Category Archives: Beerchaser Miscellany

Final Beerchaser Cruise Destination – Boston

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Welcome back to Thebeerchaser.  If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and the video at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post # 1)

Our final destination on the eight-day May cruise originating in Montreal, was Boston.  We debarked from the ship on Saturday morning and our flight back to Portland, Oregon wasn’t until early Sunday evening.  So, one and one-half days to enjoy this great city.

As mentioned in the previous post, we decided to hit historic Fenway Park for a 4:00 PM Saturday game – Red Sox vs the Washington Nationals.   

But we had all morning and so (with some reluctance on my part) hit the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art – less than one-half mile from our hotel. My aversion to art relates back to my childhood when I took classes at the Cincinnati Art Museum.  (Both the instructors and I were elated when my instruction ended.) 

The Institute is housed in an impressive building and the exhibits were creative and expressive even though I didn’t understand many of them. (#2)

For example, one exhibit displayed the works of Firelei Baez, Dominican artist based in New York City, who wrote on an explanatory poster:

“My works are propositions, meant to create alternate pasts and potential futures, questioning history and culture in order to provide a space for reassessing the present.” 

I contemplated what that meant as we were drinking beer before the Red Sox game and in between innings. (#3)

Dominican artist

On to Fenway

The hotel maître d’ gave us directions for using public transportation to get to Fenway.  First, take a bus to South Station (officially – The Governor Michael S. Dukakis Transportation Center) of Boston’s MBTA – “T” – transit system.)

Photo May 11 2024, 1 50 18 PM

South Station

There are three levels to South Station and for help, we groveled and got a grumpy edict from a Transit Authority Officer:

“Take the Red Line to Park Street then the Green Line to Kenmore.  Don’t screw it up or you’ll end up at Boston College.”  Then he grinned (a little) and said, “Worst case is you’ll never return and your fate will be unknown….” (#4)

Don’t screw it up!

Well, after a bus trip and two subway lines, I flashed back to the Art Institute and wondered if we had just “created alternate pasts and potential futures.”  We then walked about four blocks to Fenway and joined an excited throng about two hours before game time.

When I say, “excited throng”, I have to clarify because I realized that a significant portion of the crowd – lined up for several blocks – was waiting for a concert at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. 

“(It’s) a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose live performance venue that occupies roughly 91,500 square feet on four levels and accommodates 5,005 patrons.” (#5 – #6)

Not the kind of beer I was looking for,,,,,

It was somewhat chilly and I wondered why most of the adolescent girls in line were dressed in tutus – in many cases supplemented by capes and tiaras without coats. I asked a security guard and he said they were waiting for a Madison Beer concert that was scheduled to start at 7:30.

I thought Madison Beer was a medium-bodied, low-carbonation pilsner brewed in Wisconsin, but I found out that she’s a twenty-five-year-old singer- songwriter with ties to Justin Bieber.

Fenway was one of sixty-three concerts on her 2023-2024 “Spinnin” world tour. These hardy kids had lined up five hours (or more) early for the evening concert for which they paid an average ticket price of $143.

Janet laughed and said, “Well, that’s one event at which you’d be way out of place even though you are Thebeerchaser!”

We just wanted general admission tickets to the game and an outgoing and well-dressed guy approached us and said that he had tickets in the Green Monster (left field), but unfortunately couldn’t make it. (Janet said, “No way,” as I was about to dig into my wallet for cash and she was the wise one on that scheme.)

So, at the Red Sox box office we got bleacher seats in the right field grandstand – each for $40. (#7)

We still had adequate time to check out a bar and brewery, so we popped into the famous Bleacher Bar – in the bowels of Fenway Park:

The Bleacher Bar has a great history and character:

“Situated beneath the bleachers in Fenway Park’s centerfield, a few feet away from the Ted Williams Red Seat, is Lansdowne Street’s greatest attraction….With a huge garage window that looks directly into the stadium, Bleacher Bar has earned its title as one of the most exceptional sports bars in the world.

“Bleacher Bar officially opened its doors in 2008 but, upon entering, you’ll think that we’ve been around a lot longer. Previously used as the visiting team’s batting cage for several years in addition to field storage, there’s an intimate, nostalgic vibe about our bar that almost needs to be experienced in person to be fully understood.”

As you can see below, however, trying to get a beer right before a game would be as challenging as scoring front row seats at a Madison Beer concert.  But we enjoyed seeing it.

We walked around the stadium, down David Ortiz Drive – renamed in 2017 for Big Papi – the Red Sox legend who played there for thirteen years and passed figures and statuettes of famous baseball icons such as No 42 – Jackie Robinson.

We then had a beer at Mighty Squirrel Brewing’s Fenway Brewery and Taproom – one of three locations for the brewery.  The Fenway location at 1 David Ortiz Drive opened in 2017 and is sleek and impressive:

“The two-story, 13,000-square-foot space will feature four bars, a lineup of beers, hard seltzers, and hard smoothies, and a full kitchen serving pizzas, salads, tacos, and more.”

We split a pint of their flagship beer Cloud Candy IPA (6.5% – 60 IBU). “Tropical aromas and notes of papaya, mango, and star fruit dominate this juicy IPA.”

This is an accurate description of the brew and we liked it.  We also enjoyed our conversation with personable Jack, a new and enthusiastic employee. (#8 – #9)

The Game

Fenway Park broke the all-time Major League record for consecutive sellouts with 456 on September 8, 2008, was the site of the first open-air boxing show in Boston in 1920 and has hosted the World Series eleven times.  It lived up to its reputation as one of the most well-known sports venues in the world and a symbol of Boston. (Wikipedia)

Just walking in and mingling with the crowds as they hit the refreshment stands (we were surprised to see Vodka and Lemonade among the choices…) to heading up to our seats in the grandstand and taking in the expansive structures surrounding the diamond and outfield was worth the journey there.

I have to note that the only disappointment was going down to the beer concession under the grandstand and being forced to enter a tip for the guy drawing me a draft Budweiser. (At least the guy at the turnstile when we entered the stadium didn’t put his hand out….)

The Red Sox beat the Guardians, and while the game wasn’t exhilarating, the experience was. Standing and singing with a united crowd “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at the seventh inning stretch in America’s oldest active baseball stadium, made us forget the divisions in America and is an experience that neither of us will forget. (You’ll hear it if you click on the photo below,)

The Seventh Inning Stretch on May 11, 2024

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Boston Seaport (36318p).jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Rhododendrites – 13 November 2019.

#2.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Institute of Contemporary Art.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.  Author: Smart Destinations – 29 November 2006.

#3.  Wikimedia Commons (163 St-Amsterdam Av (44235641874) – Firelei Báez – Wikipedia) By Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York from United States of America – 163 St-Amsterdam Av, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73140807. Author: Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York from United States of America – 27 September 2018.

#4.  MLB.com (Take the T to Fenway Park | Boston Red Sox (mlb.com).

#5. Wikimedia Commons (PXL 20220924 014854178 – Category: MGM Music Hall at Fenway – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author:  Fearthez –  23 September 2022.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Madison Beer @ The Wiltern 11 28 2021 (51783561891).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author:  Justin Higuchi – 28 November 2021.. 

#7. Wikimedia Commons (File:Red Sox Hat Best.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: Andrew Lindquist – 11 February 2022.

#8. Mighty Squirrel Brewing Facebook Page. (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122119505012250304&set=a.122108644058250304).

#9. Mighty Squirrel Brewing Website (Image-empty-state.webp (515×499).

Hop Aboard with Thebeerchaser – Bar Harbor and Boston

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In several previous posts, I’ve covered our seven-day Holland America cruise from Montreal to Boston in early May that Janet and I made accompanied by our good friends, Jeff and Susan Nopper. (External Photo Attribution at the end of the post #1.)

I told you about Three Brassieres – a great brewery in Montreal, how a walking tour of Quebec City captivated us with visits of the impressive Fairmont LA Chateau Frontenac Hotel and the majestic Notre-Dame de-Quebec Basilica Cathedral (#2) in the historic city.

Then our day in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island – home of another splendid edifice – St. Dunstan’s Cathedral Basilica. (Clockwise – left to right below)

You saw pictures from our bus tour on the Cabot Trail out of Sydney, Nova Scotia and I vicariously let you raise a mug with us in the Garrison’s Brewery in Halifax (#3) after visiting scenic Peggy’s Cove. Wilken, our bartender at Garrison’s was friendly and helpful.

I shared how we didn’t even try to quaff our daily quota of fifteen drinks each – as unbelievable as that Holland America gimmick sounds – but I could have actually downed three Americanos, seven beers and five martinis and not paid extra based on the cruise package we had. 

Even with the outstanding and plentiful food available, I wouldn’t have fulfilled that daily beverage quota.  But for the first time, I discovered the wonders of a Smokey Boulevardier cocktail. (#3)

And the people we met were memorable ranging from 87-year-old electrician, Sonny, and his educator wife from Florida to Jennifer and JD – middle aged Texans who had recently ridden their Harleys to South Dakota for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and singer Anne Cochran.

We met Anne at breakfast.  She is the superb vocalist from Cleveland (with a trial lawyer husband she met after serving on one of his juries) who, besides her own singing career for many years, has accompanied her friend going back to their teen years, Grammy-winning pianist, Jim Brickman, both in his albums and on tours. (#4)

A Stellar Spectacle

Late in the evening of the sixth night as were cruising in the Atlantic Ocean from Halifax to Bar Harbor, Maine, we were leaving the bar (not even close to our quota that day) after listening to the great combo featuring a talented female vocalist.

In the passageway heading to our stateroom, some crew members were excitedly running to the bow of the ship with their cameras.

We heard one shout, “It’s the Northern Lights” and figured if the crew thought it was extraordinary, we should take a look.  And it was amazing, although interestingly enough, not as visible without looking through your camera.

This phenomenon was actually a powerful solar storm that appeared across the globe according to news reports including this one from The Oregonian. I guess we could have seen the same show from our own house, but it was still a thrill on the bow of the ship.

“Brilliant purple, green, yellow and pink hues of the Northern Light were reported worldwide. In the U.S., the lights pushed much farther south than normal….In the Pacific Northwest, they could even be seen from the Portland area.

…..the best aurora views may come from phone cameras which are better at capturing light than the naked eye.”

Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park

Bar Harbor was the only port where we had to use a tender – or small boat to transport us to shore from where we anchored. 

Bar Harbor is a charming city, and we had visited it and toured Acadia National Park several years ago. We enjoyed lunch there and a van tour around the beautiful Park – one of our favorites.

And when visiting in 2018, we had excellent beer at Atlantic Brewing – the Midtown location, so before returning to the ship, we looked forward to returning:

“Atlantic Brewing is a family-owned brewery located in Bar Harbor and surrounded by Acadia National Park.  The brewery was founded in downtown Bar Harbor inside the Lompoc Cafe. 

As demand grew, and the company outgrew its space, it moved down the road to an estate brewery built on the site of a 19th century Bar Harbor farmstead…

In 2017, the Midtown Brewery opened in downtown Bar Harbor, a block away from the original location.   Midtown is a modern brewery and taproom focusing on pilot and specialty batches.”

Given the good selection, we couldn’t decide so had a small sampler.  Afterwards, we had a great chat with Thomas who manages the Midtown location. The lower left picture shows a sampler we had in 2018, so we moderated in 2024 (No. Not because we had fifteen drinks waiting for us back at the ship…..)

Our three four-ounce samples, shown above, were Blueberry Ale, Mountain Hopper IPA and Atlantic Summer Ale – all excellent brews. 

Boston – Our Debarkation Port

We sailed from Bar Harbor with scheduled Saturday arrival at around 10 AM in Boston.  With some regret, I realized that I didn’t participate in several cruise activities – “Coloring for Adults”, “Origami Folding – Paperbomb” or the “Art of Flower Arranging.” 

Walking around the third deck multiple times daily, however, and a few fitness center workouts at least kept me from gaining any weight notwithstanding the excellent food. (Janet also pointed out that alcohol has calories….)

Now Janet and I had been to Boston multiple times on work trips and once since my 2011 retirement. Jeff and Susan were catching the one non-stop Alaska Air flight to Portland that evening at 7:30. Before the trip, I had negotiated with Janet asking:

“When are we going to get back to Beantown again?  Let’s stay over Saturday night and eat at Giacomo’s – our favorite restaurant in the North End and explore the City on Sunday until we hit Logan Airport.” (#5)

She agreed and we booked a room at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel in the impressive Seaport District in South Boston – within walking distance of where we docked.

“The Seaport is a formerly industrial area that has undergone an extensive redevelopment effort in recent years…As of 2017, it was the fastest growing part of Boston and has stimulated significant economic growth in the city.  The restoration of the Seaport began with the completion of the Big Dig.”

I reassured Janet that it was good that we were seeing it now as according to Wikipedia, “The Seaport District is at risk of climate-related flooding over the next 30 years.”  (#6)

Our Boston Weekend

In the slim hope that we’d get to see the Red Sox play at historic Fenway Park, I googled their schedule and found that they had a home game at 4:00 on Saturday afternoon.  We debated just relaxing at the hotel given that we would require public transportation.

Remembering our visit to another historic stadium – Wrigley Field on a 2008 business trip to Chicago, which was fantastic, however, we decided on an adventure.  I’ll share that in the final post on our cruise, but before the game, we had to check out a brewery.

Waiting for the Cubs to play at Wrigley

We walked to nearby Harpoon Brewery and Beer Hall. It has a distinctive exterior and expansive and attractive interior. In 1986 the Harpoon Brewery received Brewing Permit #001 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

It has a commonality with the Northwest and the origins of craft beer because:

“Harpoon was the first brewery in New England to brew an India Pale Ale….and first sold as a summer seasonal in 1993 and quickly became the brewery’s flagship beer. Harpoon IPA quickly became a staple of the American India pale ale style and was found on tap at bars and restaurants in Greater Boston.

In July 2014, while then the twelfth-largest craft brewery in the United States, the company became employee-owned.” (Wikipedia)

We had just consumed a bowl of New England Clam Chowder in a nearby bistro, so didn’t get to try one of Harpoon’s signature pretzels. Tim, our server, who attended college nearby was friendly and briefed us on the history. (#7)

Of course, we had a Harpoon IPA. 
 
 

Photo May 11 2024, 2 24 20 PM

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Holland America Website (Find Cruises – Search Cruise Itineraries 2024, 2025, & 2026 (hollandamerica.com).

#2.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Basilique-cathédrale de Notre-Dame-de-Québec.JPG – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  Author: Sylvainbrousseau 16 September 2012.

#3.  Wikimedia Commons (File:2022-08-15 02 Wikivoyage banner image of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: Gordon Leggett -15 August 2022.  

  #4. Anne Cochran Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jimbrickman/photos/a.166961617144/10153808359072145/?type=3.

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Boston Seaport (36318p).jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Rhododendrites – 13 November 2019.

#6.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Boston skyline from East Boston November 2016 panorama 1.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: King of Hearts – 12 November 2016.

#7.  Harpoon Brewery Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/woodmansofessex/photos/t.100064984110084/10159973737455557/?type=3).

Hop on Board with Thebeerchaser – Halifax

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Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

Our cruise from Montreal to Boston on Holland America’s Volendam continued and the sixth day we made port at Halifax, Nova Scotia – a delightful and picturesque city – with a current population of 441,000 – the capital and most populous municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. (Wikipedia) 

Halifax has the social, cultural and economic features of a major urban center, but rugged natural beauty nearby within its boundaries:

” …famed for its massive natural port, which is one of the world’s largest and greatest of its sort. Halifax was created in 1749, and the Halifax Harbor has given significant benefits throughout the years.”  (Port of Halifax)

Given the early date in the season, we were the only cruise ship in port, however, that was an anomaly.  Besides being an international marine shipping and cargo center:

” In 2019, the Port of Halifax had 179 cruise vessel calls with over 323,000 passengers aboard. It is estimated that cruise passengers alone contribute about $172 million to Halifax’s economy every year.”  (#2 – #3)

Nearby Natural Beauty

While I was most enthused to visit a thriving brewery very close to our pier (see below), we first visited a beautiful natural area reached by a twenty-seven mile scenic bus ride to Peggy’s Cove:

“Peggy’s Cove is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay in the Halifax Regional Municipality, which is the site of Peggys Cove Lighthouse (established 1868.)”

Although it was cloudy with light rain, the destination and the history made it worth seeing.  The surrounding community also appeared to be a close-knit group bound by braving harsh Atlantic weather and their occupations as can be evidenced below. 

“On September 2, 1998, Swissair Flight 111 crashed into St. Margaret’s Bay approximately eight kilometres (five miles) southwest of Peggy’s Cove with the loss of all 229 aboard. The cove became one of the staging areas for first responders that were involved in the search-and-rescue response, crash recovery operation, and investigation of the crash.

Many of the CCGA volunteers that were first to approach the crash site were privately owned fishing boats that were operating out of Peggy’s Cove and surrounding harbours.”

The memorial below is a tribute to the crew and passengers on that ill-fated flight. (#4)

Let’s not forget about Beerchasing…!

We hadn’t had a beer at a brewery for two days when we had enjoyed a pint in Charlottetown at the Gahan Brewery.  The selection of beer on the ship was dismal although they had great martinis, but I was ready to hit this brewery on the south waterfront.

And it has a good story spurred by its motto “Art, Science and Good ‘ol Hard Work.”  Garrison Brewing originally opened in 1971 and has expanded.  Located in a wonderful historic building, it evidently has had one of its brewpubs in this location since 2006. 

They had a decent selection of beers on tap, but we were delighted with our selection – Janet had a Tall Ship East Coast Ale:

“Brewed with adventure, craft, pride & independence, this beer delivers on true refreshment with an easy-going style. Drop anchor & hoist a glass.”  I also loved the fact that it’s made with Willamette (Oregon) hops.

I’m a big fan of red ales and Garrison’s Irish Red Ale was wonderful and the initial beer  brewed when Garrison opened:

“Ruby red with a smooth malt base, Irish Red Ale is where it all began. Taste the beer that launched a brewery.“ (#5 – #6)

Photo May 09 2024, 12 14 32 PM

And Garrison Brewing had a great atmosphere ranging from our friendly bartender, Wilken, to the pet-friendly environment evidenced by the poster in the photo below. We were sorry that we would not be able to visit their other location.

From some quick research, it appeared that Halifax has a significant number of quality craft breweries which may merit a return visit, but our ship was ready to weigh anchor and head to Bar Harbor, Maine, our next port-of-call. 

And this day meant some travel in the Atlantic Ocean which I was anticipating. The map below is in reverse order and doesn’t include our port of origin, Montreal, but it will give you an idea of the two remaining days of the cruise. (#7)

The People

One of the unexpected joys of this trip was the people we met besides our long-time friends and cruise companions – Jeff and Susan Nopper, I have mentioned in previous posts.  There was Brad and Tammy from Colorado Springs. 

Brad, when he found out about my Beerchasing hobby, gave an immediate invitation to visit his city and hit the numerous quality breweries. I could attest to this based on a previous Colorado road trip and reminded him that I had seen Colorado Springs labeled “The Napa Valley of Beer.” 

He was especially enthused about Red Leg Brewing and Janet and I will visit it on a September road trip. (#8 – #9)

Then there was Sonny – one of the most energetic eighty-seven year old guys I’ve seen who is still working as an electrician in Florida.  We ate dinner with him and his wife (whose name escapes me) – a few years younger and who still works as a teacher.

I can’t forget JD and Jennifer, a very friendly couple from Houston, who we met at the bar one night.  Both a few years from retirement – he works as a petroleum consultant and she in the legal field.

They had just returned from riding their Harleys to Sturgis for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the Black Hills of South Dakota – a ten-day event attended by over 500,000. What an interesting couple! (#10)

Ride to the Black Hills!

But the most interesting and engaging person we met was at a breakfast on the ship when an attractive woman came up and asked if she could join us as there was a vacant two-person table adjacent to ours.

Anne Cochran introduced herself and told us that her husband was playing Texas Holdem – one of the daily activities on the ship – and she was grabbing a late breakfast. (#11)

We started exchanging information and I gave her my Beerchasing card which she said her husband – a trial lawyer, would love. 

She’s from Cleveland and related that she met him after serving on a jury in a trial that he won.  Anne was very personable and I asked her what she did for a living. She modestly stated, “Well, I don’t know if you know of Jim Brickman, but I do vocal accompaniment for him.”

I replied that I certainly did know of Jim Brickman.  He’s one of the most well-known solo pianists in the nation and a multiple Grammy winner.  I have a bunch of his numbers on my iTunes.

“The hit-making songwriter is the best-selling solo pianist of our time, earning 22 Number One albums and 32 Top 20 Radio Singles.

He’s garnered two Grammy nominations, Gospel Music’s Dove Award, two SESAC Songwriter of the Year Awards, a Canadian Country Music Award, and is a member of Pandora’s ‘2 Billion Streams’ Club.” (https://www.jimbrickman.com/bio/) (#12 – #13)

Of course, I was curious and after breakfast checked out the Web. I first came across a clip from a 2010 CBS Good Morning Show where the duo performed “Never Alone” released in 2006.

Anne has a captivating background which has led to a long and impressive vocal career.

“Anne Cochran began her career as a teenage, lead vocalist in Cleveland Ohio…while earning her degree in Theater and Voice at Case Western Reserve University by day.

When Anne and her young friend, (the soon-to-become ‘Piano Romance Man’) Jim Brickman, entered and won a ‘You Light Up My Life’ radio contest, they began a stellar twenty-year stage and studio collaboration that has gone on to produce many hits, 4 PBS Specials and countless sold out shows throughout the world.”  Story – Anne Cochran

To get another idea of the quality of her voice, check out this Youtube link to the number she recorded in 2008 entitled “Face of Your Heart.”  (#14)

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=8wSuy1dTNkc

We saw Anne and her husband a night later in the lounge and had a nice conversation. They were both very enjoyable people and one of the highlights of the cruise.

Stay tuned for our final stop before ending the cruise in Boston. Bar Harbor was a wonderful stop for several reasons I will cover in my next post.

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.   Wikimedia Commons  (2022-08-15 01 Wide angle view of Halifax skyline, Nova Scotia, Canada 1801 Hollis crop – File:2022-08-15 01 Wide angle view of Halifax skyline, Nova Scotia, Canada.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) By Gordon Leggett – File:2022-08- Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  – 15 August 2022.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Enchantment of the Seas Halifax 2011 (cropped).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: ctgreybeard – 27 September 2011.

#3.  Port of Halifax –  Stories from Our Port | One Port City (oneportcityhfx.ca))

 #4.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Swissair 111 Memorial near Peggys Cove – Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia – Wikipedia)  By Own work, Public Domain – 22 September 2006 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61550912). This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Josephbrophy. This applies worldwide.

#5. Garrison Brewing ((Beer/Soda | Garrison (garrisonbrewing.com)

#6. Garrison Brewing (Beer/Soda | Garrison (garrisonbrewing.com)

#7.  Holland America Website (Best Canada and New England Cruises | Holland America)

#8 – #9.  Red Leg Brewing Facebook Page (Red Leg Brewing Company | Facebook).

#10.  Wikimedia Commons (Main Street Sturgis South Dakota Bike Week – Sturgis Motorcycle Rally – Wikipedia) By I, Cumulus Clouds, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2346862. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license. 11 Aug 2006.

#11. Anne Cochran YouTube 2008 (YouTube Music).

#12.  Anne Cochran Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=507554744709650&set=a.507554711376320)

#13. Anne Cochran Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jimbrickman/photos/a.166961617144/10153808359072145/?type=3)

#14.  YouTube (Face of Your Heart – YouTube Music)

 

Hop Aboard with Thebeerchaser – Shipshape or Shape of Ships?

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Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

The distance between the Port of Sydney on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and Halifax, the destination on the sixth day of our Holland America cruise from Montreal to Boston was 277 nautical miles.

This meant the MS Volendam sailed most of the late afternoon and the night in the Atlantic Ocean allowing us to arrive the next morning in Halifax. (#2)

.

While the Volendam was refreshingly smaller than the two prior Holland America ships on which we cruised, it’s still a very large vessel.  Its maiden voyage was in 1999. Maximum speed is 23 knots. 

With a total of ten decks, it has capacity of 1,432 passengers and complement of 647crew members. We could work off the excellent food by walking around the third deck – 3.5 rounds made a mile. 

                             Gross Tonnage *1               60,906  

                             Length                               778 feet – 237 meters

                             Beam *2                            106 feet – 32.3 meters      

*1. Gross Tonnage is not a reference to the weight of a cargo ship. It refers to the capacity of a ship’s cargo. Tonnage is more of a metric for the government to levy taxes, fees, etc. The displacement tonnage of a ship (see below) is the ship’s weight. 

*2. The beam is the width at the widest point. 

The weather was better which meant some time to view the scenery as well as the nautical traffic.  The latter fascinates me and brought back some memories of the two ships I was on during my brief service in the Navy which I’ll mention below.

For example, we passed the freighter – Algoscotia (shown below) – launched in 2004 and one of seven vessels owned by Algoma Tankers Ltd. – a subsidiary of Canada’s largest inland shipping company.

The ship is a chemical/oil tanker and according to one vessel-finder website, was sailing to Portugal.  It’s currently docked in New York Habor. 

Maritime Sidenote – I had a recent conversation with my former Schwabe law firm Managing Partner, Dave Bartz – not only an outstanding environmental lawyer, but also an expert in admiralty law. 

I mentioned the cargo ship, MV Dali collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. Dave, in his continuing efforts to educate me, pointed out that it was actually an “allision.” 

“In a collision, two moving objects strike each other; for example, two passing ships. An allision, however, involves an accident where only one of the objects is moving.

For instance, this maritime term can refer to an accident where a moving boat runs into a stationary bridge fender.”  (Arnold and Itkin law firm)

(I subsequently used that fact in numerous conversations trying to show my erudition and now you know too.) (#3 – #4)

Retired maritime expert Dave Bartz
The Dali and the Francis Scott Key Bridge

For comparison purposes and to better understand the damage caused to the bridge, the Dali is a larger vessel than the Volendam with a gross tonnage of 95,000 vs. 61,000, a length of 984 feet vs. 778 feet and a beam of 158 feet vs.106 feet.

Digression — A Bit of Maritime Nerdery 

Seeing the Algoscotia piqued my interest in light some of the similar freighters we saw on our 2017 Panama Canal cruise and the infamous Ever Given – involved in the 2021 Suez Canal obstruction.

It also harkened back memories of the USS John R. Craig – DD885 and the USS Bradley DE1041 – in the Navy destroyer and destroyer escort I spent some time on during NROTC midshipman summer training cruises in college.

For example, take a look at the statistics for the Algoscotia:

                            Gross Tonnage:         13,352 

                             Length:                       489 feet -149 meters

                             Beam:                        24 meters 

Now, the freighter is a big ship up close, but the Volendam dwarfed her – 1.6 times longer and a heck of a lot more volume or carrying capacity – close to five times – 61 tons compared to just over 13.

The USS John R. Craig

The John R. Craig, commissioned in 1945, was an old destroyer when I spent the summer of 1967 as a 3/c midshipman – a lot of it in the engine room and boiler room. Maximum speed was 34 knots.

This great ship had its ultimate demise twelve years later when it was decommissioned on 27 July 1979 and then sunk as a target off California on 6 June 1980. (#5)

USS John R. Craig – DD885

The John R. Craig had a total complement of 336 officers and crew. Now as a naive college NROTC guy, I thought it was a pretty big ship – over the length of a football field at 390 feet long – but you can see from the structural data below the Volendam was almost twice as long.

                         Displacement                       3,460 tons

                          Length                                 390 feet – 119 meter 

                          Beam                                   41 feet – 12.5 meters    

The USS Bradley (#6)

USS Bradley – DE1041

I spent over three months on the Bradley, the summer of 1970, on a 1/c midshipman cruise.  I was fortunate because I was the only 1/c midshipman on that vessel and the Executive Officer told me that I would replace the lieutenant in charge of the Deck Division when he went on leave in two weeks until he returned.

The Bradley was a much newer ship – launched in 1965, twenty years after the John R. Craig – with a total complement of 247 of which sixteen were officers. Maximum speed was 27 knots.

The Bradley had a less ignominious ending than the Craig. In September 1989, she was leased to Brazil and became the destroyer Pernambuco (D 30). She remained active in the Brazilian Navy into her 39th year afloat.  The eventual auction and dismantling by a private company is fascinating.   

                                Displacement                2,624 tons

                                 Length                          414 feet – 126 meters 

                                  Beam                              44 feet – 13.4 meters

I became friends with the officers on the Bradley – it had a squared-away crew and commendable morale. I extended my time on the cruise until the officer returned from leave because of this.

The Captain had requested that I return to the ship upon my commissioning in March,1971 and I had orders to the Bradley. Unfortunately, skull injuries from a serious auto accident in January,1971 essentially ended my Navy service before that occurred.

How Big is Too Big??

Now, I was amazed at the size of the Liberian container ship MSC Arushi when she passed us in the Panama Canal in 2017.  Her gross tonnage is 44,803 tons and length overall 921 feet (more than three football fields) with a container capacity of 4112. 

The Suez Canal obstruction by the cargo ship Ever Given in 2021 raises the question as to whether there should there be limits to the size of vessels for a number of practical reasons.

“…. the Suez Canal was blocked for six days by the Ever Given, a container ship that had run aground in the canal. The 400-metre-long (1,300 ft), 224,000-ton, vessel was buffeted by strong winds on the morning of 23 March and ended up wedged across the waterway with its bow and stern stuck on opposite canal banks, blocking all traffic until it could be freed.”  (Wikipedia) (#7 – #8)

The Suez Obstruction from the US Space Station

The Arushi, mentioned above, looked massive, but compared to the Ever Given almost seems like a yacht. The Ever Given – one of the largest ships ever built – is more than the length of four football fields and 400 feet longer than the Arushi.  She can hold five times as many containers, or 20,124.

Keep in mind these facts for a standard 20-foot container:

“The standard dimensions are 20 feet long and eight feet wide.  They weigh 5,200 pounds when empty and 62,000 pounds when fully loaded. The internal volume is the equivalent of 200 standard mattresses, two compact cars, or 9,600 wine bottles.” (Boxhub.com). (#9 – #10)

Whoa Baby!

Okay hypothetically, let’s say that you’re the Officer of the Deck of a large cargo ship and your radar operator reports a large “skunk” – (the common label used for unknown surface radar contacts – readyayeready.com) dead ahead on the horizon. 

