Travel

30 Cups Crossed

My family and I set out on August 1st to navigate our beautiful country in the hopes of finding perspective, interesting cuisine and some great coffee. Now that we’re back home, I can emphatically say that we found all three, and much more. America is truly an incredible place, and needs to be seen…

Richmond Gets Groovy Too

Richmond, Virginia has a long history; which is apparent when you drive down Monument Avenue. It is the state capital, a center for banking and business for that part of Virginia, and on the North/South I-95 axis.

Getting Serious in Greenville

Until my wife’s brother and sister-in-law moved to Greenville, SC, I’d never given the place much thought. My mistake, turns out.

Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the city (metro population 400K) is growing like a weed, thanks to…

Sweet Home Nashville

Nashville is a town with many faces; music, country, old-school, raucous, churchy, humid. Even though we spent less than 24 hours there, I already look forward to our next visit.

After a wonderful stay with old friends and an inspiring church service, then a…

Sonoma Charm

After a longish drive down Oregon’s I-5, then a jog over to the coast, we hit the Pacific Ocean at Crescent City. Although it was a silvery-grey afternoon, and the intermittent fog kept the horizon blurry, we were thrilled to have hit the the coastline. After a brief photo stop, we continued down and…

South of the (tech) Border

If you head south on I-5 away from Seattle, eventually you’ll pass out of the tech/coffee/artisanal bubble dome to quieter, gentler towns around Tacoma and Olympia. One very charming example of this is Gig Harbor, a deep water recreational port in the lower parts of Puget Sound.

University Rocket Fuel

Our next stop was Eugene, Oregon; home of track and field, Prefontaine, and the U of O (the O’s were branded all over town). After a later than usual night dining at an amazing French bistro in the market area of town, I yearned for a well-made cortado has we headed out.

Home Brew Part Two

Seattle, day two. I’m the first one up. a) I could get dressed, jump in the car and drive up to Verite Coffee in nearby Madrona for the morning caffeine run. Or b) I could take a dip in the pool and plunge a cup through our hosts’ French press.

Hi-test Jitters in Seattle

After an early morning swim behind our gracious hosts’ Seward Park home, I set off before anyone had awaken to get an early morning cup. But where does one go for great coffee in a town with so many incredible caffeine dispensing options? I mean, Seattle’s coffee culture is…

Past and Future in Spokane

I had forgotten that Spokane had hosted a World’s Exposition in 1974; that is until I went for a morning jog through downtown and saw the aging fair pavilions near the falls and river that dissect the city. Spokane is in the midst of a large scale refresh of the exposition site…