La Bella Rosette, Denver CO

The coolest, smallest coffeehouse in Denver!

Java Moose Coffee House & Deli, Fairplay CO

Java Moose in Fairplay, CO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Java Moose Coffee House & Deli

730 Main Street

Fairplay, CO 80440

http://www.javamoosesouthpark.com

Highway 9 offers a viable option when avoiding I-70 “slow and go” traffic back to Denver.  As I descended Hoosier Pass driving south out of Breckenridge, CO this afternoon I was drawn to stop at the Java Moose Coffee House & Deli.

The barista was too busy to chat, but I met a kind man sitting at the end of the counter.  He is a truck driver who lives in South Park.  He stops in for a coffee and a doughnut whenever he’s home …. “love the community that meets here”, he said.

According to their website they have art hanging on the walls from the students in Ms. Husher’s class at the local middle school.

How does it get any better than this?

Mirage Trading & Roasting Company in Moffat, Colorado

      

Mirage Roasting Co.

17555 State Hwy 17

Moffat, CO 81143

719-256-4357

http://www.miragetradingco.com

The charming Mirage Roasting Company sits in the San Luis Valley in southwestern Colorado on Highway 17.   One woman told me that there is 1 person for every 2 square miles of land out there, which makes it the least densely populated area in Colorado.

The entire valley consists of acres of farm land for potatoes, barley, quinoa, etc. and sits on top of Colorado’s largest aquifer providing life-giving water to this high desert landscape.  

Mirage Roasting Co. also houses an art trading business and cafe where both the locals and tourists gather.  Lisa, barista and roaster, explained that they purchased a roaster about a year ago and now roast several pounds a week.  Several of the area’s restaurants are now serving their specialty, single-origin coffees.  They are proud of their 100% organic, fair trade beans and so is the community.  They wish to remain small and specialized and never compromising quality.

On my tour of the Valley I also discovered The Great Sand Dunes National Park, a restaurant that raises and serves grass-fed yak, an alligator farm, the international spiritual hub of Crestone, and a UFO lookout tower.  

What a grand adventure!  This is what road trips are for … to discover the uniqueness of our country. 

A bunny (faux road kill) …

A morning chuckle in my pre-coffee state of mind.

~Lisa

Full Steam Ahead Coffee Company, near Woolly Mammoth parking lot, Golden, CO

As the sun rises in the east over Denver, outdoor enthusiasts head to the mountains. WE LOVE THEM thar hills!

This coffeehouse is situated adjacent to the most popular commuter lot holding over 1,100 spaces that fill up every weekend morning.

Cheers to Alissa & Doug for opening this java stop last May for the Colorado adventurers!

~Lisa