StringGrrl sees the World

Craft Brewing is not what normally comes to mind when people ask about Japan. They'll ask if you like raw fish (there is more to Japanese cuisine than Sashimi or Sushi), or they'll comment about Sake (there is more than just rice wine in Japan); but if you look, you will definitely find some. Our recent trip to Tokyo, this April just after the Sakura had been swept away by rain :-( we were able to find a perfectly suitable refuge for the Craft Beer Lover.  Moonrise Kingdom(via their Instagram) StringGrrl with one of the NEIPA/Hazy IPA on tap from Japanese Craft Breweries As a treat, the owners shared an American Milk Stout from Left Hand Brewing out of Colorado Local ExPat who gave up their stool to make room for StringGrrl and Kam Carryout beer from Kyoto Brewing Company, Vertere

StringGrrl has been an avid Gearheads supporter for years Team 1189 Gearheads are sponsored by ESI Group (a part of Keysight) StringGrrl's travel companion Kam prepares to sacrifice his beard for the team Kam has had a standing deal with the team. Not a "bet", since betting is antithetical to the FIRST Robotics Ideals. Let's call it a Merit Based Objective, where when the team Advances in the event, they can "reconfigure" Kam's beard. It's been a deal since 2015 when Kam started to mentor the team. Since then, Facial Hair Funday has been a part of Gearheads robotics and Kam's key contribution to the spirit of the event.  Enjoy the suffering of Kam as he wears a ridiculous beard for 2 consecutive weekends. Gearhead mentor and team members dyed Kam's beard Black & Yellow for team spirit Phase 1: the Yellow Phase 2: the Black Phase 3: if the team advances from Qualifiers...

Not far from Munich we've had the good fortune to find ourselves in smaller cozy little towns or villages. One of which is Aichach and it's little adjacent village Wittelsbach. There we stayed in a modern little hotel tucked up against the woods and a few fields.  Naturhotel Wittelsbach The naturhotel has two levels and maybe 20 rooms (? Sorry if I didn't really count). All the rooms face the back side of hotel and have wide open clear views from the hotel, over the fields, and to the woods.  Balcony view, failing to capture a picture of the glorious post sunset sky.  A short walk from the hotel you'll find an old church, recently repaired and renovated, and a maintained forest trail "wanderweg". 

Foote Pond, first thing in the morning attaining toward the dam Campsite 084C, Island Camping Dunes below site 082D (D = Driveable) not a trivial climb up Hardly getting started Is it much farther now? Up top the Sand Dune Cooke Pond, one dam upstream of Foote Pond What a night, what a view

Early Access to Camp for Volunteers, makes set-up easy peasy Back in the late 1900's I attended my first Blissfest. I was coming down from MTU where i was near completing my BS in Mechanical Engineering. My friends convinced me to stop in Bliss, MI for a multi-day music festival. And since it was end of term, i have most of my worldly possessions with me, so camping was pretty easy.  Chilling in the free standing hammock from Republic of Durable goods and a beer from Ascension Fast forward 28 years and I returned to Blissfest for the first time in 2022. I learned that Volunteering gets you in for nearly free. And since my neurospicy brain likes music festivals, but FREE Music festivals even more, i signed up to volunteer for 2 4 hour shifts to get the 3 day festival ticket for $170, with $160 coming back after i finish my shifts. Headliners the Wood Brothers take the stage Blissfest Stage 1    The line up Saturday to return to Bliss Stretching far behind, guess i should n...