Brutal Bitters, Dead Guy Ale and the blabberings - America's Best Brewery

It was on the eve of one of my great brewery tours that I thought of researching on America's best breweries. With less boozehounds in the neighborhood and lesser bacchnalians in my friends club, I had only one option - go online. In forums and communities, I found a bazillion names, some remote and some very well known. But it took a lot of thoughtful moments to skim through the entire lot and pick the BEST.

I even read reviews by fellow travelers and after all the drudgery, the winner is none other than the brewers of Brutal Bitter, Rogue Brewing Company, Oregon. Rogue was founded in 1988 by the trio of Jack Joyce, Rob Strasser and Bob Woodell, with the first brewpub in Ashland - a 10bbl brewsystem. Currently, Rogue brags the following brews: Brutal Bitter, Chocolate Stout, Dead Guy Ale, Half-e-Weizen, Honey Cream Ale, HazelNut, Brown Nectar, Imperial India Pale Ale, Imperial Stout, Juniper Pale Ale, Kells Lager, Mocha Porter, Morimoto Black Obi Soba Ale, Morimoto Imperial Pilsner, Morimoto Soba Ale, Old Crustacean, Oregon Golden Ale, Saint Rogue Red, Santa's Private Reserve, Shakespeare Stout.

If you're curious about Rougue's latest offering, look for the bottles of Rogue Dry-hopped Red. This is going to replace Saint Rogue Red, both in retail stores and on tap.

You can join Rogue at:

20th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival, July 26-29.
13th Annual Bones and Brews, August 4-5.
3rd Annual Great American Distillers Festival, August 25-26

Top Family Vacation Destinations this Summer: Williamsburg, VA

"School's out for summer!" That's what everyone is saying. If you've already decided where to go with the family, then happy travels! But if you're planning something last minute, let's play around some ideas.

Theme parks alone might be a passe for you. But theme parks coupled with history is just unputdownable! If you're toying with the idea of exposing the kids to some of the finer and older aspects of the country, then Williamsburg is just right for you.

Williamsburg, VA is one of those charming places where you can enjoy a journey back in time. At Busch Gardens Europe it's like experiencing the European culture right in your backyard! What's more, here, the kids will enjoy the world's tallest dive coaster and the world's tallest inverted coaster.

Grab the pass to travel back in time! The Colonial Williamsburg Freedom Pass gives you access to a number of painstakingly renovated buildings, where history comes to life! While an adult pass comes at $62.95, the children can get access at just $32.95.

You won't miss Jamestown Settlement, Virginia Living Museum and Water Country USA. If you haven't heard about Water Country, let me take the opportunity to introduce one of America's Best Water Parks, bringing back all the excitement '50s and '60s beach scene in form of over 35 super-soakin' rides and slides! An interesting aspect of the park is that it's handicap accessible. Motorized and non-motorized wheelchairs are available at Guest Services for a daily rental fee.

If you've already made up your mind to visit Wiliamsburg, then you can check out these nice places to stay:

Quality Inn Historic Area
600 Bypass Road
Williamsburg, VA 23185-2929


Comfort Inn Central
2007 Richmond Rd.
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Patrick Henry Inn
249 York Street
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Hilton Garden Inn
Hilton Garden Inn
1624 Richmond Rd
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Do you worry about airfares? Let's book with Cheapoair, which guarantees the lowest prices anywhere on the web! If you don't trust me, check out these Cheapoair customer reviews and testimonials, both for Cheapoair services and prices. Click here.

Book flights to Williamsburg

Ancient Cities III: Copan

Copan takes us to what can possibly be called the Mayan world of rituals and ceremonies. This was basically a religious center inhabited by priests and other members of the Lowland Maya ruling class.

This culture, which reached its pinnacle during the period between A.D. 600 and 800, was nurtured by a chain of city-states running south from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico to Honduras.

Today, on a tour of Copan, one comes face to face with the mammoth pyramids, streets and causeways, each replete with tales of humiliation and torture perpetrated on the captured rivals as well as the bizarre rituals of a bestial nature, where the rulers cut or pierced the ears, cheeks, tongues and genitals of the captives.

However, the most interesting part of your visit to Copan is the Ballcourt - the place where teams played a rubber ball game in front of spectators from the royal family. Another must see is the Hieroglyphic Stairway, depicting the royal lineage of Copan.

Where is Copan?

Copan is located in western Honduras, just 5 miles from Guatemala.

Book cheap airfares to Guatemala

Ancient Cities II: Tikal

Going forward, if Chichen Itza is the paradigm of Mayan adaptibility and city architecture, Tikal gives us an insight into what the largest city of the Classical Period of Mayan culture could have been.

Rising all of a sudden from the unforgiving Peten forest of Guatemala, during its prime, Tikal served as home to an estimated 50,000 residents! Time was when Tikal was dominated by pyramids soaring towards the sky, paved streets, water reservoirs and intricate stone carvings reflecting the rulers and the founding myths of the Mayan society.

