After a good nights sleep we woke to a sunny morning filled with big scary clouds coming in over the mountains. The forecast was a wet one and the worst of it was going to be in the morning. poking around on the laptop the night before researching the days ride for cool things to see had popped up a cool surprise. After a week of bar stops to drink a glass or two of Long Trail Beer from the tap it turned out we were only a few miles from the Long Trail Brewery. The website promised of good food and great beer for breakfast just in time to sit out the morning rain storm.

We rolled into the brewery parking lot enjoying the partly sunny morning and a short time after settling into a fantastic brunch and brew the skies opened up and the rain came down like a waterfall.

The tourists came rolling in to avoid the rain and started to fill the place up. we were sitting at the bar under a big ass moose head sucking down a glass of their dark beer called "Double Bagger". It's an ale that they double up on the hops etc and it becomes a glass of dynamite. Being over 7% alcohol it packs a wallop and had to be enjoyed with caution.

I had a chicken breast & salad creation while Jane had some kinda pita rolled sandwich with plenty of spices. She ended up wrapping up half of it to go because it was so hot and peppery. I tried a bite and my lips burned for a long time afterwards.

We weathered out the majority of the storm out under the tent. No one else wanted anything to do with the outdoor section and we had it to ourselves. The small stream running past gushing with rain water was magical. the downpour roared off the tent's roof.

Once we dried off the seats and hit the road the day was awesome. Everything was washed clean and the mountains seemed alive and fresh. We worked our way across the state to Lake Champlain and rolled into New York State in the late afternoon.

As we rode south through the beautiful Adirondack Mountains towards route 20 we descended back into the rust belt. One dying town after another as we descended from the mountains. Dusty, dirty crumbling relics from boom times of the past. The quality of life fell as we rolled back into the reality of the times leaving paradise behind.

We finally stopped for the night in a shit hole called Fultonville NY. The Econolodge there was nasty and dirty. We complained about the dirty room with no toilet paper, used towels and washcloths, twin sized sheets laid on top of full size beds and thrash filled waste baskets.

So they graciously upgraded us to another room with no toilet paper, dirty towels and washcloths, sheets that leave bare mattress showing and trash cans overflowing. It was the worst shit hole of a hotel I have ever stayed in and I have been in some pretty nasty rooms in my lifetime of world travel.

I was so tired that I talked Jane into making the best of it and we made due. We took the sheet off the second bed and between the two sheets layered on sideways we covered the bed. We did notice on our way out the next morning that they don't have a cleaning staff. Way to go Econolodge, You have lost my business for life by not policing these idiots.

The real world quickly seemed like a bad Black & White movie after a week in the mountains.