Sierra Nevada is Not a Map Name

Bill suggested a trip to the Sierra Nevada processing plant and got an immediate yes in response. I'm not much of a beer drinker but looking at cool machines and processes I've never seen? That a tour to take.

What we didn't know was that this is so popular the tours this day were not only sold out, but sold out until the end of October. Who knew? We could just wander around, we'd miss the talk and the tasting but we'd tasted at lunch in the Tap Room, so figured we could muddle through.

Off we go

The first thing you notice about this place is...no skimping. The road into the plant is perfect. There are copper lamp fixtures on the way in, along with (and I didn't get this photo, damn it) actual gauges on machines. It's pretty crazy. 

The best I could do, it would have needed a video

This gives absolutely no idea of how nice the way in looks
but it does give some idea of the effort made.

While the plant is huge, it's done so well the tanks look like part of the art of it
The entire parking lot is full of solar panels

The first thing you see on entering the main area.
These might not be working ones, we weren't sure

After getting word about the tours or lack of tours, we turned to lunch. The Tap Room is this tremendous space feeling very out west. Everywhere I looked, some extra little (or not little at all) detail would jump out. Then the menu jumped out. 

My first thought was...meat eater's heaven. At least for me. Bill is not a meat eater but there was still a great selection of possibles for him as well. 

Bill's roasted corn salad. My pancetta smear (their name, not mine).
They were both very good, along with the beer that is only sold
in the restaurant, a lemon something something ale.

What a neat way to serve hummus!

The amazing open kitchen. You can read a lot more about it and the food here.

Just a few beers on tap

Gotta be some good oxygen in this space

Then we were off on our self-appointed tour. It must have been between shifts as only one time did we see machines moving. There weren't many people about either (as in, most of the time, we had the place to ourselves).

Big beautiful machines

The walls are lined with insets holding antique beer equipment. It's a long, long hallway. Where there aren't insets there are windows onto the floor, different areas from labeling to packaging open for viewing. I wish the machines had been active but at the same time, it was easier to study it with the stillness.

Across from the tour people in this beautiful bar getting their tasting, these windows let us in on shoving hops. I'm guessing it's hops. Hey, I'm not a tour guide!

The flasks Bill is in front of were dated the day before and were still burbling

There were a lot of wonderful tools on display

Like this one we couldn't figure out the purpose for. Another mystery.

And then onto the plant itself.

Yes, those are all bottles

It would have been so much fun to see it working!

Bill was observing the large number (almost all) of guys with beards working here. Along the way, we ran into the first guy we'd seen, the one who told us about no tours. Mentioning the preponderance of bearded workers to him he responded, "We call it craft beards here." 

There were a few guys around who seemed to be tinkering with machines

I'm guessing these are spare parts that are needed more often?
Looking up the name of the company on the sign, this is what I found.
If you want to see the machines moving, that is where you go for that.

He filled up a little tube, put in some liquid and then tossed it down the drain.
In about 5 seconds. Then he walked away with a purpose I have no idea about.

A portion of the tasting room

More amazing copper 

The smell of cooking hops is strong here, in a good way. 

Then it was heading back to the quiet world. The mechanic hadn't gotten to the Turtle yet. Breathe in, breathe out. The breathing is good here. 

Have a worty, woody Wednesday. Do something wet-hopped. 

(ok, I have to say this - there is actually a web page with beer terms by alphabet...simply incredible) 

Calling Collect from Asheville

View from here

Confession: yesterday was the scariest driving moment of the Turtle so far. Was I falling off a cliff? Being pursued by bears? Trying to get close to a toll booth? No. I followed Miss GPS onto a road narrower than the Turtle. Until abruptly coming to my senses and about time, the road ahead was becoming a path. 

A call to Bill and realizing that the road I'd passed, a road with the name of his road = I'm an idiot, really was where I wanted to go and I began the backing out process. With a fence on one side and the woods generally trying to eat the Turtle on the other, it was slow. Until the crunchy sound, then it was stop. Luckily, it's only a two inch tear in the skin of the Turtle, which Bill caulked and taped for a temporary fix. The offending branch that wasn't in the mirror and was probably pushed over the road by a bear wasn't injured. At least not more than it was when it fell off its tree.

I wish I'd taken photos but for some reason, that thought was just not uppermost.

Around the corner and up a good sized part of the mountain that turned out to be only the lower third, Bill and Jo's beautiful home awaited. Planned and built by them, it is sort of the miracle in the woods. I think I told them I'd never be leaving as soon as I saw my guest room. They thought I was kidding. Ha ha.