Thanks to the archaeologists and researchers, many of the ancient temples and structures have been meticulously restored. What you can't miss on a tour of Tikal is the Temple of the Great Jaguar. This is the tomb of Ah-Cacaw, the greatest king that Tikal ever saw. A sight of the statue of Ah-Cacaw on the apex of the Temple of the Great Jaguar illumined by afternoon sun is a feats for the eyes. Besides, over 3,000 buildings and 200 stone monuments remain concealed in the surrounding forest!

Where is Tikal?

Tikal is located in Peten, Guatemala, 60 miles west of the Belize border.

Where to Stay?

Tikal offers fantastic accommodation facilities. Check these hotels:

1. La Casa De Don David
Aldea El Remate
Tel: (502)306-2190

2. Hotel Isla De Flores
Avenida La Reforma
Tel: 926-0614

3. Hotel Bar and Restaurant El Faisan
Ciudad Flores
Tel: 926-1322

Book cheap airfares to Flores

Ancient Cities I: Chichen Itza

History has been good to us! For families who're looking for a historical vacation, an ancient kind, the Americas alone brags some of the most spectacular cities from the ancient world.

The Anasazis, the Incas, the Mayas, Aztecs, and Olmecs — all of them were master architects, astronomers and mathematicians, with their cities showcasing their art of building cities. No doubt, human achievement is fleeting, but the tides of time do bring us face to face with fragments of past achievements.

So, the Mayan city of Chichen Itza, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (southeast of Merida)is a miracle of ancient achievement. You'll be surprised to know how the Mayas settled and adapted to the hostile nature of this region. The region consists of merely a few inches of soil on hard limestone and receives little moisture. However, the adaptability of the Mayas is sensational!

Chichen Itza was developed as a powerful city and trade center dealing in for cloth, slaves, honey and salt, which reached its pinnacle from circa 800 to 1200.

What's most prominent here, today, is the ruin of El Caracol, a sophisticated astronomical observatory. Did you know that Chichen Itza has one of the largest ball-playing courts of the Mayan world. This is perhaps one of the best kept secrets of the city. A bas-relief at the site depicts the captain of a losing team being decapitated before the ruling-class audience. Another cool sight here is the the image of a serpent created by shadows on Kukulan Pyramid.

So, next time when you think about Mexico, think beyond Cancun and Acapulco!!

Build a Tree House Instead!

Tree houses never captured our imagination as they do today. This is true particularly for the children. Treehouses symbolize freedom. Have you ever felt how lifting it is for our spirits and inspiring for dreams? We know we can't fly with the birds, but at least we can build a nest like them! I think building a treehouse and spending a few nights behind the leaves could be a great pastime activity for families. True, it's going to be the most exciting adventure for your kid, that too, right at your backyard.

Imagine going to sleep with the birds and waking up to their songs. Instead of indulging in rampant consumerism at theme parks breaking the bank with a beach trip, this is a better idea to please your kids!

For starters, Tree Houses You can Build by David R Stiles and Jeanie Stiles can be a very good guide to start building your own treehouse. The best part is that you don't have to be carpenter at all! In the book, the authors explain the basic building procedures through clear, simple instructions and non-technical line drawings, explaining every step, from the earliest sketches to the final cedar shingle. Even the safety issues have been considered. Isn't it then time to start building our treehouses!?

Latest Trends in Family Travel

Latest trends suggest that for those family vacationers, for whom Disneyland or any other theme park, for that matter, is a passe, the new buzz is Central America, Africa and Asia.

Going by industry news, it's evident that an increasing number of families is choosing adventure trips to these exotic destinations. Today, many parents want their kids to relish a slice of culture and history. Hence, there's an increasing number of bookings to Panama, Chile, Thailand, China, India, Tanzania, Zambia and other such destinations.


After all, we want kids to visit temples, ride elephants and see the stark realities of poverty than tour amusement parks, ride roller-coasters and indulge in mindless consumerism.

Besides, ego trips getting more and more popular. One would gleefully dive with tiger sharks in Fiji (without a cage!!), snowboarding down an active Chilean volcano or and even scale Africa's highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro. There's a desire to do something unique, experience things that were never thought of before. From here stems a strong sense of accomplishment.

So, instead of touring South Beach or Daytona Beach, many families scurry to Panama
to experience ecotourism, and take a peek at the fascinating history of pirates. And who would ignore the 80 km long shopping wonder known as the Panama Canal!

For those touring Asia, China is definitely the first choice. Not just a bite of dimsum at a plush restaurant in Shanghai or Hong Kong or an amble down the great Wall of China, more and more people are getting attracted to the gorges of Yunnan province, the beaches by the South China Sea and the terracotta warriors of Xi'an.

Highway 1: America's Best Road Trip

If you're toying with the idea of doing a road trip with your family this summer, I have a superb suggestion. Highway 1 from Los Angeles to San Francisco has been favored by many as one of America's best road trip.

If you haven't taken a road trip yet, this might cause an overnight transformation - you'll end up being a big road trip enthusiast. It will keep you guessing on what lies beyond the turns. This 380-mile road trip will weave memories that's going to last for a lifetime.

The mesmeric views of wide, clean beaches, and cliffs plunging to the frothing ocean will be etched on your mind forever. As the story unfolds, you'll be treated to sights of vast tracts of green farmland—lettuce, and strawberries. Certainly, this is a pilgrimage for surfers, food groupies and adventure hungry souls.