Our eastward journey continues, from Boise to Provo and then a week and a half in beautiful Denver, Colorado. We had a fine time catching up with friends, enjoying the wonderful scenery, and oh yeah, stopping at a few breweries along the way. Then, it was time to head home!

Day 18 (27-Aug): Boise, ID to Provo, UT

Let’s pick up our narrative as we leave Boise, Idaho for Provo, Utah. The drive through southeastern Idaho was pretty dull, an unending string of brown hills and low mountains, interrupted occasionally with hills and low mountains blackened by wildfires. At least I encountered no wildfires personally on this trip though! I was very happy to have a good audiobook to keep me company on the trip.

For lunch, I stopped in Layton, Utah, north of Salt Lake City, at Roosters Brewing Company. They allowed dogs on the patio, which Charlie appreciated since it was a hot day and sitting in the car was not an option. I had another salad with chicken, though the chicken was sadly overcooked. Ah well.

From there I braved the somewhat crazy traffic through Salt Lake City down to Provo, Utah, my destination for the night. After getting settled in at the Hyatt Place Provo Charlie and I went for a stroll through the downtown area. Sadly there are no breweries in Provo (because Utah), but I was able to get an outdoor table at Black Sheep, a Native American restaurant. I got the hog jowl nachos, which were delicious. The table was unfortunately right on a very busy city street, and Charlie was NOT a fan of all of the traffic noise.

Afterwards I decided to try Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream Shop for dessert. I got the “Bernoulli Brulee” (Dulce De Leche / Caramel / Cinnamon Twix / Heath) and it was really good! I was kind of shocked because it seemed a bit gimmicky, but I enjoyed it.

Day 19 (28-Aug): Provo, UT to Denver, CO

Today our destination was our last major stop on this trip, Denver, Colorado. I started the day by fortifying myself at Peace on Earth Coffee, which allowed dogs inside (always a great way to get on my good side!). On my way out I noticed an amusing flyer taped to one of the tables outside. Good luck, random straight guy!

The drive on US Highway 6 to meet up with Interstate 70 should have been enjoyable and scenic, but unfortunately a situation had cropped up at work and I was having to keep an eye on emails and instant messages as I drove (mostly read to me by Siri, at least). I had hoped to stop along the way to see the Thistle Slide but was so distracted that I drove right past it.

When it became clear I needed to sit down and do some work, I decided to do it on my own terms. I stopped at Base Camp Beer Works in Grand Junction, Colorado and wound up spending about three hours there, including getting lunch. They were very friendly and allowed dogs inside. I really liked the vibe of the place, and wished I was local – the lecture about pikas actually sounded pretty interesting!

Having wrapped up the necessary work stuff, I hit the road to Denver. I always enjoy the drive on I-70 east into Denver through the canyons and river valleys. I got into Denver right around rush hour so I decided the smart thing to do was to stop at a brewery and let traffic die down. Coda Brewing was a lovely stopping point and had a bunch of interesting beers. Someone stopped to ask how I was enjoying them. It turned out that he was the brewmaster, so I’m glad that I had favorable reviews for everything!

Finally, we rolled into my AirBnB at about 6 PM. This time in Denver I had decided to go for a hip, trendy part of town, the River North (RiNo) area just north of downtown Denver. It was cozy half of a duplex that had a comfy bed, covered off-street parking, and a washer and dryer. The “work area” left a little to be desired but it worked out OK for the most part.

Day 20 (29-Aug): Denver, CO

Today kicked off a run of a week and a half working remotely, interspersed with brewery visits after work. For breakfast I decided to walk right next door to Corvus Coffee Company. My latte and pastry were absolutely delicious, but I flinched at the $15 price tag. It goes to show that living in a trendy neighborhood comes with trendy neighborhood prices.

Lunch was notable since I picked up a very good horseradish roast been sandwich from Lou’s Italian Specialties.

Today’s breweries were River North Brewing (industrial, friendly vibe) and Wanderment Brewing (intimate and very chill, though only a few people there). Dinner was from Brewdog Denver. I opted for the patio in back, which…well, I had a great view of the diesel locomotive that idling (and belching out exhaust) 150 feet away. The beer was only OK, but the chicken sandwich wasn’t bad.

Day 21 (30 Aug): Denver, CO

After work our first brewery was Cerebral Brewing, which offered a very tasty guava/pineapple/strawberry sour beer served as a slushie. Perfect for a hot day! I grabbed some tacos there as a light snack as well.

