The Local Spot

When I lived in the Midwest we'd stop at a bar after skiing for a drink, but it's a bit different. Out West locals and tourists alike pile into the local haunt. In the Midwest we'd drive off the hill and stop at a rural bar on the way home. The benefits were great food, prices that were pennies over what you'd pay in the grocery store, and colorful characters who showed a wide range of emotions when a bunch of goofy people in bright Gore-Tex jackets walked in. We'd try not to bring Mat skiing with, or at least not to the bar. Not because he was a bad guy, but because he was so cheap that when we went to these bars after skiing the only thing he'd order would be a cup of hot water. His logic was that it warmed you, hydrated you, and they'd have a hard time charging you for it. I suppose he was correct, but that didn't mean we wanted him around. Not getting beat up at the local bar was already hard enough.