travel

Carmel Indiana’s Bier Brewery has great food and greater beer

/ Roadtirementvintage / 3 Comments

Carmel, Indiana is just north of Indianapolis and is known for its many establishments for eating and drinking. Recently our son drove us to a craft brewery named, appropriately, Bier Brewery. It is part of the Indy Craft Pass list of over 50 breweries and wineries in mostly the Indianapolis area.  You go, check in on a phone app and get points that you can cash for merchandise. A great incentive to check out reasonably close – by new places.

Main entrance, outdoor seating to left

Step up to the bar and place your order…

The Bier Brewery is located on the end of a nice strip mall. Getting there was something, as Carmel is known for all of the round abouts.  It was too cold for outside seating, and the roll up windows were of course closed. The bar is where you place your orders, either for drinks or food. Our bartender was a delightful lady.

Basket of fires and pilsner glass

Blue cheese burger and homemade slaw

Sher ordered a pilsner, while I chose an IPA. We both really enjoyed  our two choices. The menu for food was not very large, but anyone could find something to order. Our son ordered one of those huge fresh baked pretzels. Sher got a large basket of fries for all of us to share. The blue cheese burger and home made coleslaw sure went well with my IPA.

Maj’s IPA

We had a great time!

This establishment is quite an enjoyable place to have a beer and a light snack. There are comfortable chairs and sofas where we saw many enjoying quiet conversation with friends or working on phones or laptops. We enjoyed each others company, our drinks and the food. We also got free pint glasses as part of our Indy Craft Pass participation. Oh, and here is the link to the Bier Brewery website. Check it out sometime.

 

Craft beers at Sun King Brewery in Carmel Indiana

/ Roadtirementvintage / 7 Comments

It was a foggy evening in Carmel, Indiana, an upscale city north of Indianapolis. Finishing our day out, we went to Sun King Brewery in the center of Carmel. They are part of the Indy Craft Pass, a group of over 50 breweries and wineries that offer a listing and directions. You check in and get points for visiting member establishments.

Outside seating, upper level balcony

Main entrance, love that face!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sher and I and our son got to Sun King about 6 o’clock, checked in on the Craft Pass app, and were seated by Chase, our server. I told Chase that when choosing a beer, I prefer one with a lower number IBU (bitterness rating). Chase checked with the bartender who recommended the Keller Haze IPA. Sher ordered a margarita.

The bar

We thoroughly enjoyed just sitting, enjoying our drinks and the company. While were were here the place began to fill up with couples and groups of folks, who like us, enjoyed the ambience of the place. Food was available from walk up windows, and what we saw looked very good, worthy of a return visit to eat sometime. We did buy a growler of Maj’s IPA to take home.

Maj’s IPA and Sher’s Margarita

Chase filling our growler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This facility is set up for both inside and outside seating. Of course the rain and fog prevented using the outside seating but the huge outdoor TV was on! There is a second level, a trivia game was underway when we were there.

“Back of house” equipment

We had a wonderful time at the Carmel version of Sun King Brewery.  (There are seven locations, including one in Sarasota Florida) We would recommend without hesitation a visit to this fine establishment. A marvelous number of beers and other drinks await you. Hats off to Chase, who took care of us while we were there. He was a part of our good time. Here is the link to Sun King Brewery.

Blue Corn Harvest uses local sourcing

/ Roadtirementvintage / 5 Comments

One thing we enjoy about traveling is the wide variety of dining experiences available. Georgetown is north of Austin and is a favorite destination for us when we’re in he Austin area. It is one of the locations for the Blue Corn Harvest restaurants.

Inviting entrance

Welcoming dining room

 

 

 

 

 

One thing that we like about Blue Corn Harvest is their use of local sourcing for their supplies. These places always have extra fresh ingredients for their offerings. Blue Corn also has a wonderful menu with something for everyone.

