Spring Break

Just back from Spring Break with the family. We visited the Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia and Th Greenbrier in White Sulfur Springs in West Virginia. Both are beautiful old school resorts.

The Homestead

Greenbrier

We had to get dressed up (jacket and tie) for dinner in the main dining room, ate huge buffet breakfasts, and played golf at The Meadows at the Greenbrier, and swam. Mrs Cast Iron and the boys did a tour of the bunker which I had done previously. Carved deep into the mountainside beneath the West Virginia Wing of the hotel is an emergency Cold War fallout shelter built during the Eisenhower era. Once a top secret U.S. government relocation facility for Congress, designed to house members of Congress and their staffs during [and after] a nuclear attack. It was decommissioned in the early 1990's after Ted Gup of the Washington Post reveled its existence in 1992.

One of the more interesting things we did was swim at the Jefferson Pools. These natural springs are a constant 98 degrees and full of natural minerals. Apparently Thomas Jefferson spent  three weeks there in 1818, and swam in the pool 3 times a day. It is said to rejuvenate you after floating in them. After an hour, Mrs Cast Iron and I just felt that we needed a nap.

I was very disappointed on the beer selection at both places. I hoped that both would have a good selection of local brews but it was not the case. At The Homestead I tried The Homestead Lager which was decent but nothing too write home about. Good taste, with a hint of hops, but nothing more.

At the Greenbrier I had the Shock Top Belgium White. Never heard of it before and then I saw it today in Wegman's. (Yes PT, TB and BM I have the next two brews for the exchange, I'm sick of waiting for you chumps). It is served with a slice of orange, and clearly made as competition for Blue Moon. This is a Michelob product, and very easy to drink. There is a touch of citrus, not quite a good as Blue Moon but would be quite refreshing on a hot day.

Shocktopbeer