Now bear with me, so to speak, because the scenario may not be very probable, but it will help demonstrate my point below. You want to be cautious, so you order the helmsman who relays it to the ship engineer, “All engines stop – rudder amidship.”   

How long does it take the vessel to stop? (#11)

Who are those guys anyway??

The answer is “More time (and distance) thank you think.”

“The stopping distance for a cargo ship depends on factors such as displacement, trim, speed, and type of machinery. Most vessels will travel approximately 5 to 12 times their own length before coming to rest from full ahead, taking 4 to 10 minutes to do so.  

Large ships may require up to 5 miles to stop when in full reverse. (emphasis supplied – (https://knowledgeofsea.com/emergency-stop-manoeuvre/).

Rethinking Configurations

You have to pardon me for this long detour on maritime stuff and will have to wait for the next post to hear about Halifax and a great brewery there, but I couldn’t help myself although real naval experts can probably eviscerate some of my assumptions and statistics.

During World War II and to a certain extent to the current time, the large Navy ships such as aircraft carriers, battleships and cruisers have been the mainline weapons of the Navy along with submarines. 

Take a look at these older vintage Navy ships.  (Clockwise left to right: the battleship USS Arizona (BB39), the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV6), the cruiser USS North Carolina (ACR12) and the Destroyer USS Wallace (DD703) (#12 – #15)

Compare these with the modern versions of battleships, aircraft carriers and cruisers. Even destroyers, known for the agility and maneuverability are a far cry from the USS John R. Craig as can be seen by the photo of the Zumwalt Class Destroyer.

Clockwise from left: Guided Missile Cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG58), Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN78), Littoral Combat Ship USS Tulsa (LCS16) and Guided Missile Destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG1000) (#16 – #19) 

The Future

Navy admirals will always push for more ships with more firepower – usually larger and more expensive.  But is that the best overall strategy?

Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840 – 1914) – naval officer and historian and author of one of the most significant and influential naval books in history, The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660–1783 might turn over in his grave if he read the following article:

Big U.S. Navy Warships: Did Drones and Missiles Just Make Them Obsolete?

“The warship is not categorically out of date, and the world’s most important militaries are still investing heavily in warships. But current trends suggest the large warship will become increasingly contested, and perhaps less effective as a result… 

Deploying an anti-ship missile (or drone) is a relatively cheap way to counter a warship that can cost billions of dollars and can carry several thousand sailors. Missiles have the potential to create parity between disparately situated nations… (#20 – #21)

At the moment, nations like the U.S., China, and NATO member-states are still investing in warships, suggesting that the world’s top war planners continue to believe in the viability of the warship.

But recent events have raised questions about survivability at sea. And as the history of warfare indicates, no system is untouchable, suggesting that even the mighty warship may one day become fully obsolete.”

Fortunately…..

I don’t have to worry about these issues and as we sailed into Halifax, I was focused on hitting a great brewery that was only three blocks from our pier and I’ll tell you about in the next post.

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Wikimedia Commons (File:2022-08-15 02 Wikivoyage banner image of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: Gordon Leggett -15 August 2022.

#2.  Wikimedia Commons (File:2024-06-10 01 MS VOLENDAM – IMO 9156515 – Halifax NS CAN.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.  Author: Gordon Leggett – 10 June 2024.

#3. Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt website (https://www.schwabe.com/professional/david-bartz-jr/).

4. Public Domain –  Wikimedia Commons (File:Aerial view of the wreckage of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Baltimore – 240329-G-G0211-1001.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain.  Author:  Petty Officer 1st Class Brandon Giles – 29 March 2024.

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:USS John R. Craig (DD-885) underway off Hawaii in 1967.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)   As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States.  Author: PH2 Butler, USN – January 1967.

#6.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:USS Bradley (FF-1041) underway at sea near San Clemente Island on 8 July 1976.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States.  Author: PH3 Burgess, USN — 8 July 1976.

#7. Public Domain –  Wikimedia Commons (Ever Given in Suez Canal viewed from ISS (cropped) 3 to 2 – 2021 Suez Canal obstruction – Wikipedia)  By NASA JSC ISS image library – https://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos/photo.pl?mission=ISS064&roll=E&frame=48480, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129747075- 27 March 2021.

#8. Wikimedia Commons (IMO 9811000 EVER GIVEN (09) – Ever Given – Wikipedia) By © S.J. de Waard / CC-BY-SA-4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107989305 – 29 July 2021.

#9. Boxhub.com (file:///C:/Users/DWill/OneDrive/Documents/Pictures/2024%20Vacations/Cruise/Cruise%202/Halifax/assets_779e69b8bed04a8b81c09417c4f456d8_d8c122c0258847b3b15e3e1a215a403f.webp).

#10. Wikimedia Commons (Container 【 22G1 】 WTPU 010097(1)—No,1 【 Pictures taken in Japan – Twenty-foot equivalent unit – Wikipedia) By Gazouya-japan, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38052679. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. 10 November 2012.

#11. Wikimedia Commons (File:Cargo Ship Puerto Cortes.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author:  
Luis Alfredo Romero –  7 January 2023.

#12. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:The battleship Arizona makes its way through the heaving seas of the Pacific. This photo was taken as the battleship steamed (79c61ee6-1dd8-b71b-0be4-1d4c5b920a28).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This image or media file contains material based on a work of a National Park Service employee…..As a work of the U.S. federal government, such work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: NPGallery 20 June 2006..

#13.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:USS Enterprise (CV-6) underway c1939.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. Author: CDR William H. Balden, USNR-circa 1938-9.

#14. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:USS North Carolina cropped Navy – Ships – Cruisers (165-WW-335D-4) – DPLA – bc4a2bb98571ecc905ebc7fc0aa53caa.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This media file is in the public domain in the United States.  Creator:  War Department – 12 October 1912. 

#15.   Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (USS Wallace L. Lind (DD-703) underway in April 1970 (NH 107164) – USS Wallace L. Lind – Wikipedia)  By PH1 D.M. Dreher, U.S. Navy – U.S. Navy photo NH 107164, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42294064.  27 April 1970.

#16. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons  (File:US Navy 050719-N-5526M-019 The guided missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58 conducts Surface Action Group operations during exercise Nautical Union.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Author: U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 1st class Robert R. McRill – 19 July 2005.

#17.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) departs Bath (Maine) on 7 September 2016.JPG – Wikimedia Commons)  As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. Author:  US Navy – 7 September 2016.

#18. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) underway in the Atlantic Ocean on 9 October 2022 (221009-N-TL968-1248).JPG – Wikimedia Commons) As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. Author: U.S. Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins – 9 October 2022.

#19. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons USS Tulsa (LCS-16) in acceptance trials – List of current ships of the United States Navy – Wikipedia   As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. Author: U.S. Navy/Austal USA 8 March 2018.

#20.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) launches from an Air Force B-1B Lancer.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States.Author: DARPA photo 5 September 2013.

#21. Wikimedia Commons (File:Iranian drone exercise in 2022 – Day 2 (52).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.  Author: Tasnim News Agency – 24 August 2022.

Hop Aboard with Thebeerchaser – Part III – Sydney

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After leaving Charlottetown on our cruise from Montreal to Boston, the fifth and sixth days saw us docking in two cities in Nova Scotia – first Sydney on Cape Breton Island and then Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia.

The map above shows Sydney on the northeast coast. (External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

So, for the first time we left the watery “confines,” if you will, of the St. Lawrence River and ventured forth into more expansive nautical territory including the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Cabot Strait (between Nova Scotia and Newfoundland) and then the Atlantic Ocean.

I should add that due to a bit of inclement weather during much of the first part of the cruise, I hadn’t been able to sit outside our stateroom and just take in the marine scenery.

To remedy that while we were sailing the Gulf of St. Lawrence, I bundled up in several layers and “capped” it off with a stocking cap and then my favorite Benedictine Brewery hat on top of that. (By the way, that’s coffee in my cup and not beer.) #2

It harkened back memories of days on both a Navy destroyer and destroyer escort, so I decided even though there were winds and swells, to look over the rail of the ship – for a better view. 

To my chagrin and without warning, a big gust hit and my brewery cap, sailed off my head and disappeared over the starboard side of the Volendam – into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 

My first inclination was to shout, “Monk overboard!” but I figured the captain was not going to issue the command, “Full speed astern,” to recover my headgear.  (A new one is on my to-do list when I again visit the Mount Angel Abbey.) #3

“Monk Overboard!”

Nova Scotia – Fascinating History

I could devote several posts just to the history, culture and geography of Nova Scotia, but will summarize.  It was first visited by outsiders when the French landed in the early 1600’s.

“In 1605, Acadia – France’s first New France colony—was founded with the creation of Acadia’s capital, Port Royal.”  (Wikipedia)

Since that time Nova Scotia has been directly or peripherally involved in military conflicts with groups including the English, Scottish, Dutch, French, Americans and the original inhabitants – the Mi’kMaq.

The conflicts ranged from the American Revolution, the French and Indian War, the War of 1812 and the American Civil War.

“Nova Scotia is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada, with an estimated population of over 1 million as of 2024; it is also the second-most densely populated province in Canada, and second-smallest province by area.”

Cape Breton Island, a large island to the northeast of the Nova Scotia mainland, is also part of the province, as is Sable Island, a small island notorious for being the site of offshore shipwrecks. (I was thankful that our captain avoided Sable Island and didn’t try to use the navigation chart below.)  #4

A_map_of_Sable_Island_showing_the_location_of_the_known_wrecks_upon_the_island_LCCN2003668269 (1)

Map showing location of shipwrecks along Sable Island

Port Royal was the first permanent European settlement in what would become Canada. The settlement was in the Mi’kmaw district of Kespukwitk and was the founding settlement of what would become Acadia.

The French and Acadians lived in Nova Scotia and during the early years, nine significant military clashes took place as the English and Scottish, Dutch French, and Mi’kmaq fought for possession of the area.  (#5)

The Arcadian Expulsion

The treatment of the Arcadians by the British is a sad chapter in Western Civilization:

“The Expulsion of the Acadians was the forced removal of inhabitants of the North American region historically known as Acadia between 1755 and 1764 by Great Britain.

