get aways + beer

So I had mentioned that on Friday that my Mister + I were leaving on our first "over night, away from the littles trip"...a first in 7 years! John's birthday was actually August 16th, but this was his long weekend off from work, which was perfect for planning a to visit his favourite craft brewery, Dogfish Head, as his b-day gift. In spite of the hype about storm Earl, the weather was perfect + kind of at the last minute, my cousin and her beau decided to come with us, so the company could not have been better!

:: Packing + leaving the littles friday morning was a bit tough, especially after having been out late for meetings at the college for the 2 nights prior ...but there were no tears; it was just one night, afterall ::
:: After leaving the house, I suppose we got a bit carried away with our freedom, stopping at our local coffee roaster's + library to pick up an audio book for the ride. We were cookin' the last leg of our drive, but made it to the brewery in Deleware just in time for our tour ::

:: Safety first! ::

:: Here is a photograph of a happy man; standing on the factory floor of Dogfish Head, taking in the heady craft beer scents + learning all kinds of beer factoids ::

:: Standing infront of a vat of fermenting yeast: Typical us; fans of all things unique + crafted ...did you know that Dogfish Head started their brewing with equiptment that was only 10 Gallons...just 2x the size of a home brew kit! While big companies like Budweiser spill out as much beer as Dogfish Head makes in 1 year, Dogfish's popularity continues to grow...and last year they were only able to fill 40% of the orders placed. Another brewery in their future, perhaps? ::

:: The Dogfish staff were kind of a**holes when I asked about this sculpture out front of the factory, similar to the one at my favourite brewery, Magic Hat in Vermont. AaaH, I should have expected that... but it was still a cool sculpture; I didn't let it bring me down ::

:: Here we are at the Dogfish Head Pub in downtown Rehoeboth Beach, DE, with my cousin + her beau and some new friends from Pittsburg, PA that we met on the factory tour that afternoon! We had a great time having dinner together, sampling the many variety of spirits offered...including a 75 minute IPA that one can only buy on tap here! ::

:: Like a kid who spent a day locked in a candy shop, my mister was more tired from all of our gallivanting in this photo than he was buzzed! We stayed up late chatting with friends, slept in, and spent the next day walking around the shops + eating, before it was was time to drive home ::

I couldn't wait to see the kids when we did eventually get home. My baby Liam-b was smiling the biggest smile and the Monks + Fif were all jazzed wanting to tell us every little thinkg they had done in the last 24 hours! But I'd have to say that one of the best parts about this getaway was having Sunday + Monday to spend together as a family; enjoying the rest of the holiday weekend + preparing for school to begin on Wednesday. Aaah, but more of that for another post. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend!