The last time I was in Denver I lived there. I was 8, Stapleton was the only airport, and cookies and milk were far more important to me than coffee. It was a quick layover on the way to Gillette, WY to teach musical theatre for three weeks, and this misto was just what I needed to get through the next flight on a really tiny plane.
Yes, the airport in Charlotte, NC gets a thumbs up, but it took a pair of Starbucks-es to make it happen. In a layover en route to Gainsville, there had to be a coffee run (naturally). But our first stop had to have been the slowest Starbucks on the face of the planet. I’m all about southern hospitality and taking your time, but not if you’re not going to talk to me and mess up my drink. After receiving a not-so-hazelnut Hazelnut Misto, I made the decision to stop at another Starbucks about 50 yards further into the terminal. THIS Starbucks was friendly, fast, apologetic, and didn’t ask any questions when I took my cup to the bar and asked for a new one.
Legendary.
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p.s. You can possibly see that my weight is inflated in this picture. Hey, you know, it was the holidays. But fear not, the diet is back in order and 2013 is looking like the year Lauren goes to the beach without a mumu. More on that later…
I’ve been through the airport lots of times. I know exactly what I can and cannot bring on an airplane. I’ve read all the signs at security. I have a variety of 1 oz. samples of toothpaste and shampoo that all fit in my resealable plastic bag. I’ve got carry-on organization and metal-free airport fashion down to a science. But a recent flight to Charlotte en route to Florida was the first time I’ve ever seen this:
Huh? How come old people don’t have to take off their shoes? Does TSA fear they’ll fall over and break a hip, holding up the line even further? What makes them think seniors aren’t just as capable of hijacking a plane as I am? Does anyone else see the injustice in this? I’m all for respecting my elders, but airport rules should be ubiquitously enforced.
I know what you’re thinking… haven’t you visited this Starbucks before, Lauren? No, not really. It’s just that it’s an exact replica of the Belvidere Oasis. This one is off (or rather, on top of) Highway 294 near the airport, and I visited on my way to Aurora to see Olivia Newton-John in concert.
Yes. That Olivia Newton-John.
Anyway, though thankful for the caffeine jolt, this was a rather odd Starbucks experience, hence my somewhat lack-luster smile. I asked for one of my favorites: a short Americano with the shot on top. I was told that they don’t make short anything, while the cashier had her hands on a bunch of short cups.
“Uh, ok, how about a short coffee?”
No, they only have tall.
“Um, ok, what about a single espresso?”
This they understood. Apparently, there is no price listed for a short Americano. I asked why they had short cups, and she said, “Oh, that’s for the kiddy cocoa.”
That’s cool, but here’s the thing: you could have easily charged me for the one shot of espresso, and added a bunch of hot water to it in one of those short cups. If she were to ever visit another store, she might realize that Americanos are priced simply on the espresso shots.
The water is free.
Anyway, I’m sure this nice lady doesn’t make a habit of traversing the world for Starbucks-es as I do, and to be honest, I didn’t have that revelation about the water until I was back in the car drinking a cold shot of espresso doused in half and half.
I will say, also, that the espresso shot itself was very, very nice.
Any subscribers will be glad to hear that this ends the whirlwind update from “that other travel blog”. Bringing you this last Starbucks Around the World from Houston means I’m up-to-date (on Starbuckses, anyway) and I won’t be clogging up your newsfeed nearly as much. Although, I have to say, it’s been so fun for me to go through all of these memories. In the end, I’m sure you realize that it’s not about the Starbucks, or the coffee. This is about experiencing the everyday life and cultures of different places around the world. It’s about what is different, and what is very much the same – such as a daily cup of coffee. I hope you’re enjoying the ride as much as I am….
Disclaimer: Since Travelpod does not allow you to export blogs, I shall be bringing old entries to you slowly, but surely, through good, old-fashioned (and painstakingly arduous) Cut-and-paste.
Anyone who knows me well knows that I’m crazy about Texas (insert sarcasm here). Don’t get me wrong, I know a lot of nice people from Texas, but a seriously bad 48 hours in Dallas and general disdain for big hair have left me a little underwhelmed about the idea of making this state a destination spot. On the way to Oaxaca, our 30-minute stopover in Houston meant of course that we’d miss our connecting flight and end up hanging out at George Bush International Airport for 3 hours. At least it gave us time to stop off for the first (and presumably only) Starbucks hit in Texas. I think it was a green tea, actually.
In the end, George Bush turned out alright – the airport, anyway – and we got where we needed to go (with a surprise trip to Mexico City and an impromtu visit with Nancy’s Aunt). And according to our friend Shannon (the best thing from Texas, as far as I’m concerned), if ever there again after 10am there’s great BBQ in terminal C….
p.s. check me out with all my style points on Unstitched, a fantastically beautiful blog with a great series on traveling.
Disclaimer: Since Travelpod does not allow you to export blogs, I shall be bringing old entries to you slowly, but surely, through good, old-fashioned (and painstakingly arduous) Cut-and-paste.
Quite before the crack of dawn, this Starbucks stop is at O’Hare International Airport at the beginning of our beautiful trip to Oaxaca, Mexico in the summer of 2010. It was so early I don’t even remember what I drank, but I assume it was caffeinated and included a yogurt parfait.
I am rather glad to report that Oaxaca has no ‘Bucks, so you will only witness two entires on this adventure, both in airports. However, coffee was still prevalent on this trip-I witnessed an up close and personal view of for real “Shade Grown Mexico” on the side of a mountain near Pluma Hidalgo, Oaxaca.
Disclaimer: Since Travelpod does not allow you to export blogs, I shall be bringing old entries to you slowly, but surely, through good, old-fashioned (and painstakingly arduous) Cut-and-paste.
Fortunately, there was enough time during our layover in the nation’s capital on the way to Rome to grab a frosty java chip Frappuchino, a mug, and a snapshot. I never drink Frappuchinos, but it seemed like the right thing to do before embarking on a 10 hour flight in a 2 x 3 x 5 ft cube. What you DON’T see is that to the right of the storefront was a life-sized cardboad cutout of Barack Obama. Thumb’s up!
Lauren Warnecke 
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