Just in time for this weekend's road-trippers, snowbirds getting an early start or parents driving kids to college comes this list of great java stops on Interstate 95.
It's from Sandra Phillips-Posner and Stan Posner, a couple that knows most nooks and crannies of the exits off that great north-south artery. They're the authors of Drive I-95, which gives an exit-by-exit look at services, lodging, attractions, radar traps and more.
Here are their coffee stop recommendations:
*Willoughby's Coffee and Teas, New Haven, Conn., at Exit 47. Here's what they say: "The 25-year-old local institution is a serious coffee shop which competes in international competitions. The huge plus here is that they roast their own coffee, so four freshly roasted options (along with their house blend) are offered up daily. This is out of a repertoire of about three dozen. There are two dozen or so teas, and they come in tea bags." 258 Church St.
*Ashland Coffee & Tea in Ashland, Va., at Exit 92: "Coffee can be as fun as pufferbelly (a toasted toffee hazelnut latte); to Celtic caboose (an Irish cream cappuccino); racehorse latte (five shots); or a sidetrack (milkshake with espresso). There's a blend-your-own tea bar: chai, Japanese sencha, sunshine rooibos (what the heck is that, your blogster asks?) and more. Besides the hot drinks, there's munchies -- bagels, quesadillas, chicken chile, paninis and desserts. There are comfy couches to stretch out on, books to read, games to play and live music Tuesday through Saturday night and Sunday brunch. Trainspotters will be awestruck by the Amtrak trains whizzing by right outside the shop. "100 N. Railroad Ave.
*Downtown Books and Espresso, Walterboro, S.C., at Exit 53 or 57. "You'll like the location in Walterboro's main street, where you can unwind from your drive browsing through the dozen quirky antiques and collectibles stores. This coffee/bookstore serves up what you would expect: café au lait, espresso, Americano, cappuccino, latte, mocha latte and frozen latte. Some purists would faint, but you can add flavored syrups: vanilla, hazelnut, Irish cream, amaretto, almond, cherry, coconut, raspberry, chocolate sauce (brown or white) or caramel, and they even have sugar-free ones: chocolate, caramel, hazelnut and vanilla. They buy from a local coffee roaster, Island Coffee, who sources his beans from small farms all over the world. For non-coffee drinkers, the tea is Harney & Sons. You can add a sweet and you can, of course, sit and read a book (yes, they do sell Drive I-95 here). Don't miss the used book room." 213 E. Washington St.
The Posners also recommend Wawa coffee. Wawas are convenience stores popular in the northeast and Mid-Atlantic and known for good brews. "You can buy the beans to go," the authors say. " Bring your own mug in and they will refill it," starting at $1.21 for 12 ounces.
Readers, especially those in other regions, please recommend wonderful coffee stops while on the road? I always seem to end up in a long Starbucks line at a crowded rest area, when it would be more fun to get off the interstate and get a jolt of local flavor along with the java.
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