COFFEENEURING 2021

This year the Coffeeneuring Challenge occurred while we were out on tour, which we thought was great because it encouraged us to experience a whole new set of coffee shops that we otherwise might have passed by. We started the first leg of our global tour on April 12, 2021 out of Mystic, CT, working our way to the western United States (Yellowstone National Park to be exact), before looping back towards the east. The Coffeeneuring Challenge took place while we were in eastern Kansas and into southwestern Missouri on our way to Springfield, MO where we planned to start a break from touring for the holidays (we rented a car and drove home to Connecticut making a stop in Fort Wayne, IN to visit Jamie's daughter who recently moved there for a new job). During the Coffeeneuring Challenge we made it a priority to visit only local coffee shops, no chains. As anyone who frequents local coffee shops already knows, they are usually pretty awesome. And, being on tour, it was easy to get in the miles.

Below is the run down of our coffee shop visits:

COFFEENEUR #1

 WHERE: MJs Coffee House
                 516 W. Bertrand Ave., St. Marys, KS             
                 https://www.mjscoffeehouse.com/
DATE: October 22, 2021
DRANK: Two pumpkin spice lattes.

DETAILS:  We try to order off the seasonal menu when possible and this place did not disappoint.  Very cute small shop with friendly staff.  They even had space to play games.

 
DISTANCE: 21.8 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez 8-Ball Convertible Tandem

 

 

COFFEENEUR #2

WHERE: The Steam Engine

                 5660 SW 29th St., Topeka, KS            

                 https://www.facebook.com/thesteamenginecoffee/

DATE: October 23, 2021
DRANK: Two almond joy lattes.

DETAILS: Yummy treats from their regular menu that hit the spot.  We met locals that welcomed us especially since Laura is a Sudoku fan.  Laura was invited back any time.

DISTANCE: 16.3 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez 8-Ball Convertible Tandem
 

 

 

 

COFFEENEUR #3

WHERE: Corner Market Coffee

                 401 S. Main St., Ottawa, KS              

                 https://www.cornermarketks.com/

DATE: October 26, 2021
DRANK: Pumpkin spice latte, drip coffee.

DETAILS:  Any time is a good time for coffee and this place was in a college town.  Laura's favorite flavor will always be pumpkin and this place made Laura smile, Jamie too.

DISTANCE: 21.2 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez 8-Ball Convertible Tandem

 

 

 

 

 

COFFEENEUR #4

 

WHERE: Octagon City Coffee

                 103 S. 9th St., Humboldt, KS             

                 https://www.octagon.city/

DATE: October 30, 2021

DRANK: Pumpkin spice latte, drip coffee.

DETAILS:  What a cute place with a bit of history that we enjoyed reading (that history being that nearby a failed intentional community founded in 1856 created by the Vegetarian Kansas Emigration Company, headed by prominent vegetarian Henry S. Clubb and entrepreneurs Charles DeWolfe and John McLaurin. Give it a google search). The bike got a lot of attention here and we enjoyed talking to fellow patrons.  Laura loved the Halloween decorations.

DISTANCE: 11.8 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez 8-Ball Convertible Tandem

 

 

 

COFFEENEUR #5

WHERE: Maple Lane Bakery

                 601 E. Wells St., Ash Grove, MO             

                 https://maple-lane-bakery-and-catering.business.site

DATE: November 3, 2021
DRANK: Two chai teas.

DETAILS: Talk about perfect timing and location, this place was open late so we stayed here for warmth until evening when we could stealth camp.  Jamie had a late lunch, loaded baked potato soup.  Awesome!

DISTANCE: 34.8 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez 8-Ball Convertible Tandem

 

 

COFFEENEUR #6

WHERE: Mudhouse Coffee

                 323 South Ave., Springfield, MO

                https://mudhousecoffee.com/

DATE: November 4, 2021
DRANK: Toffee latte, mocha latte.

DETAILS: Located in historic downtown, we enjoyed comfy seats for a couple of hours before we headed to Jamie's sister's house.  It is always fun to watch people stop by the bike for a good look.

DISTANCE: 23.4 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez 8-Ball Convertible Tandem

 

 

 

 

COFFEENEUR #7

WHERE: The Potter's House

                 724 S. National Ave., Springfield, MO             

                 http://www.thepoho.com/

DATE: November 9, 2021
DRANK: Spice chai latte, mint mocha.

DETAILS:  Our last stop and Laura's favorite.  This place was filled with college students from across the street at Missouri State University.  It was fun reflecting back on those days of old.  They also allowed dogs; Laura likes that.