It included the modern Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, along with part of the US state of Maine.” (Wikipedia)

The history is complex, but the British finally and reluctantly acknowledged the grave error of their actions although it took until the 20th century for some of this to transpire.

“Some 233,000 people whose mother tongue is French—the great majority of whom are Acadians—represent one third of the province’s (New Brunswick) population.”  (The Canadian Encylopedia)

The Arcadians have made great strides which led me when I saw the hat below to state that I was glad that they were taking a more assertive position until Janet chastised me for misinterpreting the acronym.  (I quickly recanted.) (#6)

No, Don. That’s not Arcadians!

Sydney

But I digress…when we docked at Sydney – founded in 1785 by the British and incorporated as a city in 1904 – with a current population of just over 31,000, we were greeted by two interesting scenes on the pier:

The largest fiddle in the world.

Purportedly, the largest fiddle in the world, the instrument and bow reach a height of 60 feet – it’s made of solid steel and …“was dubbed the ‘Big Fiddle of the Ceilidh’. Ceilidh is a Gaelic word which translates into ‘visit’.”  (Atlas Obscura.com) 

I was a bit disappointed not to hear a soundtrack of Alabama’s hit – “If You’re Gonna Play in Texas, You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band.”  (But perhaps not one that big…although given the Texas mentality, one never knows.)

Although having a rich history, Sydney was definitely not as impressive as Quebec City and Charlottetown in its presentation of that legacy, but our eight-hour bus tour that day along a major portion of The Cabot Trail made up for that.  A large portion of the economy in Sydney depends on the cruise industry.  (#7)

“This 298 km (186 mi) highway weaves through The Cape Breton Highlands National Park, rewarding travelers with spectacular valley and coastal views all along the way.” (www.novascotia.com)

It reminded me of the amazing Trail Ridge Road through Rocky Mountain National Park although the Cabot has breathtaking views of the sea as well as the rugged mountains. 

In fact, Cape Breton Highlands National Park is described as:

“One of Nova Scotia’s most enchanting places, where the mountains meet the sea. Discover 950 square kilometres of rugged wilderness, travel along the world-famous Cabot Trail and marvel at lush, forested river canyons carved into an ancient plateau.”  (https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ns/cbreton)

We had a great bus ride – other than a tour guide who thought she was a stand-up comedian performing at the front of the bus as we made our journey. (Unfortunately spurred on by repeated guffaws from a small minority of our fellow riders….).

It included a wonderful buffet lunch with the best clam chowder I’ve had in years at a small restaurant in the fishing village of Ingonish, halfway through the trip.

Not to be parochial, but giving a shout-out to our Oregon, we found that while the scenery – both along the Cabot Trail and on a tour through Acadia National Park at our final port – Bar Harbor – were outstanding, they certainly did not surpass what we sometimes take for granted along the beautiful Oregon Coast and the mountains  in Central and Eastern Oregon – two to four hours respectively from our home.

And as seen below from our 2023 trip to Steens Mountain in Eastern Oregon, you probably won’t encounter cattle along your highway on the way.

The Central Oregon Coast
Cattle drive on the way to Steens Mountain
Kiger Gorge from the summit of Steens Mountain

Stay tuned for our next port – Halifax, Nova Scotia, which included a trip to an outstanding brewery.

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Wikimedia Commons (Cape Breton Island – Cape Breton Island – Wikipedia) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.  Author:  Klaus M. – 3 January 2007.

#2. Benedictine Brewery (Benedictine Brewery Black Cap – Mount Angel Abbey).

#3.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Portrait_of_a_Monk_in_Prayer_MET_DP345572.jpg (2777×3882) (wikimedia.org) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CCO 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The work of art itself is in the public domain .  George Craiguthor – 1893 painting, depicting an event in 1755.

#4.  Wikimedia Commons (File:A map of Sable Island showing the location of the known wrecks upon the island LCCN2003668269.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This image is available from the United States Library of Congress‘s Prints and Photographs division
under the digital ID cph.3c32776.  Author: McCurdy, Arthur W. (Arthur Williams), 1856-, photographer – 1898.

#5.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Deportation Grand-Pré – Expulsion of the Acadians – Wikipedia).  This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain…..Author: George Craig – 1893 painting, depicting an event in 1755.

#6.  Ebay (Donald Trump MAGA Hat Red Strapback OSFM | eBay).

#7.  Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabot_Trail#/media/File:Cabot_trail_2009k.JPG). By chensiyuan – chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.    19 September 2009.

Hop on Board with Thebeerchaser – Part III Charlottetown

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Charlottetown

Since it was 682 nautical miles from Quebec City to Charlottetown, we spent the second day of the trip – a Monday – just cruising which I really enjoyed – and the weather was much better:

Photo May 06 2024, 7 11 34 PM

Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island – one of thirteen Canadian provinces or territories – the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated.                   

The city has a population of just 40,500 and was incorporated in 1855. Since it was pretty compact, we decided to just walk on our own and there was a nice boardwalk along the pier and harbor.

When we docked and left the ship, I expected to see a bevy of Canadian realtors waiting for appointments with those on the cruise who were hedging their bets based on the result of the forthcoming November US General Election. But I guess that’s another story…..

Dual citizenship??

While it was filled with historic houses and buildings, the highlight was two wonderful churches.  St. Dunstan’s Cathedral Basilica – built from 1897 to 1907 – it reminded us of the ornate trappings of similar structures in Europe. 

Photo May 07 2024, 11 14 58 AM

And only several blocks away was the smaller, but still impressive St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral founded in 1869:

“St. Peter’s has superb choral music, beautiful liturgy, strong orthodox Christian teaching and preaching, a friendly congregation, and a tradition of service to the community.”

Remember, however, this is a blog primarily about bars and breweries…..

Now, we hadn’t been to a brewery since Montreal, so after viewing the cathedrals, we set out in search of suds. Gahan Brewing came to the rescue.  And consistent with the heritage of other structures throughout town, The Gahan House embodied history:

“Gahan is a name unknown in Prince Edward Island today, but in the middle of the 19th century, John Gahan was a prominent merchant, an importer of teas, wines, and family groceries. His place of business was on the corner of Queen and Sydney Streets in Charlottetown; now known as The Gahan House.”

Photo May 07 2024, 10 31 37 AM

The brew pub was a very attractive mix of brick and dark wood and they had an excellent selection of beers. Gahan Brewing also has a good story and it was nice to see an independent brewery thriving: 

“The Gahan Brewery (formerly Murphy’s Brewing Co.) was established in March 1997 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The beer quickly became a local favorite and the brewery relocated to its current location on the corner of Queen & Sydney Streets in Downtown Charlottetown, thus doubling its production capacity and giving it a permanent home in Old Charlottetown.”

“With a total of six locations across Atlantic Canada, The Gahan House has become an East Coast tradition dedicated to creating memorable experiences.”

And their Island Red Ale was one of the best I’ve drunk. I’m also sorry that I didn’t get to try the Big Don Coffee Belgian Blonde Ale before Gahan stopped brewing it. One reviewer on Untapped characterized it as follows:…”

“So deliciously weird, wouldn’t want to drink more than one, but that one is a great treat.”

This prompted Janet to remark, “That account might be similar to your personality, Don…..”

The pub also had a great menu and there was a thriving take-out business during the noon hour, but we had lunch back at the ship.

And since we still had twelve (of the fifteen “free” daily drinks) waiting for us at the ship that day, we didn’t partake at the Olde Dublin Pub – right across the street. It looked like a watering hole, however, that deserved additional research! 

“….we’re Charlottetown’s original Irish pub! Here, since 1983, Islanders and visitors alike have been tipping back Guinness, enjoying Irish and East Coast dishes with an ODP twist, and raising a cheer for some of the best traditional and contemporary music to grace the province”

I guess that that will have to wait for our return trip!

Cheers and stay tuned for Sydney – our next port.

Cheers!

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vote_sign_democracy.jpg)  File is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law. 

Hop on Board with Thebeerchaser – Part II – Quebec City

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Welcome back to Thebeerchaser.  If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. 

In the last post, I told you about our recent Holland America cruise from Montreal to Boston with our good friends the Noppers. https://thebeerchaser.com/2024/05/29/hop-on-board-with-thebeerchaser-part-i/

We had a night and a morning in Montreal before we embarked on the Volendam (on Saturday May 4th – my birthday) so on Friday, we took a ninety-minute bus tour of the city and then walked around to see historic buildings and, of course, bars and breweries.  

I might add that we stayed at the La Centre Sheraton – right downtown – which had a wonderful looking bar itself. The concierge recommended a couple of good places for beer.

Photo May 03 2024, 3 28 32 PM

Th Sheraton  bar

Our first watering hole where we had some excellent beer was 3 Brasseurs. (That’s “brewers” in English). Evidently, it is a chain with establishments thoughout France and four locations in Canada – Montreal, Quebec, Toronto.

Photo May 03 2024, 4 29 45 PM

“Welcome to our brand with 30 years of experience in beer making, design and service of authentic and generous local dishes, for the greatest satisfaction of our customers.”

The bar had a great atmosphere inside with a long, attractive bar, but given the beautiful day, we sat outside on the expansive patio – right on the street which made it more interesting.  

And we sat next to a young and very friendly couple – the first of many great people we met on our trip – who were visiting from the Western part of Canada. We only had beer and they even offered to share their food with us since the servings were so generous. 

Photo May 03 2024, 4 08 04 PM (1)

We declined and ate that night in an Italian restaurant – a mistake – we should have ordered a burger and fries at 3 Brasseurs.

I left the others for five minutes while they were waiting for our beers, to check out the other recommendation from the concierge – Brutopia – kind of an interesting name and I was sorry we didn’t have time to check it out.  It looked very interesting:

“Brutopia Brewpub is the premiere brewpub in downtown Montreal. Since we opened our doors early in 1997, our attentive, friendly staff has been serving full flavoured beers, freshly brewed on our premises.” (# – External photo attribution at end of post #1)

It looked like the brewpub had great food, but we still had places to see and instead ate that night in an Italian restaurant – a mistake – but I guess I already said that above. 

The ship left the next day at about 5:00 PM and we had some beautiful views of Montreal – by the way, the city is actually on an island….And shortly after we left the pier, I saw another brewery I would have liked to hit – I guess when we return.