Sher’s Veggie Sandwich

Maj’s BBQ Burger

We were served warm sweet cornbread before the meal

We certainly enjoyed our lunch today. Sher had the Roasted Veggie Sandwich, stuffed with farm fresh veggies and topped with a bun sized mushroom. I enjoyed the 8 ounce BBQ burger with jack cheddar, onions and pickles and house made BBQ Sauce. Both came with hand cut fries.

Full service bar made good Margaritas

Adrian was our server and was most helpful. This was a very nice and comfortable place for a tasty lunch. The  food was delicious, service was great and the price was reasonable.

Turning Texas trees into Texas art

/ Roadtirementvintage / 10 Comments

There are some impressive trees along the banks of Cypress Creek in Wimberley Texas that we saw during our trip there a few days ago. Some very talented people have turned some tree trunks into quite remarkable carvings in a popular picnic area just behind one of the buildings housing restaurants and shops.

Quite the signature…

Now that’s a stare!

Pointing skyward..

For UT Longhorn football fans

By the creek bank

It is impressive to see that a chainsaw was utilized to create such detailed works of art like these.

 

Lake Travis is only 35% full

/ Roadtirementvintage / 5 Comments

This photo was taken today from a road to a Hudson Bend marina. the water level is very low…

Lake Travis is a huge lake in the Hill Country northwest of Austin, Texas. It normally has 29.5 square miles of water. That is when normal precipitation falls on the Colorado River basin areas. The whole world has seen lots of area under drought conditions. The Colorado basin and Central Texas is no exception.

That boater has to watch for shallow water not normally there!

As of today, 10/20/2023 Lake Travis Mean Water Level was 627.30 above sea level. One year ago today it was 640.76. Thus in one year the Mean Water Level has dropped 13.46 feet. Another parameter measured daily is the total surface area in acres of the lake. Today the Lake Travis surface area was 8,799 acres. Last year, same date, it was 10,746 acres. Nearly 2000 acres less one year later. Seeing the low level of the water today was quite a shock.

Artemis Mediterranean Grill in Bee Cave, Texas

/ Roadtirementvintage / 3 Comments

It was definitely time for lunch, actually past time. We were in Bee Cave, Texas, a few miles due west of the center of Austin. Our map search “food near me” led us to the Artemis Mediterranean Grill. We are glad it did.

A lovely entrance to this establishment

Gotta have a Grecian Urn at a Greek Grill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked in and at the door we were told to sit wherever we wanted. A soon as we sat down our server Chloe came to our table to take our order, and answer questions about anything. I had a couple, and she explained what Falafel was (meatless, so no thanks) and if she liked the Greek Burger (1/2 lb house-ground lamb burger). She said she did.

Sher’s Artemis salad

Maj’s Greek Lamb Burger and fries

We both had the Mediterranean Mule

Sher went with the Artemis salad, complete with onions, walnuts, sliced pears, figs and other good stuff. My Greek Burger came with feta and caramelized onions with garlic-mint aioli. Oh, the Artemis seasoned fries with their special sauce were great as well, and deserved the “highly addictive” menu label.  The adjectives “delicious” and “filling”  did not do our meals justice.

Bar, TV’s, it doesn’t get any better

Well, maybe outside patio dining is better?

 

 

 

 

 

We had a delightful, relaxed and satisfying dining experience. Chloe went above and beyond in her attentiveness to our every need. The food was marvelous, served quickly and prepared perfectly. If you are anywhere in central Texas, do yourself a favor and head to Artemis Mediterranean Grill. This is the website. It has all you need to know. Oh, by the way,  you west coast folks will find another similar establishment at Lake Tahoe.

 

 

Some sights and sounds of Wimberley

/ Roadtirementvintage / 2 Comments

Wimberley Texas is in the Hill Country southeast of Austin. We spent part of the day this past Saturday with our son and his family checking out the town and sites.

The boot’s size should not be a surprise here…

There are lots of restaurants and shopping places in the town. We got there about noon and finding parking within a reasonable walking distance was a challenge. But we spotted a vehicle loading up to leave, and we got their spot, which worked out well.

