Up the California Coast

Up the California Coast
Gorgeous view

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Travelling in the fall






One of my favorite times of year is the fall. As we creep ever closer to the fall of 2018, I can't help but think back to trips I've taken where fall firmly held its grasp on the weather and winter was waiting in the wings for a chance to outdo the splendor that is fall.


There are so many times I've taken trips to Northern Arizona to take in the beauty of the fall leaves. The courthouse square of Prescott and the Snowbowl area of Flagstaff both boast so many beautiful leaves in hues of red, orange, and yellow. I love wandering around the square in downtown Prescott over the weeks of fall as summer slowly loosens its hold. The monsoons have ended, and the air has a  bit of a chill in the mornings. I watch as the leaves change from bright green to those fall colors that just make one gasp at the beauty that nature is so happy to provide.

I'll never forget though, how surprised I was to see the touches of fall color when I visited Ireland. Along the banks of Swan River in County Donegal, the river water had been dyed gold by the pigments of so many rivers that had fallen along the shores and into the water. Mom commented how this phenomenon was common in Michigan and Muskoka. She was surprised to see the same thing in another country. This was a place I had always associated with green, and we did see a lot of green while there. Those little pops of gold in the northern part of the country was a happy surprise that we were lucky enough to see while on our trip.

One trip I took on the week of Thanksgiving found me in Sacramento, California. It was a beautiful time of year to visit. So many trees had changed their colors but hadn't yet dropped their leaves. The feel of autumn filled the air as I explored the town and walked along the banks of the Sacramento River. Even this late in the season there were still trees of brilliant hues all over the city. Because it was the week of Thanksgiving, fall decoration had given way to Christmas on buildings and in shop windows. But mother nature would not be rushed. She moves slowly in her glory; proudly exhibiting all of her seasons.

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Traveling with Coffee

There have been many times on my travels around the country that I've had a desire for something yummy to drink. A tasty concoction of coffee, milk, and yumminess to make fantastic mochas or lattes just for me to enjoy.

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 to look 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, often 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.