It brought back memories of two of Molson’s slogans from the past:

“We’ll drink to that.” (2005)

“Molson’s makes it golden..”  (1986)   (#2)

Molson and Coors merged in 2005 and at that time, Molson Coors was rated the third largest producer of beer in the United States, and the second largest brewer in the United Kingdom.

It has continued to expand and in 2016, “per the agreement with the regulators, SABMiller sold to Molson Coors full ownership of the Miller Brewing Company brand portfolio.” Wikipedia             

Shipboard Life and Port Adventures

We quickly acclimated to life on the cruise.  The only issue which disappointed me was that with the exception of the second day, we sailed from port to port in either the late afternoon or after sunset into the morning hours and I didn’t get to see that much of the beautiful countryside and towns along the St. Lawrence.

Every day, we could either sign up for tours (excursions) ranging from walking tours, to tours of museums, historic homes to long bus tours e.g. an eight-hour ride (including lunch) which we took on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia to see the beautiful coast and mountains.

Château_Frontenac_city_at_night

Historic and beautiful Quebec City (#3)

We sailed Saturday evening from Montreal to historic Quebec City. Before debarking the ship for the tour, we had our typical breakfast at the Volendam’s Lido Market Place – a buffet that had an amazing assortment from pastries to traditional faire to lox. 

 The first morning, I had lox and onions with my scrambled eggs, even though some would scoff at this combination. 

We then took a two-hour guided walking tour of the city of 549,459 settled originally in 1633.  To get from the pier to the upper level and most of the attractions, we took the Old Quebec Funicular (1879). 

At the top was a great view and an abundance of history.

The tour was very interesting, albeit wet, as a steady rain came down. It didn’t dampen the experience of seeing the:

Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac (“An iconic historic hotel in Quebec City known for its castle-like architecture and stunning views of the St. Lawrence River.”) (1893) (#4)

or

Notre-Dame de-Quebec Basilica Cathedral (“An historic and iconic basilica-cathedral, known for its stunning architecture and religious significance.”).  (1633 – original) (#5)

Since our excursion of Quebec City was over by lunch, we spent the rest of the day exploring the ship. 

The activities were an eclectic bunch of pursuits – keeping in mind that given the median passenger age, there could probably be an animated discussion of the Nixon vs Kennedy debate.

There were team sports or competitions from bingo to trivia to soccer goal scoring to cornhole to poker to pickleball to bridge, but these were not for us as was the case with “Origami Folding – Paper-bomb” or “The Art of Flower Arranging” to “Coloring for Adults” (not hair…) or “Adventures with Water Colors – Jellyfish….” (#6 – #7))

Adult coloring?

However, there were no offerings such as “The Colorful History of Pabst Blue Ribbon,” or “Hop Gardening,” although I have to admit given the median age of the passengers, I was surprised to see one actually entitled “Pampering the Ladies…”

One that piqued my interest was “Make Your Own Mug” until I found it that it pertained to coffee rather than beer and I blanched about spending 90-minutes in a session – “Make Your Own Flower Vase.” 

And these were just on the first two days so I thought with five more days left on the cruise, they might consider “Make Your Own Titanic” or “Make Your Own Submarine,” but Janet told me not to go anywhere near the Cruise Director with these suggestions.

We decided that we would enjoy walking the deck and then reading and viewing beautiful Quebec City from a higher deck – this while consuming one or two of our fifteen “free” drinks per day (unbelievably – part of the cruise package).

It made me think seriously about the assertion of Aloysius Archer, the protagonist in the Baldacci novel I was reading:

“If you’re going to drink all day, you have to start in the morning.”

While walking the deck, my mind was still at work wondering:

 “Do they really need the warning message on the bulkhead shown in the following photo?”

Is that warning really necessary?

And while my initial “Make Your Own” suggestions were not viable, given the robust supply of cooking material on board, why not “Make Your Own Life Ring?”  (#8)

Plenty available in the ship galley

On a more serious note, I thought Holland America missed a good opportunity by not mimicking Portland’s Breakside Brewery which recently advertised:

“Make Your Own IPA Ice Cream, 11 a.m.-noon Saturday, June 15: Join Malek and Breakside head brewer Ben Edmunds – churn your very own beer-infused ice cream.”

Photo May 10 2024, 8 37 34 PM

The selections in the dining room for the evening meal were splendid as was the presentation and quality. We typically had two meals each day (along with an occasional cookie or ice cream cone in the evening.)

Given the expansive and plentiful availability of both food and alcohol, it made me wonder if any medical research had been conducted on the correlation between heart attacks and post cruise living.

I decided to banish that morbid thought the next morning when I had my breakfast which included lox and a bagel. (#9)

Stay tuned for our next port, Charlottetown – 721 nautical miles from Quebec City – so we had one full day of just sailing, before we docked at this next city – another one with a rich and interesting history. 

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Brutopia Brew Pub Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=903734435093709&set=a.485131863620637.

#2. Molson Canadian Facebook Page by Samuel Hurd Photography (https://www.facebook.com/samuelhurdphotography/photos/t.100064389773443/373652893053044/?type=3).  

#3.  Wikimedia Commons (Château Frontenac city at night – Quebec City – Wikipedia) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: Wilfredo Rafael Rodriguez Hernandez –  27 September 2018.

 #4. Wikimedia Commons (2016-11 Château Frontenac 06 – Château Frontenac – Wikipedia)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: 0x010C –  8 November 2016.

#5.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Basilique-cathédrale de Notre-Dame-de-Québec.JPG – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  Author: Sylvainbrousseau 16 September 2012.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Adult Coloring program.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: 
Jenn Gaylor – 22 September 2015.

#7. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Jelly fish in watercolour.png – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author:  Midjourney AI prompted by Netha Hussain –  21 January 2023. 

#8.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Onion Ring (48075744183).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  Author: Ryan Dickey – 16 June 20219.

#9.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Lox-and-bagel-02.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.  Author: Kristina D.C. Hoeppner –  25 July 2012.

Hop on Board with Thebeerchaser – Part I

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Holland America’s Volendam

Janet and I recently completed a seven-day Holland America cruise on the Volendam – from Montreal to Boston.  We were accompanied by our long-time friends Jeff and Susan Nopper. (External photo attribution at end of the post #1 – 2.)

Our travel history included two prior HA cruises – the first from Anchorage, Alaska to Vancouver, BC in 2014.  It included a side trip to Denali National Park before the cruise started and the journey by ship was wonderful way to see Glacier Bay; whales and wildlife; and the Alaska coastline that would be a challenge on another mode of transport.

In 2018, we took a second cruise – this one with the Noppers to the Panama Canal from Fort Lauderdale, Florida – not a full transit – through the canal from east to west – but just through the locks.  After a cruise around Lake Gatun we went back through the canal to the Atlantic Ocean and explored the Caribbean.

A massive cargo ship going through the canal

I’ll give more info in a future post, but on the first two cruises, both of our ships accommodated 2,700 passengers and 1,000 crew members. The vessel for the recent trip up the St. Lawrence Seaway and around Nova Scotia was about half that size – 1,432 passengers and 647 crew.  

Although we enjoyed the first two cruises, we definitely preferred the smaller ship which still had great amenities – pool, great gym and workout facility, pickleball court, casino, theater and, of course, multiple bars and restaurants.

And I’ll have to state that my wife, Janet, is not the biggest fan of cruises – partly because of a tendency for motion sickness. She gave me this cruise for my birthday although it was much better than she expected and she did not get seasick.  

The Noppers on the Panama cruise
Don and Janet in Panama
Janet and Susan on the St. Lawrence
Don and Jeff waiting for Montreal flight

Janet was prepared with patches and medication but did not have to use them – the biggest swells were about three feet around Halifax. 

This was a good thing because our cruise package provided fifteen “free” drinks each day.  Her pharmacist told her to avoid mixing pills or patches with alcohol….

I might add that if you plan a trip, take Susan Nopper with you. Janet is an excellent planner, but Susan is the epitome of a well-prepared and informed journeyer.  She always knew when, where, how what, and why……

I bemoaned the fact that I did not have my college bota bag with me given the drink quota, but there was no way we could consume that much booze.  Coffee drinks also counted and one day I had to work off a caffeine high by walking the deck several miles after having four espressos.

And I have to admit that I supplemented my typical martini or microbrew with some new cocktails including a “Smokey Boulevardier.” 

It was indeed smokey and one of the ship’s officers jokingly came over to the bartender and asked if he needed to alert the ship about an on-board fire as smoke was wafting over the bar as he prepared my cocktail.

The ingredients in the Boulevardier – credited to Harry McElhone, the founder, and proprietor of Harry’s New York Bar in Paris – include:

  • 1 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey
  • 1 ounce sweet vermouth
  • 1 ounce Apéritif
  • Orange twist, for garnish

But I have to admit, my favorite drink on the ship was their beautiful Bloody Mary.  I also coaxed Jeff Nopper into having his first martini – gin, up with olives.

The food was also superb with multiple eateries – formal and informal available at all times of the day.  For example, take a look at the late night menu available at the Lido Cafe below. 

It reminded me of my Navy destroyer when we had “Midrats from 8:00 PM to midnight:

 “Midrats has been a Naval tradition dating back to 1902, when the Navy decide to make changes to Sailors’ diet by introducing a new meal to the fleet. President Theodore Roosevelt signed the 1902 Navy Ration Act that included a section for additional rations specifically for Sailors who worked the night shift.

Nowadays, Sailors can choose from breakfast items such as eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, and French toast; or dinner items like pork chops, ribs, mashed potatoes,
green beans, steak, and grilled chicken.”

The difference between the Navy and the HA cruise, was after the midnight snack, I didn’t have a watch on the bridge of the ship from midnight to 3:00 AM.

Not to get totally preoccupied with food, but the selection was amazing and  and the quality very good from appetizers to desserts as you can see from the selection of cupcakes one evening and decorated cakes the next.

Fortunately, we were disciplined in our walks around the 1/3 of a mile deck just a step away from our stateroom.  Surprisingly, we didn’t gain any weight.

Montreal – The City of Mary

We had a night and a morning in Montreal before the ship departed and it is a wonderful city in which one could spend days if not weeks touring this metropolis of 1.8 million people.  

