Monday, January 10th, 2011—Bar 365
Sunday, January 9th, 2011—Bar 365
Mike’s Tavern
Okay, this is it. To quote Bobby Zimmerman: “It’s all over now, baby blue.” I decided to wind this whole crazy journey back at the bar that I first had heard of as a little kid growing up in Peoria, Illinois, Mike’s Tavern in West Peoria. It seemed only fitting to end it here. One of my favorite relatives of all time is my Grandpa Seitz, who died back in 1980, but when he was alive, Mike’s Tavern was his hangout and he was a regular and a character in this tavern. I’ve written about this before, but when I turned legal drinking age in Peoria and stopped in at Mike’s, I wasn’t welcomed with open arms, until they found out I was Leo Seitz’ grandson. Then I was treated like a rock star in this place. Years later, when I was publishing the magazine POP, Mike Foster wrote a great feature story about Mike’s Tavern and its owner, Tony Ward and we had a great day hanging out there. This is the only bar I’m repeating on the bar crawl. I can do this because there were a few days when I went to more than one bar in the same day, so in actuality, I’ve been to over probably 370 bars in my travels. So today we make a well-deserved repeat visit to Mike’s Tavern. And here we go to the 365th bar in on the 365th day. A year of beer is soon to be over. Come along, a splendid time is guaranteed for all!
It all begins and ends here. I've got so many pictures from this great night out, that I can't possibly write captions for all of them, so I'm just going to post the photos and let every picture tell its own story. Thanks to everyone who showed up, it was one of the best nights of my life. Okay, here we go!
Review
You can read my Mike’s Tavern review and story about my Granspa Seitz here: Mike’s Tavern. TO LEO SEITZ AND TO MIKE’S TAVERN!
Thanks so much to my family who supported this crazy idea and all my others in the past. You guys are the best and I love you lots! Thanks for all you do for me, any other family would have had me committed years ago.
And now it’s all over. 365 bars in 365 days. I’d really like to thank Tony Ward for allowing the last night to happen at his fine bar, Mike’s Tavern. Thanks to 365 resident artist, “Boris,” for the great artwork and for maintaining the 365 Bar Store (the store will stay open by the way!) And thanks to Gidget for creating the 365 facebook fan page and to her and “Boris” for maintaining it (check them both out on Woody Radio.) A big thank you to the Waugh family who supplied food on the last night and are always there when I need them, thanks for being my second family. Thanks to Tim and Colleen Carey from Butch’s Pizza for supplying pizza, I ate a fair amount of Butch’s Pizza on the bar crawl and I suggest you all try it, you can order it online if you don’t live in the Peoria area (just remember to cut it into squares when you serve it.) I also want to extend a big, whopping thanks to all of you who have read and commented on the 365 blog, those of you who have written about what I did and every single person I’ve met while doing this and that is literally thousands of people. Think about it, I was able to meet thousands of people in bars this year and share conversations, stories and ideas with them. Really crazy, but that’s what I’ve always said was the purpose of this bar crawl, to go out and meet people and then report about these people and the bars that they were housed in the next day in words and pictures. I thank and appreciate all of you who played along with this kooky idea.
18 References
Reader Comments (61)
Hey Marty, loved reading your posts over the last several months. Wish I could of been there, saw pics of Moon and Tim and Tina, miss you all. Must have been a lot of other old friends I didn't recognize. Got some great bars in the Keys you need to check out!
CONGRATS MARTY!!!!! Looks like a bloody fabulous night - how cool it would have been to be there with you!
LOVE the photos and how trashed you got : )
So happy we could join you for at least one night on this amazing journey. We are looking forward to the book and the movie deal ;p Oh and maybe seeing you in Oz sometime soon.
CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRSSSSS!!! from us DOWNUNDER!
MARTICUS NAUGHTEOUS MAXIMUS. You are incredible. You stuck to this thru thick and thick, and good lord, your great-grandnieces and conjoined nephew-cousins will say "Oh yeah? That's nuthin' -- my Uncle Marty went out drinkin' in a different New York City bar every single night for a whole year!" Pretty fucking cool, eh? Walking thru cement, feeling every dent. Congrats, my friend. :)
Congratulations on completing on what you set out to achieve :)
But what am i going to read every morning now................. :(
Good work Marty, outstanding effort!!
Marty you are a true American and an inspiration to anyone who has set out to accomplish a goal. Highly enjoyed reading your blog from day 1 to 365, hope to follow along with your next adventure, whatever that may be.
-Patrick
Great job Marty. It was awesome to finally meet you and I can't wait to see what you come up with next. It's been a real joy following you around the last few months. Hopefully someday I can get up enough scratch to come out to NYC and party with ya.
Hey maybe we can buy the Stoned Crow! I'll be Woody if you'll be Coach!
Cheers mate!
Just wanted to give a hearty CONGRATS to you on a job well done! How do top this feat? Thanks for bringing us along for the ride!
Cheers!
Curtis Lanton, Manager
Third and Long
Wow is actually over.
Some of those photos NEED a caption! I'm guessing maybe you went just a bit over the 3 beer minimum. Looks like a great party and a great way to end your journey. Thanks for the ride, I've enjoyed every minute of it. And thanks to all the commentors who added a whole other layer and the new friends I have through this. Cheers to Marty!
Hey Marty, it's the end of an era.. I already miss drinking vicariously through you!
Oh Marty! Im sad the Crawl is over!
