#koasttrotter

Alchemist Coffee Project: KoreaTown, CA

The Alchemist Coffee Project was small and sweet. However the prices were steep.

Copper Star Coffee: Phoenix, AZ. 

There is so much to say about Copper Star, so prepare for a long post.

First of all, the atmosphere is amazing. It is an old gas station that was converted into a shop, they still have the old pumps next to the drive thru window! 

Inside the walls are decorated with local art, they sell it too! So extra points for supporting their community. The lighting is easy on the eyes, and there was plenty of seating available without a crowded feel.

The outdoor seating was awesome because not only did it also feature local art like a table made of bottles and a fountain, but also lots of plants adding a less urban feel. The big bonus was the misting fans, in 117 degree weather it allowed Koit and I relief while I enjoyed my latte. 

Next the staff, which seriously offered the best customer service Iv’e had thus far. All of the employees were friendly and engaging, and offered plenty of suggestions. I honestly can’t say enough good things about this staff, they are simply amazing.

As for my drink I actually ended up getting two since Koit could hang around without getting too hot. 

First I tried a plain iced lavender latte. ( I forgot to ask for almond milk because i was enjoying talking to the staff so much!) They make their Lavender syrup in house with local fresh lavender too! It was so good I went in for another.

But this time I was going to try the house special, mocha lavender. (which I once again forgot to ask for almond milk) My barista suggested to get the white mocha in it instead. White mochas are usually too sweet for me, but this latte was sooo good. Still a little on the sweet side for me, but I still enjoyed it immensely.

I’ll be stopping by the drive thru on the way out to L.A and trying an almond milk latte. 

Los Angeles Skyline: Long Beach, CA

A friend from GA that moved up to Long Beach earlier this year met up with us and brought us on a little hike to see this amazing view. 

Superior Donuts: Bellflower, CA

This little corner donut shop is run by the friendliest people, I came across it while out walking Koit not far from where we were staying, and I couldn’t ignore my sweet tooth.

Berlin Bistro: Long Beach, CA

Berlin Bistro was suggested to me by a friend, I didn’t just get a plain latte with almond milk, but also their salmon flat bread. It was a great breakfast but the coffee wasn’t anything special. 

The store was actually attached to a record store that let Koit it. 

Griffith Park: Hollywood, CA

We hiked Griffith Park to see the Hollywood sign, but we didn’t exactly take the trails. Instead we just scaled the first mountain we saw. This was kinda a mistake.

The mountain in the last picture was harder to tackle then it looks, the pictures just didn't do justice. Once we reached the top, we got some stellar views (Pictures 2 and 4). We continued on the trail and got to snap our cliche’  Hollywood sign pictures.

All in all I feel very accomplished, even if at one point I did cry.

Bicycle Nomad Cafe: Phoenix, AZ.

Bicycle Nomad Cafe is actually inside of a Bike shop! They didn’t just have coffee, tea, and smoothies, but also kombucha on tap.

But I was interested in their espresso specials. They offered CocoSpresso, RootSpresso, and OrangeSpresso.

So with a regular customer from Espresso Place in mind, I decided to try an Iced OrangeSpresso, which was Espresso with orange juice.

It was very refreshing and unique. Though I would rather have had a half and half ratio rather than it being mostly orange juice. 

Great shop that Koit could come into and cool down in and a very helpful Barista.

Songbird Coffee and Tea House: Phoenix, AZ.

Songbird offered a great outdoor atmosphere that was very dog friendly, even have an outdoor shop kitty who eyed us from a few feet. Which Koit just loved and I adored the metal tree art and swing.

However, the staff I came in contact with was very unprofessional, my barista/cashier was consistently looking at his phone while I asked questions about the shop and I mostly got mumbled responses.

I decided to get an iced almond milk mocha.