Since our time was limited, we took a 90-minute bus tour to see Mount Royal, the underground and the historic buildings:

“Some of the city’s earliest still-standing buildings date back to the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Although most are clustered around the Old Montreal area, such as the Sulpician Seminary adjacent to Notre Dame Basilica that dates back to 1687.” Wikipedia

Of course, even though we were limited to one evening in the city, we set out to find a watering hole or two to quench our thirsts – possibly to build up to the routine on the ship. I will fill you in on the next post, but have to leave you with this one unforgettable memory of Montreal.

We were walking in the late afternoon in the downtown area and came across a middle-aged guy with a baby carriage in which a live rabbit was contentedly riding.  He offered to let the rabbit get out and run around. 

Of course, I wanted to make a comment that this was not the kind of hops I was seeking for  my the Beerchaser blog, but the others told me to hold my tongue and he rolled his cargo away when the light changed.

Not the kind of hops Thebeerchaser was seeking….

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1 – #2.  Holland America Website (Cruises Search Award-Winning Cruises – Find Deals & Packages (hollandamerica.com).

May Musings

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After doing recent posts on two wonderful Portland bars – the historic Huber’s and the iconic Sandy Jug, I’m going to skip around and cover a few miscellaneous topics after a farewell to a Portland landmark for years. (#1.)

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser.  If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. External photo attribution at the end of the post.(#1)

Farewell to Quintessential Dive – The Jolly Roger

I visited this Portland eastside landmark in January, 2023 with my friend, Hillary Barbour, knowing that it would be both the first and last time I would raise a mug in this watering hole which has been a prominent feature on the block for about the last sixty years:

The Jolly Roger Will Become Affordable Housing

“After much speculation about what would become of Buckman dive bar the Jolly Roger, WW has confirmed it will become an affordable housing complex helmed by recovery and low-income housing nonprofit Central City Concern. The property was bulldozed this fall and is currently an empty lot.”  (Willamette Week – 1/16/2024)

Although there was a smidgeon of hope for a reprieve in 2023, one year later, it was razed and the irreplaceable sign visible for blocks is now relegated to the scrap heap:

“Of the landmark sign—which WW once called ‘a majestic freestanding pylon sign shaped like a ship’s mast at a height no longer sanctioned’ ….it was trashed.

‘It was too large to be used in the building or anywhere else, she says…Efforts were made to see if any signage, restoration companies or collectors were interested in it, to no avail.'” 

Farewell to a long and prosperous voyage!

An Informed Perspective

I had lunch recently with a friend of the conservative bent who was bemoaning the current US policy on climate change and energy.  He had witnessed the 2017 total solar eclipse when he was at the Oregon coast and took in the same event again on April 8th this year.

Although Oregon was not in the path of totality.  His comment:

“Don, this provides additional evidence of the lack of dependability of solar power as a future energy source….”  (#2 – #3)

Another Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter Update

The last update was in February when I related the recent award of Portland environmental attorney, Jay Waldron (Rugger, Rafter and Rider and Lawyer).    

Well, one of Jay’s Portland lawyerly colleagues – who is also in the esteemed ranks of Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter, Jim Westwood – was involved in another significant victory, although this wasn’t as one of the premier players in the Oregon Appellate Courts.

westwood bow tie 2

Jim, who has accompanied me on more Beerchasing events than either one of us would want to admit in the last thirteen years, is also a fellow Oregon City High School graduate (although several years ahead of me).

As I have stated previously as evidence of my longevity, his mother Catherine, was my Latin teacher for two years in the mid-sixties.  The photo gallery below provides evidence of Jim’s affirmation of Beerchasing as a venture although it should be noted that both of us also have an affinity for single malt beverages.

Clockwise:  The Tanker Bar – 2013, The Yard House – 2016, The Independent Sports Bar – 2017, The Standard – 2018, The Sandy Jug – 2024, Howell’s Tavern – 2022, Yur’s Bar – 2020, Rose City Book Pub – 2019, TC O”Leary’s Irish Pub – 2017 and Kelly’s Olympian 2015 and The Goose Hollow Inn – 2012.

(You will recognize his mug – so-to-speak – in each of the photos below:

P1000296

Beerchasing at the Goose Hollow Inn in 2012 with the late Portland Mayor Bud Clark and John Terry of The Oregonian

Below is an excerpt from my 2013 post when I named him as a Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter.  I mentioned his extensive civic activities including coaching high school Constitutional teams: 

“Jim has volunteered for 11 years as a coach for ‘We the People’ high school Constitutional law teams for Grant High and De la Salle North Catholic High School.  

Marilyn Cover, Executive Director of the Classroom Law Project (CLP), stated, ‘He’s a great teacher, a great coach and a great model citizen.’  He was honored last year as the 2012 Legal Citizen of the Year by the CLP.”

The historical figure he most admires is George Washington and when he received an annual award from the Multnomah Bar Association in 2013, they gave him the caricature shown in the photo below.  

The Grant High team won the National Championship in the Washington DC competition in 2013 and then repeated in 2015. Westwood fulfilled his promise to get a tattoo if they achieved that victory. 

The picture below shows the George Washington theme continued as 1783 was the year Washington bade farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern and resigned as Commander-in-Chief.

The Coach fulfills his promise

They won in 2018 and his second tattoo followed although at time of publication I could not ascertain where it’s located or the content. He retired from being a full-time coach in 2019, but as Jim, with his characteristic modesty, stated this month:

“I intended to fade into nothingness, but as has happened with other retiring coaches, Grant Con team is the Hotel California.  You can never leave. The best description of me is ‘involved volunteer.”‘

My involvement varies, in 2024 I was involved about twice as much as last year….This year, for the first time since retiring, I went to DC with the team and the coaches. although it was more of a vacation for me than it was for the others.”

He thus shared in the incredible accomplishment of 2024 Grant High’s Constitutional Team when they again won the National Championship in April.  As reported by the Center for Civic Education on April 16th:

“Students from Grant High School of Portland, Oregon, placed first in the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution National Finals, an annual competition that brings together high school students from across the nation to answer difficult questions about the U.S. Constitution...

More than 1,000 students participated….The competition results were announced at an awards ceremony Monday evening before an in-person and online audience of more than 3,400 people…A total of 48 high school teams from 28 states and the District of Columbia participated in this year’s events.”.  (#4 – #5)

2015 Winners – Westwood in back row with bowtie
2024 National Champions

In a time where civics is almost a forgotten course offering in high schools across the United States, teacher advisor, David Lickey; coaches including Andrea Short, Tim Volpert, Shelley Larkins and Westwood (many of whom are lawyers) and the parental volunteers deserve accolades for their commitment to preserving democratic institutions.

When I asked about a third inking, he responded:

“I’ve been in contact with Ximena, my personal tattoo artist, about the tattoo for this year’s win.  The ink will flow later this month.”

There’s speculation whether it will be a cherry tree, the words “Valley Forge” or “1791” – the year when the Bill of Rights was ratified which Washington called for in his first inaugural address. Stay tuned…..

There’s a Crisis, However.

Even back in 2021, an article in Harvard Magazine showed evidence of the Crisis in Civic Education:

“…..The Annenberg Public Policy Center’s survey on civic knowledge found that barely half of American adults can name all three branches of government, and 20 percent cannot name any rights protected by the First Amendment.

This state of affairs follows prolonged disinvestment in the fields of history and civics: today, a new report reveals, federal spending per pupil in these subjects averages $0.05, whereas STEM education (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) per pupil averages $50—a thousandfold difference in funding allocation.” (#6)

A document needing more attention

But Have Some Moderation…!

While efforts to enhance civic education are to be encouraged and applauded, one Oregon Circuit Court Judge in Clackamas County – just south of Portland – went a step too far when in a criminal trial for hit-and-run (State v. Varvara) last week:

“….(she) decided to give a hands-on civics lesson to a class of visiting second graders, inviting eight of them to serve as jurors in a hit-and-run trial, swearing them in, allowing them to sit in the jury box and giving them supplies to take notes.”

Now this was a bench trial – meaning the judge, not a jury – makes the final decision.  The Presiding Judge, however, was evidently not impressed with the judgment of Circuit Judge Ulanda Watkins. He intervened and the second-graders were ushered out of the courtroom.

Judge Watkins was appointed to the bench in 2017.  She is, at least up until this point, running unopposed in the 2024 Oregon Primary Election.  (#7)

Perhaps taking civic education too far…

“In the end, Watkins delivered an acquittal without consulting the students — the 7- and 8-year-olds left before the trial concluded. But the judge’s off-the-cuff overture to the school children became the talk of the courthouse in downtown Oregon City.”     (#8 – #9)

The Clackamas County Courthouse in Oregon City.

There have been no reports on whether the eight second graders selected for the jury have requested the $10 daily juror pay or whether the school district has submitted the 20 cents per mile reimbursement for the school bus.

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Sandy Jug Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=122100957092143158&set=pb.61554294744173.-2207520000&type=3).

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Christmas Eve Sun (31460091150).png – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Paul Stewart from Timaru, New Zealand – 24 December 2016.

#3. Wikimedia Commons (File:Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024, from Hot Springs, Arkansas.jpg – Wikimedia Commons).  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International, 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic license.  Author: Kevin Payravi –  8 April 2024.

#4.  Oregon Live (Grant High’s U.S. Constitution Team represents Oregon in national tournament – oregonlive.com).

#5.  Center for Civic Education (Release: Portland’s Grant High School Places First in Center for Civic Education’s Nationwide Competition on the Constitution – civiced.org).

#6.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:United States Constitution Bicentenial Commemorative Dollar Obverse.jpg – Wikimedia Commons.  This image is a work of the United States Department of the Treasury, taken or made as part of an employee’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain in the United States.Source:  US Mint 19 May 2022.

#7.  Oregon State Bar (Judge Ulanda Watkins (osbar.org).

#8.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Scale of justice 2 new.jpeg – Wikimedia Commons).  This work is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or any later version.  Source: Scale_of_justice_2.svg: DTR –  28 July 2009.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Clackamas County Courthouse, Oregon City – DPLA – 13cd2d986b77594222b11d38c0491c08.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file was contributed to Wikimedia Commons by Oregon State Archives as part of a cooperation project. The donation was facilitated by the Digital Public Library of America, via its partner Northwest Digital Heritage. Source: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives  –  6 August 2013.

Brawlers and Mockers – The Distinction

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A Terminology Issue – Was it the Beer?