Plants, incense and other stuff

Everybody needs one or two of these…

Good idea with good humor too

Strange tree looking at you.

Buy a plant, get it potted here!

Oh yes, here’s MY angel, eat your heart out guys…

We enjoyed walking around the town, visiting shops, seeing the nature preserve and of course grabbing a bite to eat. Wimberley is a must visit when you are in and around the Southern Hill Country outside of Austin.

 

Wimberley, Texas beautiful bald cypress trees on Cypress Creek

/ Roadtirementvintage / 12 Comments

Wimberley, Texas is in the Hill Country outside of Austin in the central part of the state. It is a small town that is hugely popular for its many shops and restaurants and the natural beauty of the area. There are some famous swimming holes close by too!

The Preserve entrance

A worthy project

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cypress Creek runs right through the town, and the banks and surrounds have become popular recreational locations for locals and visitors alike. Sher and I went with our son and his family to see the town, the creek side trail and the huge bald cypress trees.

I was told this a favorite place for weddings

The cypress trees along the banks live for hundreds of years and are massive in size.  One nearby tree has been dated to be from at least as far back as the year 1426. You can stand inside one tree whose base was blown out decades ago by a lightning strike We had to get our picture in that one!

Note the creek in the background

Close up detail of photo to the left

 

 

 

 

 

 

The roots of these trees run shallow and nearly parallel the ground surface both above and below. These exposed roots are fascinating to observe.

Typical shape of the cypress at the waterline

Shadows and reflections on the water

The size of these trees is impressive!

One shop owner explained to me that yes, these are the same bald cypress trees you see in Florida in the swamps. He pointed out that in Texas they don’t do as well or are as prolific because there is not enough water in the Texas Hill Country to support massive groves of the trees. They are still fascinating to see. Wimberley is fortunate to have such a  lovely attraction as the Cypress Creek Nature Trail & Preserve .

 

 

 

 

 

 

No glasses but still saw the eclipse

/ Roadtirementvintage / 4 Comments

Nope, did not have the glasses. Every store was out. However, we did see several pin hole camera type effects. One was a light ray through the curtain onto a rug.


Ok, maybe a stretch, but still look at the center and you can make out that crescent: that’s the sun partially blocked. We were at Austin, so not full eclipse. That was down at San Antonio.

Here’s another one, this was on the front sidewalk with a bunch of “pin hole camera” effects through the leaves.

See the greenish image that looks like a pin-hole type of view.

Finally, this one with the iPhone. I was holding the phone in front of my face kind of blindly snapping a couple just to see what I’d get. The above mini-green thing showed up.

Oh well, that’s what we saw at the so-called “Peak” of the eclipse at Austin, Texas.

Chill’s on the Creek in Wimberley Texas

/ Roadtirementvintage / 4 Comments

Wimberley, Texas is a a small community in the Hill Country outside of Austin. Our son and his family suggested that we go to Wimberley for a day trip. While there, we found a delightful and unique restaurant known as Chill’s On The Creek.

Out side wall mural

Sign behind the stage

 

 

 

 

 

As we had a group of five, we were led to a table indoors. There was also plenty of outside seating too. Sher and I started with a frozen margarita. There seems to be something especially good about margaritas in Texas.

Fried fish and chili

Chicken fried chicken and loaded mashed

Veggie Tacos and salad

The menu at Chill’s has something for everyone. Our granddaughter had grilled cheese and fries. Our daughter-in-law ordered the chicken fried chicken and a salad. Our son had fried fish with a side of chili. Sher had veggie tacos and salad, and I went with the chicken fired chicken with a side of loaded mashed potatoes and gravy.

With Rebecca, center

Shelby, our bartender

 

 

 

 

 

Our meals were quite delicious. This place was hopping for sure, and we witnessed a lot of meals coming out of the kitchen. Our service was very good, Rebecca made sure we had everything we needed.  And like I mentioned, Shelby made a mean margarita! We both said we’d definitely come back for a return visit. I want to try the Brunch offerings! This is the Chill’s website.