Recommend a Spring beer getaway

If you could push it to June 3rd the BA Microbrew Invitational seems like a good option for a combo event and NE Brewery tour.

 

The Twin Cities are awesome, although I don't know if they have a festival at that time.

 

How about St. Louis? The Repeal Festival is always great. They bring in a couple breweries that aren't distrubuted in MO. April 11th. I went for Alaska once. Last year it was 4 from D.C.

 

We did a 2 day pubcrawl in NYC last spring and i am planning this year's now as we speak, lots of great neighborhoods each with several lower or higher end pubs, bars, gastropubs, etc.

 

Bend-Bellingham road trip, with stops in PDX and SEA.

 

Road trip New England.

 

San Diego--too close??

New England in March can be absolutely miserable. (lived there one Jan-May). Do summer or even better, early fall.

 

SD -- stay in OB

 

I took a trip to Asheville last October, was definitely worth it. Stayed in AirBnB little house about 3/4 miles from downtown, easy walk to countless breweries, restaurants, shopping. Short ride to Sierra Nevada, Oskar Blues, and New Belgium was building new facility which may be open by your trip. Beer/food was super affordable compared to where I live.

 

May in Asheville would be perfect. Nothing particular has to be going on for Asheville to be a charm. It's like a constant carnival, with good food and beer, and tons of non beer oriented activities. It is a very friendly city that will stay with you for good.

 

In my mind you've just mentioned some critical deciding issues.

I'd thought of suggesting Philly since Center City is both rich with places, etc. and walking is possible, but if you will be based in NYC....

If I were you it would be PDX and I'd save Asheville, Philly, and other places east of the Mississipi, for after relocating to NYC.

 

I might avoid NE in May, ice and such, still cold. I've always loved Denver and the suburbs, even in the winter the humidity is low so if it's cold it's not limiting. Lots of great restaurants, lots of great beer. If you don't mind rain Seattle would be good. When you move to Nyc then hit up NE, Asheville, and Philly.

 

Greensboro bend.

 

As we tell folks, everyday is a beerfest in Cascadia. So many breweries that you'll never see outside the area, and more coming. Specific events would depend on when you come, but basically there's some event along the I-5 corridor every weekend. Start with these threads:

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-seattle-winter-2016-update.372377/

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-tillamook-fall-2015-update.341549/

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-bend-sunriver-2015-update.282490/

http://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-portland-fall-2015-update.340997/

 

The one thing you can count on in Portland/Bend area is a lot of flavorful beers and some hard to find stuff being readily available.

During last year's (?) Pliny the Younger release there was a big uproar started in a thread in the Beer News portion of this site when a well known flavorful beer bar in Portland listed Miller Lite on their menu for $7 a pour. The regular offerings of the bar were such that all the locals/regulars quickly figured out that it must be a joke and that asking for Miller Lite would get you a portion of Pliny the Younger. However lots of folks outside of Oregon were downright outraged at such "deceptive practices" and greatly offended that a Miller Lite drinker might actually be served the wrong beer.

My business trips to Portland give me reasons to think that it might be harder to find Miller Lite in Portland than to find one of the Plinys.

 

Alaska flies into Bend, PDX, SEA, and Bellingham. For example: https://www.alaskaair.com/Shopping/Flights/Shop