Next was Goldspot Brewing. I loved everything about this place! It’s small and intimate with mostly communal seating, and also very, very queer. What a great vibe! Charlie and I enjoyed a couple of beers while shamelessly eavesdropping on a couple of gay 20-somethings discuss what it was like working the tourist seasons at the central and western Colorado ski areas. It was actually pretty interesting! Even better was Disco, a mutt owned by one of the guys, who was very sweet and got along perfectly with Charlie. Brewery dogs make everything better!

For my next stop I decided to travel a bit further afield. I had some trepidation because it was the Friday of Labor Day weekend, but I decided to drive north out of Denver to Broomfield to Rails End Brewing. Amazingly, there was very little traffic (though I was later told all the traffic was all heading west into the mountains on I-70!). As I drove up US 36, the sun was setting behind the mountains. It was utterly beautiful, and I realized that it was just another summer sunset around there. That’s when I decided I want to live someplace where I can see this every day. I’m not sure when that time will be or how I will get there in my life, but eventually I could see me ending up in Denver.

Rails End was a rough and ready little place that had some lovely outdoor seating, which was simply perfect. I got a shrimp po’ boy from the food truck and enjoyed a beer. The best, though, was getting to meet She-Bear, a senior mastiff mix who was utterly sweet, and so much fun to watch interact with the people there.

Before heading back to my AirBnB I did the smart thing and stopped at King Sooper grocery store, picking up a variety of canned coffees and yogurt parfaits, cereal, and milk for breakfasts. This was a MUCH cheaper option for mornings!

Day 22 (31-Aug): Denver, CO

Even though I had some canned coffee at home I decided to walk a few blocks away to a place that looked to be charming and quirky. I was not disappointed! Nowhere Coffee is a little Airstream trailer out of which the owner serves a limited menu of coffee drinks. It is also dog central, as it seemed that everyone brought the dog with them (and Charlie got along just great with all of them!). My favorite was Glenn, an Australian shepherd mix who roams freely but always stays right around the trailer. I adored the fact that everyone knew that Glenn wanted to chase her squeaky ball, and obligingly threw it for her while they waited to order. The place had such a great vibe! (and the had the most AMAZING Cuban pastries!)

As I was admiring the nifty street art next to Nowhere coffee (including an impressive tribute to John Prine), I was accosted by a lovely older couple. Every weekend they travel to different neighborhoods around Denver to learn more about the city. They asked lots of questions of everyone who passed, the prying kind that you can get away with when you’re in your 70’s (Where do you work? How much do you make? What does it cost to live here?). It was charming to sit and listen to the conversation, and I learned a lot about the neighborhood (like a 3-bedroom house there rents for $3,000/month).

For lunch I met up with my friend Loran, who I’ve known off and on for over two decades. We met at Westfax Brewing in Lakewood. I had arrived early and I was terribly confused. The brewery was in a strip mall next to a Mexican restaurant, but what a Mexican restaurant! It had an enormous pink façade, lines of people waiting to get in, their own uniformed security…what the heck was going on here? I asked the bartender at Westfax, who gave me a look that said I must be totally clueless then explained that it was Casa Bonita. Once I got a bit more of the story it all made sense, even if it is utterly ridiculous. Anyway, Loran and I sat and chatted for a while. It’s always great catching up with him!

For dinner, I met up with Tango and Rooth in Aurora. Rooth graciously hosted us at his house to hang out for a bit, then we adjourned to Launch Pad Brewing. I got to meet Rooth’s Cricket, a Silken Windsprite (longhaired whippet), a very sweet girl.

Day 23 (01-Sep): Denver, CO

As has become tradition (twice is a tradition, right?) it was bathtime for Charlie. By the time we reach Denver on these road trips, usually about three weeks in, he gets to be a bit stinky from riding in the car all that time. I took him to Luke & Company just south of downtown Denver and gave him a good scrubdown. As always he did not enjoy it (with that look of, “Father why must you do this to me?”) but looked and smelled so much better once we were done!

For lunch I took Charlie to Black Shirt Brewing where I had a delicious calzone (which was big enough to take home for a second meal!).

I wanted to explore breweries a bit further afield from Denver so it was off to Windfall Brewing in Westminster (conveniently near a PetSmart, so I could pick up some dog food for Charlie). From there it was over to Something Brewery in Brighton which was notable for the interesting art on the walls and regaling the several families there with young children with explicit rap music. So that was a choice, I guess.

Then it was off to dinner with Rusty and JD at their place. These guys are great, and I really enjoyed the meal and conversation. Charlie got along well with their four dogs (after the puppies settled down!). It was a wonderful evening.

Day 24 (02-Sep): Denver, CO

This was Labor Day, so it was a bit of a crapshoot what was open and what wasn’t. I had the bright idea to drive up to Estes Park. The drive up wasn’t bad, and quite pretty. Traffic in Estes Park, though, was a mess. I had originally hoped to park and walk around a bit, but the town was swarming with tourists, and I couldn’t get their parking app to work on my phone. I decided this was a good sign not to stick around. I briefly entertained the idea of going into Rocky Mountain National Park, just outside of town, until I saw that they only had pre-reserved, timed entry. Ah well. I satisfied myself with some photos of the park sign before we moved on.

From Estes Park I drove the Peak to Peak Highway south to Nederland. It was a lovely drive and surprisingly uncrowded. I stopped to get some photos of a nifty pumped-storage hydropower facility on Lake Mary, and a beautiful view over Coal Creek Canyon.

My next stop was Odyssey Beerwerks in Arvada, where I met up with Buck (who I knew from years ago) and his partner Wu Wei (who I only knew from social media). It was a great conversation over beers, and I really enjoyed catching up and learning more about their lives in Denver. What a great way to spend an afternoon! I also was amused by Odyssey’s policy: “No children inside or on the patio! Dogs welcomed and encouraged!”

My last stop of the day was back to an old favorite: Bruz Brewing, which specializes in Belgian beers. I love the vibe of the pace, and it wasn’t even remotely crowded. I wound up spending three hours there, getting dinner from the food truck. Charlie enjoyed relaxing on the cool concrete floor, and I enjoyed people watching as couples and families came and went. We also got to meet Willow, a white German shepherd mix. She says, “’Sup?”

Day 25 (03-Sep): Denver CO

Back to the workday grind! This was a particularly long workday as I was fighting various fires. I was happy when things wrapped up. Charlie and I headed down to Odell Brewing Company, a brewery I feel I have been sleeping on! They had a great lineup of beers, and Charlie enjoyed hanging out on their “patio”, a section of the street that had been closed off for various bars and restaurants.

Rusty joined us for dinner. We were enjoying the Odell’s beers so elected to just get burgers from Shake Shack next door. As always, it’s so great spending time with Rusty. It was a really special evening hanging out.

Day 26 (04-Sep): Denver, CO

After work, Charlie and I drove out to the wilds of northwest Arvada (seriously, while it’s still suburbs it was WAY out there!). We met up with Poomie and Tavvy for beer and dinner at Resolute Brewing. It was great to catch up with them, and we were joined some of their friends as well. I had a lovely time.

Day 27 (05-Sep): Denver, CO

It was my last day in Denver! After work I headed south to Englewood to Lady Justice Brewing, the other queer-owned, dog-friendly brewery in the Denver area. It was a nice low-key place, with several families there (several of whom wanted to meet and pet Charlie. He loved it, of course!).

From there it was out…way out…to Ken Caryl in Littleton. There I met up with Tango, Iberian, and Rooth (and Cricket) for one final dinner in Denver at Lariat Lodge Brewing Company.  I was happy to catch Iberian before I left (he was unable to join us previously since we have hiking a 14,000-foot mountain!). I enjoyed the meal, and we only geeked about convention-related stuff a little bit! OK, a lot but whatever. It was a fantastic way to wrap up my time in Denver.

Day 28 (06-Sep): Denver, CO to Council Bluffs, IA

I was on the road early for what looked to be a long driving leg eastward. As always I felt a pang in my heart as the mountains receded in my rear view mirror as I headed northeastward on I-76. The drive from Denver to North Platte is…well, it’s boring as hell. At least I had a good audiobook to keep me company. Fortunately there is a great stopping point for lunch in North Platte, Pals Brewing Company. Their grassy patio area is always an enjoyable place for lunch, plus it’s a good area for Charlie to wander around and stretch his legs.

Our destination for the night was the Holiday Inn Express in Council Bluffs, Iowa, just across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. Council Bluffs didn’t have much to recommend it, so instead Charlie and I drove across the bridge into Omaha and had a nice evening on the patio of Saro Cider

Day 29: (07-Sep): Council Bluffs, IA to Volo, IL

It was our last day on the road! Iowa was…well, Iowa. Not much to say there except that it’s flat and there’s a lot of corn. As with last year, I stopped at Backpocket Brewing in Coralville. For all that there was a home football game that day, the place was all but deserted. That was OK – it made for a chill place to relax with a good beer and take a break from the road.

After that it was a straight shot home! We pulled into the driveway at 4:33 PM after clocking at total 5,462.9 miles for the trip. It was good to be home!

Next up: The wrap-up!