Going "home" for a week... suggestions?

Hey,

I'm looking for some suggestions for brewery visits and I'll rattle off some prelim plans and list places I've already been and places on the "to do" list... I'm going home to north central mass the last week of may (23-31).

I have... been to two roads, firefly hollow, wachusett, gardner ale house, three different beer works (Lowell, Fenway, Garden), jack's abby (will revisit), harpoon, night shift (may revisit), mystic (may revisit), smuttynose, and throwback. edit: forgot trillium and cambridge brewing

I am going to stop at Weyerbacher in PA on the way up (first Saturday)... I have an overnight stop in Bristol CT. Sunday starts in Bristol. Not against doing something CT-ish on the way up. Sunday may be the best day to do anything western Mass. I have another friend I'd like to drop in on near Springfield.

I'd like to visit Tree House but that'll be a timing issue.

I will hit Areonaut, Slumbrew (Boynton location), and Idle Hands/Enlightenment.

I'll probably take a bus tour hitting Earth Eagle, Throwback, and Blue Lobster (second Saturday). This will be the day/night I stop in Bristol on the way back to DC.

The trip back will likely be some brewery between greater NYC and Baltimore.

Basically I'm just looking to see if there are anything that's obvious to a New Englander. In the end this trip is to get away from DC so I'm not going to destroy myself in the search for the perfect beer... but I don't want to miss the blatantly obvious either... and maps give suggestions but they never trump local knowledge... thanks.

Max range... western Mass, Southern NH, Southern Maine, greater Boston

 

I also have to remember that as long as my parents are still alive there will always be trips back to Fitchburg... but the geek part of me says "MUST DO EVERYTHING!!!!"

 

yeah, I saw their website... and like the options there... but the timing blows. If they had Sunday hours I can pop on by... blah.

 

Hey, thanks guys.

In the end I got to weyerbacher, high point (NJ), Jack's, mystic, slum, idle, navigation, element, and opa-opa. edit: and firefly hollow... introduced the bristol-based friend to them... he texted a few friends saying "why aren't we going here?!"

I screwed up aeronaut... just too much for one day.... I barely made it through slum and that was the 3rd of the day... I had to take an hour "off" but to do that I had to drive an hour... don't worry folks, beer fatigue and normal fatigue, not drunk Relic I meant to but I got a late jump on Saturday. I should apologize to the owner/brewer 'cause I said I'd go the next day when I talked to him Friday night at ACBF.

ACBF was ridiculous. I don't know how I had 28 samples and was able to drive by the time I got back to Alewife. Maybe I'll do that again, we'll see. Hard from DC. The "beating expectations" winner was Spencer (St. Joseph's Abbey). A father associated with the abbey/brewery was able to talk to me after I stumped one of the beer pourers at a basic church structure question (I was wondering if they were part of the Worcester diocese or not... yes they are, for the record... so that makes one healing priest, one comatose child which is supposed to grant miracles, and a trappist brewery... I feel bad for the bishop). I won't declare a personal winner not out of desire but there was a lot of beer to run through and its unfair to do that. I'd rather view it as "what I enjoyed" and "what surprised me".

Always chances to do other places again but most likely Turkey Day and Christmas.