Brewers Spring Training 2014

When I worked out all the details and made this trip a reality, I had my drive from Phoenix to Vegas and back planned out. It's about a 5 hour drive. I had to check out of the hotel around 11am and I didn't have to be back in Phoenix until about 10pm for my 113opm flight. With that in mind I planned out a route that would take me to Lake Havasu, a very popular tourist destination. On the drive I saw a sign that side Historic Route 66, so I stopped to get my kicks on Route 66. If I have to explain the reference, it takes away from the joke. But it's a song recorded by Nat King Cole. And kicks are slang for shoes. Look it up. It makes sense. And it's pretty funny.

Lake Havasu is a lake as much as Lake Mead in Nevada is one. Basically these lakes wouldn't exist if not for the dams built to pool up the waters of the Colorado River. But who am I to comment on the triumph of man over nature? We won.

I like Bridges. I'm a big fan of what Jeff has done throughout his career and Lloyd kills it in Airplane!, Hot Shots! and Hot Shots! Part Deux. But seriously, I do like a lot of man made structures. And even though it's an intentional tourist trap (kind of like the Dells) it's still a pretty cool story. When I get old I can say that I went to London. Or at least I went to a bridge that was once in London. I will always have this moment.

The famed London Bridge in Lake Havasu is no different than any tourist attraction. It really has no business of being there except to draw folks like me to gaze upon it and take pictures. This was just a bridge in London that spanned the river Thames. It's not even the same London Bridge from the nursery rhyme. This is just some bridge that was built in London in 1831 and then deconstructed, transported to Lake Havasu City (by the founder of the city Robert McCulloch with the sole purpose of drawing tourists to his newly created town) and then reassembled brick by brick to span the Colorado River and connect the mainland to an island. So in a way it is kind of cool, but in the end it's just a tourist trap and I got my foot caught in it. But it was one of those things that I'm glad I got to see with my own eyes. I doubt I would go back. But I did film a video for "25 Brewers in 25 Days" about the 2014 bullpen. So I have that.

The main reason I wanted to stop in Lake Havasu was to see the fabled London Bridge (more on that later). I figured I had some time to hang out and kick back at a local establishment, so I chose the Barley Bros. Brewery. I ordered their sampler so I could try all 6 of their beers. They were all pretty good, but I was disappointed to find out that they were out of the Freedom Bridge Amber Ale. That was the only one that I really wanted. So instead they gave me two Kickstart Oatmeal Stouts. Yuck. I'm not a big fan of oatmeal stouts and I can barely stomach one, so the thought of two was disturbing. Shit, at least give me another Tripleberry Wheat or a JennaGrace Hefeweizen. Don't stiff me with a stout pal. That's why I stiffed you on the tip. Just kidding. I always tip my bartender.

Sunset is always one of my favorite times of the day despite its' significance as being the end of another day of my finite life. In reality I'm a sucker for this moment and I could sit and stare at this forever. But I didn't have forever. I had to keep moving.