Ray's OHIO road trip in February 2014

[Bexter]

I am putting this out there now so you are aware and can plan accordingly. Jon and I need to get back and ride some sweet OHIO Ray's goodness. It's been 3 or 4 years! And, what has also been 3 years too long is drinking oh so delicious "Alberta Clipper" brew from Great Lakes Brewery. It's a tasty dark chocolate raspberry porter beer. BEST either of us have ever had (though we are in the process of making our first raspberry porter home brew -- it's fermenting now and was made in memory of the Alberta Clipper). You wonder how good it could have been if I actually remember it. Well, there was a fine line between appreciating its succulence and being overly happy... I musta achieved that tight rope walk with success! A tad o' headache but no other after-effects.

I emailed Great Lakes and they plan to brew the Clipper with an anticipated kegging date sometime in February. They had it for the women's weekend when we were there, and that was mid-February. I want to avoid the women's weekend in Ohio which is Valentine's Day weekend. So far, it's me and Jon, and Krud and Meggles. The preferred weekend to go is Friday Feb. 7th - Sunday Feb. 10th, but it depends whether the Clipper is on tap yet. If it's not on tap by the 7th, we will head there on the 21st. It's an 8-hour drive. We may start the drive on Thursday night and get 4 or 5 hours out and hotel it then get up and drive the rest Friday morning so we can ride Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. We will probably not ride on Sunday but rather start our drive back home Sunday morning.

You may wonder why we're going to drive 8 hours when we can drive 3 1/2 and hit the MKE Ray's. Well, it's better in Ohio! It's awesome to have the MKE Ray's, but you have to experience the Ohio venue. It's larger and the obstacles are different. Heck, the cross county loop is amazing and much longer than the MKE one. Makes sense -- bigger facility.

So, there's the plan thus far. The more the merrier! Stay tuned for more details as Great Lakes reveals their Alberta Clipper tapping schedule!

And Bishes, I plan to go to MKE Rays for the Women's Weekend March 7th. Mark your calendar!

[jJohnson]

Okay. You've twisted my arm enough.

[SugarShane]

I am putting this out there now so you are aware and can plan accordingly. Jon and I need to get back and ride some sweet OHIO Ray's goodness. It's been 3 or 4 years! And, what has also been 3 years too long is drinking oh so delicious "Alberta Clipper" brew from Great Lakes Brewery. It's a tasty dark chocolate raspberry porter beer. BEST either of us have ever had (though we are in the process of making our first raspberry porter home brew -- it's fermenting now and was made in memory of the Alberta Clipper). You wonder how good it could have been if I actually remember it. Well, there was a fine line between appreciating its succulence and being overly happy... I musta achieved that tight rope walk with success! A tad o' headache but no other after-effects.

I emailed Great Lakes and they plan to brew the Clipper with an anticipated kegging date sometime in February. They had it for the women's weekend when we were there, and that was mid-February. I want to avoid the women's weekend in Ohio which is Valentine's Day weekend. So far, it's me and Jon, and Krud and Meggles. The preferred weekend to go is Friday Feb. 7th - Sunday Feb. 10th, but it depends whether the Clipper is on tap yet. If it's not on tap by the 7th, we will head there on the 21st. It's an 8-hour drive. We may start the drive on Thursday night and get 4 or 5 hours out and hotel it then get up and drive the rest Friday morning so we can ride Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. We will probably not ride on Sunday but rather start our drive back home Sunday morning.

You may wonder why we're going to drive 8 hours when we can drive 3 1/2 and hit the MKE Ray's. Well, it's better in Ohio! It's awesome to have the MKE Ray's, but you have to experience the Ohio venue. It's larger and the obstacles are different. Heck, the cross county loop is amazing and much longer than the MKE one. Makes sense -- bigger facility.

So, there's the plan thus far. The more the merrier! Stay tuned for more details as Great Lakes reveals their Alberta Clipper tapping schedule!

And Bishes, I plan to go to MKE Rays for the Women's Weekend March 7th. Mark your calendar!

Are you goin to Milwaukee with us dec 15th???

[SugarShane]

If only I could take another Saturday. Maybe tho that's a ways out there.

[Bexter]

Are you goin to Milwaukee with us dec 15th???

No. The 12 Bars of Christmas pub crawl is the day before -- Dec. 14th. I need to be repsonsible and not blow both days of the weekend. Chores still need to get done. Sigh.

[jJohnson]

No. The 12 Bars of Christmas pub crawl is the day before -- Dec. 14th. I need to be repsonsible and not blow both days of the weekend. Chores still need to get done. Sigh.

Whoa. Busting out the responsibility card... bold move.

[Russhole]

I'm interested.

[Bexter]

Whew, almost screwed up the calendar. Forgot the FORC Winter Party is the first proposed weekend (Feb. 8th), so the trip to Ray's OHIO will be the weekend of Feb. 21-23. Mark you calendars! It'll be a ton of fun!

[AG]

I'm sure it will suck but I'll probably go anyway.

[jimithng23]

As long as arrangements can be made for the rug rats, count Amanda and I in!

[Zombie]

Awesome news.

[Bexter]

We are 3 1/2 weeks out on this trip and I am having a difficult time containing my enthusiasm about getting back to ride the original Ray's! We should start talking about this trip. First, if you haven't made hotel reservations, you may want to do that (Friday 2/21/14 and Saturday 2/22/14).

Holiday Inn - Cleveland Airport
4181 W. 150th Street
Cleveland, IL 44135
(216) 252-7700
Code: 5MTB ($79/night plus tax)

Second, if you don't like beer, probably time that you developed a taste!

Third, who is in? Knowing how many are going, we can figure out best use of vehicles to get us all out there. This will be a tension-free (and injury-free) trip! The plan is to leave after work on Thursday 2/20/14 and drive a while and find a cheap hotel when we're tired. We will hit the road again on Friday morning and finish the drive to Ohio, ride to our hearts content and go from there. Plan to head home on Sunday.

[jJohnson]

Oops. I totally forgot about this before I signed up for the QCH3 Red Dress Run.

[Bexter]

Kinda sucks to be you. I guess this at least gives you something fun to think about while you're running... us rip roaring around Ray's. :-) Man, sorry you'll miss it. :-(

[jJohnson]

Kinda sucks to be you. I guess this at least gives you something fun to think about while you're running... us rip roaring around Ray's. :-) Man, sorry you'll miss it. :-(

Oh well, next time. At least I can tell myself I'll be running and drinking beer for a good cause, that'll help ease the pain.

[Cayson]

Madison and I are in! We will be joining you for beers Friday evening about dinner time and riding our assss off Saturday!

[Bexter]

Change in lodging plans. Instead of the Holiday Inn, we are going to try out the Marriott. The online reviews of the Marriott are a bit better than the Holiday Inn. Same (questionable) neighborhood, though.


Cleveland Airport Marriott
4277 W. 150th Street
Cleveland, OH 44135
1-800-228-9290


ASK FOR IN-HOUSE RESERVATIONS
$68.00 PER ROOM/NIGHT (includes tax)
CODE#: Rays MTB Mountain Biking Valid 2/13/2014 to 4/8/2014

[Westy_3]

I would love to go but I'll be in dreary ole Jamaica.