You know how road trips are supposed to be exciting, incomparable, memorable group endeavors during the college student's summer? "It's about the journey, not the destination?" Well, it's also about the coffee.
Early this summer, I had a dream that I was going to be a coffee connoisseur. However, because I was driving so much in my dream, I was only able to be a gas station/truck stop coffee connoisseur. When I awoke (and realized how much driving I would be doing this summer), I was determined to be the coffee connoisseur I wanted to be! I can't tell you much about what makes a good cup of coffee or the perfect espresso shot, but I can tell you that as a part of my travels, coffee (and the shops, especially) were a crucial and fascinating part of what made the road trips exciting, incomparable, and memorable, for I know many of these places I will not see again soon.
Because road trips require being on the highways and interstates so often, you do realistically become a gas station coffee expert. Most places have drastically improved their selections, though, so you can at least pretend to be a coffee snob.
(Live music at The Muddy Buck.)
Once I did reach my destinations, though, each town had neat little coffee nooks unique to their respective Main Street. The Muddy Buck in Evergreen, Colo. is the perfect hotspot for excellent dirty chai lattes and live, local music. Java Groove across the street is more for the studying or working atmosphere, but it is equally delicious. In Jefferson, Colo., there aren't any coffee shops, but they sell coffee in the little market, as well as homemade fudge!
(Poetry at Ad Astra.)
Ad Astra in Salina, Kan. is every eccentric mid-Kansan's place to be. They hold poetry nights, usually accompanied by local musicians, and the shop doubles as a bookstore, too. In Lawrence, Kansas, there is a sit-in or drive-thru coffee shop called Scooters. It is a chain, but the homey feeling is still apparent. The best part about this coffee shop is the smiley face stickers they put on the cup, just to make your day a little happier. Lawrence is also known for the 24-hour coffee shop, Java Break. This little shop is very popular to the students, and there is a whole room available to write on the walls (for the children and the poets alike)! In Garden City, Kan., there is a coffee shop called Patrick Dugan's. Immediately, you feel like you are a part of their family; the staff is phenomenal, and they happily and actively are seen volunteering around town. Every drink I had there was delicious and the atmosphere was both social and scholarly.
In Roswell, N.M., there is a coffee shop called Stellar that suits the town particularly well. With strong coffee and strong character, the shop keeps your attention, and they also loyally promote local art and artists.
Just between these three states, there have been memories made and caffeinated road trips completed. Soon, it will be time to up the consumption, since school will be starting. Thankfully, The White Peacock and The Olde Grind keep Lindsborg students chuggin' along.