DISTANCE: 2.8 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez 8-Ball Convertible Tandem

COFFEENEURING 2020

The year 2020 has been one heck of a year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic. This year has seen the retirement of Laura from ten years of teaching. The clearing out of our house in Manchester, CT (And there was a lot of stuff to clear out. I mean a lot of stuff! Like 26 years of stuff. And this is not necessarily garbage kind of stuff, but stuff that might get used some day, but then is forgotten about because it is under other stuff, but then you find it and think I should keep this stuff because I might need it some day. That kind of stuff.) in preparation for some renovation and eventual sell of the house. Moving in with Jamie's parents in Mystic, CT (which resulted in the idea of keeping too much stuff not being an option, having limited space to store the stuff, which is a good thing). And we got a new tandem bicycle, a Rodriguez 8-Ball Convertible tandem that will be the bike we ride around the world starting April 2021 (hence the retirement, selling house, moving in with parents, etc). Thrown into the chaos was the 2020 Coffeeneuring Challenge, which did end up being "one good thing" this year to serve as a distraction to all the chaos, and allowing us to visit some new places since our move to Mystic at the end of October. If you don't know what it is, the coffeeneuring challenge is a fun biking/coffee drinking challenge put forth by Mary G. of chasingmailboxes.com in which, over the course of seven weeks, you ride your bike to seven different places, at least 2 miles round-trip each time, drink seven cups of coffee (or similar), and take pictures as proof of your coffeeneuring. That is pretty much all it takes, but it is amazing how time can get away from you, hence making it the challenge. We were, however, successful once again this year.

Below are the results of our seven coffeeneuring rides: 

COFFEENEUR #1

 WHERE: Berkins Blend Cafe
                 1003 Hebron Ave, Glastonbury, CT              
                 http://www.berkinsblendcafe.com/
DATE: October 11, 2020
DRANK: Two pumpkin spice coffees.
DETAILS: One of our standard coffeeneuring stops not far into Glastonbury from our house. An easy cruise down into the Connecticut River valley and ride along mostly back roads with decent space for cars and bikes alike.
DISTANCE: 9.8 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez Tandem

COFFEENEUR #2

WHERE: Silk City Coffee

                 763 Main St, Manchester, CT              

                 http://www.silkcitycoffee.com/

DATE: October 21, 2020
DRANK: Two pumpkin lattes.

DETAILS: By far our absolute favorite coffee shop, just down the street from our former house. Pre-COVID we went there every Friday night for games and live music, and of course coffee and treats. Great ride down Main St. in Manchester.

DISTANCE: 2.5 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez Tandem

 

COFFEENEUR #3

WHERE: Young Buns Doughnuts

                 46 W Main St, Mystic, CT              

                 https://www.youngbunsdoughnuts.com/

DATE: November 2, 2020
DRANK: Two drip coffees and doughnuts.

DETAILS: New place for us now that we are making Mystic our home. Fairly new place in downtown Mystic with a plethora of doughnuts to choose from. The riding is up and down in these coastal Connecticut parts. Good practice with doughnuts to follow. Can't beat that!

DISTANCE: 3.9 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez Tandem

 

COFFEENEUR #4

WHERE: Clyde's Cider Mill

                 129 N Stonington Rd, Old Mystic, CT              

                 https://www.clydescidermill.com/

DATE: November 5, 2020

DRANK: Hot cider and cider doughnuts.

DETAILS: A Mystic area staple in the Fall, renowned for their apple cider and cider doughnuts. Made especially special as we met up with our friend Tim (@mr.timhahn) who was nearing the end of his cross country bicycle tour, and we were able to ride with him for a couple of days towards his ending point at Provincetown, MA on Cape Cod.

DISTANCE: 6.4 miles (not counting the additional 70 miles we rode with Tim)
RIDING: Rodriguez Tandem

 

COFFEENEUR #5

WHERE: Lis Bake Shop

                 15 Holmes St, Mystic, CT              

                 Lis Bake Shop

DATE: November 8, 2020
DRANK: Two drip coffees and pastry.

DETAILS: A cute little coffee shop and bake shop around the corner from the classic Mystic Draw Bridge. Apparently known for their cup cakes (which we did not have, opted for cinnamon buns), but enjoyable none-the-less.

DISTANCE: 4.3 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez Tandem

 

COFFEENEUR #6

WHERE: Carsons Store

                 43 Main St, Noank, CT              

                 https://www.carsonsnoankct.com/

DATE: November 10, 2020
DRANK: Two drip coffees and pumpkin ice cream.

