Coffeeneuring 2012: Recap

The Cofffeeneuring Challenge of 2012 is in the books. I have to say that the riding wasn't the hard part. Getting caffeinated on the weekends was. I've been buzzed for 6 weeks. My central nervous system feels positively Parisian.

Coffeeneuring 2012: Rise of the Cranberry Orange Muffin!

So here's the recap which will act as my submission to the Queen of Coffeeneuring for her review.

Coffeeneuring No.1 Perks. 822 North Fairfax Drive, Old Town Alexandria VA. This is located one block from the Mount Vernon Trail near the Transpotomac Canal Center just South of the power plant.
Date: Saturday, October 6

Drink: Americano with a chocolate chip cookie.
Ride: Big Nellie
Rating: Two cups out of five. Coffee was good. The cookie was better. The shop was packed.
Miles: 21

Coffeeneuring No. 2: Buzz, 901 Slaters Lane, Alexandria VA. This is about a half mile from the Mount Vernon Trail. Take the ramp to Slaters Lane and follow Slaters until you see Buzz on the right.
Date: Saturday October 7
Drink: Americano with a chocolate chip cookie
Rating: Two cups out of five. The coffee was not as strong as at Perks. This is a plus. The cookie was not as good. The shop was packed mostly with WiFi squatters. I had to eat outdoors. It was pretty cold out and the seats were metal so I wasn't thrilled.
Ride: Big Nellie
Miles: 15

Coffeeneuring No. 3: The Hollin Hall Pastry Shop, 7920 Fort Hunt Road, Mount Vernon VA. This shop is about 1/2 mile from the stone bridge on the Mount Vernon Trail. Cross the bridge to the west. Take a left on Shenandoah. A right on Fort Hunt Road. The shop is in the strip mall on your left.
Date:  Saturday October 13
Drink: Americano with an eclair
Rating: One cup for the coffee. I really don't think the high school kid behind the counter knew what she was doing. Five cups for the eclair. Dang, it was tasty!!!! Not much ambiance. Just one little table for wayward coffeeneurs.
Ride: Big Nellie
Miles: 5

Coffeeneuring No. 4: Grape and Bean, 118 South Royal Street, Old Town Alexandria VA. Royal Street runs parallel to the Mount Vernon Trail. The shop is one-half block south of King Street.
Date: Saturday October 20
Drink: French Roast
Rating: One cup out of five. The coffee was way too strong for my taste. There was nothing but bread available to eat with it so I had nothing. (I could have had lunch but it was too early,)  This was a dissappointing experience. I ride by this shop every day. This is the first time I've gone inside and the staff seemed like they couldn't be bothered with me.
Ride: Big Nellie
Miles 54 1/2

Coffeeneuring Fail: Red Truck Bakery, Warrenton VA
Date: Saturday October 27
Drink: House Roast with orange cranberry muffin
Rating: Coffee rated four cups. The muffin went to eleven!!!!!  BEST MUFFIN EVER. And the bonus was seeing Veronique, a friend from back when our kids were little.Red Truck is definitely worth another visit. And the riding around Warrenton is great too.
Ride: The Mule
Miles: 1/2 mile (+ 72 for the Pumpkin ride)

Coffeeneuring No. 5: Misha's, 102 S. Patrick Street, Old Town Alexandria VA.  This shop is located several blocks west of the Mount Vernon Trail. Take King Street until you hit Patrick Street. Misha's is a couple of doors down from the intersection.
Date: Saturday November 3
Drink: House Coffee with a chocolate chip cookie.
Rating: Three cups out of five.  The coffee was fine. The cookie was heated up which made it especially tasty. This is yet another coffee house with WiFi squatters. I sat at a big long table with a pile of newspapers strewn all over it. Misha's and the Coffeehouse it replaced is something of an institution in Old Town.
Ride: The Mule
Miles: 14

Coffeeneuring No. 6: Perk Up, 829 South Washington, Old Town Alexandria VA.  From the intersection of the Mount Vernon Trail and South Washington Street at the Woodrow Wilson Bridge take South Washington two blocks. The shop is one door down from Green Street,
Date: Sunday November 4
Drink: House blend. Three cups out of five. This shop is pretty small so the WiFi squatters once again filled up most of the seats.  I sat outside on a cool fall afternoon.  They serve some pastries and such but nothing floated my boat.
Ride: Little Nellie
Miles: 11

Coffeeneuring No. 7: Saint Elmo's Coffee Pub, 2300 Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray, Alexandria VA. Mount Vernon Avenue runs parallel to the Mount Vernon Trail on the west side of US 1.  Braddock Road, Monroe Street or the bike path on the south side of Four Mile Run all intersect Mount Vernon Avenue.
Date: Saturday November 10
Drink: Americano with an orange cranberry muffin
Rating: Five out of five cups.  This coffee was exactly as I like it and the muffin was moist and crumbly and near perfect (look out Red Truck!).  Saint Elmo's is a real, honest to god neighborhood coffee shop. Every neighborhood should have one. A great place to finish the challenge. There are all kinds of restaurants up and down Mount Vernon Avenue. And just a couple of doors from Saint Elmo's is The Dairy Godmother where you can get a truly awesome root beer float.
Ride: Little Nellie
Miles: 18.

And, last but not least, a tip of the helmet to MG, the Gypsybug, Gersemalina, and wise Queen Coffeenista for coming up with this idea. It got me out of the house on several days when I would have been riding my recliner instead of my bike.

Cheers.