I REALLY enjoyed meeting all the people and visiting all of the bars through your eyes this past year. This was such a fun and interesting journey!
Marty (or as we would say in Boston), Maaahhhdee
I forgot how I first learned of your blog, but after reading your Day #1 post, I bookmarked it in my favorites. Your site became the first I visited each day. Before the news, before the weather, before email, before Facebook, Priceline, ESPN, Drudge, Yahoo, Fox, CNN, NPR or ESPN.
I missed not a day of your amazing tour. You see, I am a closet New Yorker living in Boston. I visit your city maybe 6 or 8 times a year, and it pains my soul when I have to hop in the car for the dreaded return home.
I have lived vicariously through your words and pictures. Jotting down the bars I would like to visit on my next trip, and envying your ability to step out of your door and straight into your next liquid adventure.
I live four hours north and a world away from NYC, yet I longed to share in your Easter pizza party at the Mars. I felt the profound loss of a soon to be shuttered Fedora, I could sense the desperation of the hopless inhabitants of an OTB parlor / restaurant / bar. I could taste the Prime Rib hash at Keens. I could smell the festering odor of beef stew and linoleum of an escalator clogging commuter. I can still hear the opening chords of Lonesome Town ringing in my mind.
Your efforts have been appreciated far more than you can ever know.
I am forwarding a small paypal donation. Buy a beer on me, sip it in satisfaction for a job well done! You earned it.
I'm gonna miss this ride
Boston365Fan
Ok...where does one start?
ROCK'N'ROLL ALL NIGHT AND PARTY EVERY 2ND OR 3RD NIGHT?....(well, now at least you don't have to everyday)
Kick arse Marty. Thanks for the daily entertainment and thanks for letting myself and Shannon not only be part of the crawl, but to puke amongst it! It's rad how you left it in our hands to pick a bar for a sunday dinner. Brilliant!
I've had a blast and met some truly great folks...Yourself, BIFFSTER!!!, Karen and Jonn (Grade A Fancy), Frank Wood and the formidable and forever thirsty Baltimore Bar Crawlers, Gene, Smoopy and Terry! PACKeRs? Go Bears!
Not to mention the totally greta locals at the site...Gidget, Jaws, AL, Raginrr, Rita and Melah!!! and the Aussie crew of Brooksy and Fitzy!! (speaking of which...where the fuck is Fitzy?)
So...
TO MARTY! (Bunt's will always have a seat ready for you)
TO ALL THE VISITORS!
TO ALL THE WORLDWIDE REGULARS!
TO MIKES!
TO NEW. YORK. MOTHERFUCKING. CITY!!!!!!
Hey Marty, CONGRATS for this journey! Were awesome following you down here in Brazil. I'm waiting your next project!
Great party this last one.
And be prepared, I'm having the VISA soon, so I can buy you some late beers!
Cheers to you, and everyone that made a part of it!
Congratulations. A great run, and a very worthy final post.
Cheers.
late as usual...can not add much to what has been already been posted...knew you would make it after reading "99" (which in fact via google lead me to 365 and all things wombacher...oh damn off topic again)...well thanks for the memories and having us along it's been great!...by the way who the hell is mr. leitch?...KOC
rr
@Everyone: I'm here at the Peoria airport where it's snowing and I'm hoping to get back to New York City, we'll see. I really want to thank you all for leaving nice comments and for all of you who have followed this blg. It's truly humbling. I'll be putting up new posts here until my new project gets under way, I hope you'll all stay along for the new ride. Thanks to all of you, I wouldn't have done it without you. Now I'm going to go get a beer, I hate flying!
@Marty:
Hopefully you get back soon ! It's not supposed to start snowing until around noon time ... and Baltimore is only getting about 4 inches ... but NYC is supposed to get over a foot ! Ooooh the humanity ! The poor Big Apple is going to be dysfunctional again !
I think everyone will eagerly await your new project. A lot of us, every day, call up the site at noon time, and frantically hit "refresh" to see the new post. We're all going to be lost now ? What do we do ? There is going to be a definite void there now :(
Thanks for everything you've done for all of us. It's been an honor to be part of 365, and I hope to get a burger & beer with you the next time the BBC invades Manhattan !
Thanks buddy !
... and ... one big giant MVP award to you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For the love of God, please have me checked out.
@GENE: Thanks, my friend and thanks for your bar suggestions, they were all winners! I look forward to hanging out with the BBC in the future!
@Your Liver: So far, so good. Okay, I have to go check on my plane.
@Marty: Hopefully next time I won't be too inebriated and sleepy at the bar !
Marty, it has been a tremendous year indeed, you did it!! No sick days, no skipped days and even after working long and hard hours at your day job you still found the energy to get out and visit a new place each and every night and let us tag along with you.
Great job Marty and I LOVE the sign!! It looks like a great time was had by all at Mikes. Very cool and people looked to be having such fun. I love it!!
Yay Marty!!
365 Cheers, Marty! I hope they sent you home with one of those posters.
And, come ON, Advertising department of Budweiser. THIS IS A READYMADE COMMERCIAL. Starring Marty. Unless you're CHICKEN.
Marty, thanks for coming to P-town and giving your buds back home the honor and privilege of participating in the climax of your great accomplishment. FANTASTIC party! Did I tell you congratulations? Pictures had me laughing out loud (especially man of many faces Moon) and the comments had me breaking up. You met some great folks during this venture and I'm happy to be part of it. I'm sure Swami was with you each step of the way as well.
Safe trip home! (Insert Joe W line here.)