DETAILS: Carsons Store in the quaint village of Noank is a Noank icon, having served the citizenry of the village for over 100 years. It was such a beautiful and warm early November day that we could not resist the ice cream and enjoy the views along the Mystic River.

DISTANCE: 3.8 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez Tandem

COFFEENEUR #7

WHERE: Mystic Depot Roasters

                 2 Roosevelt Ave., Mystic, CT              

                 https://www.mysticdepotroasters.com/null

DATE: November 21, 2020
DRANK: Two drip coffees and coffee cake.

DETAILS: Another new stop for us in Mystic, located in the old Mystic railroad station that is still served by Amtrak. Another nice day to sit outside enjoying a treat and watching the trains go by.

DISTANCE: 3.2 miles
RIDING: Rodriguez Tandem

 

COFFEENEURING 2019

Another season of the Coffeeneuring Challenge has been completed, and this one felt more of a challenge with life seeming to get in the way. We made it work, however, because we cold not miss out on a season of coffeeneuring. The coffeeneuring challenge is a fun biking/coffee drinking challenge put forth by Mary G. of chasingmailboxes.com in which, over the course of seven weeks, you ride your bike to seven different places, at least 2 miles round-trip each time, drink seven cups of coffee (or similar), and take seven pictures as proof of your coffeeneuring. That is all it takes, but it is amazing how time can get away from you, hence making it the challenge. You have to be purposeful, get on the bike, and go get some coffee. This year we tried to keep it simple; just taking our Costa Rican, Pura Vida (which means "simple life" or "pure life") coffee mugs with us to save on disposable coffee cups (although we missed once due to coffee mugs being washed in the dishwasher at the time we left the house). The coffee places we went to were a mix of locally owned and chain establishments. None of them disappointed.

Below are the results of our seven coffeeneuring rides:

COFFEENEUR #1

WHERE: Starbucks

                 185 Spencer St, Manchester, CT              

                 http://www.starbucks.com/

DATE: October 13, 2019
DRANK: Two pumpkin lattes

DETAILS: At the end of a mostly woodsy, off road bike path along the highway, is Starbucks. Makes for a simple, easy ride, which is what we need sometimes. Usually we do not frequent Starbucks, but the convenience made it worth it this time.

DISTANCE: 6.6 miles
RIDING: Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #2

WHERE: Silk City Coffee

                 763 Main St, Manchester, CT              

                 http://www.silkcitycoffee.com/

DATE: October 14, 2019
DRANK: Two pumpkin lattes

DETAILS: By far our absolute favorite coffee shop, just down the street from our house. We go there every Friday night when we aren't out of town for games and live music, and of course coffee and treats. Great ride down Main St. in Manchester.

DISTANCE: 2.5 miles
RIDING: Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #3

WHERE: Berkins Blend Cafe
                 1003 Hebron Ave, Glastonbury, CT              
                 http://www.berkinsblendcafe.com/
DATE: October 20, 2019
DRANK: Two drip coffees.
DETAILS: One of our standard coffeeneuring stops not far into Glastonbury from our house. An easy ride along mostly back roads with decent space for cars and bikes alike.
DISTANCE: 9.8 miles
RIDING: Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #4

WHERE: Starbucks

                 135 Talcottville Rd, Vernon, CT              

                 http://www.starbucks.com/

DATE: October 28, 2019
DRANK: Two pumpkin lattes

DETAILS: We combined this ride with an errand to the automotive store to pick up headlights for the car using a coupon we had on hand. Definitely not a bike friendly main road once we got out there, but with our lights and reflective vests, I think we were easily seen. Most cars gave us space, but it was a relief to relax a bit and enjoy a worm drink on a cool night.

DISTANCE: 13.8 miles
RIDING: Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #5

WHERE: Bread From Heaven Bakery
                 912 Main St, East Hartford, CT              

DATE: November 3, 2019
DRANK: Two drip coffees.
DETAILS: Actually had some free time to take a longer ride on this day. Ended up at a simple Puerto Rican bakery for a nice cup of coffee. Getting there is mostly along bike trail and bike lane so maked for an easy ride.
DISTANCE: 16.4 miles
RIDING: Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #6

WHERE: Dunkin Donuts

                 244 Center St, Manchester, CT              
                 http://dunkindonuts.com/
DATE: November 9, 2019
DRANK: Two pumpkin lattes.
DETAILS: Combined this outing with some grocery shopping. Found out they are actually working on extending the Cheney Rail Trail further to the south making a continuous off road trail through the center of Manchester from north to south. They only have to complete the bridge crossing over Center St. Once complete it will make grocery shopping much easier. Excited for that!
DISTANCE: 5.0 miles
RIDING: Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #7

