Stone Legos

Our second day looked to be as busy as our first, again, part of our plan to wear out the kids early so we can relax the rest of the week. We were off to Legoland, a mini amusement park that had few rides but an incredible theme. We made the trek north and took a peek at the beach, getting to watch some surfers and finally actually touching the Pacific Ocean. We headed to our destination, but I took advantage of the opportunity to stop at a brewpub that was open at breakfast, Karl Strauss (http://www.karlstrauss.com/).

Karl Strauss is a chain of pubs in San Diego, and even though it isn't on any "best" list, I've often found that the people are extremely friendly and are happy to share their brewery creations. This place was no exception. I got a sampler to start my day, sharing the beers with Jenn while the kids watched a video (did I mention that I enjoyed the car upgrade). I loved the Wreck Alley Imperial Stout on draft, brewed with Ethiopian coffee beans for an intense coffee kick that was well offset with the alcohol (9.5% ABV). I got a bottle of their 24th Anniversary brew, a Flanders (not Ned) style ale that I had read about online. But we were running late for the park opening, and I had some difficulty with both parking and our tickets, but we made it to Legoland for our day of fun.

Legoland is for kids, but has the ability to capture the imaginations of adults. I think that is why Jess and Jacob like it so much, tapping into their creativity in what they can build. The rides are "kiddie", with the exception of Splash Battle in Pirateland where you and a partner have the ability to soak (and be soaked) by kids and moms alike. We loved the Granny Fries, fried apple sticks served with heavy whipping cream. But Jacob knew the highlight of the visit was Miniland, where the Legoland designers create cities and landscapes with incredible detail. My favorites were ALL of the Star Wars battle scenes, while Jacob said that he was especially fond of NYC. It was a fun day, but I was looking forward to our next stop, the Port Brewing (http://www.portbrewing.com/) / Lost Abbey (http://www.lostabbey.com/) tasting room.

Lost Abbey has become synonymous with fine brews for years, and the ability to taste samples ($1 for 4oz) was a bargain that even Jenn could enjoy. I tried their Judgment Day and their Lost and Found on draft, and got a bottle of their Mayan Apocalypse (their Judgment Day beer brewed with chilis?) to go. I decided to get a t-shirt with the cross and the logo "for sinners and saints alike," but they were out. Oh we'll, I can always try their online store. I could have stayed for a while, but the natives were getting restless (and hungry) so we headed to our dinner stop, Stone Brewing (http://www.stonebrew.com/).

Stone has been brewing potent beers for Arrogant Bastards for years, and their success has enabled them to expand into a beautiful facility in Escondido with a great restaurant, gorgeous gardens, and fantastic beer. Jenn got the chicken schnitzel with a Monkey Paw Pineapple X-press, a local beer that was sweet to the taste buds (Stone rarely offers low hopped beers). I got their beer cheese soup (awesome) and some spicy sausage that had quite a kick to them. I asked for cask, but they were out, and had already tried ALL of their beers that they offered on tap, so I got a Maui Brewing Liquid Breadfruit on draft, a delicious (and strong at 8.2% ABV) fruit beer that was on Draft magazines top 25 beers for 2012 listing. Don't worry; I didn't stop by Stone without getting something special. I picked up a bottle of their Highway 78 Steve Wegner, a scotch ale aged in scotch barrels and a collaboration with Pizza Port and Green Flash which are both located off of Hwy 78 in southern CA.

We had a great day together, but we were all getting tired, and looking forward to quieter day tomorrow.  – 6311/13562

 
“Fizzy yellow beer is for wussies.” – Stone Brewing Slogan