixth’s outdoor area, which included a stage, looked like it would be a great summer spot. The next day before heading out, we saw that another brewery, Flyaway Brewing, was having a beer and Halloween candy pairing. Stopped there before heading home. The best thing about the pairing was realizing almond joys aren’t as bad as they were when I was a child. The beers fell short and lacked flavor. If there wasn’t a piece of candy with them, there wouldn’t have been flavor.

That disappointment prepared us for the disappointment that our trip was coming to an end. It was time to head back to Nashville. One quick stop in Memphis to pick up some local beers and of course Beale Street Brewing, and we were homebound.

That was until a friend hit us up about hitting a haunted house right outside of Nashville. We stopped there cause we can’t turn down a haunted good time, but was back in our bed that night.

We came we saw we conquered. Our trip taught us a lot. It didn’t hold a flame to our west coast ride but the world was different then. The country wasn’t a complete shit show and the locations we were driving, we didn’t fear for our lives from racism nor covid. But all in all… I’d do a similar trip again. I would just do it once more activities opened.