WHERE: Daybreak Coffee Roasters
                  2377 Main St, Glastonbury, CT              
                  http://www.daybreakcoffee.com/ 
DATE: November 23, 2019
DRANK: A mocha latte and drip coffee.
DETAILS: A nice ride through the back roads of Manchester and Glastonbury to the busy Main St. of Glastonbury. Had been fighting a nasty cold for several days, so lucky to get this ride in. It felt good to breathe in some fresh air.
DISTANCE: 14.7 miles
RIDING: Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEURING 2018

Another season of the Coffeeneuring Challenge has been completed. If you have read some of our previous posts, you will know what the Coffeeneuring Challenge is. If not, here is a brief explanation. It is a fun challenge put forth by Mary G. of chasingmailboxes.com in which, over the course of seven weeks, you ride your bike to seven different places, at least 2 miles round-trip each time, drink seven cups of coffee (or similar), and take seven pictures as proof of your coffeeneuring. Simple as that. We like to go to locally owned, non-chain, coffee spots as much as possible. This year we carried on in that vein adding the twist that the coffee spot must be on a Main St. Not that the coffee spot was on a busy main road in town, but on a road with the name Main St. This required us to head off to other towns outside of Manchester, but we do that anyway so no big deal. Many of the places we have been to in the past, but the Main St theme allowed us to add a couple of new coffeeneuring places. They are all awesome establishments, and we hope you give them a try if you are in the area.

Below are the results of our seven coffeeneuring rides:

COFFEENEUR #1

WHERE: Silk City Coffee

                 763 Main St, Manchester, CT              

                 http://www.silkcitycoffee.com/

DATE: October 12, 2018
DRANK: Two lattes

DETAILS: Our favorite coffee shop down the street from the house. Go there regularly on Fridays for games and live music. Great ride down Main St. in Manchester.

DISTANCE: 2.5 miles
RIDING: Bike Friday Tandem

COFFEENEUR #2

WHERE: Daybreak Coffee Roasters
                  2377 Main St, Glastonbury, CT              
                  http://www.daybreakcoffee.com/ 
DATE: October 14, 2018
DRANK: A mocha latte and pumpkin latte.
DETAILS: A nice ride through the back roads of Manchester and Glastonbury to the busy Main St. of Glastonbury.
DISTANCE: 14.7 miles
RIDING: Felicity the Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #3

WHERE: The Angry Egg
                  1097 Main St, Manchester, CT              
                  http://www.angryeggcafe.com/
DATE: October 20, 2018
DRANK: Two coffees.
DETAILS: Another Main St. establishment just down the street from our house. Offers a great breakfast along with tasty coffee.
DISTANCE: 2 miles
RIDING: Felicity the Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #4

WHERE: Center Perk
                  639 Main St, Manchester, CT              
                  http://www.centerperk.net/
DATE: October 21, 2018
DRANK: Two coffees
DETAILS: A favorite breakfast place of ours in an eclectically decorated restaurant. Always enjoy a ride down Manchester's Main St.
DISTANCE: 3 miles
RIDING: Felicity the Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #5

WHERE: Heirloom Market
                  263 Main St.,Wethersfield, CT              
                  http://www.heirloommkt.com/
DATE: October 28, 2018
DRANK: Two coffees
DETAILS: A new coffee shop for us this year. Takes us across the Connecticut River to the "other side" of the state. Wethersfield is a quintessential historic old New England town.
DISTANCE: 23.2 miles
RIDING: Felicity the Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #6

WHERE: Grounded Coffee Co.
                 869 Main St., Willimantic, CT              
                 http://groundedcoffeecompany.org/
DATE: November 4, 2018
DRANK: One maple coffee and one pumpkin coffee.
DETAILS: Longest ride of the coffeeneuring challenge, but almost completely on bike paths and rail trails. Recent heavy rains put a small part of the trail under water. Needless to say we got a little wet below the knees.
DISTANCE: 38.0 miles
RIDING: Felicity the Hokitika Tandem

COFFEENEUR #7

WHERE: So G Coffee Roasters
                 882 Main St, South Glastonbury, CT              
                 https://www.facebook.com/sogcoffee/
DATE: November 17, 2018
DRANK: Two lattes
DETAILS: An enjoyable ride through the hilly back roads of Glastonbury.
DISTANCE: 19 miles
RIDING: Felicity the Hokitika Tandem