This weekend, (K) and I decided to take full advantage of the nice weather now that it is coming to mid-August. It also didn't hurt to stay away from the madness along the Queen Anne waterfront due to the Annual Seattle Hempfest in full swing.
For the longest time, I had been dying to try Stand Up Paddle Boarding. It looked like good core and upper body exercise, you are out on the water just cruising around, and it's probably the closest thing I will get to surfing in the near future. If you don't know what Stand Up Paddle Boarding is, either you are from the mid-west, or living under a rock. I mean that in the nicest way. It has kind of become the new thing to do, at least around here that I am aware of. Green Lake, Lake Union, and Lake Washington are prime spots for partaking in this activity. All you really do is grab your board, hop on it (staying on your knees until you get your bearings), then slowly standing up on it while you use this gigantic single bladed paddle to give a little cruising speed.
After we managed to recover from ending up at the totally wrong beach (NWPS northwestpaddlesurfers.com/ has two locations along the Kirkland WA waterfront), we grabbed our boards and got to it. I must say, my legs certainly felt it the next day. It can be a bit wobbly, but you catch on fast. I only had one incident where I almost ended up in the drink, but dropped like a stone onto the board from my feet and managed to recover before tipping over and really loosing it.
While not like the typical sweat drenching, metal slugging gym workout I was used to in the past, I did work up a nice lather cruising around Juanita Beach Park. Of course, a workout not being my primary goal, it was just nice to get out on the water and relax. There were plenty of amateurs (look at me talking like a pro) zipping around, running into each other, and cutting awfully close to my board. I can't help but wonder: With a entire lake free to board on, why the hell are they cutting me off and getting in my way like a Las Vegas cab driver???
Needless to say, if the opportunity should present itself, go for it. It was a lot of fun and great way to spend a few hours outside. While I am no longer in a rush to go out and buy a board (I thought it was going to be my new "thing"), I would definitely do it again. Actually, I have to do it again since I bought another Groupon thinking this is what I was going to be doing all summer long.
When we finally decided it was time to get our land-legs back, we hung up our boards and headed for the heavenly aroma wafting from the parking lot. What was that my eyes do see??? A BBQ food truck! Smoke drifting from the grills, the scent of chard pork and beef flesh dominating the air around us, the smiles from the passerby, face covered in sticky sauce, looking like they are slipping silently into the warm embrace of a food induced coma. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, give the good folks at HP's Smokehouse BBQ your time and money. You won't regret it. The "Open Face Saucy" sandwich (pulled pork with diced hotlink), will send you into the stratosphere. But don't take my word for it, just look at the offerings
(www.facebook.com/HPsSmokehouseBBQ)
After our paddle boarding excursion, it was time to go meet a friend for some beer tasting in Ballard. Now, if you don't know Ballard, you are missing out, my friends. Small yet trendy, full of great food stops and bars, Ballard is the place to be. There is so much going on down there that you never get bored. We enjoy hanging around there on Sundays for the local farmers market with great meats, cheeses, pastas, and fresh produce, as well as hitting the local fare and kicking around the many, and I do mean MANY, pubs and breweries.
Saturday afternoon we kicked things off with a pint at Stoup Brewing (www.stoupbrewing.com/). While they have a nice list of craft brews, they seem to be heavy on the IPA's. If you know me, then you know I hate IPA's like poison. And of course, seems like Seattle is the IPA loving mecca for the modern beer world. I myself opted for the porter, while my partner in crime went for one of their IPA's.
One down and moving on. Next on the tour, we came to a little one-off winery. A hidden gem of sorts, tucked amongst the craft breweries and distilleries which dominate the landscape. Domanico Cellars (www.domanicocellars.com), a small family owned and operated winery near the heart of Ballard, who seems to specialize in the mixing of wine varietals. I say that because I much preferred the blends to the straight single grape wines we sampled. By far the winner of the day was the 2011 Shadow Tale Rhone Style blend. It was a part Syrah, part Grenache blend with nice bright berry notes. It wasn't as full bodied or flavorful as I had hoped, but certainly had some character to it. My feelings are that it would make a decent table or BBQ wine, however at $28 bottle, I would probably be picking something else up.
Moving on!
Populuxe Brewing (www.populuxebrewing.com), a mere 25 feet away from the winery, was the real champ of the three places we tackled. I sampled the Pale ale, a Belgian Pale Ale, and their "Beer Snob Brown" Ale. The brown was a real rockstar. I like brown ales, but they can be hit and miss. This one was like the fun party crasher that shows up with a bankers box of liquor bottles and a "devil may care" attitude to a house party (a story for another time). It was flavorful, it had gusto, it was everything I wanted in a beer that day. It was so good, I wish we had started here and never left. Not to mention the most excellent looking Spanish food truck goods that were being doled out on the patio.
So in conclusion, get your bad self down to Ballard, park the chariot, and walk around the place. Stop in and talk to the locals. I guarantee an interesting time, great food and drink, and fantastic people. I really think Ballard will give those who are not familiar with the culture of the Northwest a true flavor that you can't find at the local tourist traps anymore. Sure Pike Place holds a very special place in my heart, but Ballard is like coming home to a comfortable place.
Eat Will, Live Well.
-Chris
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