Melbourne on a Skateboard

Exhausted from the guidance of travel books, we threw them aside. My friends and I knew three things:

• We had 8 hours to explore before catching our plane to SYD.
• It was Good Beer Week in Melbourne- which I kept emphasizing.
• We wanted to do as much as possible.

So here is what we did:

1. Skateboarded to Fed Square

Fed Square hosts art galleries, shopping, and  dining to create a "hipstery" experience. It is worth checking out the contemporary architecture against the more conservative metropolitan style.  Catching a bite at one of the numerous cafes is a good choice.
Cafe Chinotto, main dishes for under $20

2. Hosier Lane Cruise

Here in the U.S., we might call it quality graffiti but down under their perspective is a little more evolved. Urban art lines the laneways throughout Melbourne pairing with equally unique cafes. 
www.hosierlane.com

3. James Squire Brewhouse

Greeted by monster-sized wooden barrels full of my favorite stuff, beer. They offer six in-house beers, from an English Style Summer Ale, Bohemian Pilsner, and Brown Porter. In the spirit of "Good Beer Week" we indulged four different choices. $30 Tab
www.jamessquire.net.au

4. Op Shop
Ever heard of the saying "You want what you can't have?"  That doesn't seem to apply in Australian thrift shops. Maybe it was good luck, but their secondhand clothing was my buried treasure.
Double Lens glasses $5






5. Young and Jackson's Pub

With three bar options, we landed at the Long Bar. The hotel the pub sits in says it is "the most Iconic Hotel in Australia." Whatever that means, it does serve as a good escape to get out of the rain. www.youngandjacksons.com.au

6. Brunswick Street in Fitzroy

Architecture is somewhat divided, storefronts on the bottom and European housing on the second story. I don't know if it was the weather or the brick structures giving off chilly vibes. I found  comfort in the retail stores. 

Sweaters $25 and leotard $15 (it had a unicorn and the moon!) 

We even passed the bar from the night before our road trip, Perseverance. It was a total fraternity joint. 

Can't take this on the plane