It is official, Nicole and I are taking a pilgrimage to Oregon in September. An entire week of brewery tours, wineries, and the great outdoors. Needless to say I haven’t been this excited since, well, the White Stripes concert I’m going to next weekend :) We are also taking Nicole’s parents, who I actually think are crazier than we are. It should be an awesome time!

This really is a dream trip for an aspiring brewer. Oregon is considered the microbrew capital of the United States. I do not know the exact figures, but there are more microbrews per capita in Oregon than in any other state. My hope is to be able to get in touch with a couple of the brewmasters out there and get some tips on how they got started, what the challenges are of commercial brewing, and what it is they love about the business (aside from sampling all their creations).

We have not nailed down an exact schedule yet, but we are pretty sure we are going to spend some time in these cities, among others, I’m sure:

• Portland
• Freeport: the home of Rogue
• Florence: there is a Chowder, Blues, and Brews festival from the 21st to the 23rd
• Eugene: we hear there is a Saturday market that we just can’t miss
• Bend: home of Deschutes and great scenery

So if anyone has any suggestions for places to go and things to do, feel free to let me know. We hope to do other things than just drink beer. We would like hear some good live music, do some hiking, and eat some good food. I can’t wait!