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser.  If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post. #1)

In a recent entry in my daily devotional, the author illustrated his point by quoting Proverbs 20:1:

“Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler; whoever is led astray by them is not wise.”

Reading this led me on one of my typical internet research projects which my wife says occupy far too much of my free time, although it was prompted by a recent NBC.com article entitled:

” Morgan Wallen arrested after throwing chair from rooftop of Nashville bar, police say.”  (#2)

Is an encounter with a chair, a brawl?

And while this incident was not a brawl per se’, it was not his first encounter with police because of scuffles with others:

“Wallen was arrested around 11 p.m. Sunday night outside Chief’s on Broadway, a Nashville honky-tonk bar that his fellow country musician Eric Church opened in March.

Per a police report, officers were standing outside the bar when a chair landed intact on the ground several feet from them. Staff members reportedly told the officers Wallen had thrown the chair from six stories above…” (emphasis added)

Since it involved a bar, I obviously was curious.  Chief’s on Broadway, opened just in April, evidently celebrates the career of Eirc Church and has about 4,000 posters from his country-western singing career.

It may well be the tallest bar in the United States:

“Chief’s is a six-story bar, restaurant, event space, and live music venue designed to celebrate Eric Church’s ever-expanding musical legacy.

Located in historic downtown Nashville, Chief’s will feature a ticketed music venue, inspirational interiors, and a thoughtful focus on unique live performances, offering fans an unparalleled entertainment experience in Music City.”  MusicCity.com  (#3 – #4)

Given the short duration since opening, there are only three Yelp reviews so far, but it’s obvious, the rooftop incident will play for some time:

“Super nice bar and good drinks. Almost gave it 4 stars (rather than five) because the chairs are so light and tossable.”  Yelp – April 8, 2024

Before leaving this thread, a few more comments on the distinction between beer and wine as illustrated by quotes:

“Beer is made by men, wine by God.” – Martin Luther

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria.” – Benjamin Franklin

And my favorite which is unattributed except I located it in an ad on the website of the Sherlock Holmes British Pub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates:

“Beer, because one doesn’t solve the world’s problems over white wine.”

Of course, we shouldn’t give short shrift to whiskey and Irish playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw, no stranger to controversy, who opined: (#5)

“Whisky is liquid sunshine.”

434px-George_Bernard_Shaw_1936

Who better than an Irishman to know….

Not many dives I’ve been to have served wine.  If it were available and could lead to “mocking” as the scripture asserts, it might result in a brawl with those consuming quantities of beer. (#6)

Here’s to Solving World Problems

I was also struck that an internet search reveals a number of athletic teams named “Brawlers.”  I assume that their post-game libation is beer.

The Boston Brawlers – a football team based in Harvard Stadium – a charter member of the Fall Experimental Football League (FXFL) – a professional football minor league that played just two seasons in 2014 and 2015.

The Bricktown Brawlers – a professional indoor football team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They were a member of the Lonestar Division of the Intense Conference in the Indoor Football League (IFL).

And one I don’t really understand:

The Philadelphia Brawlers a team that plays in Division III of Blitz: The League II – an American football video game. (#7)

Brawlers rather than Mockers

In contrast, I didn’t find any athletic team named “Mockers” – only two bands – one a pop band from New Zealand that performed from 1979 to 1988 and Los Mockers – a 1960 rock band from Uruguay. 

The latter, pictured below, do not look like they could hold their own in a brawl… (#8)

Los Mockers – short lived….

I won’t mention The Mocker – comic book character 

Moving on to Another Legendary Country Singer

I have rather eclectic taste in the music I listen to – ranging from Big Band, Classical (especially with beautiful oboe solos, Christian instrumental, 1960’s rock-n-roll and last but not least, old-time country western.

This is not the contemporary western pop, but renowned vocalists like the four shown  clockwise below:

George Jones, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams and Don Williams. (And no, I can’t sing a decent version of either Amanda or Tulsa Time.…)  (#9- #12)

Well, one of these crooners recently passed away.  The legendary Toby Keith died in February 2024 of stomach cancer.  Although not an ardent fan of his songs, I was captivated by his songs, “Beer for My Horses” as well as the 2003 single “I Love This Bar” – it reached #1 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks.

Keith released nineteen studio albums, two Christmas albums, and five compilation albums, totaling worldwide sales of over forty-million albums.

He charted sixty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including twenty number-one hits and twenty-two additional Top-Ten hits. (Wikipedia) (#13)

Country Music Hall of Fame

I love this bar
It’s my kind of place
Just walkin’ through the front door
Puts a big smile on my face
It ain’t too far
Come as you are
Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love this bar

The song captures perfectly the sentiments I felt when I decided to start my Beerchasing hobby in 2011, as stated in an article entitled:

“The Meaning Behind The Song: I Love This Bar,” in the blog Oldtimemusic.com  (#14)

“Just walking through the front door puts a big smile on my face.”

“The song is about finding a sense of belonging and comfort in a local bar. Keith sings about all the different types of people that frequent the bar, from bikers to college kids, and how they all come together to have a good time.

The chorus of the song proclaims Keith’s love for the bar, stating that it has everything he needs, from cold beer to good company. The lyrics paint a picture of a place where everyone can let loose and forget about their troubles.

I became more interested after I started a data base on bar articles. It caught my attention that Toby Keith’s bars were having some problems other than what might be caused by unruly patrons.

I kept seeing headlines such as those below:

Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar abruptly closes   Bring Me The News – June 25, 2015

Rascal Flatts restaurants failed nationwide. Did a Mafia soldier pull the strings?  The Republic March 13, 2029

Former crime boss, owner of defunct Toby Keith restaurant in Foxboro pleads guilty to fraud   Arizona Sun Chronicle – August 13, 2021

Toby Keith’s Restaurant Chain Was Once Involved in a Wire Fraud Scheme by an Ex-Crime Boss    Distractify – MSN 2024  (#15 – #16)

Fans of the late singer will be happy to know that Keith was not the owner.  Rather his song was the inspiration for the bar and his name licensed by Boomtown Entertainment. Toby Keith evidently did make surprise visits to franchises, where he performed and socialized with fans. (Wikiepedia)    

 The ownership by Boomtown was under the control of one Frank Capri. (see below). 

The story is too complex to convey here, but you might check out the links above and it can be summarized by stating that after his death and a series of closures and scads of lawsuits, only two locations of “I Love this Bar” remain open – both in Oklahoma and neither of which is now owned by Boomtown Entertainment.

“Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar and Grill offered mall owners a special recipe. Equal parts eatery, roadhouse and concert hall, it promised steady foot traffic during the day and an after-hours bonanza of drinking and dancing. It proved to be a recipe for financial disaster.

Combined, four Arizona developers won $13.1 million in judgments against Capri and his companies. Greenville joined a list of 19 other cities from coast to coast where Boomtown said it would build Toby Keith restaurants that never opened.

Those cities included Anaheim, Colorado Springs, Jacksonville, Boise, New Orleans, Lansing, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Antonio and Portland, Oregon.”  Greenville News – 11/1/2027  (#17)

Toby_Keith's_in_Las_Vegas

“Capri’s Phoenix companies built 20 Toby Keith restaurants beginning in 2009 and announced plans to build 20 more that never opened. By 2015, all but one had closed. Allegations of fraud and theft followed. 

In lawsuits, developers claimed he stiffed contractors, broke lease agreements and took millions of dollars meant to pay for construction.”  (Arizona Republic – 3/13/2019)

As has happened many times when celebrities collaborate with entrepreneurs (and mobsters…) the result is not positive.

The story essentially ends as reported March 2022 in City Beat – a Cincinnati publication: 

“Frank Capri, a former mobster turned government witness turned developer who scammed The Banks with a Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill-branded restaurant, was sentenced last week to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and tax evasion.”

I guess as one of the verses in the song goes, a lot of investors and contractors came out on the short end:

We got winners
We got losers
Chain-smokers and boozers
We got yuppies
We got bikers
We got thirsty hitchhikers
And the girls next door dress up like movie stars
Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm, I love this bar (#18)

“We got losers….

Cheers

Internal Photo Attribution

#1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Aaron Burden 2016-05-02 (Unsplash 1EbsMYrAu-s).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Author: Aaron Burden aaronburden – 2 May 2016.

#2.  Wikimedia Commons (File:Morgan Wallen Concert November 13 landscape.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: Paul to my Linda – 13 November 2021

#3. Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083809501460).

#4.  Music City.com (Chief’s on Broadway | Visit Nashville TN (visitmusiccity.com).

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Bernard_Shaw_1936.jpg) This image (or other media file) is in the public domain because its copyright has expired and its author is anonymous.  Author: Anonymous – 1936.

#6. Image courtesy of Pam Williams

#7. Flickr’s Common (File:Brawl.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  This image was taken from Flickr‘s The Commons. The uploading organization may have various reasons for determining that no known copyright restrictions exist.  Author: British Library 7 December 2013.

#8. Public Domain  – Wikimedia Commons (Los Mockers by Olga Masa, 1965 – Los Mockers – Wikipedia) This image is in the public domain because the copyright of this photograph, registered in Argentina, has expired. Author:  Olga Masa  – 1965.

#9.  Public Domain  – Wikimedia Commons (File:George Jones.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Secisek at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide. Author: Secisek at English Wikipedia – June 2002.

#10. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Alan jackson at pentagon.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This image is a work of a U.S. military or Department of Defense employee, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain in the United States.

#11. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Hank Williams publicity.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1929 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author:  MGM Records – 1952

#12. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (By DJParker39 at English Wikipedia. – Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14549573) DJParker39 at English Wikipedia – 5 November 2006.

#13. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Toby Keith in concert.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. Author:  Lenny Francioni – 31 August 2005.

#14. Wikimedia Commons (File:Saloon San Francisco 2014 (15278844981).jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license). Author:  Mobilus In Mobili – 14 May 2014.

#15.  Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar – Bricktown Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/TobyKeithsBar).

#16. Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar – Bricktown Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/LowerBricktown/photos/t.100064824877178/10156417149528039/?type=3).

#17. Wikimedia Commons (File:Toby Keith’s in Las Vegas.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  Author: David Shane – 11 July 2018.

#18. Wikimedia Commons – Public Domain (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michigan-exterior-toby.JPG) The copyright holder of this file allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other use is permitted.  Author: ArizonaLincoln – 3 March 2010.