The Craft Beer Brewers of US Route 89

If given a choice at the end of a day on the road, I prefer to visit a local brew pub to sample whatever is on tap and enjoy a meal. Fortunately, there are ample opportunities on US Route 89 for such simple pleasures. By my count, there are at least twenty-eight microbreweries and brew pubs along the way.

My quest for a better beer began at about the same time as my travels on 89. My enjoyment of mass produced American lagers had wained. Then on a trip to Flagstaff we had dinner with friends at Beaver Street Brewery where I had my first pint of R&R Oatmeal Stout. What a revelation that was. I didn’t know that beer could have such flavor and add so much to a meal.

Since then I have made a point of finding the local craft beer brewers during our trips on highway 89. Craft beer brewing in the United States has been on a steady growth curve for the last decade as the graphic from the Brewers Association shows. The blossoming of brewers on 89 is testament to that fact. Each one has there special brews, many of which have been awarded metals at craft beer competitions.

I have compiled a list of microbreweries and brew pubs along US Route 89. Having visited many of them, I can attest to the goodness of their beers. In future blog posts, I will provide details about the individual craft brewers and review my favorite ales and lagers. In the meantime, add any brewers that I have overlooked to the comments and let me know about your favorite brew.

Grand Teton Panoramas

The first time I saw the Grand Tetons was in 1998. That was before the US Route 89 project was born. We arrived on a July aftermoon with the naive idea that we would find a campsite in the national park which of course was full. After consulting a map, we found a wonderful campground in the Gros Ventre mountains on the east side of Jackson Hole. From a clearing near the campground, I had a view of the entire Teton Mountain range. I made this photograph early in the morning just as the sun was hitting the top of the peaks. The light was perfectly balanced so that the shadowed foreground is filled with detail and the color on the clouds is not washed out.

Ten years later we returned to Grand Teton National Park. It was the maiden voyage on US Route 89 for our teardrop trailer and this time we found camping in the park at Signal Mountain on Jackson Lake. Once again I was up at dawn to capture the rising sun on the peaks.

These two photographs represent the change in photographic technology that has occurred in the decade that separates them. The top image was shot on medium format film with a Fuji 617 panoramic camera. The bottom image was shot with a Canon digital camera. Eight frames were stitched together to create the final panoramic view.

Five Outstanding Scenic Drives on US Route 89

National Geographic selected US Route 89 as the #1 Drivers’ Drive in the world in its recently published book, Drives of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Most Spectacular Trips. Having driven over 20,000 miles on Highway 89, I couldn’t agree more. I have my favorite sections that I look forward to on our road trips and here is my list of the top five. I selected these places not only because they are fun to drive but also because they are outstanding examples of the variety of landscapes along US 89.

1) Pinal Pioneer Parkway, Arizona

From Oracle Junction north of Tucson to Florence, this 42-mile section of historic US 89 (now AZ 79) is known as the Pinal Pioneer Parkway. Crossing the high Sonoran desert, the road is lined with ancient many-armed saguaro cactus and forests of chain fruit cholla. Black Mountain dominates the view to the east and in the distance are the the Tortilla Mountains. To the south, the peaks of the Santa Catalina Mountains rise to over 9000 feet. Spring and fall are the best times for this drive when wildflowers and cactuses are in bloom. At the mid-point of the drive is a memorial to the cowboy actor, Tom Mix, who died in a car crash nearby in 1940.

See the Nogales to Tucson Road Trip Guide for more points of interest on this section of US Route 89.

2) Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona

Oak Creek flows south from the edge of the Colorado Plateau through Sedona to the Verde River. The 16-mile stretch of historic US 89A (now AZ 89A) from Sedona to the Oak Creek Vista Overlook takes the traveler through a wonderland of creek-side cottonwood and sycamore trees. Oak Creek has cut down through ancient layers of sandstone and limestone forming red and white cliffs that tower above the road. There are a number of parking areas and campgrounds that give access to the creek for hiking and picnicing. The switchbacks at the head of Oak Creek Canyon mark the transition from the lowland desert and the central mountains of Arizona on to the Colorado Plateau.

See the 89A-Prescott to Flagstaff Road Trip Guide for more points of interest on this section of US Route 89.

3) Logan Canyon National Scenic Byway, Utah

Logan Canyon is 40-mile stretch of US Route 89 between Logan in the Cache Valley and Garden City on the shore of Bear Lake. From the Wasatch-Cache National Forest boundary east of Logan, the road climbs steadily alongside the Logan River until it reaches the summit at the Bear Lake overlook. The forest-lined drive offers many places to stop for a picnic or to camp for an extended stay. The canyon is also renowned for its display of brightly colored fall foliage. From the summit, US 89 drops quickly to the shore of Bear Lake.

