Coffee Capital of the World…Silverton?

'Gear Up'...my main coffee connection

In the past three years I’ve ventured on four different journeys’ eastward on motorcycle enjoying the amazing landscape of this land called America. Many are the keys to my travels, but of greatest are simply seeing what lies around the next bend (as my uncle Ronnie so instilled within me as a young lad), marveling at the beauty of both the wonder of animals and the panorama painted by the Creators hand, and meeting interesting characters along the way.

My favorite drive through...

And yet close behind these I would have to include the daily task of finding the ‘mom and pops’ diner and/or coffee shop. Diner’s, they have been relatively easy, coffee shops on the other hand, not so much! Often as I venture eastward beyond our town of Silverton, or perhaps even Central Oregon, the coffee shop experience quickly fades. Less of course you add ‘McDonalds’, or toward the East coast ‘Dunkin Donuts’ to this encounter.  But then again, they don’t exactly fit the ‘mom and pop’ model now do they?

Main Street Bistro

Many are better coffee connoisseurs than me. Actually, I know very little about coffee. My coffee experience didn’t even begin until I reached my mid-thirties while attending paramedic school at OHSU. Long days of study and my unfamiliar daily drive in traffic eventually led toward a slow and casual move into the coffee culture. Even then, until recently my typical coffee encounter for several years was merely four or five times a month. And then it was only towards a ‘foo-foo’ coffee at best. More recently, over the past five years or so I have found coffee shops (mom and pops in particular) to be a great place for connecting with old friends or meeting new ones.

And then, if you live in Silverton…well, we may be the coffee capital of the world. With eight such places in which you can come in from the cold and sit down with friends and enjoy your java, or if you’re on the move, we now have four drive-through locations as you head toward your Salem, Portland or Silver Falls destinations. Why ‘Dutch Brother’s' added their brand to the town…something to do with ‘business’ I guess. Per capital that works out to be one coffee shop per 800 citizens. Then if you eliminate toddlers and others who shouldn't or don't have the frequent espresso in their diet, that number decreases to something closer to 500. Ok, that was not a scientific study...I'm just saying.

Anyway, if you enjoy the journey through ‘smallville’ America and like coffee, make sure you include a stop into Silverton. You're sure to find some good coffee, and better yet you might just find a new friend.