In Ireland I had some wonderful lattes, just simple plain and delicious. No flavors, no sugar unless I added it to the drink. Regardless. the simplicity was wonderful and very enjoyable.
In Montana I had a mixture of crappy coffee and yummy drinks all designed to keep the one who drinks moving forward. In California on many different trips out there were some great places and some terrible places. All of which I wouldn't trade in the experience.
There are two experiences that I won't forget anytime soon. The first was in Seattle. (Imagine that, good coffee in Seattle.) The place was recommended to me by a dad and daughter who were going around Seattle looking for the best coffee around in a non-chain business. They'd turned up at the same crumpet shop just outside of Pike Place Market as my mom and I had looking for another excellent breakfast. We were all so sad when we learned they'd been closed that day. The dad however had great news, just upstairs from where we stood was a small coffee shop with excellent coffee. So off we went for our drinks to Storyville coffee. I ordered a mocha, mom a hot chocolate. The drinks were topped with foam designed to look like a heart. We were just so jazzed at this little bonus. I'd never had any design put on the top of a coffee before. We walked along the streets of Seattle enjoying our creamy, delicious hot beverages, perfect on a chilly, cloudy morning.The second experience I loved was on the first day of what I've come to dub as "Epic Road Trip number 1." It was a solo journey I took driving from Phoenix to Fresno, then Yosemite, San Francisco, Sacramento, South Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, and home. My first day on the road was my longest day, over 8 hours of driving to get from Phoenix, AZ to Fresno, CA. I'd made it as far as Redlands, California just south of San Bernadino and was starting to drag. I'd been on the road for a few hours and still had a few more to go. It was time for a coffee stop and a break from the car. I didn't know where I needed to go but picked an exit at random and pulled into a shopping center. I figured at this point I could hunt up a coffee shop on my phone. Before I started my hunt I spotted a small hole in the wall donut shop. From my experience, oftentimes little places like this often had the best coffee drinks to offer. So off I went to this little place. I was so glad to once again be right about the offerings. I walked into the place and this small woman was behind the counter. She was so friendly and cheerful. I asked if they had coffee drinks like lattes and mochas and she cheerfully exclaimed "YES!" I asked if I could use the facilities before I ordered, she said "YES!" When I came back out I asked for her input on the best drink, she said I should get the vanilla blended coffee. So I did. She then asked "You want a donut? You will have a donut." I opened my wallet but only had enough cash on hand to pay for the coffee so I declined the donut explaining I had just enough for the drink at that time. She smiled, "Okay, you'll get a donut hole then." Without even asking she hands me the donut hole, takes my money just for the drink and then heads off to make my coffee. She was just such a friendly lady and still today I smile a little to myself as I think about that little lady who was just so cheerful and told me to come back the next day for more coffee and donuts even though she knew I was just passing through. What a fun little moment of that journey and one I'll take with me.
It is fun to think back on my travels and remember all the little moments in looking for coffee or just the interaction with others while looking for coffee. So I guess, the end result is a rich creamy tasty treat to warm me up on cold days or cool off on hot days. But the biggest reward are those moments with other people and the memories made.
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