After a lunch where Jo joined us at a very good Japanese place with outdoor seating, including a screen of bamboo that kept the parking lot slightly out of sight, Bill took me on a tour of the core of town. There were only two chain stores and I'd never heard of either one of them. And they were cool anyway. Everything I saw was right sized, the restaurants and shops welcoming in scope and no frills approach. A mineral rocks shop, a yarn shop, a shop with all things bee related. 

The biggest thing was the oldest indoor mall in America. If this pattern had been followed, how different life might be. First of all, it was IN TOWN.

But let's start with the morning. The wake up in fog morning.

View from Mount Vu Motel

Skipping the branch piercing, arrival at both a beautiful home and a willing mechanic's, forgetting the forgot to take food photos of my tuna roll and their tempeh and salads and soups, we'll jump to the view from the parking garage. Bill was wondering at my first choice a bit, but hey, I like old signs.

These doors are so great! The handles are some kind of plumbing pipe.
Next door is another store with a garage door front so these buildings
were probably warehouses of some kind once upon a time

Just because. All soap holders need a water spout.
All bottle openers need a bath.

This was a very cool store. If you like old rocks with magic inside them.

There were a few of these around the shop, some taller than me.
Ok, that's not super tall but damn big for a fossil!

Yes, the Kress building is authentic. No, there is no Kress's inside,
but other shops are thriving.
Of course, I was just taking a photo of the truck.

She captivated us.

Sort of how a lot of places are here. Tucked in and unassuming but very much there.

And they ARE fine shoes

Every good city needs a building shaped like this

Inside the Kress building they restored the old soda fountain/luncheonette.
Beyond it is art, little stalls where various artists show off their wares. 

Iron for the Flatiron (musician bonus points here)

Bill gave me a lot of history on a number of levels.
Better than me mangling it, if your curiosity is
standing up saying feed me, go here for more

This place (the mall) is so elegant and well thought out,
I could have wandered in there for a couple of hours getting
details. For more, you'll just have to come here yourselves!

So much better than an elevator.
First floor, shops, second, offices, third, apartments.
That works.

I love the underside of the stairs. Yes that is stone.
Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a math person but I can seriously
appreciate the math it took to do this.

Hey! said someone. Let's put a bar on this roof! So they did.

Oh, the mind boggles with potential.
Public Service Building...there should be one in every town!
Just say it softly to yourself...public service...public service.
What a concept.

This is a very unique yarn shop. Someone has an excellent sense of humor.

Underground wires! Keeping the charm.

Bill told me how many shops have come and gone but
this wig shop, on a corner in pricey real estate land, lives on.
I wanted to buy the Princess Leia wig. 

Some soulful horn

If you ever went to an S & W cafeteria, this was the headquarters building.
Now it's not. 

Another building I wish I could be on scaffolding to look at, let alone shoot.

As any good city should have, there are nice bits of public art here and there. This bench is one of them. 

It was commissioned to celebrate...never mind, read it yourself below

Wouldn't it be a cool deal as a sculptor to be asked to do a piece celebrating
the first woman doctor in the United States (a music teacher to this? nice flow)?
I guess she didn't read the manual that women were repressed.

I've seen some great things done with old suitcases. This now heads the list.

Chickens!!!!!! I needed to see some.

Blurry but so cute and the stone/brick/bricks had to be shown

Bill answering my endless annoying questions with patience, grace and humor.

This is not really a bank. Or crooked either but time's a'flyin!

Bill says they've been in business five years now so they must be funny

This is in Vanderbilt world (actually, it is Biltmore Village). There is some very fascinating history here and you can read about it here.

"George Vanderbilt sought to create a home in the mountains of Western North Carolina that emulated the working estates of Europe.  Not only would there be a grand house and grounds, but it would include a self-sustaining settlement to support the estate workers.   To accomplish this extraordinary undertaking he commissioned two of the most accomplished architects of the time, Richard Morris Hunt, and Frederick Law Olmsted."

After a good dinner Jo made that we ate out on the sky deck of their home and the continuation of a conversation that began a long time ago, Bill and I went to a songwriting class he attends once a month. Incredibly, except for thanking them for letting me be there and asking if photos were okay, I kept my mouth shut. Yes, mark the day.

Bill singing the song he and the guy next to him co-wrote for
an assignment. It was smile making. 

Nice people, interesting topics and some good music. 

Back home, talking 'til midnight and eyes getting heavy all around, I went down to the amazing guest quarters and slept the sleep of the content, which is a very good sleep indeed. 

Clouds are hanging on peak tops and fall is making a quilt of the mountainsides. Where is my luckiest woman in the world crown? Under the phone waiting for the mechanic's verdict. I better put it on quick!

Have a tiny home Tuesday (I've not forgotten, just trying to catch up before drowning)! Do something tiptoeing through tulips.