Is You going?

Sipping Life

Greetings friends and neighbors. When traveling, after tours, excursions, and naps, there is always a winding down time, where one just wants to relax... and sip a little bit.

In our travels, we always seem to luck out in finding a friendly bar or tavern, with cool people, a good vibe, and delicious food. Sure, we'll post the tourist pics at well-known and not-so-well known locales, but at some point, we'll be in a drinking establishment wearing smiles.

When we've been with our most frequent travel companions, our cousins Anthony and Collette Jones, we've had memorable times in bars I'll always revisit whenever I show up in those cities and towns. The 1860's Hardshell Cafe and Bar in St. Louis entertained us with live music (a Janis Joplin type!), good food and pretty good drinks. The Tilted Kilt next to PNC Park in Pittsburgh introduced me to whiskey mules, an unbelievable tattoo, and a spot next to the river. Not even going to mention the Boston Sports Bar and Grill where we met an unforgettable bartender named Amy... good times.

Shout-out to Yo' Mama's, and the Gazebo Cafe in NOLA, and dozens of other bars in Salt Lake City, Charleston, Ogunquit, Maine, Robusto's in Memphis, Imurj in Raleigh, the Ginger Bay Cafe in Hollywood, Florida, and others in Omaha, etc. Yes, we get around.

The other night, while in Portland, we talked and reminisced about some of the bars we've been blessed to visit and enjoy around the world. Yes, we've got more places to visit, and we're mapping it out, God-willing and da' creek don't rise. By the way, I love literary references, which explains why we've found ourselves in unique bars. Here's a quick list of those kinds of joints... some which can't be visited until the world opens up, but no worries, reference this article. They are not ranked.

1. The Life of Riley- Portland, Oregon. Our servers, Brittany and Rebecca, were energetic conversationalists who made sure we were taken care of. We sampled most of the menu (we went every night we were there!), and the food was delicious. Happy Hour was 4-7.

2. Mr. Hyde's- Rome, Italy. Due to jet lag, we went for a late night stroll and discovered this place. The food was good, typical American bar food, the vibe was nice (despite teenagers being legally allowed to drink there!), and the drinks were priced right. And once again, we returned there every night we were in Rome.

3. Murphy's Law- Athlone, Ireland. If this place were around the corner from my house, I'd be there once a week. We were welcomed, the food was excellent (yes, for real!), the staff was friendly (thanks again Alex!), and we kept going back. My fingers are crossed they'll make it through these times, and we will return.

4. Sean's- Athlone, Ireland. It's a smaller bar, with a huge outdoor area, but it's worth the coziness to sip a pint or a whiskey there, realizing the drinks are being imbibed in the oldest continuing bar in the world. Slainte...

5. The Owl and the Hitchhiker- London, UK. I met a writer friend here for drinks, and we didn't want to leave. The ambience was excellent, the food was good, and the price was right. It was one of our joints.

As the world opens up and people start traveling again, remember, there's always a bar, tavern, or pub, which will have a seat where one can relax, laugh, eat, and sip life. The question remains the same; Is You Going?

Marlon S. Hayes