See the Brigham City to Montpelier Road Trip Guide for more points of interest on this section of US Route 89.

4) Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

For 45 miles US Route 89 lies inside Grand Teton National Park. Ten overlooks and picnic areas line the highway, providing spectacular views of the jagged eastern face of the Teton Range. Each is a photographer’s delight, with the Snake River in the foreground in the southern stretch, and Jackson Lake reflecting the mountains in the north. Although the road is open year-round, the most colorful time to drive it is in the fall when the leaves are turning and the air is crisp and clear.

See the Jackson to Gardiner Road Trip Guide for more points of interest on this section of US Route 89.

5) Kings Hill Scenic Byway, Montana

Passing through the Lewis and Clark National Forest, this 71-mile long section of US 89 winds its way along mountain streams through the Little Belt Mountains. Along the road are many outdoor recreation opportunities from fly fishing in the summer to snowmobiling in the winter. One of the highlights is a short hike to Memorial Falls located about a mile and a half south of the town of Neihart. Sluice Boxes State Park is near the northern end of the scenic byway. This primitive state park contains the remains of mines, a railroad and historic cabins lining Belt Creek through a beautiful canyon carved in limestone. A seven-mile long trail winds through the park giving access to its rich history and spectacular geologic features.

See the White Sulphur Springs to Great Falls Road Trip Guide for more points of interest on this section of US Route 89.

Do you have a favorite scenic drive on US Route 89? Tell your fellow travelers about in the comments section below.

Snake River Brewing Brews Up Three Campionship Beers

Congratulations are in order for Snake River Brewing in Jackson, Wyoming, which came away from the United States Beer Tasting Campionship with two regional champions and one honorable mention. Snake River is one of our favorite brewpubs on US Route 89. On every visit to Jackson, we have dinner there and sample a couple of their outstanding brews. I am partial to Zonkers Stout, an intense chocolatey black stout that has won numerous awards. Barbara prefers the Hoback Hefeweisen, a wheat beer that is very lightly hopped.

We are looking forward to our next trip to Jackson so we can taste this years winners in the summer USBTC: Snake River Pale Ale, Jackson’s ESB and Indian Paintbrush Pilsner.

The Honeymooners in Jackson, Wyoming

I first heard from Terry Moon a couple of years ago when he contacted me for information about US 89 and he became a member of the US Route 89 Appreciation Society. When he and Terra got married, they took a two and a half month honeymoon road trip mostly on highway 89.

Recently Terry and Terra relocated to Jackson, where they are happy to be out of the rat race of New York City. When we announced the sponsorship idea for this road trip, Terry was one of the first to sign on and offer their hospitality when we got to Jackson. We had lunch together and they told us of their adventures on US 89. Here is their story:

Yellowstone Sunset

We camped three nights in Yellowstone National Park and drove around the park to take pictures in weather that ranged from total overcast to a bright blue sky. Just about the time I would give up and say let’s quit for the day, mother nature would throw something new and beautiful at us.

For sunset our last night we found ourselves at Norris Geyser Basin. Barbara and I hiked out the boardwalk to Porcelain Springs just as the setting sun started to light the undersides of the clouds. The golden light was reflected the the pools of steaming water and spouting geysers. It was a truly rewarding moment and proved to me once again to never stop shooting until there is no more light to shoot by.

The Buffalo Incident

I love this flyer. I got one last Fall when we were at Yellowstone National Park, and somehow misplaced it. It was a thrill to get it again as we came through the Park entrance yesterday. Something about it just tickles me. Is the illustration from some old publication? Was it produced by someone with a great sense of humor? It’s probably meant to be dead serious, and I’m the only person who thinks it’s humorous.

Lest you think buffalo are a joke, however, let me relate our encounter yesterday. We turned off into the entrance to Norris Campground when I noticed what looked like a large golden retriever attacking a group of buffalo just at the side of the road. It was jumping around and stirring up the placid looking animals. Well, as we got closer, I realized that this was a Buffalette (I have no idea of the proper term for a baby buffalo–calf, maybe?) Anyway, there were probably at least 20 buffalo, with a number of buff colored Buffalettes and some intermediate sized adolescents. The buffalettes look quite a lot like large javelina, by the way.  We had to stop the car as they were cavorting around and ended up in the road. Suddenly, there was quite a ruckus and the pounding of hooves, as a large number of buffalo came charging, fast, real fast, down the street and toward the car. They veered off to either side just as they reached the car and went charging down the road, big giant ones, the babies and the adolescents. They moved rapidly. I no longer doubt that these lumbering beasts can run 30 mph. They were truly frightening. It all happened very fast. It wasn’t until after the incident that we realized what a photo op we missed.

Here are a few of them, all tuckered out, lounging in the big meadow by the campground this morning.