In the end - what do you love?

Have you hugged a tree today?
latte art by Cafe Roche

"In the end, we will conserve only what we love. We will love only what we understand. We will understand only what we are taught." - Bab Dioum

I found this quote on Piedmont Wildlife Rehab's page, and it struck me as true, whether I'm talking about native North Carolina wildlife, cats and dogs, or locally-owned coffee shops. We truly do put our money, time, and effort toward the people, things, or causes we value most. We may talk about other things, but in the end, our time and money goes to what we value most.

I put a lot of time, energy & thought into this blog because I want to promote and therefore, conserve, locally-owned coffee shops.

In turn, many coffee shops sell shade-grown coffee, which often is grown on Central and South American land where migratory North American birds spend the winter. Shade trees on the coffee farms provide a home for the birds. Some of these birds could be ones rescued and nurtured by Piedmont Wildlife Rehab. This group, like a few other local organizations, has benefited from the generosity of fundraisers at Triad coffee shops.

Once again, your neighborhood coffee shop connects you to the world. Would you expect any less?

Kick off the holiday weekend

There are more coffee shops
in downtown WS than you can
shake a biscotti at!

There are plenty of activities to kick off the holiday weekend for those who are staying in the Triad! Check out the updated events page. Friday night is packed full. In downtown Winston-Salem, we have a poetry meetup at a coffee shop CoffeeCat just posted on the Coffee Shops Guide, the first Friday gallery hop, and free wine tasting at Caffe Prada. Not to mention, our long-standing yummy coffee shops in downtown are there waiting for you with iced coffee & espresso drinks!

Saturday night, the Astanza Project is playing at Tate Street -- if you're wondering what "world music" sounds like, well, get off the couch and go listen!

It's officially September, so get out there and take advantage of all the events crammed into the busiest month of the fall! If you know of more events this weekend, post 'em here for everyone to see!

Coffee Shop Treasure Hunt

While you're being a tourist in your own town, see if you can solve recent challenges posted on our Facebook page.

Can you find a Triad Coffee Shop that sells:

• Krispy Kreme donuts
• hot dogs
• espresso walnut brownies?

Hint: It's 3 different coffee shops in 3 different towns (but if you find one that has all 3 of these goodies, let me know. I think I'll pack my bags and move into it!)

Post your answers in the comments. The prize: You get to discover new Triad Coffee Shops! (Someday, CoffeeCat might offer real prizes. Stay tuned!)

How to be a tourist in your own town

You're wondering what being a tourist in your own town has to do with coffee shops. Don't you know by now that CoffeeCat can relate almost anything on the planet to coffee shops? It's true.

When you're tired of the beaten path you take every day to work, the gym, the kids' school, the grocery store, and home, it's time for a coffee shop break. Even if you're bored with your town and too broke for a weekend getaway, coffee shops have something for you!

Start with the Coffee Shops Guide. Pick any coffee shop that you've never been to. It can be in your town, or, if you're really, really, bored, pick another town. Map out the route from your house to the coffee shop, and then throw it to the wind! That's right, you're going to get there off the beaten path.

Taking the major highway or the main route is allowed, but you must stop along the way at anything that intrigues you. It could be a shop you've never noticed, a park, a historical marker by the side of the road, or even another coffee shop. (How do you think I find all these coffee shops? On the way to some other coffee shop, of course!)

uploaded from http://www.ncmarkers.com/

For example, try to map a route that takes you past this marker honoring Underground Railroad legend Levi Coffin. Then throw it to the wind when you see something else that intrigues you even more!

Tell CoffeeCat about your Coffee Shop Tourist experience, and you might get a guest post on the blogspot!

Coffee Road Trip: New Orleans

http://www.cafedumonde.com/

No, I didn't go to New Orleans this weekend, but I discovered a taste of the city at the Super G Mart in Greensboro. There I was, surrounded by a Wal-Mart sized selection of Asian delicacies and staples when a display of Cafe Du Monde coffee caught my eye. So I bought some. And while drinking a cup today, I did a little research.

Cafe Du Monde is the original French-quarter coffee stand and it has faithfully stuck to the basics - coffee, beignets (doughnuts), and a few other drinks - orange juice and soda. According to its website, coffee was successfully cultivated on the Caribbean island Martinique in the 1720s and first came to the U.S. with French settlers. Merci beaucoup, French settlers! During the French Civil War, coffee was scarce, so the French added chicory (the root of the endive lettuce plant) for body and flavor. This tradition made it through the new world French colonies to New Orleans.

CoffeeCat likes this blend, but I'm sure it would taste even better if I could go to New Orleans for some fresh roasted, fresh ground Cafe Du Monde with some hot, sugary doughnuts!

On this 5th anniversary of Katrina, it's great to have a piece of the city as a reminder of its resilience. Stories are all over the news about the rebuilding that continues and the survivors who've made new lives for themselves here in the Triad. Hooray for all of you!

The Triad doesn't have the historic Cafe Du Monde, but we have great, local coffee shops with fresh roasted beans, fresh pastries, friendly people, pet-friendly patios, and great entertainment. So, whatever city you're in today, I hope you're all enjoying a great cup of coffee and savoring the moment. Whether our coffee shops are world-famous or not, we treasure them just the same.