I used to live on the other side of Olympia, WA. There's a coffee house there I really like--Mud Bay Coffee Roasters--with great, locally roasted coffee and an interesting mix of clientele. It wasn't really on my way to work, but not outrageously out of my way, and I spent many happy hours there drinking coffee and scribbling. Now, it's well out of my usual paths, and I've been coffee homeless for some time.
But(!!!) there's now a "Dancing Goats" across from the Transit Center in Lacey, WA! I got lost on the way to a gas station about a week ago (don't ask) and ended up driving by it, thus discovering it, and then stopped in last weekend to scope it out. The parking area is easy to get in and out of, the coffee shop itself is nice and open with big tables that don't wobble (oh, how I despise a wobbly table!), and while the prices are a little steeper than some, the coffee is very good, as are the baked goods.
I've made it by a few mornings to do a little reading and writing before work. This morning, it was a good thing I now know the right light at which to turn--it was so foggy all landmarks were completely obscured, and cars and buildings seemed to float in a strange, hushed unreality. It was a relief to pull safely into the parking lot.
I walked inside, into warm, coffee scented space, where the baristas were arguing whether the fog was more likely to bring zombie pirate ghosts or evil mutant spiders. In another corner, a group of guys were discussing my favorite bike trail. Over the table where I sat, there was a big, beautiful photo of a yellow rose--my favorite flower. Taken all together, it made me want to laugh out loud...because I do believe I've found my new early morning scribbling home.
And that's a wonderful feeling.
6 comments:
Zombie pirate ghosts!!!! I already like this place...
Something else we do not have in this part of Florida -- a coffee house. I spent quite a few early mornings and a few nights at Mill Mountain (Roanoke, VA) when I lived near there.
There really aren't any coffee shops back in Northeastern Vermont, either. I don't think most of the area has heard of espresso, and the roasting of grinding of coffee beans is a strange and mysterious business best left to faraway factories. They get their coffee pre-ground in a metal can, thank you very much.
But I do like a good coffee shop. Even if I'm just doing some solitary reading or writing, I like having a gentle bustle and random conversation around me, without my *having* to be a part of it. I'm alone, but not alone. It works for me.
I definitely miss the coffeeshop vibe. Down here is the same way--not much aside from a Starbucks on every corner, and they aren't as conducive to just coming in to hang out as a place like you described...
Yeah...Starbucks is kind of the McDonald's of coffee shops. Not particularly great for relaxed creativity.
Glad you're feeling better and found a local coffee house. What a great name! And it sounds like a real hoot!
We only have Starbucks in my town and I don't like Starbucks: the coffee is bitter and overpriced. We do have a Panera bakery/restaurant which has decent coffee, delicious baked goods (too darn tempting) and a large fire pit in the center of the room. A wonderful place in cold weather. A typewriter would be welcome but I prefer a Clairefontaine tablet and a good fountain pen for my jottings. The background buzz seems to encourage creative thought.
Jeff The Bear
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