2022 Winter Road Trip - Microbrew Tour

Dave and I completed our winter work schedule on the same day and started packing for a well earned reprieve to the warmth of the south. Our journey began with a wintery mix of rain, sleet and snow. We didn't hit springtime until just before Paducah Kentucky, where we found magnolia blossoms, wild daffodils and the strong smell of farm fertilizer coming from the fields along the highway. We could feel our bodies shedding the hold of winter as we shed our layers of clothing. Day two brought sunshine and a bright blue sky.

We're off to revisit the Panhandle and Gulf Coast locations we enjoyed in 2017 during the early days of our Great Loop adventure. We stopped in Apalachicola aboard Mystic and had so much fun there that we put it on our list of places we may like to live. On this trip, we were surprised to see how much had changed. 

The Tin Shed Flea Market & Antique Shop and Oyster City Microbrewery were gone. Apalachicola was the Oyster capital of Florida in 2017. They produced 90% of Florida's oysters. Oysters are almost gone from the bay now due to the change in the once brackish water. The water that had flowed naturally is being redirected to reservoirs which changed the salinity of the bay water. Florida has stopped all oyster harvesting in Apalachicola bay through 2025. This has been devastating to the local economy. The changes to this cute little town are undeniable. 

Visit our 2017 blog post for images of our first visit to Apalachicola.

https://cruising-teamrogers.blogspot.com/2017/04/apalachicola-fl.html

The Ice House, limited openings in 2022

The oyster shell piles are gone from Apalachicola

We arrived in Tarpon Springs and were happy to see that our modest Airbnb rental was clean and cute. It was located in an old neighborhood, central to much of what we wanted to experience. Our friends Yvette and Ray met us in Dunedin for a mini microbrew tour. We stopped in at House of Beers and then Caledonia Brewing after passing by several of their favorites which were closed on Mondays. 

Ray, Yvette, Beth & Dave, Dunedin, Florida

We made a lunch date with friends Michelle, Kay and John at Bar Fly in Palm Harbor. We share a love of craft beer and always look forward to catching up with them. After a delicious lunch, we moved over to Stilt House Brewery where we met a guy with a half blind, half deaf cat that entertained us with his antics. He had a funny way of cocking his head to get the best reception for his good eye and good ear. His disabilities didn't seem to hold him back and he was obviously a regular at the Brewery!

Sunset Beach, Tarpon Springs

Kay, Dave, Beth, John & Michelle at Bar Fly, Palm Harbor
(photo by Kay Rhoades)

Bar Fly Patio

In 2017, we got to know Tarpon Springs, the docks, beaches, microbreweries, and community. We headed out on a long walk to revisit the sponge docks. As we sauntered along the sidewalk a 4 foot black racer snake blocked our way. We gingerly slid past on the grass but only made it a few steps before a second snake rose up to check us out. I screamed out loud as Dave chuckled at my reaction. 

On our way back, we stumbled upon Brighter Days Brewing Company. This brewery did not exist in 2017. We sat on the patio enjoying a nightcap next to a lady with two dogs, one blind in one eye, the other totally blind. They had a connected harness so the one-eyed pup could lead the blind pup around. Like the Stilt House kitty, these sweet fur babies were welcomed and a part of the microbrew community experience. One puppy found a warm spot on my lap and settled in, which delighted us both!

As we strolled home in the dark, we chatted about the changes we were seeing. The city docks we'd stayed at on our sailboat are private now. Many restaurants and stores are closed for good. The "art bikes" are all gone from the sponge docks of Tarpon Springs. So much had changed over the past five years.

Visit our 2017 blog post for images of our first visit to Tarpon Springs.

https://cruising-teamrogers.blogspot.com/2017/04/tarpon-springs.html

No more art bikes on the sponge docks

Silverking Brewery was one of our favorite breweries in Tarpon Springs. We stopped in for a beer and found the bartender lounging with his feet up on the empty bar. He mentioned that the place was barely afloat. The beer was $7.00, expensive for the area and $2.00 over the other microbreweries in town. The vibe at Silverking had changed. We left after only one beer. 

Two Frogs Microbrewery was nearby. We walked the few blocks and grabbed the two open seats at the bar. It appeared to be a favorite with locals. We enjoyed the beer and the ambiance much better than Silverking. 

The day was coming to an end. We drove to Sunset Beach hoping to capture a magnificent Gulf Coast sunset before turning in. The beach and parking lot was full. It seemed this was a daily ritual for locals in the area!

