Puppy's Big Roadtrip

One of the things I do (and Leslie isn't a huge fan of) is backing stuff on Kickstarter. I just think it's really cool to be a part of getting a business started and, hopefully, seeing them continue to succeed long after the campaign ends. It's also a great way to pick up some nifty board games that you might not see otherwise. So when I come across a cool campaign on Kickstarter I like to get involved. Sometimes I give a good amount of money when it's for a good cause (like Reading Rainbow), sometimes I just give enough to get the product they're hoping to make (like Exploding Kittens), and most of the time I just give a few bucks to show my support and to be able to keep up with how the project/company does (like the Carpool DeVille or Edyn). One of the random projects that I backed a bit ago was Grandpop's Hops - a hop farm in Ohio. It's no secret that I enjoy good beer, so I was drawn to the project with the hopes that a local (while it's not exactly in my backyard, Ohio is pretty close) hops farm would help enrich and diversify the Midwest's craft beer scene.

I backed the project and so did enough other people that they met and exceeded the project goal. This summer was the farm's first crop, so they decided to put on a party to celebrate and invited all their friends, family, and Kickstarter backers. Normally we're busy on weekends with stuff around the house or seeing friends, but it turned out that Leslie was going to be away that weekend and I had relatively little to do. So... should I drive three hours out to a farm in Ohio where I'd know absolutely nobody? Yeah, why not!

But why not make a whole day of it? We (Leo and I) left the house around 11:30 and headed east. Our first stop was at a rest area just over the Ohio border. I love rest areas and have memories of some really cool ones from trips north through Minnesota and out west through Colorado and Utah. Unfortunately this was not one of those rest areas. But it did provide a place for us to get out for a bit and for Leo to... water the grass.

We journeyed on and reached the park quickly. We drove around a bit to check out the marina, campground, and overlook, then parked and headed to the beach. The beach itself wasn't all that impressive - it was basically just a bunch of gravelly sand along a reservoir. But the sun was out and the weather was nice, so who cares? We set up camp near a tree just off the beach (so Leo could be in some shade) and I read while he rolled in the grass and chewed on a rawhide.

Another dog at the beach that Leo really wanted to play with

He also thought my towel was for him

Eventually it was time to head to the farm, so we packed up and headed out. But, why go straight there... how about some ice cream first! Leo loves when we take him to the park at home and then visit the local ice cream shop, so why not do the same now? Plus there was a Dairy Queen a few minutes away, so clearly it was meant to be. We stopped there for a quick treat and then off to the farm we went.

Leo loves his ice cream as much as any other member of the Miller family

After about an hour drive we arrived at Grandpop's. I pulled into the drive, parked on the grass next to some other cars, and Leo and I headed to join the party. I didn't know anybody, but it wasn't a big deal. Everyone was very nice and, while most of the crowd was a relative to Michael Ford (the owner), there were a few other random Kickstarter backers there too. Now, over 200 people from all over the country and the world backed the Kickstarter campaign, so I didn't expect to be the only backer there, but somehow I ended up being the one that traveled the farthest and stayed the longest. (I think many of the backers that lived nearby just stopped in to see the place, whereas I didn't exactly have a huge urge to jump back in the car right away... three hours is a long enough drive to make you want a good break before doing it again.) Soon word got around that I was just some random guy that traveled from Indianapolis, which I guess isn't such a bad thing to be known as at a party. There was good beer, good food, and friendly people. I ended up talking a lot with some of the family, who were all very welcoming and answered my abundance of questions about the farm operations. I heard about what was going well, what some of the challenges the farm had faced, and what the future would hopefully hold for Grandpop's. The whole evening turned out to be a lot of fun and I genuinely wish I could have stayed longer, but the thought of that three hour drive wouldn't let me linger too long. I said my goodbyes around 8:30 and Leo and I headed back west.

Hops grow vertically, so twine is used to give them something to climb

The hops are harvested and dried in here

Eventually the whole barn will be used for processing

Michael Ford - owner of Grandpop's Hops

Leo, Jose Gonzalez, and I made it home a little before midnight, tired but content. We got some sun at the beach, met some great people, and had plenty of good food / beer / ice cream. Plus it was Leo's first time outside Indiana! It was a very long day of fun - so much so that Leo and I were still sleepy from it the next day. But it was a blast and I'm so glad we did it.

So where should the next adventure take place? Leo would love to see a few more states, and I'm sure Leslie could be talked into coming along next time too.

Thanks for reading and we'll see you next time!