vacation. oh how they do such wonders! our exotic destination for this trip was montana. and oh how montana delivers! most of our time was spent in and around yellowstone national park. as our nations first national park, there is a lot of history embedded in the culture and landscape. there were geysers, snow- capped mountains, frosty rivers, and herds of bison meandering throughout everyday. i spent a lot of time just staring out across the vast and diverse landscape. golden wheat fields expanding to the horizon where they were met by magnificent mountains. trout fishermen casting their flys in those ripples that lay near the overhanging marsh grasses. purple asters peeking through inches of snow. roaming steers lazily grazing. bull elks standing firm around their herds. prairie dogs foolishly parading the prairie.
it has been almost a decade since i last ventured around montana. it seemed very peaceful this time of year, as though local residents were preparing to settle in for the long and unforgiving winter that is soon to follow this prolonged fall, much like us here in grand marais. i really like traveling during the off-seasons, or when peak tourist season is coming to a close. shop keepers tend to be a bit more relaxed, and don't mind telling you where the trout are biting, or their funniest stories. i shared micro-brews, laughs, and of coarse...food. oddly enough, my favorite culinary memory has to do with the morning mocha that was brought to us by mike freed. mike is 70, and has been backpacking across the nation for about 15 years. he stops then and again to catch up with his family and friends at his home in hawaii, hastings, or hovland, and to to do a little fishing here and there. these morning mocha's were such a treat. such a warm, welcoming way to start the day. mike also likes maps, and so as we sipped our mocha's we were usually swooning over maps, deciphering which mountain passes were passable and which were not due to snow and road closings. we planned relentlessly, going over trails, trying to locate desolate logging roads and sections of the continental divide trail. my focus was typically diverted by chocolate laced espresso.
it's not an exaggeration to say that our trip was fueled by coffee. there was a lot of traveling and adventuring happening in a weeks worth of time, so it's only natural that coffee would come into play. coffee is my one addiction. i drink it everyday, throughout the day. i'm okay with that. i'm usually just a coffee with cream kind of gal. enough cream so as the color of my coffee resembles the color of a jersey cow. to feed my increasing coffee addiction, i found myself huddled over an msr pocket rocket, eagerly watching water come to a boil. i then had my one cup reusable coffee filter full of fragrant, ground coffee. i did this through wind, snow, and sunshine. the little camp stove proved itself again and again. we also visited a serious number of espresso joints. mike has a way with finding these great quaint coffee shops and eateries. he would wake just before dawn and wander off to the nearest source of coffee, long before anyone else awoke. he always returned bearing gifts of mocha and lattes.
i seek out co-ops when i'm traveling. i spent some time in billings montana, where they have a great co-op with a great coffee selection. comparative to other co-ops, our very own co-op pulls it's weight with it's coffee selection. what i am looking for in a coffee selection is variations of roasts and if there is regional coffee offered. cook county whole foods co-op offers both. our regional coffee offerings are supplied by peace coffee which is roasted in minneapolis. peace coffee does a great job with their roasting, and their mission statement is heartwarming. you can check out their website, and get all of the details. here's a favorites list of coffee beans from the co-op:
dark roasts: Peace Coffee- Guatemalan Dark.
this is a dark roast coffee with low acidity. some flavor notes; dark chocolate, caramelized cherry, anise, smoke, bittersweet chocolate
Equal Exchange- Love Buzz.
this is a french and full city roast coffee. some flavor notes; sweet velvety layers of chocolate brownie, caramel corn, malt, and toffee
medium roasts: Peace coffee- Sumatran.
this is a darker roast coffee with low acidity. some flavor notes; tobacco, dark chocolate, black pepper, fresh figs
Equal Exchange- Mind, Body, and Soul
this is a medium and Vienna roast coffee. some flavor notes include; smooth, and creamy balanced blend that has hints of almond, malt, and dark chocolate
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