My husband and I spent four days skiing and snowshoeing in and around Snowmass, but because we wanted to slot our return drive in after crews had scraped the remains of a blizzard off the highways but before day-skier traffic picked up, we left before 6:00 a.m. That put us in Glenwood Springs before 7:00, which meant that our customary cafe wasn't open yet.
Instead, we stopped at the Kum & Go gas station and convenience store. Against my better judgment, I stuck a styrofoam cup under the "espresso" machine and pushed the button for "French vanilla." Out came a stream of something coffee-ish, followed by stream of something dairy-ish. The taste was so artificial and chemical that I took three sips and poured the rest out.
This was just one example of the abysmal food and drink sold in convenience stores. It wasn't only the coffee that was awful, but at 6-something a.m., six greasy hot dogs were rotating on one of those machines with hot metal rollers, and some burgers sealed in foil bags were in some kind of box display that kept them hot. The store was whistle-clean, and the pleasant guy on duty wore a spiffy shirt and even a tie, but I still wondered how long ago the stuff they call food had been manufactured and how long it was being held hot.
We eventually stopped at the marvelous Columbine Bakery in Avon for excellent espresso drinks and first-rate pastries. The whole experience reminded me of why I have zeroed in on quality coffee stops in much of Colorado whenever I need a caffeine fix. This list is not comprehensive, but just includes some of my favorites for coffee to go. Some are mainly cafes, while others have fresh baked goods and even deli offerings to fuel travelers with fare that is fab rather than foul:
Avon: Columbine Bakery, 51 East Beaver Creek Boulevard (near I-70 Exit 167, across from City Market); 970-949-1400.
Buena Vista: Bongo Billy's Buena Vista Cafe, 713 South U.S. Hwy 24; 719-395-2634.
Colorado Springs: The Coffee Exchange, 526 South Tejon Street (downtown); 719-227-8639.
Dillon: Blue Moon Bakery, 253 Summit Place Shopping Center (just off I-70 Exit 205); 970-513-0669.
Durango: Steaming Bean Coffee Company, 915 Main Avenue; 970-385-9516.
Frisco: Butterhorn Bakery, 408 Main Street (between I-70 Exits 201 and 203); 970-668-3997.
Glenwood Springs: Summit Canyon Mountaineering & Coffee House, 732 Grand Avenue (main street); 970-945-6994.
Golden: Noa-Noa Espresso & News, 109 Rubey Drive (just off Route 93, north of the interesection with U.S. 6); 303-277-0303.
Idaho Springs: Exit 240 Ski & Bike Rental (and espresso bar), 1319 Miner Street (just of I-70); 877-567-2220 and 303-567-2220.
Leadville: Cloud City Coffee House 711 Harrison Avenue (main street); 719-486-1317.
Montrose: Coffee Trader, 845 East Main Street; 970-249-6295.
Pagosa Springs: Victoria's Parlor, 274 Pagosa Street (main street); 970-264-0204.
Salida: Bongo Billy's Salida Cafe, 300 West Sackett Avenue; 719-539-4261.
Silverton: Avalanche Coffee House & Bakery, 1067 Empire Street (off US 550 in downtown Silverton, between the Durango & Silverton Railroad Depot and Greene Street, the main street); 970-387-5282.
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I love Bongo Billy's. My boyfriend and I always detour into Salida when we're going that way. We didn't know there was one in Buena Vistta too.
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