Two Frogs Brewing

Sunset Beach

Dancing under the sunset

Our last day in Tarpon Springs began with heavy rain and thunderstorms so we drove to Ozona Brewery in Palm Harbor. It reminded us of a Key West bar; colorful, artsy and airy. The brewery was packed with a large group of women taking up several tables. We found a spot at the bar to enjoy a cold beer. The rain cleared enough for us to get out and explore the village of Ozona. We walked through all two blocks of the town, then meandered into the neighborhoods leading to the Gulf. Along the way we passed the historic Ozona Village Hall and realized that the large crowd of women at the brewery were members of the Ladies Improvement Society. We'd heard them chatting and giggling about the "meeting" they were having.

Ozona Brewing Company

Ozona Village Hall
(Ladies Improvement Society)

Yard Carvings, made us smile

Troll House

Our visit to the Gulf Coast came to an end, but we were not finished with our America's Great Loop revisit. Next, we headed for Saraland, Alabama. It's just outside Mobile where we'd spent four months aboard Mystic at Turner Marine. My uncles lived nearby and we were able to spend a lot of time with them. 

We were very surprised to find that Turner Marine had many open slips. During our stay, they were bursting at the seams! The biggest change in Mobile, though, was the loss of my uncles. Both have passed on. We stopped by the mausoleum at Magnolia Cemetery and drove past their home where we'd spent hours chatting with them under the live oak tree. The new owners were on the porch and seeing them deepened our feelings of profound loss. 

In spite of the changes, we found comfort in our visit to Dauphin Island where things remained much as we remembered. We ran the bike path to Fort Gaines then lounged on West End Beach for the afternoon. 

Lounging at West End Beach

Remembering Mr. Fred & Mr. Ron

During our five month stay in Mobile, we visited and enjoyed many of the wonderful restaurants. Blue Gill was a Looper favorite. We've been there several times before and were excited to return for the famous flame broiled oysters. The price had increased dramatically but the flavor was just as fabulous as we remembered and they were worth every penny! A new patio bar had been added. In spite of the increase in cost, the place was mobbed!

Flame broiled Oysters at the Blue Gill

We drove to Fort Monroe in Gulf Shores hoping to spend the day on the beach. The water in the Gulf looked like boiling coffee. An offshore wind whipped the sand into mini tornados that sandblasted us. The shoreline was covered with large dead fish all the way up to the dunes. It was not a beach day at all.

Instead, we headed back to Mobile, making stops at Big Beach Brewery and LuLu's Restaurant. LuLu's is Jimmy Buffet's sister's place. On our Loop, we had passed by so this was our first time there. We enjoyed a great crab dip lunch at one of the outdoor bars. On our drive back to Saraland we stopped at Fairhope Brewery. The beer was just as good as we remembered! 

Sunny Big Beach Patio

Fairhope Brewing Patio

Our visit to Mobile was wonderful and bittersweet at the same time. So much had changed but we found comfort in the few things that remained as we remembered them; the beauty of Dauphin Island, great microbrew options and the oysters at Blue Gill. 

When it was time to leave we set our sights west toward Collinsville Oklahoma where we'd make our last stop of our road trip with a visit to friends Yolanda and Scott Moody. We drove all day, making it to Conway Arkansas just in time for severe weather which included warnings of softball sized hail and tornados. I sat up until 2:00 am listening to the weather guy say, over and over, "FIND YOUR SAFE LOCATION AND GO TO IT!" Dave, however, slept through it all. 

We had a quick but fun-filled visit to Collinsville. Scott and Yolanda are busy building a hobby farm. It was exciting to tour their property and see their progress. We went to Taps on Tracks in nearby Claremore for trivia night and competed against at least 10 enthusiastic teams for the top prize of $100. We managed to pull of a three way tie for second place. Dave represented us in a sudden death question about the distance from earth to the moon. HE WON! This put us in third place due to a tie breaker for first. We enjoyed a free flight of beer for our efforts and we had a blast!

Beth, Dave, Scott & Yolanda - 3rd place winners

The temperature dropped from 80 degrees to 40 overnight. The drive back to Minnesota got colder as we moved north. We arrived home under snow flurries; our winter reprieve ending much as it began. Now we will wait for spring and Lake Michigan to melt. We look forward to our return to Mystic. It's time to continue our cruising adventures.

Mystic waiting for our return